Adam Koffler's Fantasy Football Starts and Sits: Week 3 Sleepers, Busts

September 26, 2026

Adam Koffler's fantasy football starts and sits for Week 3 of the 2026 season. His top sleepers and busts on the start-sit bubble, including David Montgomery and Denzel Boston.

Welcome to Week 3! Maybe you got off to a hot start and are sitting at 2-0, or maybe things haven't gone your way and you're 0-2. Either way, the time to lock in is now, and it starts with start/sit decisions.

Last week, we did really well on our starts and sits. Stefon Diggs, Bhayshul Tuten, and Jaylen Waddle all hit, while Aaron Jones Sr. had a massive workload but didn't score a whole bunch of fantasy points (we'll call him a miss). Meanwhile, all of the suggested sits (headlined by Travis Etienne Jr. and Chris Godwin) finished with single-digit fantasy points, so we'll consider that a clean sweep. Overall, that's seven hits and one miss (87.5% success rate).

Remember, the goal of this article is to provide actionable advice on players being talked about. Guys that come up in the most questions asked by you. Here are my top trending starts and sits for Week 3, with some bonus names provided.

Week 3 Fantasy Football Starts

Adonai Mitchell - WR, New York Jets

No team has given up more receiving yards to opposing wide receivers through two games than the Detroit Lions.

You're obviously starting Garrett Wilson in this game, but Mitchell has gone toe-for-toe with him in the team's first two games.

Through two games, it's Mitchell with more targets (15 vs. 14), as well as a higher targets per route run rate (0.26 vs. 0.24), and air yards share (59.4% vs. 37.5%).

Per Fantasy Points Data, Mitchell ranks fifth among wideouts in catchable air yards (188). He and Geno Smith should continue to cook in a climate-controlled environment Sunday in Detroit.

Note: Mitchell suffered a hand injury during practice on Thursday and was seen wearing a wrap on Friday. If he's cleared to play, the start recommendation holds true, but if limited in any way, we'd go a different direction. Isaiah Williams would be a dart throw, while Kenyon Sadiq is in play with Mason Taylor ruled out.

David Montgomery - RB, Houston Texans

After a rough outing vs. the Bengals surprisingly stout run defense in Week 2, "Mandatory Montgomery," as Brad Evans would shout into the ether, is back on the menu for Week 3.

In some capacity, yes, Montgomery is splitting work with second year back Woody Marks, however, it's Montgomery that owns the goal line work. In fact, he's seen 100% of the team's carries inside the five this season.

In games the Texans are trailing, sure, Marks will be used in the passing game and to spell Montgomery between the 20's. However, the Week 3 matchup vs. the Colts presents an opportunity for the Texans to control the clock. Vegas agrees, as the Texans are 2.5-point road favorites in this one.

Not to mention, through two games, Indy has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs (31.7).

Jeremiyah Love - RB, Arizona Cardinals

So far, the Cardinals have slow played the start of Love's NFL career. Through two games, he's averaging 12.5 touches per game to Tyler Allgeier's 13.

Despite the miniscule difference in touches, Allgeier has been on the field for about 60% of the snaps, while Love has only been out there for about 40% of the snaps.

Love dealt with a high ankle sprain throughout training camp, which could possibly be the reason for the lesser role to open up the season.

He's no longer on the injury report, and we've seen Mike LaFleur ramp up a rookie running back in the past with Breece Hall in 2022.

Jeremiyah Love through 2 weeks (w/ Mike LaFleur calling plays)

Opps (snaps)
Week 1 - 15 (43%)
Week 2 - 12 (40%)

Breece Hall rookie year (w/ LaFleur)

Opps (snaps)
Week 1 - 15 (45%)
Week 2 - 8 (27%)
Week 3 - 19 (51%) 📈
Week 4 - 23 (66%) 📈📈
Week 5 - 20 (69%)
Week 6 - 22 (67%) pic.twitter.com/SC87a4Rf8U

— RotoBaller (@RotoBaller) September 23, 2026

On paper, the 49ers defense looks really good, but in reality, they played a Rams team that admitted their overseas travel schedule was bad, and a Dolphins team that is bad.

Week 3 is the game Love will finally flip Allgeier in snap share and dominate him in touches.

