X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 3 NFL Matchups Analysis: Start/Sit for Fantasy Football (Part 2)

By Sgt. Kyle J. Richardson (DVIDS) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By Sgt. Kyle J. Richardson (DVIDS) [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsWeek 3 is already here, and there have been a ton of upsets and surprises, not to mention plenty of off-field stuff that may have affected your team. No worries-- we here at RotoBaller.com will dissect the matchups each week and tell you who the best and worst fantasy plays are.

No need to beat around the bush, let's get right to it. If you have questions that aren't answered here, then check out the RotoBaller.com chat rooms. And to read about the rest of this week’s NFL matchups, check out our other matchup articles. Here you can see the Start/Sit &  Matchups Analysis for Games 1-8.

Editor’s Note: make sure to also bookmark our famous fantasy football waiver wire pickups list to find those waiver wire gems, and dominate your football leagues. Our waiver wire list is updated throughout each week of the fantasy football season, for all positions. Good luck RotoBallers!

 

Packers @ Lions - Sunday 9/21 @ 1:00 EST

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love

RB Joique BellHe's proving to be the main running back in Motown, rather than Reggie Bush, as each week passes. He ate up the Packers last year, and the the Green Bay defense has struggled against opposing running backs so far this year.

Fantasy Football Matchups We Hate

Lions DST - I love the Lions defense, but not against Aaron Rodgers. You can find a better matchup elswhere.

High Risk, High Reward Fantasy Football Matchups

RB Eddie LacyLacy did nothing against Seattle last week, and has another tough matchup against the Lions front line this week. The big question here is whether he's fully healthy. You almost have to start him if he's active, but he's a risky play at best this week. James Starks is a non-factor.

 

Colts @ Jaguars - Sunday 9/21 @ 1:00 PM

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love

Colts DST - Since the second half of Week 1, the Jags have looked terrible. Washington sacked Chad Henne 10 times last week, and the Colts defense is much better than Washington's. Every Colt, including the defense, is a must-start this week.

Fantasy Football Matchups We Hate

The Jaguars - I think this has the chance to be a blowout, especially after what happened to the Colts last weekend. I'll be avoiding all Jaguars this week - including Cecil Shorts, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson, etc - and you should too.

High Risk, High Reward Fantasy Football Matchups

RB Toby GerhartIf you must start a Jaguar, Gerhart is your guy. The matchup is favorable, but his team is terrible, and Gerhart is banged-up. At most, he's a low end RB2 in deep leagues this week.

 

Raiders @ Patriots - Sunday 9/21 @ 1:00 PM

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love

QB Tom BradyI was down on Brady as an elite fantasy QB going into the season, and so far I've been right. A matchup against the Raiders at home is sure to get Brady back on track. Even if he's no longer elite, expect an elite game this week. After all, he still has Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley, Aaron Dobson, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and even Kenbrell Thompkins, Brandon Bolden or Tim Wright at his disposal on offense.

Fantasy Football Matchups We Hate

RB Darren McFadden & Maurice Jones-DrewJones-Drew is still recovering from hand surgery and isn't a lock to play, and McFadden did nothing as the every-down back in MJD's place last week. Throw in a matchup against a Bill Belichick defense, and you have yourself two must-sit guys. Latavius Murray is a non-factor as of now.

High Risk, High Reward Fantasy Football Matchups

TE Rob GronkowskiYou know the drill here-- Gronk is the definition of a high-risk, high-reward player. He's never totally healthy, but he always finds the end zone if he's on the field. Once again, he's been limited in practice this week, but if he plays, he could have a monster game against a favorable matchup.

WR James Jones - Jones has emerged as the #1 wide receiver for the Raiders, piling up targets and catches over the past two weeks. He may be able to sustain that pace, but he is mostly a WR4/WR3 option in PPR leagues. Both him and Derek Carr are risky options until they show consistency for a few weeks.

 

49ers @ Cardinals - Sunday 9/21 @ 4:05 PM

Fantasy Football Matchups We Love

RB Frank GoreGore was terrible in his last game against Arizona last year, but the Niners are sure to work the run rather than test Arizona's secondary. The Cardinals also allowed Ryan Matthews and Rashad Jennings to have pretty good fantasy numbers. Carlos Hyde is clearly on the backburner here.

