Fantasy Football 2025 Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice

Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the roster percentages coming from Yahoo.com.

Immediately Useful

Juwan Johnson, TE, Saints (44% Rostered): Johnson has always been a pretty good player, but it’s clear that he’s currently a central cog in the Saints offense, and even if you’re not interested in pieces of the Saints offense, volume is volume. He’s been targeted 19 times in his first two games this year, going for 76 yards in Week 1, and getting 49 yards on five catches vs. the 49ers with a TD on the side. Johnson has always been a red zone threat, now he’s being used all over the field, and he’s rarely coming off the field. He has the look of a full-season starter.

Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Browns (43% Rostered): It’s a good week for those who are TE-needy, as Fannin showed in Week 2 that his debut wasn’t a fluke. Fannin caught all five of his targets vs. a sturdy Ravens defense, picking up 48 yards. It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it was the second straight useful game for a rookie TE most people never heard of until last Sunday. He’s played 60%+ of the snaps in both games, so David Njoku’s presence isn’t hurting his ability to get on the field. He’s probably not as featured as Johnson, but he’s a similar matchup nightmare.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Falcons (40% Rostered): Penix turned in a dud vs. the Vikings, but with the Panthers up next, followed by a Commanders defense that can force a pass-heavy game script, he can pour it on. He should really be a depth QB, but some of us may have waited on QB in drafts and whiffed on our dart throw.

Jonnu Smith, TE, Steelers (37% Rostered): Smith didn’t find the end zone this time, putting up a meager four receptions for 27 yards. It was more low-yardage stuff from him, after he masked a 15-yard effort in Week 1 by scoring a TD, so it is close to last chance time before he’s booted off this list. But with a dearth of pass catchers in Pittsburgh behind D.K. Metcalf, Smith should remain involved and he has big play potential after the catch. I wouldn’t throw him away just yet, but he’s clearly below Johnson and Fannin.

Cedric Tillman, WR, Browns (39% Rostered): Tillman scored a touchdown vs. Baltimore, and yes, I’m aware of how fluky the score was, and that he recorded two receptions for 22 yards in this one, but the case for Tillman is the same. He’s been targeted 15 times in two games, scored in back-to-back games, and his snap share grew from 88.2% to 94.5% in Week 2. He’s on the field every play, serving as the X receiver for a high-volume passer in Joe Flacco. He’s not a must-start, but I don’t get why he isn’t almost universally owned.

Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens (38% Rostered): Bateman’s close to getting the boot. He has put up back-to-back weeks with two catches and under 20 yards, while his snap rate dropped from 72.5% to 58.9%. He’s a bomb threat for sure, but a fellow veteran seems to be stealing touchdown opportunities from several players in this offense. Another week like this without a very high snap count will be enough for me to be off of Bateman, but for now he’s the preferred deep threat for an MVP QB. He shouldn’t be starting for anyone at this time though.

Rachaad White, RB, Buccaneers (36% Rostered): After doing basically nothing in Week 1, White got 10 carries vs. the Texans and turned them into 65 impressive yards and a rushing TD. He was expected to be a passing down back for the Bucs, but so far he has only three receptions in two games for three yards. On Monday night, he looked like a David Montgomery-esque grinder, a role that can be very relevant in an offense like Tampa Bay’s. He was still only on the field for 31.3% of snaps, and this remains Bucky Irving’s backfield, but White has standalone value and becomes a major player in the event of an Irving injury. This roster percentage is shocking.

Daniel Jones, QB, Colts (17% Rostered): I can’t believe it, but Daniel Jones has been damn good. He’s regularly hitting Michael Pittman Jr. and TE Tyler Warren, he’s playing well off RB Jonathan Taylor, and he’s scored three rushing TDs in the first two games. His goal line work is Jalen Hurts-esque right now; running’s always been the best part of Jones’ game, but now he’s behind an offensive line that’s really clicking. On top of that, which may go away since rushing scores are tough to depend on, he’s thrown for 272 and 316 yards, the latter coming vs. a Denver defense many expected to be the best in the NFL. If you need a QB, go pick up Danny Dimes.

Speculative/Deep Cuts

Kayshon Boutte, WR, Patriots (28% Rostered): The Patriots’ pass catching group is a mess to figure out, which was pointed out all offseason and has proven true through two weeks. Boutte exploded for 103 yards in the opener, and caught a TD early in Week 2. Then he finished with one reception for 16 yards, making that TD his only contribution for the day. He still seems like the best bet for chunk plays in this offense, while Stefon Diggs serves as the target hound. Boutte is explosive as hell, so he’s a fun stash but I wouldn’t trust him to start outside of very deep leagues.

