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Craig's tight end (TE) fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 3 of 2025. His top TE fantasy football pickups, free agents to add, tight end streamers.
Welcome back to our fantasy football tight ends waiver wire pickups for Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. Let’s enjoy these no-bye weeks while we still can, fantasy footballers!
Everyone is playing again this week, except for the injured and the benched. That means there are plenty of prospects to pick up on fantasy waiver wires this week, especially since it is so early in the season.
And fantasy managers need some choices at tight end, because San Francisco’s George Kittle is going to miss another three games, and someone has to step in and step up for him on millions of fantasy rosters. Here are the top candidates at tight end to pick up on fantasy waiver wires heading into Week 3, starting with the veteran tight end who headlined last week’s column.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Top Tight Ends to Pick Up - Week 3 Waiver Wire
Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders
Father Time is having trouble tackling Zach Ertz. He followed his three-catch, one-TD opening effort by grabbing six Jayden Daniels passes for 64 yards and another score in Week 2. It is obvious that the fantasy pundits who believed the acquisition of Deebo Samuel would hurt Ertz’s fantasy value were dead wrong.
Zach Ertz touchdown!
It's a one-possession game 👀
WASvsGB on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/bsB1ywqGjb— NFL (@NFL) September 12, 2025
Ertz should be the top tight end pickup of the week as his fantasy train should keep on rolling this week when Washington hosts Las Vegas, a team with a questionable secondary coming off a short week. Just keep a eye out on Daniels news this week as he is day-to-day with a knee injury.
Other Tight Ends to Consider Adding
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans’ top tight end is getting a Brock Bowers-like amount of targets in the early going. Juwan Johnson has been targeted 20 times in two weeks and has 13 receptions for 125 yards and a TD to show for it. And that touchdown was one of the most spectacular catches of the weekend.
JUWAN JOHNSON, WHAT A CATCH! 🔥
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/RZ828fjZs8
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 14, 2025
Note for fantasy managers out there. Normally, a rule of thumb is that when there is a mediocre or below-average quarterback helming an offense, they tend to aim at their tight ends more often because they are afraid to throw downfield. Spencer Rattler has found success throwing short to Johnson, so do not expect it to change in the near future.
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Brenton Strange did not do much in Week 2 (three catches for 17 yards), but that does not mean we should give up on him like a steak with a hair on it. He is the undisputed TE1 on a Jaguars offense that is throwing the ball to any eligible receiver on the field. Strange is due to have his turn in the sun sooner rather than later.
I know Trevor Lawrence is spreading the ball around in Jacksonville so much that wonderful wideouts Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter have not racked up much for fantasy managers. Strange’s target total should be more consistent on a weekly basis, though, since no other tight end on the roster will be challenging him for snaps. Keep Strange on your radar and watch what he does Week 3 if you do not pick him up this week.
Do Not Forget About…
Harold Fannin, Jr., Cleveland Browns
Harold Fannin Jr. keeps living up to the hype he generated during the preseason. He did more with his five targets (5-48) than David Njoku did with his (4-40) this past Sunday. I had listed as Njoku as one of the most overrated tight ends in fantasy value heading into the season and got plenty of blowback from his supporters. I am beginning to look like a genius now.
Jonnu Smith, Pittsburgh
Jonnu Smith is winning the fantasy battle for top tight end in Pittsburgh with incumbent Pat Freiermuth, although their numbers are close except that Smith scored a TD and Freiermuth has not. I worry about how these two will cut into the other’s playing time and touches, though. I also worry about Aaron Rodgers staying healthy and playing well for an entire season.
Noah Fant, Cincinnati Bengals
I thought Mike Gesicki’s fantasy value would nosedive like an Olympic diver once Noah Fant signed during training camp. It did not make sense to bring Fant in to just play 10 percent of the snaps. Fant has now outperformed Gesicki in each of Cincinnati’s two victories and has virtually forced Gesicki to be dropped in many fantasy leagues.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers
Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillian are not Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad, at least not yet. That means Ja’Tavion Sanders will see his fair share of Bryce Young wounded ducks for the foreseeable future. Sanders caught a career-high seven passes for 54 yards on Sunday against Arizona, but a lot of that came in the second half when the Panthers were throwing on every down while behind.
Chig Okonkwo, Tennessee Titans
New franchise quarterback Cam Ward is working out the kinks and learning the NFL, but he is aiming at Chig Okonkwo on a consistent basis (10 targets in two games). When Ward starts improving, it will only mean positive things for Okonkwo’s fantasy value later in the season.
Davis Allen, Los Angeles Rams
Two games, two catches, two touchdowns. Is Davis Allen the new Cris Carter? All he catches is touchdowns, at least in the early going. Tyler Higbee is still the starter in L.A., but Allen’s red-zone prowess should not be totally ignored.
Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Dalton Schultz will be facing a Jacksonville defense next week that he found room when he ran his routes last season. He had eight catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in two contests against his division rival. Do not be surprised to see Schultz have another solid outing versus them in Week 3, especially since the Texans receiving corps will likely be missing Christian Kirk again.
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...
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Zach Ertz, Juwan Johnson, Brenton Strange, Harold Fannin:
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