Who Should I Start for Week 3? Fantasy Football outlooks for Jayden Daniels, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young, Patrick Mahomes, Sam Darnold, Brock Purdy, Joe Flacco.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 3 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Jayden Daniels, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young, Patrick Mahomes, Sam Darnold, Brock Purdy, Joe Flacco. However, don't worry, we are here to help you 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.
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Fantasy Football Matchup Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 3:
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (knee) has officially been ruled out for Week 3 on Sunday against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders, according to The 33rd Team's Ari Meirov. Things were trending this way since earlier in the week when head coach Dan Quinn said that Daniels wouldn't practice until at least Friday.
He missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and wasn't seen on the field on Friday, either, so veteran Marcus Mariota will officially make his first start of the year against his old team. The Commanders are erring on the side of caution with their second-year signal-caller, but Daniels could also be in danger of missing the Week 4 game against the Atlanta Falcons due to a knee sprain that he suffered in the Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The well-traveled veteran, Marcus Mariota, who will be making his first start since 2022, will be a low-end QB2 option for desperate fantasy managers in superflex leagues.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 23 of his 33 pass attempts for 298 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 2 win over the Tennessee Titans. The veteran signal caller was quite productive on the road, finishing just a couple of yards away from a 300-yard, two-touchdown performance.
He put together this dominant showing despite Los Angeles leading for more than half the game. In a situation where some teams might run the ball more, Stafford was still given an opportunity to rack up passing yards. He also did so against a solid Titans pass defense that intercepted Bo Nix twice just one week earlier.
Stafford's lack of rushing upside is unfortunate, but fantasy managers should rest assured that there's no concern about Los Angeles deviating from a pass-heavy approach while leading in future weeks. He's firmly in the mid-range QB2 conversation for Week 3 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Mike DeFabo of The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke highly of running back Jaylen Warren, saying that "We might have to keep giving (Warren) him more opportunities in the pass game, because every time he touches it, something good happens." Warren has always been a solid fantasy asset in the passing game in his career, with 133 receptions in four NFL seasons.
In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, he was very productive through the air, hauling in all four of his targets for 86 yards, for a total of 134 all-purpose yards on 18 touches (14 on the ground and four through the air), This is an excellent sign for Warren fantasy owners, as rookie third round pick, Kaleb Johnson, does not appear to be getting any opportunities of the backfield.
His only other competition for opportunities is Kenneth Gainwell, who went from a 54% snap share in Week 1 to a 42% snap share in Week 2. Warren should be considered a solid RB2 heading into Week 3 against the New England Patriots.
Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 35 of 55 pass attempts for 328 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception during Sunday's Week 2 contest against the Arizona Cardinals. He also took three sacks in the loss. While Young and the whole Panthers offense were slow to get going, they showed real signs of life in the fourth quarter and nearly pulled off an improbable comeback.
The former No. 1 pick's three touchdowns are a testament to his ability to lead pass-heavy scoring drives and keep the Panthers competitive even when playing from behind. Both of these skills will serve him well going forward, as sportsbooks continue to set the Panthers as underdogs, indicating that Young will need to continue throwing the ball often and with success.
Next week, he'll face the Atlanta Falcons, who dismantled J.J. McCarthy this week but allowed Baker Mayfield to throw for three touchdowns in Week 1. Young should rank as a mid-range QB2 heading into the divisional battle.
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes struggled to move the ball through the air in his team's 20-17 Week 2 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, completing 16 of 29 pass attempts for 188 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Still, Mahomes managed to save his fantasy stat line by rushing for 66 yards and a touchdown on seven attempts.
The Chiefs will have easier matchups than the Eagles' defense going forward, but it may be difficult for Mahomes as a passer while top receivers Rashee Rice (suspension) and Xavier Worthy (shoulder) remain sidelined. Mahomes has been highly effective as a rusher so far this season, recording 123 yards and two touchdowns on 13 attempts.
However, Kansas City likely won't want to risk his health by asking him to do too much with his legs. Mahomes remains a mid-to-low-end fantasy QB1 going forward.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 3 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jayden Daniels, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young, Patrick Mahomes, Sam Darnold, Brock Purdy, Joe Flacco. 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 name. In the second box, search for the second player 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 that 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, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with 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 circle), 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 searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 3 for Jayden Daniels, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young, Patrick Mahomes, Sam Darnold, Brock Purdy, Joe Flacco:
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