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Fantasy football waiver wire pickups analysis for Jonah Coleman, Kaelon Black, Mike Washington Jr. in Week 3 (2026). Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
Running back has always been fantasy football's most fragile position. While the position offers high weekly upside, it also carries significant risk, as running back is usually one of the most frequently injured positions in football. That means it's always a good idea to add running backs whenever they appear on waivers.
Much to fantasy gamers' relief, there have not been many injuries at the position through two weeks. However, we did have one notable injury to a team's RB1 this weekend, and there are still several great stashes sitting on waivers in a lot of leagues.
Jonah Coleman, Kaelon Black, and Mike Washington Jr. are several running backs still available to gamers. They are all worth an addition off waivers this week. So let's not waste any more time and dive into why you should put in a claim or spend some FAAB on each of these backs.
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Jonah Coleman Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 26% of leagues
Broncos RB1 J.K. Dobbins left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury and did not return. Coleman played well in relief against an underrated Jaguars run defense. He carried the football 10 times for 39 rushing yards and scored his first career NFL touchdown.
First TD for the rook!
📺: @NFLonCBS / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/lwtGesjhr4
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) September 20, 2026
Dobbins has a lengthy injury history, and soft tissue injuries usually take a few weeks to fully heal. Second-year back R.J. Harvey missed yesterday's game with a hamstring injury, so his status for Week 3 is also unknown. That means there is a scenario where Coleman could be operating as Denver's lead back.
The Broncos draw a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. However, the Rams' run defense has been mediocre to begin the year, and Denver has one of the NFL's best offensive lines.
Coleman was PFF's fourth-highest-graded rusher in the preseason and reportedly impressed the Broncos coaching staff in practices this summer. So even though this could be a tough matchup against the Rams defense, Coleman carries a ton of upside as a potential RB1.
That should make him the top waiver target in all leagues.
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Kaelon Black Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 56% of leagues
Black was already a popular draft target when it became clear he would back up RB1 Christian McCaffrey. Then during the 49ers' Week 1 victory against the Los Angeles Rams, Black evenly split touches with McCaffrey and ran for 65 rushing yards on 14 carries.
Black didn't have as much success in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins, but he still played 33% of offensive snaps and split carries pretty evenly with McCaffrey again. Through two weeks, it's become pretty clear that San Francisco is serious about scaling back McCaffrey's workload.
It is worth pointing out that San Francisco has won going away in both its games to start 2026. So, there is some debate whether Black will maintain this kind of usage when San Francisco is playing in more competitive game scripts. The 49ers take on the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, so Black could still be a viable deep league flex play next weekend.
Either way, we can't ignore Black's usage as it's clear he is one of fantasy football's top handcuffs while also carrying standalone value.
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Mike Washington Jr. Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 44% of leagues
Ashton Jeanty briefly left Sunday's victory over the Los Angeles Chargers with what the team is calling an ankle injury. Luckily, he returned to the game and helped close out a 26-14 win.
Washington saw some action in this game, but it still only amounted to three carries and one target. He was a popular sleeper in many dynasty circles and flashed some upside during the preseason.
The rookie Mike Washington Jr. TAKES OFF for 53 yards 😤
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/dIDqYckE2T
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
However, Jeanty has 54 touches through two weeks and is clearly the team's bellcow RB1. That's resulted in few leftovers for Washington and any other running back in the Las Vegas offense.
Still, Washington is a talented player and would seemingly be in line for an expanded role should Jeanty's ankle injury worsen throughout the week and force him to miss time.
It's never a bad idea to stash backup running backs in the event of an injury. If you've got an open roster spot, then it's worth adding Washington to keep him on your bench for the time being.
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Who Should I Pickup Tool
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Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Jonah Coleman, Kaelon Black, and Mike Washington Jr. 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.
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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.
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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 results and recommendations.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Jonah Coleman, Kaelon Black, and Mike Washington Jr.:
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