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Should I start Juwan Johnson, Harold Fannin Jr., Tucker Kraft for Week 3? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
The tight end position, long a source of misery for fantasy managers, is actually pretty interesting this season. It seems that there have been more breakouts than usual at the position, with at least five players being surprises through two weeks.
That doesn't mean that it will hold all season. However, it feels good not to have to invest a premium pick in a TE in fantasy drafts and still be able to get one on waivers that you can slot into your starting lineup and actually get good production from.
At least this far, it's not been the best idea to draft an elite tight end. Raiders TE Brock Bowers (knee) has underperformed relative to his draft spot, though he's hurt, and 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) is on injured reserve. But what about some of the other league's TEs? Let's dive in.
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Should I Start Harold Fannin Jr. for Fantasy Football?
Fannin's Week 2 performance might have convinced many fantasy managers that his first game was a fluke. But he faced a tough matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in his second contest. He caught all five of his targets for 48 yards. Through two games, he's been targeted 14 times, which is an impressive rate.
The data also suggests that he's winning on his routes more often than fellow Browns TE David Njoku. Njoku is the bigger player and probably the better blocker, but it looks like Fannin is separating well at a higher rate and is the overall better pass-catcher.
For all you managers who now have Harold Fannin Jr - here’s from my prospect write ups heading into NFL Draft (via @RotoBaller) pic.twitter.com/5jYq86Tju2
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 10, 2025
It seems, for now, that both will maintain roles in this offense, which could make it difficult for Fannin to put up the numbers he had in Week 1 consistently. But he's often been used as a wide receiver rather than just a tight end, meaning the team is likely more willing to run two-TE sets on plays that would typically call for three wide receivers.
He remains a start for Week 3. He's flashed nice talent and shouldn't be benched.
Should I Start Juwan Johnson for Fantasy Football?
New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson has been one of the biggest surprises at his position this season. He's currently the second-ranked TE in all of fantasy football. He was targeted 20 times in his first two games combined, which ranks first among all tight ends and eighth in the entire NFL.
Johnson's role in the offense makes him a must-start moving forward. The Saints are a pass-heavy offense, and quarterback Spencer Rattler has thrown 80 pass attempts through two contests, which ranks second in the NFL. Johnson is currently their receiving leader with 125 yards, more than Chris Olave's 108.
Still can’t get over this play
These are the kinda catches a $30 million TE should be making👏
Juwan Johnson’s got skills, just gotta clean it up & be more consistent pic.twitter.com/yP2kJBKn9g
— Trizzy Trace (@tracegirouard48) September 18, 2025
The Saints don't have other big targets to throw to in the red zone right now. Not a single other TE has logged a reception for the team, and Olave and fellow Saints WR Rashid Shaheed are both 6-foot, dwarfed by Johnson's 6-foot-4 frame.
It's hard to expect Johnson's production to hold throughout the season, as New Orleans is a bad offense that will likely be prone to terrible overall performances down the road. Rattler is a turnover-prone quarterback, and at some point, it's not unlikely that there's turmoil at that position.
But for now, you can't bench Johnson.
Should I Start Tucker Kraft for Fantasy Football?
Yes. There was a slight injury scare during Thursday's practice, but he should be good to go. So why would you bench him? Kraft is currently the TE1 in fantasy after a monster 24.4 PPR fantasy point performance in Week 2. He caught six of his seven targets for 124 yards and a touchdown against the Washington Commanders in an impressive display of gaining yards after the catch.
Kraft is likely in line for a bit more work, too. He was targeted just four times in Week 1, but the injury to wide receiver Jayden Reed (foot/clavicle) means he'll miss a ton of time. Passes from QB Jordan Love will now be distributed among WRs Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs, and Matthew Golden, Kraft and fellow TE Luke Musgrave, and running back Josh Jacobs.
Tucker Kraft leads all NFL tight ends with three receptions of 55-plus yards since 2024
No other TE posting more than one over that span.
Per @Packers dope sheet pic.twitter.com/Gi76MOExF9
— Jacob Morley (@JacobMorley) September 16, 2025
We probably shouldn't expect him to start getting 10 targets per game or anything crazy like that. In fact, the Packers offense heavily exploits schematic matchups to get their pass-catchers in ideal positions to beat coverages and pick up yards after the catch.
Green Bay head coach Matt LaFleur is an excellent offensive game-planner, but his effectiveness comes at the expense of individual pass-catchers. Kraft could probably have a monster season if he were targeted at an elite rate, but we haven't seen that happen with anyone since the days of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams.
But it doesn't matter that much, because he's a TE with fantastic YAC ability. He's a must-start, clearly!
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 3 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Juwan Johnson, Tucker Kraft, and Harold Fannin Jr.. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 3. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 3 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Juwan Johnson, Tucker Kraft, and Harold Fannin Jr.. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 3.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 3 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 3 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 3 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 3 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Juwan Johnson, Tucker Kraft, and Harold Fannin Jr. compared to others:
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