Running Back (RB) Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 3 (2025)

September 18, 2025

Matt's running back (RB) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 3 of 2025. His RB lineups advice for Week 3 fantasy football start/sit decisions.

The current running back landscape isn't exactly what we expected. While the usual suspects such as Christian McCaffrey, James Cook, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, and Jonathan Taylor remain staples inside the top 12, we also have some interesting backs in Javonte Williams, Travis Etienne Jr., and Jaylen Warren making some early-season noise.

It's only Week 3, and plenty of things will change; the inevitable fantasy football machine has a script all its own. 

To help make sense of what that script may look like in Week 3, the RotoBaller's must start and sit options for Week 3 at the running back position are here to help.

Week 3 - Fantasy Football Booms

James Cook- RB, Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins

Don't look now, but James Cook is currently averaging 23.9 fantasy points per game through two weeks, which is 7.2 more fantasy points per game than he averaged last year when he scored 18 touchdowns. Then again, Cook's three rushing touchdowns thus far have him on pace for 24 this season.

James Cook makes a beautiful juke en route to a 44-yard TD!

BUFvsNYJ on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/6x8MD8hxGa

— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

Those who said regression was coming may be doing the Homer Simpson disappearing into the bushes meme. In 2024, those 18 touchdowns came on 239 touches and a rate of 7.5%. So far, early on, Cook has 40 touches, resulting in three scores and a rate of, you guessed it, 7.5%. According to the Buffalo Bills Public Relations, Cook recorded his fifth 40-plus yard touchdown run in the first half last week.

Since joining the league in 2022, Cook's five 40-plus touchdown runs lead the NFL.

Turning our attention to Week 3, those numbers are likely to improve even more, considering the Bills are facing a Dolphins defense that is allowing 26.95 fantasy points per game (sixth-most) to the running back position, surrendering 203 yards on the ground as well as 146 receiving yards. Last weekend, Rhamondre Stevenson had a game, running for 54 yards on 11 carries and catching five passes for an additional 88 yards.

Isiah Pacheco- RB, Kansas City Chiefs at New York Giants

It's been a rough start to the season for Isiah Pacheco and the Chiefs' ground game. In the first two weeks, Kansas City has faced two of the top eight fantasy defenses from a season ago: the Eagles and the Chargers. Last season, Philadelphia limited opposing backs to 15.76 fantasy points per game, while the Chargers were nearly as good, holding running backs to 17.94 per contest.

Since returning from a fractured fibula, Pacheco hasn't been able to get back in the groove. In the games he has played since he returned, Pacheco has averaged just 4.8 fantasy points per game and has earned 18 opportunities thus far in 2025.

So, why is Pacheco a start this week? Because the Chiefs are 0-2 and are looking to take it out on someone, that someone happens to be the New York Giants, a defense that allowed 24.29 fantasy points to the running back position a season ago, second-most.

This season, the Giants have yielded a league-worst 30.15 fantasy points to the position, allowing 245 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Last week, it was Williams who totalled 130 yards and 25.0 fantasy points after Jacory Croskey-Merritt dropped 14.2 fantasy points on this defense, averaging 8.2 yards per carry.

Kenneth Walker III - RB, Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints

Vindication. If fantasy managers stuck with Walker, they were rewarded last week. The Seahawks' back churned out 105 rushing yards on 13 attempts while finding the end zone, leading to an impressive 18.8 fantasy football performance.

Kenneth Walker finds a lane into the end zone!

SEAvsPIT on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/x1Ejbp11f3

— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025

Despite a subpar Week 1 performance, 43.2% of Walker's yardage has come on explosive runs. On Walker's 23 rushing attempts, Walker has forced five missed tackles (0.22 MTF/ATT) while averaging 2.43 yards after contact per attempt, the 10th-highest among running backs with at least 20 rushing attempts.

Meanwhile, only Etienne, Derrick Henry, and Taylor average more yards per carry than Walker's 5.43.

This week, Walker will look to continue the momentum facing a New Orleans Saints team that has allowed 254 total yards to the position and 25.0 fantasy points per contest. In Week 1, New Orleans surrendered 14.4 fantasy points to James Conner, while McCaffrey hit up the Saints' defense for 22.7 fantasy points in Week 2.

Week 3 Sits - Potential Fantasy Football Busts

Kyren Williams - RB, Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles

Something of note that should concern fantasy managers is Kyren Williams's usage, particularly down in the red zone. While Williams has still been responsible for 77% of the backfield opportunities, last week, Blake Corum got two of the three opportunities inside the 10-yard line, and the only touch inside the five.

It may or may not hold significance, but we need to keep an eye on it. Corum's touchdown run is notable.

First career touchdown @blake_corum!#ProBlue | NFL+ https://t.co/8YFKbq32K6 pic.twitter.com/U4rNXSGUH6

— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) September 14, 2025

Ryan Health pointed out that of Williams' 17.0 fantasy points per game last season, 5.2 came from touches inside the five-yard line. If Williams were to continue to lose work here, it would undoubtedly have an adverse effect on Williams' fantasy outlook moving forward.

To further complicate matters, this week, the Rams are facing an Eagles defense that allowed only five rushing touchdowns to backs a season ago, the second-fewest. If we believe Sean McVay, we can expect Corum to get 30-35% of the snaps moving forward, as it is "much more in alignment" with how the team wants the Rams' backfield to look.

Quinshon Judkins - RB, Cleveland Browns vs. Green Bay Packers

There were several unwritten rules if you grew up in the 1980s and spent a good portion of your childhood in the early 1990s. One was to come home when the street lights went on. Commercials would play at 10 p.m., asking parents if they knew where their children were.

Rule two was always to call collect when looking for a ride; those quarters were better used at the arcade. Rule three was hands off the boom box; switching songs was a breach of trust. That mixtape was the anthem for the day. Leading us to, Don't go chasing waterfalls.

Music was important, and TLC taught a generation that nothing good comes from chasing waterfalls. Today, in the fantasy football world, nothing good will come from chasing fantasy points. Last week, in Quinshon Judkins' NFL debut, the rookie averaged 6.1 yards per carry on his 10 rushing attempts, which may lead managers to rush him into their lineups.

As good as Judkins looked, it was against the Ravens, who conceded 102 total yards to Cook the previous week.

The Browns host Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers defense this week. Green Bay's defense is legit. In two contests, they have allowed just 78 yards on the ground, including completely shutting the Lions duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery down. In that Week 1 contest, Montgomery was held to 2.5 yards per carry while Gibbs was limited to just 2.1 yards per attempt.

Chuba Hubbard - RB, Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons

Another running back facing a difficult matchup this week is the Carolina Panthers' back, Chuba Hubbard. While Hubbard has been a top 24 fantasy staple since the start of last season, the Atlanta Falcons' defense against the position can't be ignored either. On Sunday Night Football, Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones Sr. were limited to 53 yards rushing.

Through two weeks, Atlanta has allowed 106 yards on the ground, including a stifling performance against Bucky Irving, holding the Buccaneers running back to 37 rushing yards on 14 attempts.

Hubbard has posted back-to-back 17-point performances and is currently in RB1 territory for fantasy managers. However, I caution managers to look at the whole picture. As good as Hubbard has been in the pass game, with eight receptions for 71 yards and two touchdowns, he has struggled to get things going in the run game.

On 26 attempts this season, Hubbard has churned out 95 yards, an average of 3.65 yards per carry.

Sitting Hubbard will be tough. Last season, teams found success in the pass game involving their running backs, which the Buccaneers did in Week 1. However, that wasn't the case in Week 2, as Mason recorded the lone two receptions out of the backfield for eight yards.

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