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Should I drop Matthew Golden for fantasy football Week 3? Is Matthew Golden a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden, selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, has so far had an entirely forgettable NFL campaign. Through two games, he's failed to make an impact for fantasy football managers.
This is despite the Packers clearly having one of the NFL's best offenses. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur continues to design highly successful passing schemes, and quarterback Jordan Love has thus far thrown for 480 yards, four passing touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
It's reasonable to expect rookies to get off to slow starts in the NFL, but Golden has so far only been targeted four times. In Week 1, he caught two of those for 16 yards. He was blanked in Week 2. So is it time to drop Golden in fantasy leagues?
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Should I Drop Matthew Golden in Fantasy Football?
Probably not. Based purely on his draft capital, you should probably expect more opportunities for Golden on the horizon. However, there is one major red flag to his fantasy value, and it has nothing to do with his play. It's how diffuse the Packers passing offense is.
LaFleur's schemes are part of the blame. They're excellent at getting his receivers wide open against varying types of coverage. The team's other wideouts and tight ends thus often are able to create major separation, which allows Love to spread the ball around and keep defenses guessing at who will get the next target.
Matthew Golden drafters look away. The Packers passing offense spreads the ball around as much as possible. Matt LaFleur schemes his receivers open. Golden doesn't have the talent to buck that trend and be more than a rotational piece. pic.twitter.com/LEAxFygvEe
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) September 10, 2025
Unfortunately, these passing schemes eliminate the need to heavily target one wideout. Even though Golden was open on a few plays, and could have had a long touchdown catch, that doesn't mean he will start being productive. It's noteworthy that Love missed him on a potential TD.
Love, despite his production, is one of the least accurate quarterbacks in the NFL. He has one of the lowest highly-accurate throw rates in the league. Having so many wide open receivers helps with that, but again, with the low target numbers each Packers WR gets, it makes it tough for them to produce.
Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football?
Golden should be retained for now. If you're looking for another WR on the waiver wire, though, I'd recommend Las Vegas Raiders wideout Dont'e Thornton Jr. He hasn't produced much yet, like Golden, but he's been open for long plays multiple times this year. He's just been missed and underthrown by his QB, Geno Smith.
In case you're wondering, Dont'e Thornton Jr. was AGAIN open for a potential 60-yard touchdown, but Geno Smith underthrew him... again.
You should have Thornton on all your fantasy rosters. The big game is coming. He is uncoverable 1 on 1 on vertical routes like this. pic.twitter.com/hLc5nMIFfA
— JohnJohn Analysis (@JohnJohnalytics) September 16, 2025
Thornton should have a big game here pretty soon.
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 2025 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Troy Franklin, Elic Ayomanor, Rashod Bateman, Christian Kirk, Hunter Renfrow. But not to worry, we are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2025. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2025. 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 pickup... all free! Make the right decisions.
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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 Troy Franklin, Elic Ayomanor, Rashod Bateman, Christian Kirk, Hunter Renfrow:
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