Fantasy Football Start/Sit for Week 3: Streaming Options & More

Unless otherwise noted, references to 'fantasy points' are based on PPR scoring with 25/10 yards per point and 4/6 points for TDs. Start % comes from Yahoo, as of Wednesday night / Thursday morning.

Start/Upgrade 👍

Quarterbacks 👍

• Dak Prescott (at CHI) — 71% started

Start Over — Justin Herbert (vs. LAC), Bo Nix (vs. DEN), Kyler Murray (at SF)

This flirts with being too obvious to write about, but there just aren't many other QBs in good spots this week, especially among the guys viewed as borderline fantasy starters. We all saw what Prescott did to the Giants last week and what the Lions did to an injury-riddled Chicago secondary, setting up a potential Week 3 shootout (50.5 over/under, 2nd highest) between two teams whose healthy talent overwhelmingly falls on the offensive side of the ball. If the shootout doesn't manifest, it'll likely be due to failure on the other side, not Prescott and the Cowboys failing to light fireworks.

• Other Good Matchups: Baker Mayfield (vs. NYJ); Caleb Williams (vs. DAL); Michael Penix (at CAR); Carson Wentz (vs. CIN)

Running Backs 👍

• Jordan Mason (vs. CIN) — 51% started

Start Over — Ashton Jeanty (at WAS), Kyren Williams (at PHI), Alvin Kamara (at SEA)

With Aaron Jones (hamstring) and Ty Chandler (knee) on injured reserve, Mason has a shot at league-leading workloads on the ground over the next month. It's hard to assess what the change from J.J. McCarthy to Carson Wentz means, but Kevin O'Connell figures to prioritize his running game more than in past years either way. Whether they're waiting for McCarthy to recover or waiting for him to develop, the Vikings may need to rely on Mason's running and Brian Flores' defense in the short term.

• Rachaad White (vs. NYJ) — 4% started

Start Over — Tyrone Tracy (vs. KC), Bhayshul Tuten (vs. HOU), Dylan Sampson (vs.GB)

This is more of a deep-league play, as we already saw White's low floor Week 1 when he took just three touches for 16 yards. He then vaulted to 12 touches and 15.6 PPR points in Monday's win at Houston, capped off with a game-winning TD, which suggests the minimal usage in Week 1 may have been partly due to his preseason groin injury. With the Bucs now favored by a touchdown, we could see another game that allows White to push for double-digit touches without preventing Bucky Irving from getting his.

• Other Good Matchups: James Cook (vs. MIA); Bucky Irving (vs. NYJ); Kenneth Walker (vs. NO); Javonte Williams (at CHI); D'Andre Swift (vs. DAL); Bijan Robinson & Tyler Allgeier (at CAR); Jacory Croskey-Merritt (vs. LV)

Wide Receivers 👍

• Zay Flowers (vs. DET) — 84% started

Start Over — Tyreek Hill (at BUF), Ladd McConkey (vs. DEN), Tee Higgins (at MIN)

Aaron Glenn is gone, but the Lions are still playing man coverage at the highest rate in the league, on 46.4 percent of dropbacks so far. That won't necessarily be the rate against Lamar Jackson and Co., but Flowers should get more chances than usual against man-to-man looks, which is good news for his fantasy projection. He drew the target on 29.6 percent of routes against man coverage last year, and is now at 34.6 percent in 2025 (6-91-0 on nine targets, 26 routes).

The Week 3 matchup also appears favorable in terms of game script — at least relative to Baltimore's typically high blowout risk — with Detroit potentially able to keep pace and force Lamar Jackson to keep throwing. I've expressed skepticism about Flowers maintaining WR1 fantasy production in the long run, but that doesn't mean he won't do it again this week.

• Darnell Mooney (at CAR) — 4% started

Start Over — Cedric Tillman (vs. GB), Romeo Doubs (at CLE), Matthew Golden (at CLE)

Mooney seems to be a forgotten man, benched even in deep leagues where alternatives are poor. It hasn't looked great for him with Michael Penix so far, but that's on a sample of just 83 routes (across three games and two seasons) with a not-terrible 18.1 percent target rate. Mooney should still be Atlanta's second option in the passing game when all is said, with his downfield role almost certain to yield spike weeks even if the volume doesn't quite get back to where it was with Kirk Cousins last year.

