Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football Week 3? Jayden Higgins, Calvin Austin III, Quinshon Judkins, Dont'e Thornton Jr., Dylan Sampson, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Brenton Strange, Jerome Ford, Ollie Gordon II

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III was not as productive this past Sunday as he was in Week 1's win over the Jets. However, he was Pittsburgh's leading snap-getter amongst the team's wideouts. Austin III reeled in just 1-of-4 targets for 22 yards in their 31-17 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but participated on one more snap than running mate DKMetcalf.

Metcalf still paced the team in targets as he did the week prior, but Pittsburgh is throwing it a ton, so there's enough to go around for at least one more pass-catcher. Austin III remains a boom-bust option out wide for now, although he's more intriguing in 2025 than in seasons past.

If future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers exhibits some consistency in this revamped Steelers offense, Calvin Austin III will likely be a more useful and trustworthy option every week.

Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins has been listed as the team's starting back on this week's depth chart. The rookie played just 26% of the snaps in Week 2 but was effective with his touches, rushing 10 times for 66 yards in his NFL debut.

Judkins signed his rookie deal shortly before Week 1 and eased into action against the Baltimore Ravens, but being elevated to the top of the depth chart is an encouraging sign for his role going forward. That said, Week 3 sets up as a tough spot. The Browns face the Green Bay Packers, who have been one of the league's stingiest defenses to start the season.

With a negative game script possible, Quinshon Judkins should be viewed as a low-end FLEX option in deeper leagues this week versus the Packers, though his long-term outlook is trending up.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. was quiet in the team's Week 1 win over New England, logging just two catches on four targets for 45 yards while playing 60% of the snaps. Encouragingly, he drew more targets than Tre Tucker despite fewer snaps, and the Raiders leaned on the passing game as Geno Smith threw for 362 yards.

With Chip Kelly determined to stretch the field, Thornton's speed keeps him in play as a stash with big-play potential. The Week 2 matchup adds intrigue, as the Chargers just allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers in Week 1, giving Thornton an outside chance to make noise if he sees increased usage.

Until the buzzy rookie's role grows in the Las Vegas Raiders upstart offense, he's best kept on fantasy managers' benches, but the undeniable upside is worth monitoring.

Cleveland Browns rookie running back Dylan Sampson was listed as the No. 2 back on the Week 3 depth chart, slotting in ahead of veteran Jerome Ford but behind second-round pick Quinshon Judkins. However, the usage tells a different story. In last week's loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Ford played 49% of the snaps compared to just 24% for Sampson.

This usage suggests that the Cleveland Browns coaching staff still trusts the underwhelming veteran on passing downs. It's unclear whether the updated depth chart reflects a genuine shift or is more of a formality, but for fantasy purposes, Sampson managers should be cautious.

With the Browns set to face the red-hot Green Bay Packers defense in Week 3, Dylan Sampson is highly unlikely to make a fantasy impact and is best left on benches in all formats.

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. will be "back in the fold" for the team in Week 3, according to coach Dan Quinn. Rodriguez has been a healthy scratch for the first two games of the season since the Commanders relied on Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Austin Ekeler, and Jeremy McNichols to handle the load in the backfield.

With Ekeler (Achilles) lost for the season, there will be significant work available in the Washington backfield going forward. Croskey-Merritt will step in as the lead back, but Rodriguez and McNichols will mix in as well. Rodriguez had an impressive training camp and preseason and could carve out significant playing time in the new timeshare, even though Quinn made sure to emphasize that the team is comfortable with Croskey-Merritt in passing situations.

At this point, Rodriguez is a waiver wire option in deep leagues and definitely someone to watch in all formats to see how the timeshare is divied up in Week 3 against the Raiders.