Fantasy Football Matchups We Hate

WR Michael CrabtreeI'd be shocked if San Fran tested the Arizona secondary, and even if they do, Crabtree is sure to be covered by Patrick Patterson. Not a favorable matchup at all. I wouldn't be starting Anquan Bolden either, unless I was desperate for a FLEX or WR3 in PPR leagues.

High Risk, High Reward Fantasy Football Matchups

49ers DST - I'm not sold on the Niners as an every-week defense, but the Cardinals had plenty of trouble scoring against the Giants last week without Carson Palmer. If Palmer misses another game, it could be a big day for the Niners defense; if Palmer plays, I think the San Fran secondary has a chance to be exposed.

QB Colin Kaepernick - With the likelihood that Vernon Davis will miss this week's game, Kaepernick will have less offensive options to work with. He's been pretty solid over the first two weeks, but I wouldn't call him a must start if you have a better QB option for the week.

RB Andre Ellington - Dealing with a lingering injury over the first two weeks, Ellington has played through it but hasn't performed to the level that many had hoped for. He's a fine FLEX play, with RB2 upside, but he has a tough matchup here and I would consider him somewhat risky until he can put the injury behind him. With the news that Jonathan Dwyer has been deactivated, backup running back Stepfan Taylor will be worked into the mix as well.

 

Good luck in Week Three. With any luck, the focus will return to the action on the field.

 




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kevin Porter Jr.46 mins ago

Expected To Be Available Saturday
Atlanta Falcons49 mins ago

Falcons Agree To Terms With Morgan Fox
Damian Lillard49 mins ago

Listed As Probable For Saturday's Game
Giannis Antetokounmpo57 mins ago

Probable For Saturday
Lonzo Ball59 mins ago

Remains Out For Saturday
Indianapolis Colts1 hour ago

Colts Sign Corey Ballentine To One-Year Deal On Friday
Trendon Watford1 hour ago

Will Miss Saturday's Game
Chet Holmgren1 hour ago

Resting Versus Detroit
Nicolas Claxton1 hour ago

Resting On Saturday
Pittsburgh Steelers1 hour ago

Brandin Echols Signs Two-Year Deal With Steelers
Josh Giddey1 hour ago

Not Likely To Play Saturday
Noah Clowney1 hour ago

To Remain Out Against Celtics
Kenny Yeboah1 hour ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Lions
Avery Williams1 hour ago

Signs With Eagles
Cam Thomas1 hour ago

Sits Out First Leg Of Back-To-Back Saturday
Jalen Williams1 hour ago

Still Out On Saturday
Coby White1 hour ago

Listed As Probable For Saturday
Kene Nwangwu2 hours ago

Jets Re-Sign Kene Nwangwu To One-Year Deal
Cody Martin2 hours ago

Cleared To Return Friday
Eli White2 hours ago

Appears Likely To Open Season In Utility Role
Trey Lyles2 hours ago

Misses Friday's Game Due To Back Soreness
Tommy Henry2 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Grayson Allen2 hours ago

Not Playing Friday
Trey Jemison III2 hours ago

Unavailable Against Nuggets
Blake Walston2 hours ago

To Have Tommy John Surgery
Jacob Misiorowski2 hours ago

Brewers Reassign Jacob Misiorowski To Minor-League Camp
Gabe Vincent2 hours ago

Sits Out Friday's Game
Nick Richards2 hours ago

Sitting Out On Friday
Dorian Finney-Smith2 hours ago

Sidelined On Friday
Erik Swanson2 hours ago

Diagnosed With "Median Nerve Entrapment"
Domantas Sabonis2 hours ago

Back In Action On Friday
Shane Baz2 hours ago

Not Worried About Spring Training Results
Zeke Nnaji2 hours ago

Active On Friday
Mason Adams4 hours ago

Exits With Elbow Injury
Will Klein4 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A Tacoma
Simi Fehoko4 hours ago

