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Should I start Emeka Egbuka, Marquise Brown, Tee Higgins for Week 3? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Setting your fantasy football lineup can be tricky in Week 3, especially with injuries and inconsistent performances clouding the outlook for several key wide receivers. Fantasy managers are left debating whether to roll with rookies making an early impact, veterans in favorable matchups, or big names stuck in tough situations. This week, three players generating plenty of start/sit buzz are Emeka Egbuka, Marquise Brown, and Tee Higgins.
Each of these receivers comes into the week with a unique storyline. Egbuka has quickly become one of Tampa Bay’s most reliable weapons, but he’s dealing with a nagging hip/groin injury that clouds his availability. Brown, meanwhile, looks fully healthy and poised for a bounce-back game after being limited by the Eagles’ secondary. Higgins, on the other hand, faces the most uncertainty, as Joe Burrow’s injury leaves Cincinnati’s passing attack in the hands of backup Jake Browning.
With these questions in mind, fantasy managers need to know which of these players are safe to trust and which ones are better left on the bench. Let’s break down their matchups, recent production, and injury outlooks to help you make the right call for your Week 3 fantasy football lineup.
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Should I Start Emeka Egbuka for Fantasy Football?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (hip/groin) has quickly made his mark as one of the top young playmakers in the league. Through two weeks, he has arguably been the most impressive rookie wideout, tied for the league lead with three touchdown receptions and stepping into a featured role in Tampa Bay’s passing game. Unfortunately, that heavy usage has taken a physical toll, as Egbuka has yet to log a practice this week. His status for Sunday’s matchup against the New York Jets remains uncertain.
If Egbuka is active, fantasy managers should treat him as a strong WR2 option in all formats. With Chris Godwin (ankle) still working his way back, Egbuka has become a reliable red-zone target for Baker Mayfield, showing chemistry well beyond his rookie status. Even in an offense that has averaged just 175 passing yards per game, his ability to find the end zone has kept him highly fantasy relevant.
EMEKA EGBUKA. First career TD!
TBvsATL on FOXhttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/05Q2Zo9VuV
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
The Jets’ defense has been solid, ranking 13th against the pass and allowing only 198.5 yards per game, though they have already surrendered four passing scores. Tampa Bay is favored in this contest, and if Egbuka suits up, another touchdown remains firmly in play. Keep monitoring injury reports closely.
Should I Start Marquise Brown for Fantasy Football?
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquise Brown (ankle) has been listed on the injury report in each of the past two weeks, but his practice participation has been encouraging. Brown has been a full participant throughout the week and is fully expected to suit up on Sunday night. That’s good news for fantasy managers after his strong Week 1 showing. Against the Chargers, Brown erupted with 16 targets, hauling in 10 catches for 99 yards as Patrick Mahomes leaned on him heavily in the passing game.
Week 2 told a different story, as Brown and the rest of Kansas City’s offense were bottled up by Philadelphia’s elite secondary. He finished with just five receptions for 30 yards, struggling to find separation against tight coverage. While the outing was disappointing, it may be more of a blip than a trend considering the matchup.
Insane throw. Even though Marquise Brown was wide open. Mahomes had to throw this ball away from the outside corner while rolling to the sideline. pic.twitter.com/fI6KYLcQY5
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) September 10, 2025
This week sets up far better, as the Chiefs get a Giants defense that has been one of the league’s weakest against the pass. New York enters ranked 28th, giving up 277.5 yards per game through the air. Under the national spotlight of Sunday Night Football, expect Mahomes to rebound and Brown to operate as his top option. Fantasy managers should view him as a solid WR2 with upside.
Should I Start Tee Higgins for Fantasy Football?
Tee Higgins enters Week 3 as a difficult player to trust for fantasy managers. With Joe Burrow sidelined, Cincinnati’s passing game faces major uncertainty, and it’s fair to question whether backup quarterback Jake Browning can keep both Jamar Chase and Higgins fantasy relevant. Higgins saw eight targets against Jacksonville last week but only managed three catches for 56 yards, continuing a trend of inefficiency that makes him hard to start with confidence.
Week Two
Jake Browning Passing TD (2)
to Tee Higgins (1)
pic.twitter.com/JC9EIq471A— NFL TD Videos (@NFLTDVids) September 14, 2025
The Bengals’ passing game is likely to suffer without Burrow’s accuracy and timing, and Higgins’ chemistry with Browning is still a work in progress. To make matters worse, the matchup isn’t favorable. Minnesota’s defense has been one of the stingiest against opposing wide receivers through two weeks, ranking fourth in passing yards allowed at just 153 per game. They’ve also given up only a single passing touchdown, limiting the upside of Cincinnati’s top targets.
With Browning struggling to protect the football — three interceptions in Week 2 — expect Cincinnati to lean more on the ground game behind Chase Brown. Until Higgins proves he can overcome the quarterback downgrade and tough matchups, fantasy managers are better off stashing him on the bench and waiting for a softer spot.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 3 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Emeka Egbuka, Marquise Brown, Tee Higgins. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 3. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 3 of the 2025 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.
Week 3 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Emeka Egbuka, Marquise Brown, Tee Higgins. 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'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, 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, 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 (2025)? 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 for Emeka Egbuka, Marquise Brown, Tee Higgins compared to others:
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