Zach Ertz, Ja'Tavion Sanders, and 2 Others Lead Our Week 3 Tight End Waiver Wire Pickup Report
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After two weeks of play in the 2025 NFL season, there are still plenty of options on the waiver wire for managers to improve or add depth to the tight end position. A few Week 1 standouts followed up their solid starts with a strong Week 2, yet remain available in too many leagues at the moment.
Carolina Panthers Ja'Tavion Sanders (Rostered in 3.8% of leagues)
Ja’Tavion Sanders had a very productive Week 2 outing against the Arizona Cardinals. He was targeted nine times and caught seven passes for 53 yards. He did this in playing 66% of the snaps, which was a slight increase from 61% Week 1.
Sanders had a quiet rookie season with 33 receptions for 342 yards and a single touchdown; however, he proved to be a reliable option with his 76.6% catch rate in 2024. So far in 2025, he has caught nine of his 12 targets for a 75% catch rate, and should he continue to gain confidence from quarterback Bryce Young, hopefully, a few more touchdowns could be on the way.
After two weeks, he is listed as the 16th-ranked PPR tight end as per FantasyPros.com, and only rostered in 3.8% of leagues. Heading into Week 3 should be the time to spend minimal FAAB dollars before another quality performance raises his value as the season goes on.
New Orleans Saints Juwan Johnson (Rostered in 18.0% of leagues)
Believe it or not, Juwan Johnson is PPR league’s second-ranked tight end after two weeks behind just Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers. Johnson is ranked third in standard leagues, with Kraft first and the Washington Commanders’ Zach Ertz second.
While a popular Week 2 waiver wire addition, Johnson is still available in 82% of fantasy leagues out there, as per FantasyPros.com, which should certainly change when players are added to rosters on Wednesday morning.
With a Week 1 PPR score of 15.6 and a Week 2 output of 15.9, look no further than his snap count to prove this could be a continued trend for him. With 99% of the opening week snaps, and 96% on Sunday against the San Francisco 49’ers, Johnson is looking like a top 12 tight end in 2025 for fantasy managers, and time is running out before he is owned in the majority of formats.
Juwan Johnson looks like a legit focal point of the Saints offense. All of these looks by design. Helps to play in a fast-paced offense that'll be trailing a lot of games. pic.twitter.com/70Jn4CTdZ2
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) September 15, 2025
Washington Commanders Zach Ertz (Rostered in 50.1% of leagues)
Veteran Zach Ertz is in year 13 in the NFL and his second with the Commanders. He had an excellent year in 2024 with 654 yards on 66 receptions and seven touchdowns. So far, that is carrying over to 2025 with two touchdowns already on his nine catches for 90 yards.
At the moment, Ertz is available in 49.9% of fantasy leagues and ranked as the second standard league tight end with 21 points through two weeks, and third in PPR format with 30. He is coming off an 18.4 PPR performance last week on primetime against the Green Bay Packers, playing 90% of the snaps. Back in Week 1, he played 64% of the snaps for 11.6 PPR points.
He should be rostered in the majority of leagues, and this will be the last waiver wire period he could be readily available, as he shows no signs of slowing down.
Most Targeted Tight Ends from Week 2:
— SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) September 15, 2025
• Jake Ferguson: 12 📈
• Juwan Johnson: 9 📈
• Ja'Tavion Sanders: 9 👀
• Zach Ertz: 8
• Tucker Kraft: 7
• Tyler Warren: 7
• Trey McBride: 7
Pittsburgh Steelers Jonnu Smith (Rostered in 43.3% of leagues)
Another veteran who should be rostered in more leagues is Jonnu Smith. Traded to a crowded tight end group with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason, fantasy managers were worried about his competition as well as what seemed to be one solid season from 2024 while with the Miami Dolphins.
However, despite being in year nine, and many looking at last season as a fluke, Smith has always had yards after the catch ability. Over his career, he averages 6.9 yards after catch per reception, and so far, this year is at 6.0. A mark slightly better than his 5.8 YAC/R from his season in Miami, which earned him a Pro Bowl nod.
Rostered in just 43.3% of leagues, Smith is ranked 13th among tight ends in PPR formats, and 14th in standard leagues. So far in 2025, he has proved to be a trusted target of Aaron Rodgers, catching nine of his 10 targets, and it is to be noted that he started slowly last season, yet had an explosive second half of the season with the Dolphins.
He is a red zone threat, and his yardage ability should make him a Week 3 waiver wire add and weekly consideration to start, especially when bye weeks begin.
Jason Sarney is a seasoned sportswriter and NFL analyst with extensive experience in both professional sports and media. His work includes coverage of the Miami Dolphins for outlets such as DolphinsWire (USA Today) and Sports Illustrated, providing in-depth analysis, player interviews, and training camp coverage. In addition to his NFL and fantasy football coverage, Sarney has held professional roles with the NBA and New York Mets, offering a unique behind-the-scenes perspective. His work combines journalistic insight with a deep understanding of the professional sports landscape, making him a trusted voice for fans across platforms.