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Should I start Marvin Harrison Jr., George Pickens, Rome Odunze for Week 3? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Throughout the opening weeks of the 2025 season, fantasy managers have seen many high-end WRs post disappointing performances. For example, in Week 1, Ja'Marr Chase and Tyreek Hill failed to eclipse double-digit points
In this piece, we will look at three wide receivers who have shown improvement at times but could be tough to trust in Week 3.
So, should fantasy managers start Harrison Jr., Pickens, and Odunze in Week 3? Let's dive in and find out.
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Should I Start Marvin Harrison Jr. for Fantasy Football?
Marvin Harrison Jr. entered the NFL with massive expectations after being selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. As a rookie, Harrison flashed a glimpse of elite potential but often struggled to string together multiple strong performances.
He was able to eclipse 100 yards just twice as a rookie and only saw seven or more targets in eight contests. Overall, he averaged 11.7 PPR points per game.
Throughout the opening weeks of the 2025 season, Harrison has shown similar results. In Week 1, he got off to a dominant start, catching five of his passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. However, in Week 2, the former Ohio State standout caught just two of his five targets for a mere 27 yards.
Given his inconsistent showing, Harrison projects to be a risky WR3 in most leagues heading into the Week 3 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Through two weeks, the 49ers have allowed the 15th-fewest PPR points to opposing WRs. However, the Cardinals may need to push the ball downfield to keep up with the 49ers, which may present an optimistic game script for Harrison.
Earlier in the week, quarterback Kyler Murray told the media that there is only "one ball" and that Harrison may see 10 targets in some games but three in others. With his quarterback not viewing him as his top target, Harrison carries risky WR3/FLEX value heading into a tougher matchup on paper against the San Francisco secondary.
Marvin Harrison Jr. to Continue to be Up and Down for Fantasy Managers? https://t.co/B8TCwSvFlF
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 18, 2025
Should I Start George Pickens for Fantasy Football?
The 24-year-old found success as a deep threat in Pittsburgh, but always saw his ceiling capped due to subpar QB play and being in a run-first offense. However, now playing in Dallas with Dak Prescott, Pickens appears primed to enjoy a career season.
In Week 1, the Dallas offense had a difficult match against the reigning Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. In this game, Pickens caught three of his four targets for a mere 30 yards. However, in the following week, facing a weak New York secondary, Pickens was able to find his footing.
During their thrilling overtime victory over the Giants, Pickens caught five of his nine targets for 68 yards and his first touchdowns as a Cowboy.
Throughout the first two games, Pickens's usage suggests he could be in store for an amazing. Despite playing alongside one of the best WRs in the game, CeeDee Lamb, Pickens has logged 90% of the team's total snaps and has seen 76.0 average air yards per game. Pickens has also posted a high 11.7 aDOT and seen 22.5% of the team's air yards, which suggests Prescott is looking his way downfield, which is an excellent sign for his fantasy ceiling.
In three seasons with the Steelers, Pickens averaged 947.0 yards per season with a solid 16.3 YPR. Given Prescott's success in leading a productive offense (as shown in 2023), Pickens could be in store to smash those numbers in 2025.
This weekend, Pickens and the Cowobys will face the Chicago Bears, who allowed 52 potins ot the Lions last weekend. Overall, they have surrendered the sixth-most PPR points to opposing WRs this season. While Lamb could enjoy a busy afternoon as well, given Pickens's quality of targets and elite mathcup, he should be viewed as a must-start WR2/high-end WR3 in all formats this weekend.
GEORGE PICKENS SCORES HIS FIRST COWBOYS TD AND IT MIGHT'VE BEEN THE GAME-WINNER 🚨
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/J5hY9BVVeo— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 14, 2025
Should I Start Rome Odunze for Fantasy Football?
The final wide receiver we will look at in this piece is second-year wide receiver Rome Odunze. Odunze had a disappointing rookie season as the entire Chicago offense struggled. In his debut campaign, the former first-round pick caught 54 passes for 754 yards and three touchdowns. However, two of his touchdowns came in one game, and he averaged a modest 8.6 PPR points per game.
However, with Ben Johnson taking over the coaching duties, Odunze has begun to find his footing. Despite the Bears getting off to a 0-2 start, the wideout has been one of the few bright spots on the team.
In Week 1, the Washington product caught six of his team-high nine targets for 37 yards and a touchdown. Then, in their week 2 loss to the Detroit Lions, Odunze caught seven of his 11 targets for an impressive 128 yards and two touchdowns. This set a career-high in yards, and that was only the third time in his career he eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a single game.
While DJ Moore continues to serve as the team's No. 2 wide receiver, it is clear that Odunze has become Caleb Williams' go-to target in the passing attack. Through two games, Odunze has seen 29.9% of the team's targets and 45.8% of the team's air yards.
This weekend, Odunze has another prime matchup to say hot, facing the Dallas Cowboys. Through the opening weeks, the Cowboys have struggled to contain opposing WRs, allowing the second-most PPR points to the position. Given his current role as the team's clear WR1, Odunze is in the midst of a massive second-year breakout and should be viewed as a high-end WR2 in all leagues going forward.
Rome Odunze Looks to be Go-To Target in Passing Game https://t.co/r8Qq5X4ZBT
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) August 13, 2025
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the 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 Marvin Harrison Jr., George Pickens, and Rome Odunze. 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 - Marvin Harrison Jr., George Pickens, and Rome Odunze. 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 Marvin Harrison Jr., George Pickens, and Rome Odunze compared to others:
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