RADIO
Who Should I Start for Week 3? Fantasy Football outlooks for Jalen Coker, Jaylen Waddle, Rashod Bateman, Stefon Diggs, DK Metcalf, Xavier Worthy, Khalil Shakir, George Pickens, Kayshon Boutte.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 3 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Jalen Coker, Jaylen Waddle, Rashod Bateman, Stefon Diggs, DK Metcalf, Xavier Worthy, Khalil Shakir, George Pickens, and Kayshon Boutte. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 3. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 3 of the 2026 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Week 3 Fantasy Football Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 3:
Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy saw significant involvement during Sunday's Week 2 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. Worthy was quiet in the season opener, but he managed to make more noise on Sunday night. The 23-year-old hauled in five of his seven targets for 25 yards and a touchdown in the overtime victory.
He still only has 43 total yards on the season, but he's heading into a favorable matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3. Fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if his role continues to grow in the Kansas City offense. Worthy is an interesting waiver wire addition for fantasy managers in all formats and is worth immediately putting in your starting lineup as a FLEX option.
Jaylen Waddle, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle gave fantasy managers a dud during the season opener, but he bounced back in a big way on Sunday. Waddle hauled in eight of his 10 targets for 138 yards during the Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He led the team in receptions, receiving yards, and targets during Sunday's victory. These are the kind of performances fantasy managers expected to see from Waddle with his new team.
He appears to be building strong chemistry with quarterback Bo Nix. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect huge games like this every week, but Waddle should be a trustworthy WR2 with upside for Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman finally got something going Sunday, catching seven of nine targets for 88 yards and a touchdown against New Orleans. Zay Flowers (hamstring) being out obviously helped, but Bateman did more than just fall into a few extra looks. He played 54 of Baltimore's 58 offensive snaps and led the team in both targets and receiving yards after being held without a catch in Week 1.
Flowers is expected back against Dallas, so fantasy managers should not count on another nine-target game right away. That is what keeps Bateman out of the priority-add group this week. Ja'Kobi Lane (wrist) is still on injured reserve, though, and Bateman should continue to have a regular role in the offense.
He is worth picking up in 12-team leagues if receiver depth is needed, but for now he makes more sense as a bench stash than someone who needs to go directly into the lineup. If Flowers were to remain out, Bateman could have plug-and-play upside in Week 3.
DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf secured four of his nine targets for 27 yards in a 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots. Metcalf wasn't the only Steeler to struggle on Sunday, but his performance unfortunately stood out for the wrong reasons, as he had multiple drops in the second half. Through two games this season, Metcalf has been the clear favorite target of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Still, he was unable to capitalize on a significant opportunity with Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) sidelined and was out-produced by rookie wide receiver Germie Bernard and third-year pro Roman Wilson. Until the Steelers' offense shows signs of life, Metcalf will be difficult to trust in fantasy lineups. He'll look to get back on track in Week 3 against a surging Cincinnati Bengals defense.
Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir has been quiet to start the season, but that might change in Week 3. Through two games, Shakir has hauled in seven of his 12 targets for 88 yards. Fantasy managers expected more from the 26-year-old, and they might get it soon. Fellow wideout DJ Moore (shoulder) was injured during Thursday's win over the Detroit Lions.
It's unclear at the moment if Moore will be able to play during the Week 3 matchup versus the Los Angeles Chargers. The absence of Moore would likely mean a larger role in the passing game for Shakir. Fantasy managers seeking a possible flex option for Week 3 should consider monitoring Shakir, as his ceiling could be raised if Moore were to sit out.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 3 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jalen Coker, Jaylen Waddle, Rashod Bateman, Stefon Diggs, DK Metcalf, Xavier Worthy, Khalil Shakir, George Pickens, Kayshon Boutte. 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 that 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 circle), 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 (2026)? 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 3 for Jalen Coker, Jaylen Waddle, Rashod Bateman, Stefon Diggs, DK Metcalf, Xavier Worthy, Khalil Shakir, George Pickens, Kayshon Boutte.
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!
