We’ve already seen a lot of Week 1 narratives die a grisly death as Week 2 draws to a close. Justin Fields is a matchup-proof QB1, the Lions’ offense is in trouble, Daniel Jones and the Colts aren’t for real, just to name a few. I will remind you again, however, the best predictor of future performance in fantasy football until you have four weeks of data is preseason average draft position (ADP).

We all remember the 2024 Saints, right? The team that simply could not be stopped the first two weeks, only to founder like a fish out of water the rest of the season. So go in with realistic expectations.

But this isn’t about that. This is about hope. It’s about faith that you, Dear Reader, will be able to find that undiscovered diamond in the rough that will change the fortunes of your fantasy football season. So come along with us as we dredge the depths to find you glittering gems among the muck.

Week 3 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2025 Fantasy Football Team

Quarterbacks:

Jake Browning, Cleveland Browns | Sleeper 0% | ESPN 0.1% | FAAB 10-12%

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It’s only Week 3, and we’re already in weird territory with QBs on the waiver wire. With Bengals QB Joe Burrow out for three months with turf toe, veteran backup Jake Browning will be behind center for the foreseeable future.

I’m not here to tell you that Browning is a league-winning waiver wire addition. That said, most leagues are bare at the position, and you could do much worse. In nine games of relief work for Burrow in 2023, he averaged 16 fantasy points per game, tied for 20th with Tua Tagovailoa. 

If you’re in a pinch, Browning may be one of the few options available worth a start in 2QB leagues. Don’t blow a ton of your free agent acquisition budget (FAAB), but keep in mind that the waiver wire QB choices get thinner and thinner as the weeks go on.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts | Sleeper 35% | ESPN 21.2% | FAAB 30-35%

I’ll rarely write about a player two weeks in a row in this context, but Daniel Jones has earned it. While some believed his Week 1 performance against Miami was an aberration, he proved in Week 2 that Danny Dimes is for real.

Despite facing off against a tough Denver D/ST unit, Jones again played exceptionally well. The seventh-year veteran went 23-of-34 for 316 yards and a TD in the air, and added another TD on the ground on the way to a thrilling 29-28 win at home. He is currently sitting at QB2 for the week ahead of the Monday Night contests. 

Dimes won’t have many more tests like he had against Denver, with the next difficult matchup coming in Week 9 in Pittsburgh. It won’t be cheap to acquire Jones, given injuries to Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy and Justin Fields looming for fantasy managers. Still, if you’re QB needy in any format, Jones should be a top-priority addition to your roster ahead of Week 3. 

Running Backs:

Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns | Sleeper 83% | ESPN 57.2% | FAAB 75+%

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Right off the jump, I know people are rostering Judkins much more heavily than the other guys who have appeared in this section. That managers are overlooking him in 17% to 43% of leagues is a crime that requires redress. I know he may not be on your waiver wire, but you owe it to yourself to check just in case. In his first work since missing the entire preseason as well as Week 1, Judkins saw 19 of 70 non-kicking offensive snaps with an almost even split between passing plays and rushing plays. 

This 27% snap rate will only climb with additional time on task for Judkins. Backfield cohorts Jerome Ford and Dylan Sampson simply aren’t starting-RB-caliber players, with 3.3 and 2.2 yards per carry (YPC), respectively, while Judkins sits at 6.1 YPC. What’s more, they’ve managed -11 and -18 rushing yards over expectation (RYOE) in two games.

Judkins managed +22 rushing yards over expected (RYOE) in only a single game. Additionally, both Sampson and Ford are somewhere between below average and dreadful on pass-blocking reps. Judkins didn’t get any true pass-blocking chances in Week 2, but he was a devastating pass blocker in college, so we have good reason to expect he will take over that role quickly. 

It can feel bad to empty your bank this early in the season, but Judkins is that guy who can step in and start for almost any fantasy football team. Yes, there’s the possibility of a suspension, but we’ve seen what Judkins can do now. Don’t get caught sleeping.

Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals | Sleeper 59% | ESPN 55.8% | FAAB 15%

We’re not quite there yet, but it’s getting close to time to talk about James Conner. So far, TDs have saved Conner in each of the first two games, one receiving and one rushing. Conner has been largely inefficient and isn’t getting volume as a runner; however, this is an area for improvement. With only 73 yards rushing on 23 attempts over two games, Conner simply isn’t generating explosive plays the way he did in ’24.