• Other Good Matchups: CeeDee Lamb & George Pickens (at CHI); Mike Evans & Emeka Egbuka (vs. NYJ); Deebo Samuel (vs. LV); Rome Odunze & DJ Moore (vs. DAL); Khalil Shakir (vs. MIA); Kayshon Boutte (vs. PIT); Calvin Austin (at NE)

Tight Ends 👍

• Tyler Warren (at TEN) — 67% started

Start Over — Mark Andrews (vs. DET), Tucker Kraft (at CLE), T.J. Hockenson (vs. CIN)

It feels like Warren's immediate ascent to TE1 status has been under-appreciated amid frustrations with the rookie class in general. The early usage compares favorably to any tight end not named McBride, with the only thing missing so far being a touchdown. Now facing a vulnerable Tennessee defense, Warren can be started over any TE besides Trey McBride or Brock Bowers, with a strong enough projection to even justify a FLEX spot.

• Other Good Matchups: Brock Bowers (at WAS), Zach Ertz (vs. LV)

Sit/Downgrade 👎

Quarterbacks 👎

• Jake Browning (at MIN) — 9% started

Start Instead — Geno Smith (at WAS), Michael Penix (at CAR)

Browning is a gunslinger stuck in a backup's body, which is better news for Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins than being stuck with a cautious game manager. Browning may be able to keep Cincinnati's WRs afloat for fantasy this season, but I'm less optimistic about his ability to take on Brian Flores' defense and emerge with a decent result (fantasy or otherwise). 

One other thing to keep in mind: Browning's fantasy production in 2023 got a huge boost from three rushing TDs, but he averaged just 3.1 carries for 12.6 yards per start. He's better for fantasy than most backups; just not to the extent we saw in late 2023. Expectations this time around should be more in the mid-QB2 range.

• Other Tough Matchups: Matthew Stafford (at PHI); Joe Flacco (vs. GB)

Running Backs 👎

• Breece Hall (at TB) — 80% started

Start Instead — Tony Pollard (vs. IND), Kenneth Walker (vs. NO), Travis Etienne (vs. HOU)

The switch from Justin Fields (concussion) to Tyrod Taylor helps Hall's receiving projection, if only because of a lower scramble rate, but it's the rushing numbers we're worried about this week. The Buccaneers finished Top 5 in rushing yards allowed in five of the past six seasons (since hiring Todd Bowles), and they're giving up just 3.3 YPC so far this year. Fields' absence could also hurt Hall's rushing efficiency, reducing the efficacy of option and read plays that would otherwise project as YPC boosters. Putting it all together, Hall feels like a high-variance RB2 this week, with the level of concern partially depending on scoring settings (things look better for him in full PPR).

• Omarion Hampton (vs. DEN) — 66% started

Start Instead — D'Andre Swift (vs. DAL), Jaylen Warren (at NE), J.K. Dobbins (at LAC)

The Broncos struggled against Jonathan Taylor last week but should be a tough matchup for lesser RBs, returning most of the same players and coaches that produced top-five marks in nearly every major rushing stat last season (3rd in yards, 2nd in YPC, etc.). Hampton also has workload concerns, after Najee Harris took eight touches in the fourth quarter of Monday's win over Las Vegas. Hampton played 82 percent of snaps through three quarters, but he couldn't get anything going and then had a botched hand-off that the Raiders recovered. We may see more of Harris in Week 3, and not just at the end this time.

• Other Tough Matchups: Kyren Williams (at PHI); Chase Brown (at MIN); David Montgomery (at BAL); Quinshon Judkins (vs. GB) 

Wide Receivers 👎

• Courtland Sutton (at LAC) — 49% started

Start Instead —  DeVonta Smith (vs. LAR), DJ Moore (vs. DAL), Calvin Ridley (vs. IND)

Sutton comes with a couple concerns this week. The first is that his snap share and route share in Week 2 both were slightly below 75 percent, costing him at least a handful of routes while Troy Franklin got team-high 90 percent snap share and nine targets (8-89-1). The second concern, perhaps related, is that Sutton was merely ordinary against zone coverages last year, producing 1.7 yards per route (37th among WRs) and 681 yards (24th). His career year was instead built on dominance against man-to-man looks, ranking fourth in yards (400), second in TDs (six) and sixth in yards per route (2.9).

