RADIO
Should I drop Jonnu Smith for fantasy football Week 4? Is Jonnu Smith a safe player to cut? Read the fantasy football waivers outlook.
Three weeks into the season, we've seen plenty of ups and downs at the tight end position. Doesn't that seem like something we say every year? Managers want stability from their starting tight end, yet there are only a handful of guys who can give you that.
Jonnu Smith has been a tight end keeping fantasy managers guessing. He's seeing the field plenty and catching everything thrown his way, but his numbers aren't blowing managers away.
So, does he belong on your roster, or is he just wasting a spot? I'll dig into that here, taking a look at Smith's role with Pittsburgh to determine if it's time to cut bait. And if you're moving on, let's check out a few waiver wire options available at the position to see if it's worth it.
Editor's Note: The FFPC Playoff Challenge is back with a massive $500,000 grand prize and $1.35 million total prize pool, paying down to 800th place. Here's the deal: no salary cap, no draft, no pickups, no subs. Choose 10 players, and as NFL teams get knocked out so will your players, so choose your team wisely. The 7,250 entries will sell out quickly, and registrations will close on Saturday January 10th at 4:30 pm ET . Don't wait - get your team now and end your fantasy football season with a shot at $500,000! Sign Up Now!
Should I Drop Jonnu Smith in Fantasy Football?
In Week 3, Smith corralled all three of his targets for 23 yards during the Steelers' 21-14 victory over the Patriots (frustrating stat line for managers). He was on the field for 83% of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps, and he's led all Steelers TEs in snaps through three weeks.
On the season, Smith has brought in 12-of-13 passes for 65 yards and a score. TE Pat Freiermuth, on the other hand, has caught seven passes for the same yardage and no touchdowns.
Something to consider with the personnel the Steelers have used this season:
31st in 11 personnel (1 RB, 3 WR)
1st in 12 personnel (2 TEs, 2 WR, 1 RB)
4th in 13 personnel (3 TE, 1 WR, 1 RB)
No surprise, tight end centric offense snap wise, but the usage rate isn't high.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) September 22, 2025
Smith is the third-most targeted player on the roster, showing the team trusts him. Unfortunately, the passing volume just hasn't been there. The Steelers aren't pushing him downfield, and his yards per catch are shallow. His ceiling is capped unless he gains red-zone looks.
In fantasy, the 30-year-old sits as the TE16 in PPR formats. His weekly scores of 12.5, 6.7, and 5.3 reflect his boom-or-bust nature. Smith's floor is a few catches each week, but he's logging steady snaps, so hopefully that'll change soon.
If you drop him now, someone else will scoop him up right away. For now, he's a bubble player that you don't have to start, but he shouldn't be dropped. Keep an eye on him in case things sour.
Who Should I Pickup for Fantasy Football?
If you're still feeling like you can't trust Smith, or if you're looking to stash another tight end for streaming purposes, there are some interesting waiver options at your disposal.
Hunter Henry is rostered in just 41% of Sleeper leagues, and he's quietly been putting together a decent season. He showed up in Week 3, catching 8-of-11 passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Henry has become a reliable outlet for QB Drake Maye, tallying at least eight targets in two of three contests.
.@Hunter_Henry84's TD from up top 📸@SonyElectronics | #ShotOnSony pic.twitter.com/0MIynVMIso
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 22, 2025
You're not going to get double-digit targets out of Henry every week, but the chemistry and volume make him a nice waiver wire grab. If you can afford to roster him alongside Smith, streaming based on matchup could be a good plan.
Another more speculative add is Cole Kmet. He's found in just 8% of Sleeper leagues, but saw his stock rise in Week 3. Colston Loveland suffered a hip injury, and Kmet played nearly every snap against Dallas. Kmet drew just one target, but he made the most of it, scoring a 10-yard touchdown.
TOUCHDOWN BEARS!
Caleb Williams finds a WIDE OPEN Cole Kmet for a TD before the half!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/AQDFXTYOvK
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 21, 2025
If Loveland misses time, Kmet's usage would see an uptick. Chicago's tight ends haven't seen much volume this season, so keep your expectations in check. Look at Kmet as a short-term play, not someone to trust every week. He's not worth dropping Smith for, so either roster both or just stick with Smith.
If you want to cut ties with Smith completely, your best stash might be Brenton Strange. He's posted 9.9, 4.7, and 12.1 PPR points through three weeks, leading the team in both receiving yards and receptions in Week 3. The tight end has seen at least four targets per game, and with Evan Engram out of the picture, the TE1 job is all his.
Brenton Strange is a real-deal weapon in the passing game. Add what he does as a blocker and there is a good argument to make that he is one of the offense's most important players pic.twitter.com/4Kj0rrog5N
— John Shipley (@_John_Shipley) September 22, 2025
We've seen this offense support tight ends before, so managers should have faith in Strange's role within the organization. While I wouldn't advise dropping Smith at the moment, Strange could be the player to make you feel okay about moving on if you go that route.
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 Hunter Henry, Harold Fannin Jr., Brenton Strange, Chig Okonkwo, and Isaiah Likely. 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.
2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on players like Hunter Henry, Harold Fannin Jr., Brenton Strange, Chig Okonkwo, and Isaiah Likely. They are some of the most common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
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 name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2025. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. 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.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2025 for Hunter Henry, Harold Fannin Jr., Chig Okonkwo, Brenton Strange, Isaiah Likely:
More Waiver Wire Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