Compare that to Trey Benson, who has 83 yards rushing on less than half the carries, only 11. Conner faces stacked (8+ defenders) in the box more often than Benson, 26.1% vs 9.1% per Next Gen Stats, but there’s context needed here. Benson has already taken over the 2-minute RB role in the offense, a role Arizona reserved for Conner in ’24, which naturally leads to fewer stacked boxes.

It’s too soon to think a RB change is imminent, but if the lack of performance continues, the cries for the ’24 third-round pick will become louder and louder.

Wide Receivers:

Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans | Sleeper: 28% | ESPN: 7.7% | FAAB: 5-7%

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Without hesitation, my auto-correct always changes Elic Ayomanor’s first name to “epic”, and while we’re not QUITE there yet with Ayomanor, we have to like what we see from the rookie in the season’s first two weeks. In training camp, Ayomanor usurped roster filler Van Jefferson and real estate agent Tyler Lockett to earn starting snaps to begin the season next to Calvin Ridley.

Ayomanor has taken advantage, earning a combined 13 targets in two weeks. While his two-catch, 13-yard effort didn’t inspire many to go out and get him, there was a clear signal with Ayomanor’s Week 1 performance, marked by an immediate 82 percent routes per dropback, 37 percent of Tennessee’s first-read targets, and 133 air yards, which signified intent within the offense.

In Week 2, Ayomanor’s routes came down to 68 percent, but he was much more productive with a 4-56 line and his first NFL touchdown in the Titans’ loss to the Rams. Once we have the marriage of efficiency with the opportunity with Ayomanor, it’s going to be a great thing for fantasy managers. Ayomanor is still on waivers in a vast majority of leagues, so grab him now where you can plug him in as a flex if you need him, but also know that there’s a burgeoning role here that could grow even more as the season progresses.

Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants | Sleeper: 27% | ESPN: 29.9% | FAAB: 5-7%

Somewhat of a meme during fantasy drafts as “he’s the cheapest 140 targets you can find at the bottom of drafts”, Robinson may be proving that his 2024 season was no fluke. Robinson is in the Josh Downs and Jayden Reed class of a slot receiver who doesn’t play when the formation condenses to two wide receivers, but is always in the slot in 11 personnel. Luckily for us, the Giants feature the ninth-highest utilization of 11 personnel in the league, with 72.4 percent of the snaps in 11.

Robinson has come out of the gates firing with Russell Wilson, posting a solid 6-55 line on eight targets in Week 1, and then exploding in Week 2 with an 8-142 line plus a touchdown. Even more astounding was his role; Robinson had 170(!) air yards in Week 2. He had 675 air yards in total last season!

I think we have to be cautious with such a significant role change, given Robinson’s history as a “point per reception (PPR) scam” wide receiver who excels at racking up catches, especially on third downs. But the possibility of a role expansion, especially one that lets him get downfield (17.0-yard average depth of target (aDOT)), is intriguing and going to benefit us greatly.

The Giants are very condensed, funneling targets to both Malik Nabers and Robinson, and both can get there in a given week. I’d be targeting Robinson, and you can start him in the flex right away if you need him, as he’s a high-floor fantasy option. If the ceiling comes along with a new role that gets him downfield, even better.

Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos | Sleeper: 8% | ESPN: 2% | FAAB: 2-3%

So Troy Franklin is going to be at the top of most waiver wire columns this week, but let me preface writing about him by saying: Sean Payton hates your fantasy teams. He hates them with the power of 1,000 suns. No head coach uses the sheer amount of personnel on offense that Payton does, so when somebody else pops up with a big stat line outside of Courtland Sutton, it’s met with heavy skepticism.

Franklin backed up a 65 percent routes per dropback in Week 1 with a jump to 88 percent, marking the second time in his career that he’s eclipsed 80 percent routes. In Week 2, Franklin backed up his time on the field with an 8-89 line with a touchdown on a team-leading nine targets.

I’ve seen Payton do this time and again, only to revert to the status quo. That said, Bo Nix — Franklin’s college quarterback at Oregon–– targeted Franklin on 31 percent of his routes, so maybe there is some smoke to this fire? He’s a speculative waiver wire add for me to see if this is real and not a mirage. I’ve been burned too many times with Payton, back to his days with the Saints, only to have the rug pulled out. I’m bidding less on him than I usually would with my FAAB to be safe.

