Week 3 taught us more about the various teams in the NFL and what we can expect. For the second week, a late pregame scratch foiled Beanie Wells' owners after those who have Brandon Marshall were penalized in Week 1. Being the violent game it is, football last week brought us a slew of injuries with teams now asking new players to take bigger roles and increase their playing time.
Torrey Smith, WR, BAL - Smith will be one of the hotter waiver wire pickups after scorching the Rams with five catches for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Smith did exactly what the Ravens hoped he was capable of when they drafted him out of Maryland with the 58th pick in the second round: stretch opposing defenses. Taking advantage of more playing time with Lee Evans nursing an ankle injury, Smith's performance has earned him more action even after Evans returns. Look for Baltimore to continue to use him as it did this week; a deep threat to open room for Anquan Boldin over the middle while preventing defenses from crowding the line of scrimmage to slow Ray Rice.
Nate Washington, WR, TEN - With a season-ending injury to Kenny Britt, Washington has the opportunity to become the top-receiving option for Matt Hasselbeck. Washington has already been a favorite of Matt Hasselbeck as evidenced by hauling in half as many catches (21) as he had all last season. If Washington stays healthy, he should easily eclipse his career-high 687 receiving yards and six touchdowns set two seasons ago.
Kendall Hunter, RB, SF - While an inept passing game hasn't helped, there's cause for concern if you own Frank Gore considering his 2.5 YPC. Now, not surprisingly, Gore is dealing with an ankle injury that could limit him or keep him out altogether in Week 4. Enter Hunter, who finished Sunday's contest with 38 yards on eight touches and a score. If Gore doesn't play, Hunter would be in line to start. Chances are even with a healthy Gore, Hunter has earned more playing time.
Lance Moore, WR, NO - Moore finally appears to be 100 percent healthy after sitting out the start of the season with a groin injury. Moore played limited snaps during Week 2 but was targeted a team-high nine times by Drew Brees during Sunday's win. Moore chipped in a receiving touchdown and later a two-point conversion with 98 receiving yards. When healthy, he's been a PPR monster and should continue to be especially with Marques Colston still on the mend.
Mark Sanchez, QB, NYJ - If you don't have a backup quarterback on your roster, Sanchez is looking like a great option to have on your bench. Through the first three games, Sanchez already has two 300-plus yard passing games, equaling his total from last season. The Jets appear to be letting him loose in his third season as the running game has struggled. Plaxico Burress and Dustin Keller have emerged as good red-zone targets, LaDanian Tomlinson can still catch out of the backfield and Santonio Holmes remains a stellar deep option.
James Casey, TE, HOU - Casey was used in a variety of roles Sunday, lining up as a tight end, in the slot and as a fullback. He received his first carry of the season, scampering for 11 yards, and caught five passes for 126 yards and a touchdown. Casey is an athletic player who played three years in the Chicago White Sox organization before attending Rice to play football. He was just drafted in 2009, which explains why we haven't heard too much of him until this point despite being 27 years old. It looks like the Texans will continue to use him in the offense given his versatility, making him a potential No. 2 tight end for your team.
Stevan Ridley, RB, NE - It doesn't seem like the Patriots were completely sold on their backfield, considering they used a second-round pick on Shane Vereen and a third-round pick on Ridley. Early in camp Vereen dealt with a hamstring issue and later an ankle injury, explaining his lack of exposure for the Patriots so far. Ridley, on the other hand, was given his chance to showcase his talents. Over the first two preseason games for the Patriots, he amassed 144 rushing yard on 30 carries (4.8 YPC), 74 receiving yards on 10 catches and three total touchdowns. After those two games an undisclosed injury kept him out of practice, which made him an afterthought in the Patriots backfield until recently. His 44 rushing yards Sunday led the team, and it wouldn't be surprising if his role continues to grow.
Brandon Pettigrew, TE, DET - With a healthy Matthew Stafford and a running game that doesn't look even league average, the Lions have taken to the air to win their first three games of the season. Pettigrew, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, finally broke out Sunday with 11 catches (13 targets) for 112 yards. While Tony Scheffler will steal some targets, Pettrigrew should have plenty of room to operate with opposing defenses rolling extra coverage toward Calvin Johnson. After a rough first two weeks, Pettigrew might be on your waiver wire if you need tight end help.
Victor Cruz, WR, NYG - Cruz had an outstanding game Sunday, especially considering the talent of the Eagles secondary. After a long catch-and-run touchdown that went 74 yards, Cruz won a jump ball between two Eagles defenders for another score. Mario Manningham is expected back for Week 4, so stash Cruz on your bench in case Manningham's concussion issue returns.
Donald Jones, WR, BUF - Jones entered the season as the Bills No. 2 wide receiver and did little to justify that place on the depth chart until Sunday. Against New England he had a shaky first half marred by drops but did a 180 in the second half with a couple of nice catches on deep balls to help rally the Bills. Jones finished the day with five catches for 101 yards and a team-high 10 targets. Given his meager production the first two weeks, he's a speculative add at this point who may have gotten a much needed confidence boost Sunday.
Rian Lindell, K, BUF - You'll seldom see a kicker mentioned in this space, but given the Bills' offensive production, Lindell is likely the kicker with the most points sitting on your waiver wire. The Bills seemingly have the perfect combination for fantasy with a great offense matched with an, at best, league-average defense. The result should be plenty of point for the Bills and, in turn, for Lindell.
Follow @KCPayne26 on Twitter.
Get a FREE RotoWire 10-day trial (no credit card required) at RotoWire.com.
