Week 3 Waiver Pickups

Take a deep breath and exhale. It’s time to face the facts. You are 0-2. That’s what losers do. They lose. They lose consecutively. They lose automatically. They lose habitually. They lose.  But this is not you. You are not the Arizona Cardinals Tennessee Titans. I know you’re asking yourself, “How is this even possible? I have a franchise quarterback, stud running backs and wide receivers. Even my tight end scores!”

Well, you are not alone. Just look at the New Orleans Saints and poor Drew Brees. I’ve been trying to console him all day, but he hasn’t responded to any of my texts.

I understand your sadness. I’ve had some – although very limited – experience with losing. And you can’t mope around all day. Enough! If you’re ever going to escape this seemingly insurmountable test, you have work to do. Grab a Kleenex, wipe those tears, and get to your waiver wire. Play the Braveheart theme song if you have to! These players might just be the key to that coveted 1-2 record.

Martellus Bennett, TE, New York Giants – Bennett enjoyed the Eli Manning 510-yard passing party with five receptions for 72 yards. Not just a one-week wonder, either. In the Giants-Cowboys season-opener, Bennett reeled in four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown. Seems like an obvious pickup, especially if you lost Rob Gronkowski on Sunday. Available in 67 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Andre Brown, RB, New York Giants – I know, I know. Another New Yorker. But there’s a lot of offense coming out of the Big Apple right now. And Andre the Giant is next in line after losing Ahmad Bradshaw to a neck sprain, and losing David Wilson to a bad case of the butterfingers. On Sunday, Brown rushed for 71 yards on 13 carries, with a touchdown and two-point conversion. With the early Thursday game this week, Brown’s likelihood of starting increases. Available in 90 percent of Yahoo! leagues.                                                                                                       

Danny Amendola, WR, St. Louis Rams – In the first two games of the season, Amendola has been the favorite target for Sam Bradford. In his latest game, he caught 15 – yes, 15 – passes for 161 yards. A PPR dream! He won’t be around long. Available in 51 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens – Targeted 15 times, the tight end had eight receptions for 65 yards. Pitta is proving to be a staple in the Ravens’ offense. And wow, his quarterback is the “best in the league,” according to Joe Flacco himself. How can you not like that combination? Available in 70 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Arizona defense, DEF, Arizona Cardinals – Better than you think. Don’t be scared of the Philly matchup either. In this early season, they’ve yielded the most fantasy points to opposing defenders. Available in 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Buffalo defense, DEF, Buffalo Bills – When in doubt, start the defense playing Cleveland. Available in 59 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Erin Skelley joins Texans Radio every week on SportsRadio 610. Follow her on Twitter @erinskelley. She’ll babble fantasy to anyone who will listen.