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Running back sit start Week 3 fantasy football picks for 2025. Matt's top RB starts and sits including Kenneth Walker, Quinshon Judkins, and Isiah Pacheco.
The fantasy football season is ratcheting up as we head into Week 3 of the NFL season! Here at RotoBaller, we're dishing out the sit/start advice for running backs to help you dominate your matchups.
RotoBaller's Matt Donnelly drops his top running back starts and sits for Week 3, looking at players like James Cook, Quinshon Judkins, and Kenneth Walker III.
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2025 Fantasy Football: Week 3 RB Starts/Sits
Matt Donnelly's top RB starts and sits for Week 3 of the 2025 fantasy football season:
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Week 3 Fantasy Football Outlooks
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco will face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. The defending Super Bowl champions defeated the Chiefs in their last matchup, and Pacheco only had seven rushing yards on three carries. The 26-year-old will have the chance to exact some revenge, but he must first overcome the timeshare he's in with Kareem Hunt.
Pacheco and Hunt had the same number of opportunities in Week 1; both handled five carries and two catches on three targets. The former ultimately finished with more total yards, but it was not an impressive performance by either back. Pacheco did manage 5.0 yards per carry when given the opportunity, so maybe he can build on that efficiency with more usage.
That said, the Eagles defense was one of the toughest in the league to run against last season, and that looks to be the case again this year. Pacheco will have his work cut out for him if he wants to carve out a larger role in the Kansas City backfield. Pacheco is ranked RB35 in our RotoBaller rankings this week, making him an RB3/Flex option. He'll be a tough player to trust this week.
Kenneth Walker, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III could be set for a big Week 3 performance against the Saints. He broke out for 105 yards and a touchdown on just 13 carries last week, though Zach Charbonnet actually led the team with 15 rushing attempts.
With Charbonnet (foot) sidelined in practice and questionable for Sunday, Walker may be in line for a heavy workload. Facing a Saints defense ranked 18th against the run and giving up 111.5 yards per game, Walker profiles as a RB1 if Charbonnet is limited or out.
Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams could be headed for more of a timeshare with second-year running back Blake Corum, according to coach Sean McVay. McVay said that an ideal split would be about "a 65/35 ratio for those guys.
I think you want Kyren playing about two-thirds of the time, and Blake playing the other third." Williams played 80% of the team's snaps in Week 1 and 70% in Week 2 while Corum's workload increased. Williams had 66 yards and no touchdowns on 17 carries and added two catches for 14 yards, while Corum had five carries for 44 yards and a touchdown.
Williams still seems to be the clear option in passing situations, but Corum's role could cut into his role as the featured back if McVay sticks to this plan. This kind of timeshare split would be a big hit to Williams' value and make Corum a great grab off the waiver wire going into the team's big Week 3 matchup against the Eagles.
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins wasted no time making his presence felt, racking up 61 yards on 10 carries with three receptions for another 10 yards in his debut. The strong showing has vaulted him to the top of the Browns' depth chart, and fantasy managers should take note.
With a potential 15-20 carry workload lined up against the Packers, Judkins has immediate RB2 upside and belongs in starting lineups. His explosive playmaking could not only elevate Cleveland's backfield but also open up more opportunities for veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard rushed for 57 yards on 16 carries and caught a 27-yard touchdown on three receptions against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. The good news for fantasy managers is that the offseason addition of Rico Dowdle did not cut into Hubbard's workload, as Dowdle had just five touches.
The bad news is that Hubbard averaged a pedestrian 3.6 yards per carry. In Week 2, Hubbard will look to get the ground game going against the Arizona Cardinals, who surrendered 107 rushing yards to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. While the Cardinals' run defense is far from elite, the Panthers' offensive struggles could limit Hubbard's upside.
Hubbard should continue to be treated as an RB2/Flex play in Week 2, with more value in PPR leagues. If the Panthers can figure out their passing game, Hubbard should be able to find more room to run. However, don't expect a top-tier performance unless the offense takes a significant step forward.
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 players like James Cook, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Walker, Kyren Williams, Quinshon Judkins, Chuba Hubbard. 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 - James Cook, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Walker, Kyren Williams, Quinshon Judkins, Chuba Hubbard. 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 James Cook, Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Walker, Kyren Williams, Quinshon Judkins, Chuba Hubbard compared to others:
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