RADIO
Fantasy football waiver wire pickups analysis for Emmanuel Wilson, Tyjae Spears, Emmett Johnson in Week 3 (2026). Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
Unfortunately, fantasy managers who need help at the running back position at any point in the season are typically out of luck. Every starting running back gets drafted in the draft at the beginning of the season, and often, a large number of backups do as well.
It's very rare for an NFL team to have three running backs be relevant in fantasy football in one season. Even having two total typically doesn't happen. Early in the year, though, there can be some depth chart shake-ups, or at least the rumblings of one coming in the future.
Additionally, injuries to a team's starting RB or RB2 can create opportunities for someone further down the depth chart to get a chance to shine. With these facts in mind, let's dive into three potential running back waiver wire pickups for Week 3 of the 2026 season!
Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!
Emanuel Wilson Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 3% of leagues
Seattle Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson handled 21 carries for 92 yards and was targeted once in his team's dominant win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2. Game script was the major driver behind his workload -- the Seahawks had an early lead and ground down the clock as much as possible with it.
The starting RB for Seattle is clearly rookie Jadarian Price (shoulder). But he injured his shoulder in that game. Should he miss time, it seems likely Wilson would be the next man up and would get a similarly large workload regardless of the game's score.
Emanuel Wilson bounces outside for a Green Bay TD!
📺: #CHIvsGB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/mJudpmXg4P— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025
We've seen Wilson play well before, as a member of the Green Bay Packers. He was oftentimes productive even when asked to carry a huge load due to the injury absences of the starters ahead of him. This makes him worth adding and stashing in all leagues as a potential starter if Price can't play in Week 3.
Add in All Leagues
Tyjae Spears Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 40% of leagues
Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears still doesn't have the starting running back role in his offense. Speaking of his offense, the Titans have one of the worst combinations of rushing and passing attacks in the league, and lost their second game in a row to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2.
Spears' usage was improved, as he logged nine touches compared to just seven in Week 1. He scored 9.0 PPR fantasy points. Titans lead back Tony Pollard logged 15 touches, and he's still the clear starter, but Spears' usage as a pass-catcher gives him more upside.
TYJAE SPEARS PICKS UP A KEY FIRST DOWN IN STYLE
PHIvsTEN on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/jF8CFKw2Pi— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026
The best play of the day for the entire offense was Spears' improbable pickup of a first down on third down and 22. Still, Pollard is clearly the more used rusher. Neither of them have a ton of upside right now. A Pollard injury would make Spears a must-add in all leagues, but for now, he's a bench stash in deep leagues only.
He'd need a lot of volume and heavy receiving usage to be a must-start. His snap percentage actually declined from 50 percent to just 36 percent from Week 1 to Week 2.
Add in 12-Team PPR Leagues
Emmett Johnson Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 35% of leagues
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III is on an absolute tear right now. He's looking like the steal of the draft thanks to his heavy usage as both a passer and a rusher. His backup, Emmett Johnson, understandably hasn't gotten much work.
But Johnson looks more talented than any RB the Chiefs have drafted in a long time. He can't compare to Walker, of course, but Walker's been an injury-prone player in past seasons, meaning the upside case for Johnson is very intriguing.
Emmett Johnson DANCIN' out there
INDvsKC on NBC/Peacock
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/X7YXNw6QVs— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2026
A couple of impressive jukes have driven speculation into how much upside he could have if he were the starter. Kansas City's offense has started off the season hot, and he's worth adding in deeper leagues now or as a handcuff to Walker.
Add in 12+ Team Leagues
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Emanuel Wilson, Tyjae Spears, Emmett Johnson We are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Emanuel Wilson, Tyjae Spears, Emmett Johnson. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
Popular Waiver Wire Searches. Curious to see some tough waiver wire decisions for 2026? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Pickup? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Emanuel Wilson, Tyjae Spears, Emmett Johnson:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
