RADIO
Should I start Jordan Mason, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Travis Etienne Jr. for Week 3? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Throughout the first two weeks of the NFL season, several backfields have begun to shift. In Washington, a seventh-round rookie has jumped to the top spot, while Travis Etienne Jr., who was able to reclaim the starting job after being demoted in 2024.
In this piece, we will look at three intriguing running back names who could hold value in Week 3.
Should fantasy managers start Mason, Croskey-Merritt, and Etienne in Week 3? Let's dive in and find out.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Should I Start Jordan Mason for Fantasy Football?
The Minnesota Vikings acquired Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason. Mason was able to carve out a substantial role in 2024 as he served as the replacement for their injured Christian McCaffrey. Mason looked very productive in this role and carried a sleeper appeal in drafts despite slotting in as the No.2 option in Minnesota behind Aaron Jones Sr.
Even though Jones was slated to serve as the lead back, Mason was given a prominent role in Week 1. During their victory over the Chicago Bears, Mason took 15 carries for 68 yards. He also caught his lone target for seven yards. While Jones was more involved as a receiver, seeing Mason take double-digit carries suggested that they were likely to operate as a 1A/1B backfield.
However, in Week 2, Jones suffered a hamstring injury and was placed on the injured reserve earlier this week, which will keep him sidelined for at least the next four contests, leaving Mason as the team's clear workhorse.
Last season, Mason was very productive when playing a lead role in San Francisco, averaging 14.8 PPR points per game with 95.3 rushing yards per game (across the seven games in which he logged 45+ offensive snaps).
This weekend, Mason will lead the Minnesota backfield when they face the Cincinnati Bengals, who have struggled to contain the run this season. Through two games, the Bengals have allowed the second-most points to opposing RBs. With the Vikings being without their starting QB J.J. McCarthy (ankle), Mason could be given nearly 20+ touches in this game.
Facing a weak Cincinnati defense, Mason should be viewed as a high-end RB2 in all formats in Week 3.
Jordan Mason Could Have Bellcow Workload https://t.co/X8OFOg0rB1
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 18, 2025
Should I Start Jacory Croskey-Merritt for Fantasy Football?
Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been one of the biggest risers in terms of fantasy football during the season's opening weeks. After being selected in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Arizona, many predicted that he would spend most of his rookie season on the bench or with the practice squad. However, after an impressive preseason and following the trade that sent presumed starter Brian Robinson Jr. to San Francisco, Croskey-Merritt had a path to starting in Week 1.
While veteran Austin Ekeler opened the season as his team's RB1, Croskey-Merritt did not waste time making an impact. In the season opener, Croskey-Merritt led the backfield with 10 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown. In this contest, the Arizona product saw just 29% of the team's snaps but made his mark.
In Week 2, the entire offense took a step back, facing the potent Green Bay defense. In this game, the rookie tallied only 17 yards on four attempts. During the final quarter, Ekeler suffered an Achilles injury, which is expected to keep him sidelined for the entire season.
As a result, Croskey-Merritt will not face much competition for carries in the backfield this weekend. While Jeremy McNichols could see a larger role on passing downs and Chris Rodriguez Jr. could re-enter the lineup (after being a healthy scratch for two weeks), Croskey-Merritt figures to take on the most significant role.
However, it may be smart to view him as a high-floor FLEX option in Week 3 facing the Las Vegas Raiders, who have allowed the fifth-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs this season. In addition, quarterback Jayden Daniels (knee) may not play as well, which will hinder the entire offensive unit's upside. His projected volume should provide him a nice floor, but his upside figures to be limited in this matchup.
RapSheet: Jacory Croskey-Merritt Expected to Be Lead Back Moving Forwardhttps://t.co/6ayOlW98FJ
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 13, 2025
Should I Start Travis Etienne Jr. for Fantasy Football?
The final running back we will look at is Etienne of the Jaguars. Etienne had a dominant 2023 season, which saw him finish as one of the most valuable players in fantasy as he totaled 1,008 yards on the ground with 11 scores. Through the air, Etienne added 476 yards and a score on 53 receptions.
However, in 2024, Etienne took a significant step back, rushing for just 556 yards and two touchdowns. Throughout the season, he often lost work to second-year running back Tank Bigsby.
As a result, in 2025, Etienne typically fell in drafts as he was not guaranteed the lead role in the backfield, especially after the Jaguars brought an entirely new coaching staff and drafted Bhayshul Tuten out of Virginia Tech.
Despite this, the former Clemson standout was given the lead role in their Week 1 victory over the Panthers. In this game, Etienne looked like his 2023 self, rushing for 143 yards on 16 attempts and catching all three of his targets for 16 yards. Following this game, the Jaguars opted to trade Bigsby to the Eagles, which further suggested that the team views Etienne as their lead option.
In their Week 2 loss to the Bengals, Etienne dominated the backfield once again, seeing 14 attempts for 71 yards and catching two of his three targets for 18 yards and a touchdown. While the rookie Tuten did appear to have a larger role with Bigsby out of the picture, their game plan is still centred around Etienne leading the running back room.
This weekend, Etienne and the Jaguars will play host to the Houston Texans, who have allowed the sixth-most PPR points to opposing RBs. Given his early-season workload and improved efficiency, Etienne projects to be a high-end RB2 in all formats in Week 3 and should be started in all formats.
Liam Coen's Confidence in Travis Etienne Jr. Only Growing? https://t.co/mXiEHuHNHo
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 14, 2025
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 3 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Jordan Mason, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Travis Etienne Jr.. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 3. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 3 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jordan Mason, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Travis Etienne Jr.. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 3.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 3 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 3 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 3 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 3 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Jordan Mason, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Travis Etienne Jr. compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