Signing With Cardinals
Kylen Granson4 hours ago

Headed To Philadelphia
Jared Shuster4 hours ago

Optioned To Triple-A
Sterling Shepard4 hours ago

Remaining With Buccaneers
José Buttó4 hours ago

Jose Butto Dealing With Groin Injury
Cincinnati Bengals4 hours ago

Bengals Not Ruling Out Trey Hendrickson Extension
Wenceel Pérez4 hours ago

Wenceel Perez Receives Injection, Expected To Be Ready For Opening Day
Jose Trevino4 hours ago

Exits Early On Friday
Cooper Kupp5 hours ago

Signing With Seahawks
Jake Cronenworth5 hours ago

Not Expected To Play First Base
Lance McCullers Jr.5 hours ago

To Make Grapefruit League Debut On Tuesday
Giancarlo Stanton5 hours ago

Dealing With Minor Calf Injury
Jacob deGrom5 hours ago

Throws In Minor-League Game On Friday
Wilyer Abreu5 hours ago

To Make Spring Debut On Saturday, Could Be Ready For Opening Day
Grayson Rodriguez5 hours ago

Should Begin Throwing Progression Next Week
Karel Vejmelka5 hours ago

Makes Ninth Consecutive Start Friday
Kyle Wright5 hours ago

Hoping To Face Live Hitters Next Week
Dustin Wolf6 hours ago

Set To Face Avalanche Friday
Mikael Backlund6 hours ago

Out Week-To-Week
Alec Marsh6 hours ago

Continues To Build Up His Arm
Bobby Witt Jr.6 hours ago

Does Some Hitting On Friday
Sam Colangelo6 hours ago

Deemed Day-To-Day With An Upper-Body Injury
Michael Bunting6 hours ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Dallas Cowboys6 hours ago

Dante Fowler Jr. Heading Back To Cowboys
Andrei Svechnikov6 hours ago

Expected To Return Next Week
Nikolaj Ehlers6 hours ago

Good To Go Against Stars
Buffalo Bills6 hours ago

Larry Ogunjobi, Michael Hoecht Both Facing Six-Game PED Suspensions
Tee Higgins7 hours ago

Bengals Making Headway On Contracts For Tee Higgins, Ja'Marr Chase
Ben Skowronek7 hours ago

Back With Steelers
Minnesota Vikings8 hours ago

Eric Wilson Returns To Minnesota
Pharaoh Brown8 hours ago

Heading To Miami
Minnesota Vikings8 hours ago

Justin Skule Signs With Vikings
Mackenzie Blackwood9 hours ago

Battling Illness, Not Starting On Friday
Rasmus Ristolainen9 hours ago

Day-To-Day With Upper-Body Injury
Lian Bichsel9 hours ago

Not Playing On Friday
Josh Norris9 hours ago

Undergoing Evaluation
JJ Peterka9 hours ago

Not Playing On Saturday
Neal Pionk9 hours ago

Viewed As Week-To-Week
Kareem Hunt10 hours ago

Chiefs Bring Back Kareem Hunt On One-Year Deal
Philadelphia Eagles10 hours ago

Eagles Open To Trading Bryce Huff
Cooper Kupp10 hours ago

Asking For $15 Million Per Year
Roman Dolidze14 hours ago

Set For A Rematch
Marvin Vettori14 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Chidi Njokuani14 hours ago

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos15 hours ago

Looks For His 12th UFC Win
Kurt Holobaugh15 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 104
Alexander Hernandez15 hours ago

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Cody Gibson16 hours ago

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Da'Mon Blackshear16 hours ago

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 104
Quinton Byfield16 hours ago

Scores In Fifth Straight Game
Jesper Bratt16 hours ago

Posts Second Straight Three-Point Performance
Brendson Ribeiro16 hours ago

Searching For Second UFC Win On Saturday
Tristan Jarry16 hours ago

Picks Up Third Straight Victory
Diyar Nurgozhay16 hours ago

Set To Make His UFC Debut
Adin Hill16 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Blue Jackets On Thursday
MMA16 hours ago

