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Who Should I Start for Week 3? Fantasy Football outlooks for Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Dontayvion Wicks, D'Andre Swift, Colston Loveland, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Kyle Monangai, Kalif Raymond.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 3 MNF fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Dontayvion Wicks, D'Andre Swift, Colston Loveland, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Kyle Monangai, and Kalif Raymond. 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.
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Week 3 MNF 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:
Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze will line up against staunch opposition in the visiting Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 3. Despite a scoring outburst in the team's road opener, Chicago's passing offense has begun the season cold. Preseason injuries to Odunze and teammate Luther Burden III may have contributed to the slow start.
Either way, the offense takes a hit as long as quarterback Caleb Williams (hamstring) is sidelined.
The silver lining for Odunze is that he appears to be over the calf injury that plagued him after seeing his snap share nearly double to 84% in Week 2. Still, it's challenging to project a productive day for Chicago's attack in the wake of Williams' soft-tissue ailment.
Moreover, Philadelphia's defensive squad has stifled opposing passing attacks to the tune of 166 yards per game - the fifth-best mark in the league. Among a few cons in his profile, the third-year pro takes a dip in value, falling to RotoBaller's PPR WR49 preceding their second home outing.
Luther Burden III, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III is not an easy player to trust Monday night, though his recent usage at least keeps him in the flex mix. Burden drew seven targets against Minnesota last week, catching three passes for 32 yards, and he has 12 targets through the first two games. Caleb Williams (hamstring) being out changes the outlook, with Case Keenum expected to start against Philadelphia.
That is a tougher setup for the Chicago passing game, especially against an Eagles defense that has played well against opposing receivers. Burden sits at WR34 in RotoBaller's PPR rankings this week. There is enough involvement here to use him if the alternatives are thin, particularly in deeper leagues. Managers who have another dependable WR3 or flex option can also justify leaving Burden on the bench rather than taking on the quarterback and matchup risk.
Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland falls in the fantasy ranks ahead of a Monday night matchup against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles. A projected top option at the position heading into the year, Loveland's production has cratered compared with his late-season run in 2025. In two appearances, the 22-year-old has just one catch and three receiving yards on a paltry five targets.
It's an enormous disappointment, to say the least, and the immediate road ahead doesn't look any brighter. Aside from quarterback Caleb Williams (hamstring) likely out for a few weeks - muddying the offense's potential - Chicago's passing attack will get a stiff test in Week 3 against an Eagles' defense allowing only 166 yards per game.
Loveland remains a fringe top asset at the position, but a downgrade at QB and another tough task in Philly's D make him markedly less stable. The Michigan alum tumbles to RotoBaller's PPR TE12 ahead of Week 3.
Dontayvion Wicks, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks has made enough plays through two weeks to stay in the flex conversation against Chicago. He has seven catches for 147 yards and a touchdown, including five receptions for 74 yards on six targets against Tennessee last week.
The volume still is not especially heavy, and Wicks lost some snaps to Darius Cooper late in that game, so there is some risk in assuming the early production continues at the same pace. DeVonta Smith (hamstring) is available for Monday night, while Dallas Goedert (knee) and Hollywood Brown (ankle) have been ruled out.
That leaves Wicks with a reasonable path to another useful game without making him a player fantasy managers have to force into lineups. He sits at WR36 in RotoBaller's Week 3 PPR rankings. Wicks makes sense as a flex option in deeper formats, while managers with a steadier choice can reasonably leave him on the bench.
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (neck/shoulder) suffered a stinger injury in a 24-20 Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans, but will be available for Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears in Week 3. Barkley was a limited participant in practice on Thursday before upgrading to full practice participation on Friday.
According to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Barkley said on Thursday that he had an MRI that "went well." On Friday, Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that Barkley said he was "feeling good" this week and that he will wear a cowboy collar to help protect his neck. Barkley got hurt in the first quarter of the game against the Titans and eventually returned, but played just 12 snaps in Week 2.
He totaled four carries for just nine yards, while adding one reception (on two targets) for 11 yards against Tennessee.
Barkley played 39 snaps in a 24-22 Week 1 victory over the Washington Commanders. Barkley will face a Chicago defense that is giving up 122 rushing yards per game (22nd in the NFL) through two weeks. Through two games in 2026, Barkley has tallied 19 carries for 92 yards (4.8 yards per attempt) and two catches for eight yards. He is yet to find the end zone. Barkley is averaging 3.5 yards after contact per rush.
If fully healthy, expect Barkley to get a full workload. He ranks as RotoBaller's No. 9 running back for Week 3, has a strong matchup rating of 115.7 and is projected to score 14.4 fantasy points. Fantasy managers can safely place Barkley in their lineups for Week 3.
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 - Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Dontayvion Wicks, D'Andre Swift, Colston Loveland, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Kyle Monangai, Kalif Raymond. 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 Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Dontayvion Wicks, D'Andre Swift, Colston Loveland, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Kyle Monangai, Kalif Raymond.
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