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Fantasy football start em, sit em MNF lineups advice for Eagles vs. Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 3 (2026). NFL matchups analysis and MNF starts/sits.
The Week 3 slate closes out with a Monday Night meeting between the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears.
Let's be honest, this matchup lost a lot of its juice when Bears quarterback Caleb Williams went down with a hamstring injury last week. With Chicago backup QB Tyson Bagent dealing with a concussion, it appears as though the Bears might be forced to turn to veteran Case Keenum in this tilt with the Eagles. As for Philly, they are also dealing with some injuries following a close call last week at Tennessee. Tight end Dallas Goedert will miss this one, while running back Saquon Barkley works his way back from a stinger suffered in Week 2.
We will bring you Monday Night Football analysis all season, focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench. Good luck in Week 3, RotoBallers!
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Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears
Monday, September 28, 8:15 PM ET
Notable Fantasy Injuries:
- Caleb Williams - Out (Hamstring)
- Dallas Goedert - Out (MCL)
- Eli Stowers - Out (Hamstring)
- Tyson Bagent - Questionable (Concussion)
Matchups We Love
QB Jalen Hurts
Hurts has been a solid fantasy option through the first two weeks of the season. He totaled 24.7 PPR fantasy points in Week 1 and had an 18.2 PPR fantasy point output in Week 2. Now Hurts gets a plus matchup against a Bears defense that is dealing with some injuries in the secondary. The Eagles signal-caller is a strong QB1 play this week.
RB Saquon Barkley
Update: Barkley will play in Week 3.
Barkley didn't play much in last week's win over the Titans after dealing with a stinger. But his return to practice on Thursday is a good sign for his availability for Monday night. If Barkley is able to suit up, he will be a must-start RB1 option. The Bears allowed Hubbard to score 23.7 PPR fantasy points in Week 1, and let Aaron Jones Sr. rush for 105 yards last week.
Saquon Barkley Set to Face Bears on Monday https://t.co/KiibdQyxEA
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 26, 2026
Matchups We Hate
Bears WRs
There's a lot going against Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III this week. Caleb Williams is out, and Case Keenum/Tyson Bagent is starting this game. Neither WR has posted strong numbers in the first two weeks, and this matchup against the Eagles secondary is not ideal. Both Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have held WRs in check to start the season. Therefore, Burden is a low-end WR3, while Odunze is more of a WR4.
Bears QB Tyson Bagent has cleared concussion protocol and is practicing today ahead of Monday night’s game vs the Eagles. pic.twitter.com/g1JsExj7Ok
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 26, 2026
It's not time to fully panic on Colston Loveland yet, but having only one catch for three yards through two weeks is a bit concerning. His low usage in the passing game thus far, plus this difficult matchup against the Eagles, puts him outside the top 12 at the position heading into the week. Philadelphia has allowed the fewest fantasy points to TEs to begin the year.
Other Notable Matchups
Update: Monangai will play in Week 3.
Kyle Monangai missing practice on Thursday could mean D'Andre Swift has an expanded role in Week 3. Even if Monangai is able to suit up, Swift is still a solid RB2 option. He finished as the overall RB5 in Week 1 and as the overall RB16 in Week 2. With the Bears rolling with a backup this week, the team could decide to lean on the running game more. That should boost his numbers.
Update: Smith will play in Week 3.
DeVonta Smith did not practice on Thursday due to a hamstring issue. It's unclear whether that hamstring issue will prevent him from playing in Monday's game. If he is good to go, Smith will be a low-end WR1 in a solid matchup against a banged-up Bears secondary. Dontayvion Wicks also has some appeal as a flex option in some 12+ team leagues after scoring above 12 PPR fantasy points in both games.
Saturday’s Injury Report#PHIvsCHI pic.twitter.com/pakFCqoByK
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 26, 2026
Philadelphia Eagles Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| Saquon Barkley | Start | 115.7 | RB | PHI | @ CHI |
| DeVonta Smith | Start | 112.6 | WR | PHI | @ CHI |
| Jalen Hurts | Start | 109.7 | QB | PHI | @ CHI |
| Dontayvion Wicks | Risky Start | 103.9 | WR | PHI | @ CHI |
| Elijah Moore | Sit | 100.7 | WR | PHI | @ CHI |
| Makai Lemon | Sit | 100.3 | WR | PHI | @ CHI |
| Hollywood Brown | Sit | 99.4 | WR | PHI | @ CHI |
| Tank Bigsby | Sit | 99.3 | RB | PHI | @ CHI |
| Johnny Mundt | Sit | 99 | TE | PHI | @ CHI |
| Darius Cooper | Sit | 97.9 | WR | PHI | @ CHI |
| Britain Covey | Sit | 97.2 | WR | PHI | @ CHI |
| Will Shipley | Sit | 96.8 | RB | PHI | @ CHI |
| Andy Dalton | Sit | 95.5 | QB | PHI | @ CHI |
| Tanner McKee | Sit | 95.3 | QB | PHI | @ CHI |
Chicago Bears Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| D'Andre Swift | Start | 113.1 | RB | CHI | vs PHI |
| Kyle Monangai | Start | 107.3 | RB | CHI | vs PHI |
| Rome Odunze | Risky Start | 103.9 | WR | CHI | vs PHI |
| Luther Burden III | Risky Start | 103.8 | WR | CHI | vs PHI |
| Colston Loveland | Risky Start | 103.7 | TE | CHI | vs PHI |
| Cole Kmet | Sit | 100.9 | TE | CHI | vs PHI |
| Kalif Raymond | Sit | 98.5 | WR | CHI | vs PHI |
| Chicago Bears | Sit | 98 | DEF | CHI | vs PHI |
| Roschon Johnson | Sit | 97.6 | RB | CHI | vs PHI |
| Jahdae Walker | Sit | 96.8 | WR | CHI | vs PHI |
| Sam Roush | Sit | 96.7 | TE | CHI | vs PHI |
| Cairo Santos | Sit | 95.4 | K | CHI | vs PHI |
| Case Keenum | Sit | 95 | QB | CHI | vs PHI |
| Tyson Bagent | Sit | 95 | QB | CHI | vs PHI |
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 Saquon Barkley, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Dontayvion Wicks. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 3.
Week 3 Player Decisions. 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.
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, 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 (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 Week 3 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool:
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