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Week 3 NFL Matchups Analysis: Start/Sit for Fantasy Football (Part 2)

Vladimir De Wet breaks down the second half of the Week 3 matchups for the 2015 season. Below, you will find part two of our Week 3 NFL matchups & fantasy football start/sit analysis, which should help you prepare your lineups to win this week.

Be sure to also check out part one of this week's matchups analysis, diving into the early slate of games. It’s essential to analyze the weekly NFL matchups to find lineup sleepers and gems, while also avoiding those players who may turn out to be busts.

Each week of the NFL season, we will be breaking down each of the NFL matchups and providing you with some fantasy football advice and lineup recommendations based on matchups that we love, matchups that we hate, and some high-risk/high-reward players, as well.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Chargers @ Vikings - Sunday 9/27 @ 1:00 EST

Players we love:

Danny Woodhead, RB, Chargers - The tiny running back has played in 75 snaps to Melvin Gordon's 64 snaps through two games. While Gordon is the bellcow back carrying the ball 30 times to Woodhead's 19, there is no doubt that Woodhead is the main goal line option and a true touchdown vulture. Woodhead's value in PPR is even greater with 13 targets and 10 receptions which ranks him second on the team only behind Keenan Allen.

Players we hate:

Mike Wallace, WR, Vikings - The move from Miami to Minnesota hasn't done much to improve Mike Wallace's production. After two weeks he has barely put up double digit fantasy points. The main problem with Wallace is that he is doing exactly what the Vikings what him to do and he just isn't the biggest part of the offense. Wallace has been targeted 10 times and caught 9 of those balls. As of now, Wallace is the ultimate boom or bust prospect and until his role changes he projects to just mainly be a bust.

Key Players:

Ladarius Green, TE, Chargers - Green suffered a concussion and has been limited in practice. During the first two weeks he has been a solid option but his status is up in the air with his third concussion in the last year.

 

Steelers @ Rams - Sunday 9/27 @ 1:00 EST

Players we love:

Heath Miller, TE, Steelers - After two games Miller is second on the team in targets behind Antonio Brown. With Ben Roethlisberger looking like he might have an MVP caliber type season Miller is slowly becoming a TE1. The veteran tight end is nothing but consistent and constant.

Players we hate:

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Steelers - Williams has been spectacular the first two weeks of the season and looks like the handcuff of the year. All of this won't matter when LeVeon Bell comes back this week. Expect Williams to barely see the field and go from being a RB2 to a strictly handcuff/bench option.

Key Players:

Todd Gurley, RB, Rams -  Gurley makes his NFL debut after missing much of the preseason and the first two games. The Rams offensive line has not done well with run blocking through the first two games but expect them to feature Gurley early and often.

LeVeon Bell, RB, Steelers - Do not try and be cute here. Start Bell and get those points.

 

49ers @ Cardinals - Sunday 9/27 @ 4:05 EST

Players we love:

Torrey Smith, WR, 49ers - Smith caught a 75 yard touchdown from Colin Kaepernick during fourth quarter garbage time in week two. The former Baltimore receiver has seen the third most targets on the team behind 49er staples Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis. All signs point to him getting consistent WR2 targets throughout the season.

Carson Palmer, QB, Cardinals - Palmer is absolutely lighting up the league through the first two weeks. He has seven touchdowns to only one interception. Arizona looked like the best team in the league last year until Palmer went down with an ACL injury. If he can stay healthy for an entire season Palmer should end up being a top 5 fantasy QB.

Players we hate:

Michael Floyd, WR, Cardinals - Floyd has all of the height, speed, skills, and ability to look like he should be a top tantasy receiver. Yet, after a disappointing season last year he seems destined to continue to let down fantasy owners. Floyd has only seen two targets this season despite Arizona's pass happy offense.

Key players:

Reggie Bush, RB, 49ers - Bush sat out last week's game and missed practice again this week. The reliably injured Bush is doing exactly what you expected him to do--be an injury report all star.

 

Bills @ Dolphins - Sunday 9/27 @ 4:25 EST

Players we love:

Rishard Matthews, WR, Dolphins - Matthews wanted out of Miami after they drafted DeVante Parker and signed Kenny Stills. Yet, after training camp, the preseason, and the first two games he has emerged as the second receiver behind Jarvis Landry. With 10 receptions on 13 targets he has looked explosive and integral to the Miami offensive plan.

Players we hate:

Lamar Miller, RB, Dolphins - Miller so far is averaging less than 3 yards an attempt and just hasn't looked like he's taken any positive steps forward in the Dolphins offense. On top of that, MIller has a bad ankle and barely practiced this week. He will be facing a stout Bills front seven that has given up less than 90 yards rushing through two games and will be angry after getting whipped by Tom Brady last week. Most running back options should be better than Miller for the upcoming week

Key players:

Jordan Cameron, TE, Dolphins - Cameron missed practice on Wednesday but did practice on Thursday after suffering a groin injury last week.

LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills - McCoy took a day off practice to heal up and should be fine against the Dolphins on Sunday.

