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Fantasy football starts/sits for TNF, expert advice for all Falcons, Packers. Week 3 matchups on Thursday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for Drake London, Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, and more.
Week 3 of the NFL season kicks off on Thursday night as the Green Bay Packers will host the Atlanta Falcons at the historic Lambeau Field. The Falcons will get a major boost at QB as Michael Penix Jr. is set to make his season debut, which changes the outlook for their offense.
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Matthew Golden, Christian Watson, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts Sr., Michael Penix Jr., Jordan Love, and more. Which Falcons and Packers players should you start or sit in Week 3?
Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 3, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 3, RotoBallers!
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Atlanta Falcons Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| Bijan Robinson | Start | 119.8 | RB | ATL | @ GB |
| Drake London | Start | 108.9 | WR | ATL | @ GB |
| Kyle Pitts Sr. | Risky Start | 102.3 | TE | ATL | @ GB |
| Michael Penix Jr. | Sit | 101.9 | QB | ATL | @ GB |
| Olamide Zaccheaus | Sit | 101.9 | WR | ATL | @ GB |
| Atlanta Falcons | Sit | 100.7 | DEF | ATL | @ GB |
| Brian Robinson | Sit | 99.8 | RB | ATL | @ GB |
| Nick Folk | Sit | 99.7 | K | ATL | @ GB |
| Jahan Dotson | Sit | 98.3 | WR | ATL | @ GB |
| Austin Hooper | Sit | 96.7 | TE | ATL | @ GB |
| Tua Tagovailoa | Sit | 95 | QB | ATL | @ GB |
Michael Penix Jr., QB, Falcons
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) has been named the team's starting quarterback for their Week 3 matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, per Tori McElhaney of atlantafalcons.com. Penix Jr. has missed the first two games of the 2026 season while working his way back from the torn ACL that ended his 2025 campaign in Week 11.
Across nine games before getting injured last year, the 26-year-old completed 60.1% of his pass attempts for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions. Penix Jr.'s return should provide a massive upgrade in quarterback play for Falcons wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., both of whom have gotten off to slow starts to the year while catching passes from Cooper Rush and Jack Strand.
Penix Jr.'s own production outlook is uncertain, as he's now suffered three major knee injuries and two major shoulder injuries since the start of his college career in 2018. Still, Penix Jr. profiles as a worthy waiver-wire target in two-quarterback formats now that he will be back on the field in Week 3 and holds mid-end QB2 upside facing the Packers.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson failed to find the end zone in a relatively tame output in the Falcons' blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers. Robinson rushed 16 times for 72 yards and caught two passes for 16 receiving yards but did not score a touchdown as he and the team struggled in a 34-3 loss to Carolina. The effort for Robinson was disappointing given that he was one of the top two picks in fantasy drafts.
The 72 rushing yards are not a terrible output, but the fact that he and the team failed to score a touchdown is a huge letdown, especially against a Panthers defense that allowed 50-plus points in Week 1 to the Chicago Bears.
The Falcons are currently playing their third-string quarterback in Cooper Rush, so that definitely hampers the offense. However, with Penix set to return to the starting lineup on Thursday, Robinson's floor and ceiling rise quite significantly as the entire offense should see a boost in production.
He remains a must-start high-end RB1 across all formats.
Green Bay Packers Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Start/Sit | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| Christian Watson | Start | 108.4 | WR | GB | vs ATL |
| Tucker Kraft | Start | 108 | TE | GB | vs ATL |
| Trey Smack | Start | 107 | K | GB | vs ATL |
| Jordan Love | Start | 106.3 | QB | GB | vs ATL |
| Matthew Golden | Risky Start | 103.8 | WR | GB | vs ATL |
| MarShawn Lloyd | Risky Start | 103.2 | RB | GB | vs ATL |
| Green Bay Packers | Risky Start | 102.6 | DEF | GB | vs ATL |
| Kaleb Johnson | Risky Start | 102.3 | RB | GB | vs ATL |
| Jonnu Smith | Sit | 100.5 | TE | GB | vs ATL |
| Bo Melton | Sit | 98.6 | WR | GB | vs ATL |
| Chris Brooks | Sit | 95.8 | RB | GB | vs ATL |
| Skyy Moore | Sit | 95.8 | WR | GB | vs ATL |
| Jayden Reed | Sit | 95 | WR | GB | vs ATL |
| Tyrod Taylor | Sit | 95 | QB | GB | vs ATL |
| Josh Whyle | Sit | 94.8 | TE | GB | vs ATL |
Kaleb Johnson, RB, Packers
Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson drew praise from quarterback Jordan Love after getting his first offensive work with the team in Sunday's overtime win over the Jets. Love said Johnson has done some good things when he's had space, according to Ryan Wood.
Johnson led Green Bay with eight carries for 32 yards after playing no offensive snaps in Week 1. He also helped start the game-winning overtime drive with runs of 11 and three yards on the first two plays. Johnson did put the ball on the ground once, though Green Bay recovered it. The Packers are still rotating Johnson, MarShawn Lloyd, and Chris Brooks, so his role remains unsettled despite the encouraging showing.
Johnson carries risky FLEX upside in deeper leagues given his inconsistent usage in Thursday night tilt.
Chris Brooks, RB, Packers
Across the first two weeks of the 2026 season, Green Bay Packers running back Chris Brooks has recorded 55 yards from scrimmage on 12 touches. While Brooks' numbers are underwhelming, he's led the Green Bay backfield in snaps in both of the team's games so far and appears to be locked in as the preferred option on passing downs.
The Packers haven't exactly gotten inspired production from fellow running backs Kaleb Johnson and MarShawn Lloyd, which could lead to Brooks seeing a few more opportunities on the ground. Green Bay also has a favorable matchup on paper in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.
For as long as Packers running back Josh Jacobs remains on the NFL Commissioner's Exempt list, Brooks could be worth stashing off the waiver wire. However, while he remains a viable stash option, managers in standard leagues should avoid putting Brooks into their starting lineup.
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 Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Matthew Golden, Christian Watson, Tucker Kraft, Kyle Pitts Sr., Michael Penix Jr., Jordan Love. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 3.
Week 3 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 3 of the 2026 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.
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, 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 (2026)? 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:
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