Seung Woo Choi In Dire Need Of Victory
Sam Bennett16 hours ago

Strikes Twice In Victory
Brady Tkachuk16 hours ago

Suffers Minor Injury On Thursday
Kevin Vallejos16 hours ago

Makes Debut At UFC Vegas 104
Charlie Lindgren1 day ago

Gets The Nod Against Kings Thursday
Filip Gustavsson1 day ago

Starts Against Rangers Thursday
Jacob Bridgeman3 days ago

Use Caution For Jacob Bridgeman At TPC Sawgrass
Nicolai Hojgaard3 days ago

Looks To Stay Consistent Heading Into PLAYERS Championship
Karl Vilips3 days ago

Makes PLAYERS Championship Debut After First PGA Tour Win
Taylor Pendrith3 days ago

A Sneaky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Sahith Theegala3 days ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick3 days ago

A Shaky Play Heading Into PLAYERS
Scottie Scheffler3 days ago

Eyeing Three-Peat At TPC Sawgrass
Aldrich Potgieter3 days ago

A Risky Play At TPC Sawgrass
Si Woo Kim3 days ago

Looks To Keep Building Momentum At The PLAYERS
Denny McCarthy3 days ago

Looks To Continue Solid Play At TPC Sawgrass
Collin Morikawa3 days ago

Poised For Another Strong Performance At TPC Sawgrass
Robert MacIntyre3 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At The PLAYERS Championship
Jordan Spieth3 days ago

Looking To Change Fortunes At TPC Sawgrass
Cameron Young3 days ago

Avoid Cameron Young At The PLAYERS Championship
Michael Kim3 days ago

Continues Incredible Form Ahead Of The PLAYERS Championship
Justin Thomas3 days ago

Looking For More Magic At TPC Sawgrass
Xander Schauffele3 days ago

Continues Competitive Return At The Players Championship
Rory McIlroy3 days ago

Looks To Reverse Recent History At TPC Sawgrass
PGA3 days ago

Victor Hovland Looking To Find Form At The PLAYERS Championship
Brian Harman3 days ago

A Sleeper Pick At The PLAYERS Championship
Min Woo Lee3 days ago

A Hard Name To Trust At The Players Championship
Tyler Reddick4 days ago

Power-Steering Failure Foils Tyler Reddick's Bid For Potential Victory
William Byron4 days ago

Recovers From Being Trapped A Lap Down To Finish Sixth
Josh Berry4 days ago

Gives Wood Brothers Team Best Run Since 2021
Alex Pereira5 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC 313
Magomed Ankalaev5 days ago

Becomes The New UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion
Justin Gaethje5 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev5 days ago

Loses Third Fight In A Row
Ignacio Bahamondes5 days ago

Gets Submission Win At UFC 313
Christopher Bell5 days ago

Scores His Third Consecutive Victory Of The Season At Phoenix
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Strong Phoenix Performance Falls Short Of Victory
Chris Buescher5 days ago

Quietly Earns A Top-Five Finish At Phoenix
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Leaves Phoenix With His Best Finish At The Site Since 2016
Zane Smith5 days ago

Quietly Nabs His First Phoenix Top-10 Finish
Jalin Turner5 days ago

Retires After UFC 313 Loss
Iasmin Lucindo5 days ago

Gets Dominated At UFC 313
Amanda Lemos5 days ago

Dominates At UFC 313
King Green5 days ago

Gets Knocked Out At UFC 313
Chase Elliott6 days ago

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Phoenix This Week For DFS?
Joey Logano6 days ago

Will Be A Top Contender To Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin6 days ago

Is Difficult to Recommend As A DFS Option
Carson Hocevar6 days ago

Is Not An Ideal Driver To Add To Phoenix DFS Lineups
Brad Keselowski6 days ago

Is A Solid DFS Choice For Phoenix Lineups
Austin Cindric6 days ago

Could Be Worth Using In Phoenix Tournament Lineups
Kyle Busch6 days ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Kyle Busch At Phoenix?
Michael McDowell6 days ago

Is Michael McDowell Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ty Gibbs6 days ago

Is A DFS Recommendation Despite Inconsistent Track History At Phoenix
Austin Dillon6 days ago

Is Austin Dillon Worth Rostering In DFS For Phoenix This Week?
Cole Custer6 days ago

Is An Underrated DFS Value Pick For Phoenix Lineups
Tyler Reddick6 days ago

DFS Value Likely Hinges On How Much He Leads
Chase Briscoe6 days ago

Despite Strong Phoenix Record, Chase Briscoe Qualifies Inexplicably Poorly
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Free Agency Fantasy Fallout!