 

Bears @ Seahawks - Sunday 9/27 @ 4:25 EST

Players we love:

Marshawn Lynch, RB, Seahawks -After the Seahawks opened the season 0-2 and Lynch looked more like an aging back than beast mode the team gets the Chicago Bears defense as a remedy. The Bears run D has given up over 250 yards rushing through two games. Lynch has started off slow but expect him to pick up against a woeful Bears defense.

Matt Forte, RB, Bears - The Seahawks are getting back Kam Chancellor this week but their defensive unit as a whole hasn't looked good so far. Forte will be featured constantly against the reunited legion of boom and others.
Players we hate:

No one. The Bears are starting Jimmy Clausen and have so far looked really bad. While their offensive players all take a dip, Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte are must plays if you have them.

Key Players:

Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears -  Jeffery missed practice Wednesday and Thursday after missing the game last week. Latest reports have him ruled out. Adjust accordingly.

 

Broncos @ Lions - Sunday 9/27 @ 8:30 EST

Players we love:

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, Broncos - Through two weeks Sanders has emerged as one of Peyton Manning's favorite targets and looks like he's ready to have a big year. Sanders has been targeted 26 times out of Manning's 85 attempts (roughly 30%). Sanders leads the Broncos on third down targets and has also emerged as a red zone threat. Sanders is a stud WR2 going forward.

Players we hate:

C.J. Anderson, RB, Broncos - Anderson has been unable to get anything going on the ground for the Broncos. After two games he only has 56 yards rushing for an average of 2.6 a carry. Ronnie Hillman is always ready to take snaps and will be sharing the running back job more with Anderson. Running backs are a dime a dozen in most Peyton Manning lead offenses and Anderson doesn't seem like he's going to buck that trend.

Joique Bell, RB, Lions - Ameer Abdullah has taken over the lead running back duties for Detroit. Also, Bell has been dealing with a lingering injury since the start of training camp which has allowed Abdullah time to shine. Injury and an exciting back up may see Bell slowly be fazed out of the lions offense.

Key Players:

Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions - Stafford missed practice after an injury scare but should be fine to play on Sunday.

 

Chiefs @ Packers - Monday 9/28 @ 8:30 EST

Players we love:

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Chiefs - The Chiefs offense simply doesn't take a lot of shots down field and tends to be on the more conservative side. Maclin is one of those Chiefs wide receivers that hasn't caught a touchdown pass for over a year now. Yet, he has lead the team in targets and looks to be active all over the field. Maclin is the most talented receiver the Chiefs have had during the Alex Smith era and his talent should win out over a conversative offensive game plan in the long run.

Players we hate:

Both teams should put up points in a closely contested game. Everyone that you would regularly play should be played.

Key Players:

Randall Cobb, WR, Packers - Cobb has been dealing with a shoulder injury since training camp and still hasn't fully recovered. He practiced on Thursday and should be good to play in the game on Monday.

 

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Malik Nabers

Expected to be Full-Go for Week 1
Freddie Freeman

Out Wednesday With Neck Stinger
Alejandro Kirk

Avoids Major Injury, Remains Out on Wednesday
Travis Hunter

Back at Practice, Will be Ready for Week 1
Luis Robert Jr.

Could Miss the Rest of the Season
De'Von Achane

Not Practicing on Wednesday
Trevor Megill

Brewers Place Trevor Megill on Injured List With Flexor Strain
Luis Robert Jr.

Placed on Injured List With Hamstring Strain
Rashee Rice

Accepting Six-Game Suspension to Begin the Year
Kyle Hamilton

Ravens, Kyle Hamilton Finalizing Four-Year Extension
Rashee Rice

NFL Aiming to Place Six-Game Suspension on Rashee Rice
De'Von Achane

Dolphins GM Says De'Von Achane Will be Ready for Week 1
Joe Mixon

Texans GM: "We'll See" if Joe Mixon Plays in 2025
Adam Thielen

Traded to the Vikings
Nick Lodolo

Expected to Return Wednesday Against the Dodgers
Terance Mann

Confident About Having a Big Year in Brooklyn
Zaccharie Risacher

Aims to Improve Ball-Handling Skills
NBA

Pistons And Timberwolves Join Race for Malik Beasley
John Tonje

Signs Two-Way Deal With Jazz
Max Strus

to Miss 3-4 Months After Surgery
Blake Snell

Activated From Paternity List Tuesday
Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Still Expect Micah Parsons to Play in Week 1
Luis Robert Jr.

