Week 3 Waiver-Wire Pickups and Sleepers Available in Majority of Fantasy Leagues

Every year, injuries in the NFL alter the fantasy football landscape. Things are no different in 2025, and we've already seen some noteworthy players grapple with the injury bug.

Joe Burrow, Justin Fields, George Kittle and Aaron Jones are among the notable names who won't play in Week 3—and Fields is the only one from that group not on injured reserve.

The silver lining is that some potential sleepers are still available on the waiver wire in most leagues heading into the weekend.

Russell Wilson, QB, New York Giants

AP Photo/Jerome Miron

In years past, the idea of backing the New York Giants or quarterback Russell Wilson against the Kansas City Chiefs defense would have been laughable. However, Steve Spagnuolo's defense hasn't been the dominant unit it's been in years past.

It's certainly worth noting that the Chiefs have faced top quarterbacks in Justin Herrbert and Jalen Hurts in the first two weeks. It's also worth noting that they've allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

New York showed in Week 1 that it is comfortable opening up the offense with Wilson, who threw for 450 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. While the 36-year-old probably won't go off to that degree this week, he should have a respectable stat line at home.

Wilson is still available in over 80 percent of Yahoo leagues and 90 percent of ESPN leagues.

Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

There's no getting around the fact that the list of viable running backs on the waiver wire this year has been quite short. Most teams have utilized committees this season, and we've seen very few unknown ball-carriers emerge.

Managers who need a running back this week should consider Tyler Allgeier, who has long held value as a Bijan Robinson handcuff and occasional flex starter. Last week, he ran for 76 yards and a touchdown while helping the Atlanta Falcons close out the Minnesota Vikings.

This week, Allgeier and the Falcons will battle the Carolina Panthers, who rank 27th in yards per carry allowed (5.2). Allgeier has limited point-per-reception (PPR) upside and a limited floor. If, however, the Falcons go up early, he should see a sizeable workload.

Allgeier is available in roughly 60 percent of both Yahoo and ESPN leagues.

Elic Ayomanor, WR, Tennessee Titans

AP PhotoJohn Amis

The Tennessee Titans will host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, which likely means a tricky matchup for rookie quarterback Cam Ward. New Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo will undoubtedly look to confuse the rookie throughout the contest.

However, managers should still take a chance on rookie receiver Elic Ayomanor. Indy's defense has been a middle-of-the-road unit against opposing receivers (17th-most fantasy points allowed), while the Stanford product is quickly becoming one of Ward's favorite targets.

Ayomanor caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. He's also been targeted 13 times through two games, just one fewer than top receiver Calvin Ridley.

While managers will need to see Ward and Ayomanor connect more consistently, there's a lot of upside here. Ayomanor is available in over 80 percent of Yahoo leagues and 90 percent of ESPN leagues.

Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

The Green Bay Packers and their new Micah Parsons-led defense are poised to wreck the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. While Green Bay's defense has been fantastic overall, though, it has been susceptible to opposing tight ends.

The Packers have surrendered the fifth-most fantasy points to the position through two weeks.

This makes Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. a solid sleeper play in Week 3. The Bowling Green product has caught 12 of 14 targets for 111 yards this season, despite sharing targets with David Njoku. Both tight ends are likely to see work as safety options versus Green Bay.

Cleveland simply isn't likely to try pushing the ball deep downfield with a 40-year-old Joe Flacco in this matchup. Fannin is still available in over 50 percent of Yahoo leagues and nearly all ESPN leagues.

*Fantasy scoring and roster information from FantasyPros.