Michael F. Florio is back going over the any signings and trades that free agency week brought us! He discusses his winners and losers of players that changed teams - then does the same for players who were not moved but still had their value impacted! Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Free Agency Tracker - Updates On Every Free Agent Signing (2025)

The NFL offseason is starting to heat up, and the league's legal tampering period is set to begin on March 10 at noon Eastern. Free agents cannot officially sign until the new league year begins on March 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern, but deals will be agreed to, and news will be coming in quickly […]


Drake Maye - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Sleepers: Players To Target In Deep Leagues

Fantasy football sleepers are what make the game fun. There is nothing like landing an absolute stud in the double-digit rounds of your fantasy draft. The more teams in your league, the more important sleepers become. As the player pool shrinks, it is an absolute must to hit on at least one or two sleepers. […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Avoids, Busts: 2025 NFL Free Agent Signings

The 2025 NFL free-agency period is well underway, and many wide receivers, tight ends, quarterbacks, and running backs have already found their new homes. While some of them are in better landing spots, or at least should continue having solid production relative to their ADP (anticipated draft position) in fantasy football, some of them should […]


Jaydon Blue - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Picks, NFL Draft

2025 Fantasy Football Rookie Sleepers: Late-Round Prospects With Immediate Upside

Players who are thought of as less likely to succeed in the NFL are typically selected later in drafts. When a player falls through the rounds, it's generally because teams have doubts about their ability to produce. It takes a specific family of skill sets to succeed in the big leagues. But sometimes, players fall […]


Cole Kmet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL injury News

2025 Fantasy Football Tight End Sleepers For Best Ball Drafts

Tight end is one of the most important positions in fantasy football, and heading into 2025, the position seems even deeper than it has been in past seasons. Sure, there’s the new cream rising to the top with Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, but a lot of veterans are seen much lower in best ball […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Fantasy Football Bust Candidates: Second Round Avoids For 2025 Drafts

It's a little bit easier to identify potential busts in the second round of fantasy football drafts than in the first round. Of course, the further the drafts wear on, the fewer highly-talented players everyone knows are available. In the second round, there are usually more players with question marks than there are in the […]


Davante Adams - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Free Agency Fantasy Football Analysis: Risers On New Teams (2025)

Sometimes the grass really is greener on the other side, and sometimes NFL players are able to go to said other side where said grass is greener and sign with a team that puts them in a better situation for fantasy football success. Such is the case for several players this season. Sometimes wide receivers […]


Dallas Goedert - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dallas Goedert Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Trade Outlook

The Philadelphia Eagles are apparently attempting to trade their top tight end, Dallas Goedert, for at least a fourth-round pick in compensation. Whether or not they get their wish remains to be seen, but Goedert was still a reasonably productive TE in his final year with the Eagles with injuries aside. Part of the reason […]


Kareem Hunt - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Kareem Hunt Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt had a decent season filling in for the injured Isiah Pacheco and later serving in a committee with him when he returned from his broken fibula. He was technically signed "off the street" as he wasn't even in the NFL when the Chiefs reached out to him for […]


Joe Flacco - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Joe Flacco Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Joe Flacco has hit the open market, and the Colts have decided to go in another direction for their backup QB job. They signed former New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daniel Jones to back up Anthony Richardson, though many are rightfully convinced that Jones will end up as the starter, […]


Brandin Cooks - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Brandin Cooks Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

Wide receiver Brandin Cooks is a free agent for the first time in his career after his contract with the Dallas Cowboys expired this offseason. He is now free to sign with any team he chooses. Cooks did not have his best season in 2024. He only posted a 26-259-3 line in 10 games and […]


Gus Edwards - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Gus Edwards Top Landing Spots: 2025 NFL Free Agency Outlook

The Los Angeles Chargers recently cut Gus Edwards after one season with the team. He had just signed a two-year deal with Los Angeles last offseason, but apparently, the team wanted to go in a different direction. It’s understandable as Edwards averaged a career-worst 3.6 yards per carry in 2024. His advanced metrics weren’t great […]