Who Should I Start for Fantasy Football Week 3? Najee Harris, Rashod Bateman, Deebo Samuel, Adam Thielen, Kenneth Gainwell, Dont'e Thornton, Tyler Allgeier, Marvin Mims, Jerome Ford, Chris Rodriguez

Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris saw his snap share rise from 18% to 34% in Monday night's win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The team continues to involve him more after a superficial eye injury kept him out of the preseason.

While his running mate Omarion Hampton continues to underperform, Harris should get more touches, especially in a game where the Denver Broncos' defense seems stronger against the pass than the run. The veteran made a crucial first down to help secure the win on Monday night and finished with eight carries for 28 yards.

Although his usage is increasing, it's not yet at a level where fantasy managers should rely on him. RotoBaller projects him as RB47 this week, so it's best to keep him on your bench and monitor his utilization closely.

Las Vegas Raiders rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. has carved out a steady role in the offense but hasn't delivered enough production to crack fantasy lineups.

The explosive rookie has seen exactly four targets in each of his first two games, yet he's totaled just 65 yards. His 37.5% catch rate underscores some inconsistency in the passing attack, limiting his reliability in the short term.

While Thornton's big-play ability makes him an intriguing long-term stash in deeper formats, managers seeking immediate production will likely need to look elsewhere for Week 3.

Until his usage or efficiency takes a meaningful step forward, Thornton profiles more as a developmental option than a plug-and-play fantasy starter.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. projects favorably again in Week 3 against the Raiders. Samuel's usage has been very encouraging for fantasy managers, with plenty of underneath targets and screens in addition to him showing the ability to win downfield.

Winning on some intermediate crossing routes like he has so far through two weeks is a positive signal that he is in a good place health-wise and is moving well. His elite YAC ability, combined with those downfield targets mixed in, is what made him a fantasy beast with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury seemingly has a good grasp of how to optimize his skillset.

Samuel will look to be a friendly target for veteran Marcus Mariota as he starts for an injured Jayden Daniels. Mariota played well in limited action last season and should be able to operate the offense well enough to keep the Washington offense productive for fantasy purposes. Samuel should be started with confidence as a WR2 in Week 3.

Coming off two poor offensive weeks, things look even worse for the Minnesota Vikings and wide receiver Adam Thielen in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Bengals' secondary is normally a green-light matchup for receivers, the surrounding circumstances for the Vikings are not good.

If starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee), who is questionable on the injury report, is not ready to return from ACL rehab, the Vikings will be down to a third-string left tackle in addition to a backup quarterback and a first-time starter at center.

For a team already allowing an NFL worst 18% sack rate, there is no reason to put any faith in a second-rate passing game if a manager has any other options.

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier rushed 16 times for 76 yards and a touchdown in Week 2's 22-6 victory over the Vikings, the second straight week he's reached double-digit carries, and he even caught one pass for four yards.

The 25-year-old tallied double-digit carries five times all last season, so it bodes well for his usage that he was able to reach the double-digit plateau in both a pass-heavy game and a run-heavy game this early in the season. With the Falcons as five-point favorites in Week 3, it sets up as a spot for the team to lean more run than pass, and if Atlanta intends to keep Bijan Robinson fresh, Allgeier should continue to see involvement.

The BYU product's best game in 2024 came in Week 6 against Carolina, rushing 18 times for 105 yards and a touchdown, and he added nine rushes for 52 in the Week 18 rematch. The Panther defense hasn't improved, so Allgeier should be viewed as a low-end RB3 or Flex option on Sunday.