Unfortunately for Sutton's fantasy managers, the Broncos face another zone-heavy defense this week. The Chargers rank ninth in zone-coverage rate (80 percent) this year, after finishing fifth last season. They held Sutton to 9-103-1 on 12 targets in two matchups last year, with Bo Nix relying on his RBs and ancillary pass catchers more than usual. I think Sunday's could be more of the same, forcing Nix to spread the ball around and accept what the defense gives him.

• Ricky Pearsall (vs. ARZ) — 46% started

Start Instead — Jameson Williams (at BAL), Keenan Allen (vs. DEN), Jauan Jennings (vs. ARZ)

Pearsall is playing reasonably well, but he's been targeted on just 18.6 percent of his routes, compared to 30.4 percent for RB Christian McCaffrey and 25.0 percent for WR Jauan Jennings. That's essentially what we saw last season, with Pearsall only prioritized when the 49ers really had no other choice. His 17.7 aDOT this year isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does suggest the target rate is unlikely to go much above 18-20 percent, and the downfield-heavy profile is less appealing against Jonathan Gannon's defense. The Cardinals tend to be more vulnerable to underneath passes, and the middle/short areas could get extra attention this week after slot corner Garrett Williams (knee) was placed on injured reserve.

• Other Tough Matchups: Brian Thomas & Travis Hunter (at HOU); Davante Adams & Puka Nacua (at PHI); Jerry Jeudy & Cedric Tillman (vs. GB) 

Tight Ends 👎

• Juwan Johnson (at SEA) — 52% started

Start Instead — Jake Ferguson (at CHI), Zach Ertz (vs. LV), T.J. Hockenson (vs. CIN)

Johnson is obviously startable after what he did the past two weeks, but I'm not as hasty as some others in pushing him up the TE ranks, figuring he's still in a horrible offense and still has a very long track record of low target rates. We're seeing a career year, no doubt, but the best part may have already come and gone. 

As for the immediate future, don't be fooled by DvP stats that show Seattle giving up the most points to tight ends so far. That's just a product of George Kittle and Jake Tonges both hitting paydirt Week 1, accounting for two of the three TDs that Seattle has allowed this year. The larger picture shows a solid defense against a lousy offense, which could leave Johnson without much production even if the volume is there again.

• Other Tough Matchups: Evan Engram (at LAC), Theo Johnson (vs. KC)

Streaming Picks

For Shallow Leagues (Under 60 Percent Rostered)

QB Michael Penix (at CAR)

QB C.J. Stroud (at JAX)

RB Rachaad White (vs. NYJ)

RB Trey Benson (at SF)

WR Wan'Dale Robinson (vs. KC)

WR Darnell Mooney (at CAR)

WR Troy Franklin (at LAC)

TE Hunter Henry (vs. PIT)

TE Harold Fannin (vs. GB)

K Cam Little (vs. HOU)

D/ST Buccaneers (vs. NYJ)

Check out my Streaming Defenses article for the full D/ST scoop, w/ ranks for Week 1, Week 2 and Rest-of-Season.

For Medium-depth Leagues (Under 35 Percent Rostered)

QB Geno Smith (at WAS)

RB Kareem Hunt (at NYG)

WR Kayshon Boutte (vs. PIT)

WR Romeo Doubs (at CLE)

WR Elic Ayomanor (vs. IND)

WR Calvin Austin (at NE)

TE Chig Okonkwo

K Spencer Shrader (at TEN)

K Matt Prater (vs. MIA)

D/ST Colts (at TEN)

D/ST Falcons (at CAR)

For Deep Leagues (Under 15 Percent Rostered)

QB Russell Wilson (vs. KC)

RB Kenneth Gainwell (at NE)

RB Jeremy McNichols (vs. LV)

RB Chris Rodriguez (vs. LV)

WR Alec Pierce (at TEN)

WR Dont'e Thornton (at WAS)

WR Dyami Brown (vs. HOU)

WR Hunter Renfrow (vs. ATL)

TE Ja'Tavion Sanders (vs. ATL)

K Jason Myers (vs. NO)

D/ST Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. HOU)