Every week in fantasy football brings new opportunities to discover hidden gems that can transform a struggling squad. The waiver wire serves as the great equalizer, where savvy managers separate themselves from the competition by identifying breakout candidates before they explode.
Week 3’s slate produced several intriguing performances that warrant serious consideration for fantasy rosters. These emerging players represent the type of high-upside additions that can provide the difference between playoff success and disappointment.
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders
Rostered: 3%
Tre Tucker exploded for eight receptions, 145 yards, and three touchdowns in the Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 3 contest against Washington. First and foremost, there is nothing fantasy managers can do to get the points he scored retroactively. It is safe to say he will never do better than this career-defining performance that included two 10-yard scores and a spectacular 61-yard touchdown strike.
Tucker is pretty clearly the Raiders’ WR2 behind Jakobi Meyers and, at the very least, warrants adding across all league formats. His 91% snap rate in Week 2 and continued involvement through the first three games suggest this breakout wasn’t entirely fluky.
The mere fact that he’s capable of something like this performance justifies him being on rosters, especially in an offense where Geno Smith is averaging nearly 40 pass attempts per game.
Aggressiveness Rating: 3.0
Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans
Rostered: 21%
Elic Ayomanor caught four passes on six targets for 56 yards and a touchdown in the Tennessee Titans’ Week 2 loss to Los Angeles, scoring for the second straight game. The rookie fourth-round pick appears firmly locked in as the WR2 ahead of Tyler Lockett, who has struggled to maintain relevance in his age-32 season.
His nine-yard touchdown came after making a spectacular one-handed catch down the left sideline for 23 yards just three plays earlier.
With Calvin Ridley struggling, the rookie’s role may continue to expand as Tennessee seeks consistent production in the passing game. The 6’2″ Stanford product has demonstrated impressive chemistry with Cam Ward dating back to preseason action.
He needs to be on more rosters, particularly given Tennessee’s lack of proven depth at the position behind their struggling veteran options.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
Calvin Austin III, Pittsburgh Steelers
Rostered: 17%
Calvin Austin III tied for the Pittsburgh Steelers team lead in receiving yards with just 34 yards in Week 3, catching his late 17-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers with 2:16 remaining to give Pittsburgh the victory over New England. After George Pickens was traded earlier this year, the diminutive receiver appears to have secured the WR2 role behind DK Metcalf.
Austin’s touchdown was crucial in the moment, but his overall production reflects the limitations of Pittsburgh’s passing attack under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The Steelers threw for just 139 yards against the Patriots, demonstrating their commitment to a run-first approach that severely caps the ceiling for pass catchers. His 18.4 yards per reception show big-play ability when targeted, but the volume simply isn’t consistent.
The 5’9″, 162-pound speedster is on this list mainly because he caught that late touchdown, not due to any fundamental change in his role or opportunity. Pittsburgh does not throw enough to sustain more than one fantasy-relevant wide receiver, making Austin nothing more than a touchdown-dependent dart throw. He is not a priority add for most fantasy managers.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0
Sterling Shepard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rostered: 0%
Sterling Shepard caught four of five targets for 80 yards in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Week 3 victory over the New York Jets, posting his most productive performance of the season.
That production alone is usable for fantasy purposes, representing solid WR3/flex numbers in PPR formats. More importantly, Mike Evans left the contest with a hamstring strain that is almost certainly going to cost him time, creating opportunity for increased targets.
Evans has a well-documented history of hamstring issues, missing time during both the 2024 and 2019 seasons with similar injuries. Head coach Todd Bowles confirmed the diagnosis but indicated further testing would determine the severity.
Emeka Egbuka is already looking like a star after his six-catch, 85-yard performance, but there’s room for someone else to emerge in Tampa Bay’s passing attack.
Chris Godwin is likely to return in Week 4 after missing the start of the season as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery, but there will be a ramping-up process as he works back to full health. There’s no way he’s full go immediately after such an extended absence. That would thrust Shepard into a prominent role as the veteran slot option alongside Egbuka on the outside.
To be clear, this is a short-term move, but one fantasy managers in need of a desperation spot starter can consider making while Evans recovers.
Aggressiveness Rating: 0.5
Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons
Rostered: 45%
Obviously, the functionality of the Falcons’ offense remains a serious concern after failing to score any points against the Panthers’ bottom-five defense. There are no words to describe how indefensible such a performance looks, especially against a team that entered 0-2.
Despite the offensive disaster, Darnell Mooney’s target volume tells an encouraging story for fantasy purposes. The 11 targets represented a significant workload in just his second game back from a training camp shoulder injury that limited his early-season involvement. Michael Penix Jr. clearly looked his way frequently throughout the contest, even as nothing went right for Atlanta’s passing attack.
There have to be better days ahead for both Mooney and the Falcons’ offense, which managed just 172 passing yards while turning the ball over three times. His 64-catch, 992-yard campaign in 2024 demonstrates his capability when healthy and involved in the offense.
The veteran receiver should be universally rostered based on target volume alone, as 11 looks in a shutout suggests he’ll see substantial opportunities when the offense inevitably improves.
Aggressiveness Rating: 6.0
Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars
Rostered: 0%
Parker Washington caught four passes on 11 targets for 34 yards in the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Week 3 contest. Although the numbers are modest, the target volume is quite encouraging. His 11 targets ranked second on the team behind only the struggling Brian Thomas Jr. The third-year receiver ran six more routes than Travis Hunter and has clearly emerged as a significant part of Jacksonville’s offensive game plan.
Both Thomas and Hunter have been playing awful through three weeks, with the highly touted duo combining for underwhelming performances that have left Trevor Lawrence searching for reliable options. Washington’s increased route participation and target share suggest the coaching staff is looking his way as a potential solution to their receiving woes.
Lawrence is one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league right now, but volume is king in fantasy football regardless of quarterback play. It’s worth chasing with a speculative add, especially considering Jacksonville’s commitment to a pass-heavy approach under offensive coordinator Liam Coen.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.5
Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears
Rostered: 11%
After starting 0-2, head coach Ben Johnson clearly made it a point to get his rookies a little more involved. Colston Loveland caught a 31-yard pass in the first quarter. Then, Luther Burden III snagged a 65-yard bomb for a touchdown on a flea flicker.
Burden only caught three passes, but his 101 yards surely earned him more playing time going forward.
The simple fact is that Burden is vastly more talented than Olamide Zaccheaus. If the Chicago Bears are serious about winning games, Burden’s role will likely increase as the season progresses. The time to add him is before that happens.
Aggressiveness Rating: 4.0
Tory Horton, Seattle Seahawks
Rostered: 2%
Basically, anytime a wide receiver scores a touchdown, fantasy managers will be wondering if they should add him. Tory Horton caught one and had a second on a punt return.
Unfortunately, he still only earned four targets and remains the clear third option behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
Horton is probably not worth adding, as he will need an injury in front of him to matter. Sam Darnold is playing reasonably well, but he cannot support three fantasy-relevant receivers.
Aggressiveness Rating: 1.0
