Week 3 tight end waiver pickups carry strong fantasy upside with George Kittle sidelined for San Francisco. Zach Ertz leads Week 3 adds for Washington, while Juwan Johnson and Brenton Strange remain hot on the radar in New Orleans and Jacksonville. Harold Fannin Jr. continues to ride hype from preseason, and Noah Fant has overtaken Gesicki in Cincinnati. Jonnu Smith, Chig Okonkwo, Davis Allen, and Dalton Schultz all offer plausible streaming or depth plays in the early season.

Targets and role matter most early in the year, and these options provide varying floors and ceilings based on quarterback play and matchup. The list emphasizes volume, red-zone chances, and tactical usage, giving fantasy managers several overlapping paths to week-by-week production as offenses settle in. Consider roster flexibility and opponent strength when deciding who to add or start in Week 3.

To navigate these choices, use waiver tools and compare up to four players to identify the best fit for your lineup, especially with ongoing injuries and early-season spread. These options are designed to fill tight end gaps quickly while you monitor in-season developments and the health of key quarterbacks.

Pittsburgh won’t chase Tyreek Hill, per beat writer Gerry Dulac, even as fans clamor for a superstar WR. Week 1 showed the offense clicking with four TDs to four different players, including Calvin Austin III’s TD after four catches and DK Metcalf’s four receptions in the opposing game. The takeaway: the Steelers will lean on internal weapons and line upgrades rather than a high-profile WR trade.

With Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith integral at tight end, Pittsburgh could spend assets on the offensive or defensive line if they add anyone in-season. Fantasy managers should bank on the existing playmakers—Austin, Freiermuth, Smith—while monitoring continued OL/DL improvements rather than waiting on a blockbuster addition.

Josh Jobe’s Week 1 breakout anchors Seattle’s secondary: five targets, one yard allowed, and a second interception, complemented by a 71.4% lockdown rate and a top-tier 90.2 coverage grade. Will Johnson delivered a poised rookie debut for Arizona, allowing 32 yards on seven targets with three incompletions. Sauce Gardner opened with lockdown numbers while Jamel Dean and Javon Bullard handled heavy workloads. Garrett Williams and Johnson hint at a high-upside Cardinals duo, underscoring early-season edge Week 1 data can offer for fantasy CB decisions.