Tight Ends:

Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints | Sleeper 50% | ESPN 48% | FAAB 25%

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Johnson’s usage by Spencer Rattler can no longer go ignored in all formats. Even if you don’t need a 2nd tight end on your roster(s), he’s good enough to be considered as a FLEX option in your lineups. Across two games, Johnson is currently sitting as the TE2 in PPR leagues. Johnson caught 13 of 20 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown.

If you didn’t get him last week, then you’ll have to cough up a good chunk of your FAAB to get him. Fortunately, you don’t have to empty your FAAB to get him, as he’s not expected to produce this much consistently. Spencer Rattler is off to a strong start this season, and Johnson is reaping the benefits.

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders | Sleeper 53% | ESPN 50% | FAAB 15%

For Week 3, Zach Ertz is the 2nd best tight end you can get on your roster. If you struggled in Week 2 without George Kittle, and you can’t get Juwan Johnson on your team, then go get Zach Ertz. He’s not expected to get consistent volume from Jayden Daniels, but he gets great red zone usage. That’s evident based on the touchdowns he’s been catching from Daniels for two weeks in a row.

Don’t count on him to catch a touchdown every single week, but the PPR volume you can get from him is good enough to consider as an every-week TE2 with TE1 upside.

For More In-Depth Analysis, Check Out Our Waiver Wire YouTube Show:

Defense/Special Teams (D/STs):

Atlanta Falcons | Sleeper 2% | ESPN 1.2% | FAAB 0-1%

So, about last night…

Atlanta’s defense isn’t an elite unit. However, they were able to put the clamps down on a Minnesota offense that many thought had gained traction after a thrilling Week 1 win over the division rival Bears. 

While the 21 fantasy point output against the Vikings might have had more to do with second-year QB J.J. McCarthy and an offense figuring out its identity, that doesn’t matter. Week 3 brings a matchup between the Falcons D/ST and an even more inept offense in the Carolina Panthers, who gave up 14 fantasy points to a Cardinals defense no one is confusing with good.

With matchups against Washington, Buffalo, and San Francisco looming, this truly is a one-week rental option. If you’re intent on streaming, this is the defense for you in Week 3. 

Indianapolis Colts | Sleeper 7% | ESPN 36.6% | FAAB 0-1%

Matchups matter, and the Indianapolis Colts have a great one for fantasy DS/Ts this week. Coming off a thrilling win at home against a solid Denver squad, the Colts’ defense gets to host the Tennessee Titans with rookie QB Cam Ward at the helm. 

Ward hasn’t been all bad. However, the Titans’ line has been weak, allowing six sacks over the first two games. With no time to throw, the rookie signal-caller has been flustered, losing a fumble in each game. While he has yet to throw an interception, we all know that’s coming sooner rather than later.

In Week 1, against a weak Dolphins squad, the Colts defense turned in a 13-point fantasy performance, logging three turnovers and three sacks. This week against the Titans, we should see a similar result. While you could roster and hold this unit through their Week 6 matchup against Arizona, they’re at least a solid one-week streamer heading into Week 3.   

Kickers:

Matt Prater, Buffalo Bills | Sleeper 23% | ESPN 34.9% | FAAB 2-3%

I beg of you, if you need a kicker, are streaming kickers, or like fun, go roster Matt Prater. The man was an assistant coach for his son’s football team in Arizona two weeks ago, and has since been the purveyor of 26 fantasy points across two games.

Yes, Prater is a fill-in until the incumbent, Tyler Bass, returns from IR. However, with the volatility at the position as of late, his record speaks for itself. Not to mention, Prater is attached to an offense that is proving to be a scoring machine. In a world where kicker accuracy has been atrocious through two weeks, hook your wagon (for now) to the veteran rental.  

Chad Ryland, Arizona Cardinals | Sleeper 5% | ESPN 1.1% | FAAB 0-1%

If I didn’t sell you on Matt Prater, or if he isn’t available in your league, may I interest you in Cardinals’ footwork specialist Chad Ryland?

It seems Ryland flew under the radar in kicker leagues this draft season, despite being the overall K8 after taking over the full-time role in Week 5. Now, through two games in 2025, he is yet again sitting as K8. He has logged 21 fantasy points so far this season and is attached to an offense that seems inept at finishing drives. His next three matchups look promising, and if you need a kicker for now or possibly long term, Ryland is an inexpensive roster addition.

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