3 Fantasy Football Sleepers for NFL Week 3

NFL Sleepers for This Week in Summary

• Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Texans
• Quinshon Judkins, RB, Browns
• Blake Corum, RB, Rams

Every fantasy football week presents new opportunities to uncover value, and some of the best options aren't always the biggest names. Whether it's a favorable matchup, an expanded role, an injury creating opportunity or a player showing signs of a breakout, the fantasy landscape can change quickly from one week to the next.

With that in mind, here are some fantasy football sleepers to consider for this week. These players may not be automatic starts in every league, but each has a combination of opportunity and upside that makes them worth a closer look for the week ahead.

We'll reference our NFL projections. All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

Best Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 3

Xavier Hutchinson, WR, Texans

As of Thursday, it looks like Nico Collins will likely be out again this week. That makes Xavier Hutchinson an appealing sleeper play, and I think you can make a case for him even if Collins suits up.

Sans Collins in Week 2, Hutchinson led the Houston Texans‘ wideouts in snap rate at 81%. That resulted in nine targets. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he caught only three of those targets for 37 yards.

But he’s now seen 15 total looks through two weeks, and he appears to be Houston’s WR1 if Collins is out.

The Texans have a mouth-watering indoors matchup this week against an Indianapolis Colts pass defense that has been torched through two games, allowing 214.5 receiving yards per game to WRs in addition to three total touchdowns to the position.

Obviously, Hutchinson’s chances for big volume increase if Collins sits another week, but even if Collins plays, Hutchinson can have a big game in this friendly matchup.

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Browns

It’s been a rough start to the season for Quinshon Judkins. He’s turned 24 carries into only 54 yards, which comes out to a tush-push territory average of 2.3 yards per run.

Judkins can break out this week.

A home date with the Carolina Panthers is a big part of it. This will be Judkins’ best matchup of the year so far after starting with road games against the solid run defenses of the Bucs and Jags.

Judkins has played a good amount of snaps, logging single-game snap rates of 68% and 67% thus far. He’s also handled 24 of the Cleveland Browns‘ 28 RB carries, so he’s got something of a workhorse role. The snap rate could rise on Sunday if the Browns see a positive game script — something that is more of a possibility against the Panthers than it is most weeks for Cleveland as the Browns are just 2.5-point ‘dogs.

All in all, Judkins checks some boxes, and he can take advantage of a matchup versus a Panthers D that has allowed a league-high 173.5 rushing yards per game to running backs.

Blake Corum, RB, Rams

Kyren Williams put the ball on the ground again last week — something he’s had an issue with over his career — and it led to a bigger role for Blake Corum. I can see that carrying over to the Los Angeles Rams‘ SNF clash at the Denver Broncos.

After playing only 23% of the snaps in Week 1, Corum was in on 45% of the Rams’ snaps in Week 2. He got 12 carries and made the most of them, racking up 79 yards. He’s now averaging 6.0 yards per carry on the year after posting 5.1 yards per carry in 2025.

The negatives are that Kyren will likely continue to control passing-game work — Corum has only one target this season — and the Rams have a tough road matchup at the Denver Broncos on a short week.

But while the Broncos’ defense is good, they have let up the fourth-most RB rushing yards so far this season, and I think Corum is going to eventually work his way into more touches this campaign. Week 2 might have been the start of it, and it can continue this week.

Fantasy Football Sleepers FAQ

What is a fantasy football sleeper for this week?

A fantasy football sleeper for this week is a player who isn't widely viewed as a must-start but has a favorable combination of matchup, opportunity and recent production that could lead to a strong fantasy performance.

How do you identify fantasy football sleepers each week?

We look at factors such as recent usage, snap counts, targets, touches, red-zone opportunities, injuries and the player's individual matchup. Changes in a player's role can also create new sleeper opportunities from week to week.

Should I start a fantasy football sleeper this week?

That depends on your league, your roster and the player's situation. A sleeper can be a strong option when you're dealing with an injury, a bye week or a difficult matchup for one of your usual starters, but it's important to consider each player's floor as well as their upside.

Do fantasy football sleepers change every week?

Yes. Sleeper candidates can change significantly as the season progresses because of injuries, emerging players, coaching decisions, matchups and changing workloads. That's why it's useful to reevaluate potential sleepers each week.

Take advantage of Bet Protect+. Stay covered all game, all September with FREE Bet Protect+ on eligible NFL bets, including live bets. Click here to check out the full details.

Interested in playing NFL DFS? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.