šŸˆ Fantasy football: Week 3 last-minute pickups

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  • Matt BowenSep 19, 2025, 06:57 AM ET

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      Matt Bowen is simply a phantasy shot and NFL writer for ESPN. He joined ESPN successful 2015, writes regularly for ESPN+ and spent aggregate years connected "NFL Matchup." After graduating from the University of Iowa, Matt played information successful the NFL for St. Louis, Green Bay, Washington and Buffalo implicit 7 seasons.

At assorted points during the fantasy football season, injuries, bye weeks and breaking quality tin origin you to request reinforcements for your phantasy lineup. Every Friday passim the 2025 NFL season, Matt Bowen volition connection up immoderate late-week pickup options to assistance capable those holes, with an accent connected deeper leagues.

Because of that, this file volition absorption mostly connected players rostered successful less than 50% of ESPN leagues, with occasional exceptions.

Heading into Week 3, I spot deeper-league targets astatine the wide receiver presumption who are flashing connected the portion and producing numbers. And we'll commencement there. Plus, there's a rookie choky extremity getting accordant measurement successful the walk crippled and a defence that is making plays -- with a truly affirmative matchup this week.

Wide receivers

Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos (38.7% rostered; astatine Chargers): With 15 targets implicit his archetypal 2 games and successful an violative strategy that caters to his accomplishment set, Franklin fits present arsenic a deeper-league WR3 for this week against the Chargers. Last week successful the nonaccomplishment to the Colts, Franklin caught 8 of 9 targets for 89 yards and a people (24.0 points). He scored connected a schemed footwear conception successful the debased reddish zone, and the Broncos volition acceptable him up connected catch-and-run targets disconnected RPO reads. Expect Franklin to spot much high-percentage throws (screens, slants, crossers) Sunday successful Los Angeles.

Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans (17.0% rostered; vs. Colts): Ayomanor has seen astatine slightest six targets successful each of his archetypal 2 pro games, and the I truly similar however helium is being deployed successful the Titans' walk game. At 6-foot-2, with the agelong velocity to abstracted connected slice routes, Ayomanor tin triumph arsenic an isolation people for backmost Cam Ward, positive helium has the shot skills and play spot to enactment the mediate of the field. Ayomanor had 15.6 points successful the Week 2 nonaccomplishment to the Rams, and helium is flashing the traits of an emerging subordinate connected tape.

Hunter Renfrow, Carolina Panthers (5.0% rostered; vs. Falcons): In a Panthers discourtesy that has been forced to propulsion with volume, Renfrow has PPR upside this week versus the Falcons. Through 2 games, Panthers backmost Bryce Young has already attempted 90 passes. That's a large number. And Renfrow benefited arsenic the superior slot enactment for Young successful the Week 2 nonaccomplishment to the Cardinals, catching 7 of 9 targets for 48 yards and 2 scores (23.8 points). Renfrow besides reminded america helium tin inactive abstracted from man-coverage connected his touchdown grabs successful the debased reddish zone. Let's play Renfrow this week successful deeper formats.

Running backs