Rashod Bateman - WR, Baltimore Ravens

With Zay Flowers out last week, Bateman caught seven balls for 88 yards and a touchdown on a 31% target share.

Per Fantasy Points Data, he ranked ninth among receivers in first read target share (38.1%) and 15th in expected fantasy points (16.0). He had an elite role in Week 2.

And it looks like Flowers is set to miss a second consecutive game this weekend, which means more of the same for Bateman against a leaky Cowboys secondary.

Per Razzball, Dallas has also allowed the third-most fantasy points to outside wide receivers this season, and Bateman does most of his work outside the hash marks. Wheels up in a game that features a 52.5-point over/under.

Bonus starts: Quinshon Judkins vs. CAR, Malik Washington vs. KC, Terrance Ferguson @ DEN, Khalil Shakir vs. LAC

Week 3 Fantasy Football Sits

Denzel Boston - WR, Cleveland Browns

How do you beat the Carolina Panthers? The answer is "on the ground." Through two games, the Panthers are allowing by far the most rushing yards per game (224).

Through two games, Deshaun Watson is averaging just 26 pass attempts per game. It's clear the Browns want to try to establish the run with Judkins, and what better opportunity to do so against a porous Panthers front seven?

That means likely fewer pass attempts from Watson. Boston's averaging just 5.5 targets per game, but his fantasy production is inflated by a 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown in Week 2.

Per Fantasy Points Data, he ranks 53rd in expected fantasy points per game (despite ranking 14th in actual fantasy points per game).

Per Razzball, the Panthers have allowed the sixth fewest fantasy points to wide receivers lined up out wide. Boston has lined up out wide on 92.6% of his routes run this season. Sit 'em.

Emeka Egbuka - WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It's still early and we don't want to overreact on a rookie who did what he did last season, but it hasn't been pretty for Egbuka through two games.

He's tied with Cade Otton and Bucky Irving with 11 targets. Egbuka is trailing both Otton and rookie Ted Hurst III in targets per route run. Per Fantasy Points Data, he's also trailing Hurst in expected fantasy points per game (11.0 vs. 11.4).

Egbuka is also working more down field than he was last season, as evidenced by his 15.0 average depth of target (aDoT) vs. 12.9 last season. That's had a negative effect on his target share early on.

That could be a problem in Week 3 vs. Minnesota, as the Vikings have the second highest QB pressure rate this season. Baker Mayfield will need to get the ball out quick, which favors guys like Irving, Otton, and Chris Godwin Jr. working underneath.

Terry McLaurin - WR, Washington Commanders

The Seahawks have stifled opposing wide receivers this season. They've given up by far the fewest receiving yards to opposing wideouts through two games (126 yards). The next closest team, the Steelers, have surrendered 184 yards.

So far this season, McLaurin has just four catches on 13 targets. He's dropped a couple balls, but things haven't gone his way in the early going.

He's been out targeted by teammate Stefon Diggs and is earning targets at a lower rate than both Diggs and rookie Antonio Williams.

McLaurin has historically produced better with Marcus Mariota than with Jayden Daniels, but increased competition for targets this season makes him a hard fade in Week 3 vs. one of the best defenses in the NFL.

TreVeyon Henderson - RB, New England Patriots

Henderson had a 39-yard breakaway touchdown in Week 2. That's great, but outside of that one run, he averaged just 2.47 yards per carry.

Per Fantasy Points Data, Henderson averaged just 1.19 yards after contact per attempt last week with a 31.3% rushing success rate.

Henderson's 7.3 expected fantasy points was by far the lowest of 16 running backs with at least 15 carries last week. At 15 was Aaron Jones, who had 10.2 expected fantasy points.

Henderson's "big game" not only came on just one carry, but it also came after Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled the ball.

With how inconsistent Henderson is as a runner, it's unlikely Vrable goes away from Stevenson, how has proven himself in every facet of the game.

It's also a bad matchup for Henderson this week, as the Jaguars have given up the third-fewest rushing yards to opposing running backs this season. That spells trouble for TreVeyon, who's value comes from breaking long runs.

Bonus sits: J.K. Dobbins vs. LAR, Jacory Croskey-Merritt vs. SEA, Oronde Gadsden II @ BUF, Deebo Samuel Sr. vs. ARI

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