Week 3 is here, which means your fantasy football roster probably looks like a mix of brilliance, regret, and one guy you only started because his headshot made him look trustworthy. Don’t worry — we’ve all been there. To help you sort through the chaos, our Featured Pros have weighed in with their favorite Week 3 Starts and Duds. Whether you need reassurance before locking in a borderline Flex or you’re trying to avoid another soul-crushing dud, this list has you covered.
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Fantasy Football Week 3 Start/Sit Advice
Sleepers
Which player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is a good sleeper start, and why do you think he has upside this week?
Dontayvion Wicks (WR – GB)
“Dontayvion Wicks could be a very interesting play this week for the Packers against the Browns. With an injury to Jayden Reed sidelining him for the next 6-8 weeks, reps in the Packers receiving room are up for grabs. Wicks was solid in the Packers’ Week 2 win against the Commanders, collecting four catches. With Reed out, expect Wicks’ targets to go up, and it could happen as early as this week versus a Browns team that was torn apart by the Ravens’ wideouts last week.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
“Jayden Reed broke his collarbone early in Week 2, which is likely why Dontayvion Wicks saw his snap share increase from 46% in Week 1 to 54% in Week 2. Wicks has always had encouraging secondary metrics, led the Packers in targets in Week 2, and is currently 5th in the NFL in aDOT (per PlayerProfiler). Matthew Golden also saw his snap share increase (48 to 59%), but he has been extremely inefficient through 2 weeks – he has 0.44 yards per route run vs Wicks’ 2.39. I find it more likely that Wicks is the better play for the next couple of weeks before Golden potentially establishes himself more in the offense. Wicks is a risky play; I wouldn’t be starting him unless I was in a pinch, but he’s a usable option if need be.”
– Charlie Sisian (The Fantasy DC)
“Dontayvion Wicks (Flex Rank 106) is a sharp Week 3 sleeper with WR3 volume and red zone upside. With Watson and Reed ruled out, Wicks steps into a featured role behind Doubs and Golden. He’s already shown route versatility and earned trust in scoring situations. Last week, he saw six targets and hauled in four receptions. His separation skills and intermediate route tree match up well against a Browns secondary that’s struggled to contain layered concepts and scramble drills. If you’re building a redemption lineup or need a flex with spike-week potential, Wicks is the kind of bet that pays off before the market adjusts. He’s seeing an uptick in volume, which puts him firmly on the radar as a matchup-driven flex with touchdown upside.”
– Lawrence Iacona (Gridiron Experts)
Matthew Golden (WR – GB)
“Matthew Golden is an excellent sleeper candidate this week with a clear path to increased volume. While his stat line from the first two weeks doesn’t make for good reading, he had just two receptions for 16 yards in Week 1 and had zero catches in Week 2, from just two targets. However, his snap share increased from 48% in Week 1 to 59% in Week 2, showing the team’s growing trust in him. Even more importantly, fellow wide receiver Jayden Reed suffered a broken collarbone and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. Given that Reed was the focal point in the passing game, his absence opens up a significant void in targets and snaps that Golden is now poised to fill.”
– Luke Renton (The Franchise Tag UK)
Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)
“Kyle Pitts has quietly had a very productive start to this season. Although he is a tough flex play, he should be a starting TE in all leagues. Through two weeks, he has the most fantasy points of any pass catcher and is tied with Draked London for the team lead in receptions. The main difference this year is that Raheem Morris has started to scheme him touches for easy production. Although he has yet to make an impact in the red zone, this has been a promising start to the season for one of the most disappointing fantasy TEs. If he keeps this up, maybe this year will be different.”
– Ellis Johnson (FantasyPros)
“Kyle Pitts. The enigmatic tight end has a 20.6% target share through two weeks, with 11 catches for 96 yards. Pitts faces a Carolina defense that gave up the most TD catches (11) and fantasy points to tight ends in 2024 and has already given up a league-high 188 receiving yards to TEs this season.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Harold Fannin Jr. (TE – CLE)
“A good sleeper for Week 3 is Harold Fannin Jr. Fannin has the Packers in Week 3, and while that defense has been stout, the opponent’s leading receivers the first two weeks have been the tight ends, Sam LaPorta and Zach Ertz. The Browns have made it a point to get Fannin targets, so a tight end with a steady volume of targets is a good bet.”
– Chew Russell (Going For 2)
“Harold Fannin Jr. is a good sleeper TE start this week. Through the first two weeks of the season, Green Bay has struggled to stop tight ends. In Week 1, we saw Sam LaPorta catch six passes on nine targets for 79 yards. In Week 2, we saw Zach Ertz catch six passes on eight targets for 64 yards and a touchdown! Harold Fannin Jr. has seen 14 total targets in his first two games, and that volume can set him up to do well vs a tough Packers defense in Week 3.”
