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Matt's must-start fantasy football waiver wire defenses (D/ST) to stream and start for Week 3 of the 2025 season. His fantasy defense start 'em, sit 'em picks.
The fantasy football season continues to heat up! RotoBaller analyst Matt Donnelly drops his fantasy football must-start defenses (D/ST) for Week 3 of the 2025 season. These high-upside defenses belong on your roster this week!
The 2025 NFL season is underway, which means fantasy football decisions are coming at you hot and heavy! We are here to help with your Week 3 D/ST streamers and set those winning lineups.
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Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
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- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
2025 Fantasy Football: Week 3 Defenses To Start (D/ST)
Matt Donnelly drops his top Defenses for Week 3 of the 2025 fantasy football season:
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Week 3 Fantasy Football Outlooks
Buffalo Bills D/ST
The Buffalo Bills' defense was among the worst in the NFL in a 41-40 win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, but the unit orchestrated a dramatic turnaround in a 30-10 victory against the New York Jets last Sunday. The Bills held the Jets to a paltry 154 total yards while notching four sacks and forcing a turnover.
They dominated despite missing defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle), who will sit out Thursday's Week 3 showdown with the Miami Dolphins. The Bills will also go without starting linebacker Matt Milano (pectoral). The 0-2 Dolphins have injury problems of their own, including along the offensive line, and have averaged just 17.5 points and 284.5 yards per game despite the presence of running back De'Von Achane and the wide receiver duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle (shoulder).
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has already taken eight sacks and thrown three interceptions. It's also worth noting that he has tossed more INTs (10) than TDs (nine) in nine career games against Buffalo. Add in that the Bills are set to play in front of a raucous home crowd in prime time, and their D/ST looks like an enticing fantasy option in Week 3.
Miami Dolphins D/ST
The Miami Dolphins defense has been a major disappointment this season, giving up 33 points in each of their first two games, both resulting in losses. They don't have a takeaway yet this season, but have managed four sacks and a touchdown, which came on Malik Washington's punt return in Week 2.
On the road in a short week, the Dolphins will have a tough matchup against Josh Allen and the Bills, who have started the year red hot with wins over the Ravens and Jets. The Bills have been the toughest matchup for defenses this year, piling up 71 points in two weeks with just two sacks allowed and no turnovers.
It's a tough matchup for an under-performing unit, so the Dolphins are the No. 32-ranked defense in the RotoBaller rankings for Week 3, meaning literally every other team defense is a better play this week than Miami, according to the rankings.
Green Bay Packers D/ST
When asked if Green Bay Packers All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons (back) is no longer on a snap count, head coach Matt LaFleur said, "We'll see." Parsons, who was listed as questionable on the injury report in the first two weeks of the season, is not on the injury report this week as the team prepares to face the Cleveland Browns in Week 3.
Despite being eased into action in his first two games with the team, the 26-year-old has still made an impact, recording three tackles (one solo), 1.5 sacks, one tackle for loss, and four QB hits in wins over the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders.
It's unclear if Parsons will remain on a snap count in his third game of the season, but fantasy managers in IDP leagues should have him in their starting lineups against the Browns and immobile veteran quarterback
Los Angeles Chargers D/ST
Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said on Wednesday that the team will put Pro Bowl pass-rusher Khalil Mack (elbow) on Injured Reserve, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN. The move means that Mack will miss at least the next four weeks after he suffered a dislocated elbow in the Week 2 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday.
It's not a long-term injury, but the 34-year-old veteran pass-rusher won't be eligible to return to the Bolts' defense until Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts. It's a blow to a strong L.A. defense, as the Chargers are relying more on Mack as a pass-rusher with Joey Bosa no longer in town.
Since coming to the Chargers in 2022, Mack has had a whopping 32 sacks. With Mack out until at least Week 7, former first-rounder Bud Dupree will see more snaps across from Tuli Tuipulotu.
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 defenses like the Los Angeles Rams DST, Baltimore Ravens DST, San Francisco 49ers DST, Dallas Cowboys DST, Minnesota Vikings DST, Green Bay Packers DST. 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 defenses like Los Angeles Rams DST, Baltimore Ravens DST, San Francisco 49ers DST, Dallas Cowboys DST, Minnesota Vikings DST, Green Bay Packers DST. 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, 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 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 (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 the Buffalo Bills DST, Atlanta Falcons DST, Seattle Seahawks DST, Indianapolis Colts DST, Minnesota Vikings DST, Houston Texans DST, Pittsburgh Steelers DST compared to others:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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