Kareem Hunt, RB, Chiefs (26% Rostered): Hunt is in a messy backfield with Isiah Pacheco and Brashard Smith, but he looks like the preferred short yardage option at the moment, and his snap share was 40% vs. the Eagles. None of the Chiefs rushers are doing much of anything through two weeks, but they’ve been up against strong defenses. A Week 3 date with the Giants should allow Kansas City to be more effective, and show us what their offense looks like in an ideal setting. If we see a ton of Hunt, we know he’s at worst the primary handcuff, but possibly the lead back.

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Giants (22% Rostered): Robinson has been heavily targeted through two weeks, and while I’ve never been a fan of his game, he did strike for a long TD vs. Dallas. The Giants’ WR room beyond Malik Nabers is shockingly barren, so even in a hyper-specific role Robinson can still contribute. Most weeks you’ll be getting a lot of receptions for inefficient yardage totals. Not ideal, but still something. He can be decent depth, and serve as a non-zero emergency FLEX.

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Ravens (9% Rostered): BE CAREFUL! Hopkins has scored in two straight games, and made some spectacular grabs that looked like prime D-Hop. Remember that he’s only caught two passes in each of these games, and that this touchdown pace is unsustainable. In Week 2 he played a mere 17.9% of the snaps. I can’t ignore his yardage or scoring, but I’m very wary of this fool’s gold start to the campaign.

Elic Ayomanor, WR, Titans (8% Rostered): Ayomanor had a little buzz in the preseason, and the clear path to playing time most Ayomanor boosters pointed out has been there. He’s on the field a bunch for the Titans, and while this offense isn’t exactly humming, he scored his first touchdown this week on a very exciting backyard football connection with fellow rookie Cam Ward. I’m not comfortable starting him just yet, but Calvin Ridley can’t be the entire offense. Ayomanor has some big plays in him, and he’s worth developing on your bench before he becomes an expensive waiver add.

Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Steelers (8% Rostered): Gainwell’s snaps dipped below 50% in Week 2, possibly an acknowledgement that we’re maybe wasting potential for more productivity by having him out there. Gainwell is a fine depth back, and yes, he can pass block, but he’s always been inefficient and never flashed a ton of potential when given chances in Philly. The Steelers clearly don’t trust rookie Kaleb Johnson yet, so Gainwell’s the obvious No. 2, but if this game is any indication Jaylen Warren’s role is strengthening.

Juju Smith-Schuster, WR, Chiefs (7% Rostered): Juju managed just one catch for five yards vs. the Eagles, which won’t come as a surprise to his detractors. I can fully understand wanting nothing to do with him, as he’s a very limited player at this point. But he was on the field for 70% of plays, and he can still run slants from the slot. When he isn’t facing world-class corners and one of the NFL’s elite defenses, he’ll produce more than this, making him a useable deep-league emergency play.

Troy Franklin, WR, Broncos (3% Rostered): Franklin, a highly touted prospect last year who fell in the draft and did very little as a rookie, might have improved a bunch entering Year 2. He caught eight passes for 89 yards and a score vs. the Colts this week, and has a clear path to being the WR2 for Bo Nix behind Courtland Sutton. Marvin Mims has shown himself to need very specific designed work, and Pat Bryant is a rookie. Franklin’s got a year under his belt with Sean Payton, and could be ready to be a featured guy in Denver. That doesn’t make him a superstar, but he is very worth keeping an eye on.

Hunter Renfrow, WR, Panthers (1% Rostered): Renfrow was more involved in Week 2 vs, the Cardinals, catching seven passes for 48 yards, and critically finding the end zone twice. That isn’t going to be the norm, but Renfrow has, in the past, been a very useful player in half and full-PPR leagues and he’s clearly being used as a safety blanket for Bryce Young. He was out there for more than 80% of snaps, so until Jalen Coker is ready to go, Renfrow isn’t that different from Wan’Dale Robinson.

IR Stashes             

Tyjae Spears, RB, Titans (32% Rostered)

Jalen Coker, WR, Panthers (8% Rostered)

Handcuffs

Najee Harris, RB, Chargers (36% Rostered)

Tyler Allgeier, RB, Falcons (30% Rostered)

Ray Davis, RB, Bills (26% Rostered)

Ollie Gordon II, RB, Dolphins (26% Rostered)

Rico Dowdle, RB, Panthers (16% Rostered)

Blake Corum, RB, Rams (8% Rostered)

Miles Sanders, RB, Cowboys (2% Rostered)