– Brady Auer (BA Sports Podcast)
Tyquan Thornton (WR – KC)
“Tyquan Thornton should be on the radar as a potential flex play this week. The receiver had a good showing, scoring 12.9 PPR points against the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, he gets to face the New York Giants, who have allowed the fourth-most passing yards through the first two weeks. Thornton is playing over 70% of the snaps and should get several deep looks in this game, especially if Russell Wilson and the Giants play anything like they did last week.”
– Ryan Prosick (Fantrax)
Xavier Worthy (WR – KC)
“Xavier Worthy appears to be coming back to the field this week after suffering a torn labrum in Week 1. He is currently the WR77 (163 overall) in half-PPR, and this week, Kansas City faces the New York Giants, who let the Dallas Cowboys score 40 points! Patrick Mahomes will have a field day with this defense, and a returning Worthy will be a big beneficiary of those yards. Savy owners could see him eclipse 100 yards with a visit to the endzone.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
Duds
Which player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week?
Brian Thomas Jr.
“Brian Thomas Jr. has had a terrible start to the season. People want to pin his lack of production on Trevor Lawrence; however, he needs to be able to catch the ball to produce. Last week, he was hit in the chest and dropped a 4th and 5 target that would have likely iced the game against the Bengals. Combining for five receptions on 19 targets for 60 yards over two games is not what we hoped for at the end of the first round. This week, he faces Derek Stingley Jr., who has held Adams to 4 receptions on eight targets for 51 yards in Week 1, and Mike Evans to 5 receptions on 11 targets for 56 yards. It sounds wild, but BTJ is outside of my top 30 receivers this week.”
– Ellis Johnson (FantasyPros)
Josh Jacobs (RB – GB)
“Josh Jacobs will struggle this week against Cleveland’s stout run defense. Jacobs has been okay the first two weeks of the season, with both performances saved by a touchdown. That 11-game touchdown streak will have to continue for Jacobs to be a decent start this week. The Browns are allowing the second-fewest rushing yards per game through the first two games of the season. And I think that trend continues as Jacobs will struggle this Sunday.”
– Ryan Prosick (Fantrax)
Omarion Hampton (RB – LAC)
“Although I’m still bullish on Omarion Hampton overall, it’s fair to be concerned about his Week 3 outlook against a tough Denver defense. Hampton had eight carries for 24 yards against the Raiders on Monday night and coughed up a fumble late — although the NFL wrongly charged the fumble to QB Justin Herbert. The snap share for Najee Harris went from 18.5% in Week 1 to 34.5% in Week 2. Hampton investors should be patient, but they should also brace themselves for the possibility of another lackluster game from their rookie RB.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
“It hasn’t been great thus far for Omarion Hampton, and it may not get much better this week against a Denver front that will be livid after letting Jonathan Taylor run loose last week. Hampton couldn’t get anything going Monday night against the Raiders, with the offensive line being an issue in the run game so far, and the Chargers having plenty of success with the passing game. It does get better for Hampton after this week, with matchups against the Giants, Commanders, and Dolphins, three teams that have all struggled against the run so far in 2025, but this may not be the breakout week Omarion Hampton fantasy managers are waiting for.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)
De’Von Achane (RB – MIA)
“De’Von Achane has looked like a strong running back this fall, but Miami has not played extremely well. The team showed hints of their old form against the New England Patriots, but still fell short. This week, Achane will go against the Buffalo Bills on a short week. He is the starting running back for the Dolphins and will get touches. Still, owners should temper expectations due to the short week, the offense performing below expectations, the game being in the hostile Buffalo stadium, and a great defense in Buffalo.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)
Kenneth Walker III (RB – SEA)
“Kenneth Walker followed up an alarming Week 1 with an RB7 finish in Week 2. However, he had fewer carries than Zach Charbonnet for the second straight week, meaning he had to be extremely efficient with the work he did get. Walker’s strong game came vs the same Steelers defense that was beaten up by the Jets in Week 1. Walker’s metrics are much stronger than Charbonnet’s, but he has been much worse in pass protection (per PFF), meaning this is likely to remain a committee. Walker is playable in Week 3 vs a Saints defense that has looked average through 2 games, but he shouldn’t be thought of drastically different than Charbonnet (currently ranked RB19 vs RB33).”
– Charlie Sisian (The Fantasy DC)
Breece Hall (RB – NYJ)
“Breece Hall is a risky Week 3 start despite his explosive talent. He’s totaled 33 touches through two games, but his usage dipped in Week 2, and he’s still searching for his first touchdown. With Justin Fields in concussion protocol and Tyrod Taylor expected to start, the Jets offense could struggle to sustain drives. Hall is touchdown-dependent just like Nick Chubb, but Chubb scored last week in a much better offense. Fantasy managers expecting RB1 or RB2 production may be let down by a low-volume, inconsistent role that lacks scoring reliability and passing-game involvement.”
– Lawrence Iacona (Gridiron Experts)
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