Fantasy soccer last-minute pickups for Week 3 – Troy Franklin, Harold Fannin Jr. amongst gamers that may assist lineups

At varied factors through the fantasy soccer season, accidents, bye weeks and breaking information may cause you to want reinforcements on your fantasy lineup. Each Friday all through the 2025 NFL season, Matt Bowen will provide up some late-week pickup choices to assist fill these holes, with an emphasis on deeper leagues.

Due to that, this column will focus totally on gamers rostered in fewer than 50% of ESPN leagues, with occasional exceptions.

Heading into Week 3, I see deeper-league targets on the broad receiver place who’re flashing on the tape and producing numbers. And we’ll begin there. Plus, there is a rookie tight finish getting constant quantity within the move sport and a protection that’s making performs — with a very constructive matchup this week.

Huge receivers

Troy Franklin, Denver Broncos (38.7% rostered; at Chargers): With 15 targets over his first two video games and in an offensive system that caters to his talent set, Franklin suits right here as a deeper-league WR3 for this week in opposition to the Chargers. Final week within the loss to the Colts, Franklin caught eight of 9 targets for 89 yards and a rating (24.0 factors). He scored on a schemed boot idea within the low crimson zone, and the Broncos will set him up on catch-and-run targets off RPO reads. Count on Franklin to see extra high-percentage throws (screens, slants, crossers) Sunday in Los Angeles.

Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans (17.0% rostered; vs. Colts): Ayomanor has seen at the least six targets in every of his first two professional video games, and the I actually like how he’s being deployed within the Titans’ move sport. At 6-foot-2, with the lengthy pace to separate on fade routes, Ayomanor can win as an isolation goal for quarterback Cam Ward, plus he has the ball abilities and play energy to work the center of the sphere. Ayomanor had 15.6 factors within the Week 2 loss to the Rams, and he’s flashing the traits of an rising participant on tape.

Hunter Renfrow, Carolina Panthers (5.0% rostered; vs. Falcons): In a Panthers offense that has been pressured to throw with quantity, Renfrow has PPR upside this week versus the Falcons. By way of two video games, Panthers quarterback Bryce Younger has already tried 90 passes. That is a giant quantity. And Renfrow benefited as the first slot possibility for Younger within the Week 2 loss to the Cardinals, catching seven of 9 targets for 48 yards and two scores (23.8 factors). Renfrow additionally reminded us he can nonetheless separate from man-coverage on his landing grabs within the low crimson zone. Let’s play Renfrow this week in deeper codecs.

Operating backs

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Why Daniel Dopp is advocating for Troy Franklin to be rostered

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Bhayshul Tuten, Jacksonville Jaguars (46.7% rostered; vs. Texans): Tuten stepped into the No. 2 function behind Travis Etienne Jr. in Week 2 loss to the Bengals — following the commerce of Tank Bigsby to the Eagles — and the rookie responded with 74 whole yards and a landing on 10 touches (15.4 factors). Together with his explosive motion capacity and playmaking upside, Tuten may give you viable fantasy numbers on 8-10 touches per sport, and he will get a Houston protection on Sunday that simply gave up 136 yards speeding to the Buccaneers’ working backs in Week 2.

Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (36.8% rostered; at Panthers): In a deeper format, you are chasing the quantity with Allgeier this week versus a Panthers protection permitting 5.2 YPC (twenty seventh within the league). Allgeier has 26 carries within the first two video games, together with three from contained in the 5-yard line, and he scored the one landing of the sport within the Sunday evening victory over the Vikings. Plus, we all know he can play the function of a “nearer” late within the sport attributable to his downhill working model, as he had 9 carries within the fourth quarter versus the Vikings. Search for Allgeier to see extra touches if the Falcons can stand up on the Panthers within the second half.

Quarterbacks

Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (9.6% rostered; at Vikings): In aid of Joe Burrow final week, Browning had 17.74 factors, throwing for 241 yards and two touchdowns, whereas including a 1-yard speeding rating. Nevertheless, he additionally threw three picks. With Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, Browning does have premier choices within the route tree. And, in 2023 when Browning began six video games for an injured Burrow, he averaged 19.1 PPG. It could be a curler coaster with Browning within the lineup, however he does have some upside in opposition to the Vikings in a pass-heavy Bengals system.

Michael Penix Jr., Falcons (28.9% rostered; at Panthers): The Falcons leaned on the run sport within the Week 2 win over the Vikings, which restricted Penix to solely 21 move makes an attempt. And I do suppose we may see an analogous script versus Carolina this Sunday if the Falcons get out to an early lead. Nevertheless, if it’s essential decide up a beginning quarterback this week, the Falcons can have matchup benefits within the move sport. You possibly can search for Penix to take some photographs down the sphere early to spice up his scoring totals.

Tight finish

Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns (35.6% rostered; vs. Packers): Fannin has seen constant utilization within the Browns’ offense to start out the season, working 30 routes in each video games performed, and the goal quantity is there, too. Fannin, who’s averaging 11.7 PPG, has caught 12 of 14 targets from quarterback Joe Flacco, producing 111 yards receiving. A transfer tight finish with protection consciousness and the power to create after the catch, Fannin suits as a deeper-league possibility on Sunday.

D/ST

Atlanta Falcons (36.4% rostered; at Panthers): I would run with the Falcons’ protection this week versus the Panthers. Within the Week 2 win over the Vikings, the Falcons scored a league-best 21.0 fantasy factors, registering six sacks, two interceptions and two pressured fumbles. This unit dictated the movement of the sport versus J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota offense. Whereas managers should not anticipate one other 20-point sport Sunday, Bryce Younger has already thrown three picks and been sacked 4 instances. There are performs to be made right here by the Falcons’ protection.