RADIO
Who Should I Start for Week 3? Fantasy Football outlooks for Matthew Golden, Christian Watson, Jordan Love, Drake London, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts Sr., Kaleb Johnson, MarShawn Lloyd, Michael Penix Jr., Chris Brooks, Brian Robinson Jr.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 3 TNF fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Matthew Golden, Christian Watson, Jordan Love, Drake London, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts Sr., Kaleb Johnson, MarShawn Lloyd, Michael Penix Jr., Chris Brooks, and Brian Robinson Jr.. 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:
Matthew Golden, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden has quickly established a steady role in the passing game. He enters Thursday's Week 3 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons as a solid WR2/WR3 after catching four of six targets for a team-high 58 yards against the Jets. The second-year receiver out of Texas now has 10 receptions for 153 yards on 18 targets, including 12 targets in the season opener.
Jayden Reed (neck) has been ruled out, which should keep Golden heavily involved alongside Christian Watson in two-receiver sets. Golden has yet to score a touchdown, but his production has remained consistent. The matchup may work in his favor, with Atlanta missing top cornerback A.J. Terrell (groin) and edge rusher Samson Ebukam (hamstring).
Green Bay will be without left guard Aaron Banks (knee/toe), so protection remains worth monitoring. RotoBaller ranks Golden WR22 for Week 3 and lists him as a must-start for Thursday night. Treat him as a dependable WR2/WR3, with his steady target volume giving him a solid floor even without touchdown production.
Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London has recorded five targets in each of the team's first two games, but has come away with just a total of six catches for 80 yards and no touchdowns. That can largely be attributed to some poor quarterback play, but that should not be the case in Week 3 against the Packers. Michael Penix Jr. (knee) will make his season debut on Thursday, and the left-handed QB was not shy about looking London's way in 2025.
The 6-foot-4 wideout averaged over 10 targets, more than six receptions, and 86 yards per game in the eight full contests Penix played with London last season. Thursday brings a matchup against a Green Bay defense that has allowed four receiving touchdowns through its first two games, although the yardage totals have been modest (175 yards/game).
Though there is an upgrade at quarterback, London still doesn't crack the top 12 this week at RotoBaller, as the 25-year-old projects as more of a high-end WR2, but if he and Penix can rekindle the chemistry from last year, there is plenty of upside, too.
Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson enters Thursday's Week 3 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons as a high-end WR2 with legitimate WR1 upside. Watson caught four of a team-high 11 targets for 41 yards against the Jets, including a three-yard fourth-quarter touchdown that helped fuel Green Bay's comeback.
He now has 10 receptions for 188 yards and three touchdowns on 19 targets through two games, pairing big-play ability with heavy involvement. Jayden Reed (neck) has been ruled out, leaving Watson and Matthew Golden atop Green Bay's wide receiver rotation. Protection remains a concern with left guard Aaron Banks (knee/toe) also ruled out, although Anthony Belton (elbow) will play at right tackle. Atlanta enters short-handed as well, with top cornerback A.J. Terrell (groin) on injured reserve and edge rusher Samson Ebukam (hamstring) out.
Carolina threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns against the Falcons last week. RotoBaller ranks Watson WR11 and considers him a borderline WR1 for Thursday. Fantasy managers should start him confidently as a strong WR2 with the target volume and scoring upside to finish inside the top 12.
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love has thrown two touchdowns in each of his first two games and remains a viable QB1 option for Thursday's Week 3 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. His production dipped against the Jets, finishing with 145 passing yards on 29 attempts, but another two-touchdown performance helped Green Bay escape with an overtime win.
Protection is the bigger concern, as Love has already taken seven sacks. Green Bay also lost starting right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele (knee) for the season to a torn patellar tendon.
Anthony Belton (elbow), who replaced him against New York, is expected to play Thursday, while left guard Aaron Banks (knee/toe) remains uncertain. Atlanta can generate pressure, but its secondary is vulnerable without top cornerback A.J. Terrell (groin).
Bryce Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns against the Falcons last week despite facing pressure on 53.6% of his dropbacks. Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, and Tucker Kraft give Love multiple ways to attack that secondary, so the upside remains intact. RotoBaller ranks Love QB12 for Week 3, making him a reasonable low-end QB1 with top-10 upside if Green Bay's protection holds.
Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) is set to make his season debut in Week 3 on Thursday Night Football, which will be a road contest against the Green Bay Packers. The former first-rounder represents an upgrade at quarterback, with backup QBs Cooper Rush and Jack Strand filling in at quarterback for the Falcons' first two contests.
While it is an upgrade for Atlanta, fantasy expectations should be tempered, as the left-handed QB averaged only 225 yards passing in the eight full games he played last year while posting a 9:3 TD:INT in those contests. The University of Washington product wasn't a factor in the run game with his legs either, and there's no reason to believe that will be any different after his return from his knee injury.
Green Bay's defense yielded three passing scores in Week 1, but just one in Week 2, and has given up just 175 passing yards per game, which is top 10 in the league. As it stands, the 26-year-old sits at the bottom of the barrel in terms of QB rankings for Week 3 at RotoBaller, so there are likely better streaming options available on waiver wires and he'd be quite the gamble in DFS contests.
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 - Matthew Golden, Christian Watson, Jordan Love, Drake London, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts Sr., Kaleb Johnson, MarShawn Lloyd, Michael Penix Jr., Chris Brooks, Brian Robinson 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 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 Matthew Golden, Christian Watson, Jordan Love, Drake London, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts Sr., Kaleb Johnson, MarShawn Lloyd, Michael Penix Jr., Chris Brooks, Brian Robinson Jr.
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!
