Every week, tight end is a fascinating fantasy football position, and in Week 2, the landscape continued to shift with new names stepping up and some other key injuries. As we look at the position for the 13-game Week 3 main slate on DraftKings, there are plenty of matchups to break down and several good options to consider. Even with only a two-week sample, some strong fantasy football sleeper options emerge who could make a huge difference in your lineup in Week 3.
The fantasy football sleeper plays at tight end in this Saturday post can be excellent values for DFS contests, and they can also be sneaky plays in your season-long league since they should be poised to exceed expectations. Earlier this week, I highlighted my top-15 starters at tight end, and in this list, we’ll focus on players mostly outside those 15 players who still bring a high fantasy football ceiling in their Week 3 matchups.
Week 3 Fantasy Football Sleeper TEs (analysis below)
- Ja’Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers ($3,300)
- Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers ($3,100)
- AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks ($3,000)
- Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams ($2,900)
- Tyler Conklin, Los Angeles Chargers ($2,800)
Week 2 Results:
- Jake Tonges, San Francisco 49ers ($3,200; 7.1 FPTS)
- Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns ($3,100; 9.8 FPTS)
- Ja’Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers ($3,100; 12.4 FPTS)
- Grant Calcaterra, Philadelphia Eagles ($2,500; 1.6 FPTS)
- Tanner Conner, Miami Dolphins ($2,500; 0.0 FPTS)
Whether you’re looking for value plays in your DFS contests like the NFL $3.25M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] or looking for a last-minute addition from the waiver wire, here are my top-five fantasy football sleeper tight ends for Week 3 of the 2025 season:
Ja’Tavion Sanders, Carolina Panthers ($3,300)
The Panthers fell behind big in Week 2 against the Cardinals and had to throw the ball a lot in the second half as they tried to rally. Ultimately, they came up just short, but as they opened up the offense, Sanders turned in a big game for my sleeper picks last week.
The second-year tight end from Texas has clearly established himself as the top pass-catching tight end on the team ahead of Tommy Tremble ($2,500), who also had three catches for 20 yards. Sanders played 61% of snaps in Week 1 and 66% of snaps in Week 2.
He was targeted three times and hauled in two passes for 27 yards in Week 1 and followed that up with seven catches on nine targets for 57 yards ands 12.7 fantasy points. He finished second on the team behind only rookie sensation Tetairoa McMillan ($5,900).
Sanders is in a tough matchup this week against the Falcons, who have been very good against tight ends this season. However, if the Panthers continue to fall behind early and air it out late, Sanders should get enough action to be a great bargain play under $3,500 in Week 3.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers ($3,100)
The Steelers brought in Jonnu Smith ($3,600) this offseason to bolster the tight end position, but incumbent starter Pat Freiermuth has still been able to carve out meaningful work in the new offense with Aaron Rodgers ($5,200). A good matchup against the Patriots, who have struggled with tight ends this season, should set both Steelers’ tight ends up for success.
Freiermuth has hauled in three catches in each of his first two games of the season, with 28 yards in Week 1 and 31 yards in Week 2. He was also targeted in the end zone for what could have been his first touchdown of the season, but teammate Calvin Austin III ($4,000) inadvertently broke up the pass and the Seahawks came up with an interception.
In each of the two games this season, Freiermuth has played exactly 50% of the team’s offensive snaps while Smith has played 66% and 56%. Both tight ends have high ceilings and touchdown-dependent upside this week in New England. The fact that they share the playing time does make them higher-risk, but Rodgers has done a solid job spreading the ball around through the first two weeks of the season.
AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks ($3,000)
If the timeshare makes Freiermuth a touch too risky for your entry this week, check out AJ Barner of the Seahawks, who has a clear hold on the job in Seattle.
Barner played 85% of snaps in Week 1 and 89% of snaps in Week 2. He only had one catch for two yards in Week 1 but bounced back with two catches for 26 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 against Freiermuth’s Steelers.
Barner doesn’t have an extremely involved role as a pass catcher, but Sam Darnold ($5,100) has made his tight ends fantasy relevant in the past and could do the same as he continues to settle into the Seahawks’ new system.
Against the Saints this week, he gets a favorable matchup and has a good chance to outproduce his price point if Darnold keeps looking his way, especially in the red zone.
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams ($2,900)
The Rams have worked Davis Allen ($2,600) into their rotation, and the third-year tight end has two catches for two touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season. Most of the snaps and targets, though, continue to go to Tyler Higbee, who is one of the most trusted pieces of this offense for QB Matthew Stafford ($5,700).
After playing 35 of 60 snaps (58%) in Week 1, that number climbed to 75% in Week 2, and he went from no targets or catches in Week 1 to four catches on four targets for 37 yards in Week 2.
Higbee finished third on the team in targets in Week 2, and he was particularly involved early in the contest as the team seemed set on getting him some looks. Part of the reason for his increase in workload was that Colby Parkinson ($2,500; shoulder) was ruled out in Week 2 and is listed questionable for Week 3.
If Parkinson is sidelined again, Higbee will have the potential be a great value against the Eagles. He’ll still be far behind Puka Nacua ($7,700) and Davante Adams ($6,200) in terms of targets, but he has the potential to be a great bargain play in this playoff rematch in Week 3.
Tyler Conklin, Los Angeles Chargers ($2,800)
The Chargers ruled out Will Dissly (knee) for their Week 3 matchup with the Broncos, leaving Conklin as the clear top tight end in the Bolts’ offense. The two veterans have shared time over the first two weeks of the season with minimal fantasy contributions, but with Dissly out, Conklin should get all the work he can handle.
In Week 1, Dissly played 57% of snaps to Conklin’s 43%, but in Week 2, Conklin played 50% of snaps while Dissly played only 40%. Of the two, Conklin has the bigger stat line so far. He had two catches for 50 yards and added a two-yard carry in Week 1, but he wasn’t targeted at all on Monday night in the Chargers’ win over the Raiders.
This week, he could be in for much more work against the Broncos. Plus, he could get some extra juice from playing his former team.
Conklin has shown big-play upside when Justin Herbert ($6,200) sends the ball his way. He’s a flier after his goose egg last week, but he does have a high ceiling and plenty of expected involvement for a player under $3,000.
