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Dan's tight end start 'em, sit 'em picks for fantasy football Week 3 lineups (2025). Read his expert TE start/sit advice for Juwan Johnson, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts and more.
There were plenty of impressive tight end performances in Week 2. We had our first 20-point scorer of the year (Tucker Kraft), along with 10 other players who logged double-digit fantasy points.
The tight end position is still one of the most difficult places to find consistent fantasy points, so it is essential to understand the best matchups to maximize your fantasy team’s ability to earn points.
Below you will find tight ends you can start or sit in Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season.
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Week 3 Starts- Potential Fantasy Football Booms
Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Could we finally see a version of Kyle Pitts that isn’t overly frustrating for fantasy managers? Pitts is the TE13 in fantasy points through the first two weeks, averaging 10.3 points per game. Pitts ranks top 10 among tight ends in targets (13), receptions (11), and expected points added (3.96).
What if I told you that Kyle Pitts looked huge and fast and awesome this week? pic.twitter.com/bjilO7E20n
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) September 10, 2025
More importantly, the Falcons seem committed to moving Pitts into different parts of the formation to find mismatches for him. 35% of his snaps have been in the slot, 32% have been as a wing, and 27% have been out wide.
The veteran tight end is now competing with both Drake London and Darnell Mooney for targets, which complicates his volume. However, the Panthers are allowing the most PPR points per game (12.4) this season.
Time will tell how sustainable Pitts’s new role is with the Falcons' passing weapons at full strength. But there are a lot of reasons to believe that he can still thrive in Week 3.
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens
Sam LaPorta had an excellent Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers (nine targets, six receptions, 79 receiving yards, and 13.9 PPR points). Unfortunately, LaPorta failed to maintain that positive momentum in Week 2’s blowout victory against the Chicago Bears (four targets, three receptions, 26 yards).
It is difficult for LaPorta to consistently make an impact in fantasy given how high-powered weapons are surrounding him in Detroit’s offense. Despite that, he still ranks seventh among tight ends in targets (13) and eighth in receiving yards (105). He’s also posted top 10 marks in route participation (90.1%) and target share (18.3%).
His Week 3 opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, has allowed the second-highest PPR points per game to the tight end position this year (12.3). The stars are aligning for LaPorta to have another strong fantasy week, given his opponent and usage.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks
One of the most surprising fantasy tight ends to start the season is the New Orleans Saints’ Juwan Johnson. Through two weeks, Johnson ranks first in targets (20), second in receptions (13), and fifth in receiving yards (125). Johnson is also third among tight ends in route participation (95.2%) and target share (23.8%) and is fourth in percentage of first read throws (13.5%).
All advanced metrics and counting stats point to Johnson being an integral piece of New Orleans’ passing attack in 2025. Not only is Johnson the TE2 in fantasy points per game (15.8), but he is the only tight end in fantasy that has scored at least 15.0 points in back-to-back weeks.
Juwan Johnson:
Week 1 - 15.6 points (TE1)
Week 2 - 10.9 points and countingpic.twitter.com/0qaDUrxHEW— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) September 14, 2025
Johnson is quickly becoming a tight end to start regardless of the matchup. Thankfully, his opponent in Week 3, the Seattle Seahawks, has allowed the fourth most points per game to tight ends this season (11.4).
Week 3 Concerns- Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns
Tucker Kraft had a fantastic start to the 2025 season. He currently ranks as the TE1 in PPR points per game (17.1) thanks to an absurdly efficient eight receptions on 11 targets for 140 yards and two touchdowns. Kraft leads all tight ends in expected points added (11.7) and is a top 12 tight end in yards per route run versus both man (2.2) and zone (3.3) coverage.
Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Kraft suffered a knee injury during Thursday’s practice, leading him to be deemed questionable for Week 3. However, comments made by Packers’ head coach Matt LaFleur suggest that Kraft could not only miss Week 3’s game against the Browns, but also future matchups.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur on Tucker Kraft's knee injury:
"I don't think it'll be long term. That's a positive. But he will not be out there today."
— Jason B. Hirschhorn (@by_JBH) September 19, 2025
Even if Kraft does play, it sounds like he will be quite limited with his knee injury. That is a recipe for disaster for fantasy managers who roster the veteran tight end. At this point, it is a good idea to roster a second option off the waiver wire, allowing you to wait until kickoff to make the best decision for your team.
T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The hope that T.J. Hockenson could thrive early in the season with Jordan Addison suspended has proven to be false. Hockenson has just seven targets, four receptions, and 27 receiving yards in his first two games. It isn’t necessarily a Hockenson problem, but instead, a passing offense that has stagnated thanks to subpar play from second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Hockenson ranks 47th out of 53 qualified tight ends in expected points added (-2.16) and catchable target rate (57.1%). An injury to McCarthy may help the tight end earn more targets, but the new starter, Carson Wentz, is hardly known for his accuracy. It also doesn’t help that Week 3’s matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals, is allowing just 6.0 PPR points per game to tight ends to start the season.
David Njoku, Cleveland Browns vs Green Bay Packers
All signs indicate that David Njoku has been replaced (to a degree) in Cleveland’s offense by rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Njoku is still on the field for more plays (83.4% snap rate) and is running more routes (84.5% route rate), but that is where his edge over Fannin ends.
Through two games, Fannin has a better target share (14.4% vs 11.3%) and first read rate (9.1% to 6.1%) despite being on the field less. Additionally, the rookie tight end has a higher expected points added (2.05 vs -4.79) and yards per route run (1.8 vs 0.9) in his first two career games.
The Browns are a high-volume passing attack, so both tight ends could get there on any given week. However, Njoku is not running the most valuable routes while Fannin is being utilized and fed touches all over the field.
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