Should I start Rhamondre Stevenson, J.K. Dobbins, Jaylen Warren for Week 3? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
After two weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the fantasy football landscape is in a state of uncertainty. Some players like Quentin Johnston and Travis Etienne Jr. have emerged as great draft values, but can they keep it up all season long? What about slow starters like A.J. Brown and TreVeyon Henderson? Can they bounce back, or will they be year-long disappointments?
In this article, we will see if running backs Rhamondre Stevenson, J.K. Dobbins, and Jaylen Warren should be started in fantasy in Week 3. All three of these players have wrested control of their respective backfields away from rookies, and should be expected to keep control - at least for now.
So, should fantasy managers start Stevenson, Dobbins, and Warren in Week 3? Let's dive in and find out.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
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- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Should I Start Rhamondre Stevenson for Fantasy Football?
The presence of dynamic rookie Henderson, combined with Stevenson's propensity to fumble the ball - he led all running backs with seven fumbles in 2024 - scared many away from drafting Stevenson, including myself. However, he silenced the doubters in Week 2, taking on the lion's share of the snaps and putting on a great performance. Stevenson ran for 54 yards on 11 carries and gained an additional 88 yards on five catches.
Drake Maye TO RHAMONDRE STEVENSON FOR 56-YARDS!!
WHAT A PLAY 🔥
The longest pass of Drake Maye’s career and the longest catch of Rhamondre Stevenson’s career. pic.twitter.com/S0yXzw5ZTR
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) September 14, 2025
Not only did Stevenson perform well as the Patriots' lead back, but he was clearly favored ahead of both Henderson and veteran Antonio Gibson. The Patriots' offense looked significantly better in Week 2 with him on the field.
As a result, Rhamondre currently has a surprisingly safe floor and a high ceiling. RotoBaller has him ranked as the RB32 in PPR formats this week, but against an incredibly weak Steelers run defense at home, he could finish significantly higher. As long as he continues to be the Patriots' clear RB1, I'm all-in on Stevenson as a weekly RB2/flex play.
Should I Start J.K. Dobbins for Fantasy Football?
Unlike Stevenson, I had faith that Dobbins would hold his own in the battle for touches against a talented rookie: in this case, former UCF RB RJ Harvey. At least so far, Dobbins has done just that. In two games, Dobbins has received 30 carries to Harvey's 11, and he's been effective, averaging 4.6 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns.
Dobbins faces a stingy Chargers defense in Week 3, but he still could have a good fantasy day if he can find the end zone. It's also a revenge game for him, as Los Angeles let him walk despite his solid performance in 2024.
I asked Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins if he has revenge on his mind going against his former team, the Chargers pic.twitter.com/edwmZPucxu
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 18, 2025
At this point in the year, you can trust Dobbins in your lineup every week as an RB2. He should be in for another 15-carry game and will enter the week as RotoBaller's RB25 in PPR formats. Even against the Chargers' defense, trust the talent of Dobbins to make something happen.
Should I Start Jaylen Warren for Fantasy Football?
The reliable veteran has grabbed the starting job in Pittsburgh after the departure of Najee Harris. Veteran Kenneth Gainwell hasn't impressed with a decent workload, and it's safe to say rookie Kaleb Johnson is in the doghouse after his horrendous fumble last week.
All of this is good news for Warren, as it makes his grip on the backfield tighter. While he isn't a player that will blow anyone away, he can do a serviceable job on the ground and through the air. While he's averaging just 3.4 yards per carry so far this season, Warren is excelling as a receiver out of the backfield.
Jaylen Warren went crazy on this catch and run 🔥
SEAvsPIT on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/fKSeR78pKg
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025
Warren faces the Patriots defense in Week 3, who shut down Ashton Jeanty and De'Von Achane in the first two weeks of the season. While it's not a great matchup on paper, he may live up to his RotoBaller ranking as RB23 this week if he can find the end zone.
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 Rhamondre Stevenson, J.K. Dobbins, Jaylen Warren. 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 - Rhamondre Stevenson, J.K. Dobbins, Jaylen Warren. 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 Rhamondre Stevenson, J.K. Dobbins, Jaylen Warren compared to others:
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