Exits Early With Hamstring Soreness
Chris Godwin

Passes Physical, Will be Activated From PUP List
Willson Contreras

Issued Six-Game Suspension
Randy Rodríguez

Randy Rodriguez Placed on Injured List
Brandon Aiyuk

49ers Officially Place Brandon Aiyuk on PUP List
Nathan Eovaldi

Likely Done for the Season
Tyreek Hill

Remains Out of Practice
Najee Harris

Moved to Active Roster
Yordan Alvarez

Activated and Starting on Tuesday
Oneil Cruz

Back From Injured List
New York Mets

Jonah Tong Promoted to Major Leagues
Spencer Rattler

Saints Name Spencer Rattler as Starting QB
MarShawn Lloyd

Packers Leaning Toward Placing MarShawn Lloyd on Injured Reserve
Tyjae Spears

to Begin the Season on Injured Reserve
Nikola Jović

Heat Have High Hopes for Nikola Jovic
Golden State Warriors

Cody Martin Drawing Interest From Warriors
Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves Interested in Reunion With Bones Hyland
Kylor Kelley

Joins Lakers
Colin Castleton

Links Up With Magic
Brock Bowers

Pete Carroll Classifies Brock Bowers Among His Best Players Ever
De'Von Achane

Lingering Calf Injury Poses Concerns for De'Von Achane
Adam Thielen

Vikings and Panthers Struggling to Finalize Adam Thielen Trade
Malik Monk

Kings "Not Actively Engaged" in Trade Discussions Involving Malik Monk
P.J. Washington

Mavs Likely to Offer P.J. Washington a Contract Extension
Kenny Pickett

Raiders Acquire Kenny Pickett From Browns
NHL

Jan Rutta Lands in Switzerland
Kirby Dach

Skates on Monday
COL

Tyson Barrie Retires From NHL
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Back in Toronto's Lineup
Zhang Mingyang

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Johnny Walker

Gets Back In The Win Column
Brian Ortega

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Aljamain Sterling

Proves Too Much For Brian Ortega
Chris Sale

Penciled in to Start on Saturday
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Suffers Unanimous-Decision Loss
Sergei Pavlovich

Wins Decision At UFC Shanghai
Kevin Borjas

Drops Decision At UFC Shanghai
Sumudaerji

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Kiefer Crosbie

Still Winless In The UFC
Taiyilake Nueraji

Gets His First UFC Win
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Daytona Cup Series Win
Tyler Reddick

Locks Into the 2025 Playoffs Despite Underwhelming Daytona Performance
Erik Jones

Misses the 2025 Playoffs Despite Top-Five Run at Daytona
Justin Haley

Best Performance of 2025 Falls Short of Victory at Daytona
Chase Burns

To Throw Bullpen on Tuesday
Kyle Larson

Enters Playoffs As Co-Points Leader
Alex Bowman

Advances to Playoffs Despite Crashing at Daytona
Cole Custer

Finally Shows Signs of Life at Daytona
Daniel Suarez

Lame-Duck Daniel Suarez Delivers Clutch Second-Place Finish
Logan Gilbert

Punches Out 13 in Victory
Randy Rodríguez

Randy Rodriguez Battling Arm Soreness
Marcus Semien

Out 4-6 Weeks, Could Miss Rest of Season
Ranger Suárez

Ranger Suarez Strikes Out 11 in Win
Chase Elliott

Despite Being Winless at Daytona, Chase Elliott is Probably the Best DFS Option
Ryan Blaney

Will Likely Lead a Lot at Daytona
Kyle Larson

a Poor DFS Option at Daytona
Christopher Bell

Consistent Enough to Consider for DFS
Chris Buescher

Now Must Win His Way Into Playoffs
Ryan Preece

Being One of the Slowest-Starting Fords Makes Ryan Preece a Strong DFS Option
Ross Chastain

Leads a Lot on Drafting Tracks
Daniel Suarez

Now in Desperation Mode With his Career on the Line
Chase Briscoe

Tendency to Finish Better Than He Runs May Reap Dividends at Daytona
Carson Hocevar

Hard to Forecast Since He's Rarely Given 100 Percent at Daytona
Michael McDowell

has a Solid Drafting Record
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Arguably Starting Too Well for Place-Differential Points
Austin Dillon

Will Likely Be Too Conservative for DFS Consideration
Moses Moody

Warriors Not Interested in Trading Moses Moody
Kevin Durant

Rockets Expected to Agree on New Contract
Trey Murphy III

Warriors, Spurs Interested in Trey Murphy III
CAR

Luke Kunin Joins Panthers on One-Year Deal
Auston Matthews

Says His Health is "Good" Before Start of Season
Roope Hintz

"Feeling Good" Ahead of New Season
Matthew Tkachuk

Recovering From Surgery
Marco Rossi

Wild Re-Sign Marco Rossi to Three-Year Deal
NBA

Malik Beasley Now Drawing Interest from Teams
Zhang Mingyang

Set For UFC Shanghai Main Event
Johnny Walker

In Dire Need Of Victory
Brian Ortega

An Underdog At UFC Shanghai
Aljamain Sterling

Set For UFC Shanghai Co-Main Event
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Sergei Pavlovich

A Favorite At UFC Shanghai
Kevin Borjas

Set for UFC Shanghai Main-Card Bout
Sumudaerji

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kiefer Crosbie

Set To Open Up UFC Shanghai Main Card
Taiyilake Nueraji

Set For His UFC Debut

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