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Should I start A.J. Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., Ashton Jeanty for Week 3? Read about 3 must-start fantasy football outlooks, our start 'em, sit 'em picks for 2025.
Through the opening weeks of the season, there have been several high-end players who have been significant fantasy disappointments in relation to where managers selected them in the draft.
In this piece, we will examine three of the biggest early-season busts and determine if it may be time to hold them on the bench.
So, should fantasy managers start Brown, Thomas, and Jeanty 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
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- 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 A.J. Brown for Fantasy Football?
A.J. Brown was a popular pick at the end of the first round, as he was slated to serve as the primary pass catcher for one of the top teams in the sport. Despite being in a run-first offense in 2024, Brown still put together a productive campaign, catching 67 passes for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns. However, this was a stark decline from the career-high 106 catches with 1,456 yards and seven scores he racked up in 2023.
Through the first part of 2025, the Eagles have once again leaned on their rushing attack, which has significantly limited Brown's output. In Week 1, Brown caught just one pass for eight yards. In Week 2, he was slightly more involved, but caught only five of his eight targets for a mere 27 yards.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts is not looking his way downfield and is instead targeting him on shorter routes.
Even though his minuscule 7.6 aDOT suggests his upside is near non-existent, managers should not hit the panic button yet. This weekend, the Eagles will face the Los Angeles Rams, who are legit NFC contenders and may push the Eagles to rely on their passing attack.
With Davante Adams joining Puka Nacua in the WR room, this game could become rather high scoring, which will present a great opportunity for Brown to snap out of this skid. Even though the matchup on paper appears tough, the Rams, who have allowed the seventh-fewest PPR points to opposing WRs, Brown remains the top target in this passing offense and is a high-end WR2 in all leagues this weekend.
A.J. Brown Seeing More Zone Coverage Resulting in Lack of Production? https://t.co/RXBAfcyq6X
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 19, 2025
Should I Start Brian Thomas Jr. for Fantasy Football?
Another popular late first-round WR was second-year wideout Brian Thomas Jr. Thomas enjoyed an impressive rookie season as he brought in 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns. Like Brown, Thomas has not lived up to his draft capital.
Through two games, Thomas has caught just five of his 19 targets for 60 yards. He has taken one carry for nine yards and a touchdown, which salvaged his Week 1 production. However, following their Week 2 loss to the Bengals, head coach Liam Coen noted that the LSU product was dealing with an injured wrist.
While this injury may have affected his efficiency and caused the dropped passes, managers should not be overly concerned.
Thomas is not listed on the team's final injury report and is slated to be a full go on Sunday when the Jaguars face the Houston Texans. Through two games, the Texans have struggled to defend the passes, allowing the 10th-most PPR points to opposing wide receivers.
Despite his underwhelming stat line, Thomas has seen 48.8% of the team's air yards and 27.1% of the team's targets. The Jaguars are focusing the passing attack around, which makes him a prime buy-low candidate in all leagues.
Managers should feel comfortable locking him into their lineup as a low-end WR1 facing a struggling Houston secondary, even if Derek Stingley Jr occasionally shadows him.
Jaguars HC Liam Coen said WR Brian Thomas Jr. (wrist) had a better week "in terms of the way we were trying to connect" and he's excited for Thomas' opportunity against the Texans on Sunday. Thomas a few moments ago in the locker room: "I'm good."
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) September 19, 2025
Should I Start Ashton Jeanty for Fantasy Football?
The final early-season disappointment we will look at is rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. Jeanty was viewed as one of the top running back prospects in recent history entering the 2025 NFL Draft out of Boise State and was projected to be the clear workhorse option in Las Vegas, which made him a popular target at the end of the first round in most drafts this summer.
However, like our two previously mentioned wide receivers, the rookie has had a rough start to his NFL career. In Week 1, Jeanty was able to save his day by finding the back of the end zone as he totaled just 38 yards on a hefty 19 carries. Then in Week 2, Jeanty ran into the tough Los Angeles Chargers defense, which limited him to 43 yards on 11 attempts.
While he is still slated to take the bulk of the workload, in Week 2, the Raiders opted to decrease his role slightly. In this game, Jeanty logged just 37 offensive snaps, a strong drop from the 53 he saw in Week 1. As a result, Dylan Laube and Zamir White had an increased role, especially on passing downs.
Given the Raiders' lack of trust in him in passing downs, the rookie will carry a much lower ceiling.
However, seeing that he continues to see double-digit attempts should give him a solid floor as an RB2 in all leagues. On Sunday, the Raiders will face the Washington Commanders, who have shut down opponents' rushing attacks white well, allowing the seventh-fewest PPR points.
Despite this, his workload as a runner should remain stable, which will provide him a safe floor in all formats, but his inability to see time as a receiver will limit his upside. He is a high-floor RB2 in standard formats but carries low-end RB2 projections in PPR leagues.
Ashton Jeanty "Still Getting Used to the Speed of the NFL" https://t.co/pBZOpWjT0Z
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 16, 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 A.J. Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and Ashton Jeanty. 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 - A.J. Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and Ashton Jeanty. 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 A.J. Brown, Brian Thomas Jr., and Ashton Jeanty compared to others:
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