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Who should I start or sit for fantasy football in Week 3 of the 2025 season? Andrew's potential fantasy football busts to avoid in Week 3 fantasy football lineups.
It's that time of the year again, when the season-long busts begin to separate themselves from the one-offs.
You won't find the likes of Mark Andrews or Isiah Pacheco here. Their rest-of-season outlooks aren't looking very rosy. Instead, I'm here to crush your optimism about the good players on your fantasy roster. I do it for the love of the game.
Below are my 10 fantasy football busts, or players that may disappoint, for Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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David Montgomery (RB, DET) at Baltimore (MNF)
The Detroit Lions quelled all of our worries by returning to 2024 form and dropping 52 points on the Chicago Bears. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, and David Montgomery (no, not you, Sam LaPorta) all delivered for fantasy managers. What a relief!
Amon-Ra St. Brown sets up a David Montgomery TD with this catch
CHIvsDET on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/r8cExZQ4A5
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025
However, there's still a significant shift in philosophy from 2024 to this season. Gibbs is getting the starting nod, making Montgomery even more of a touchdown-or-bust option. His attempts average (11) is the lowest of his career, and he rarely sees more than a couple of targets per game. Double-digit touchdowns propelled him into mid-tier RB2 range in past seasons. His touchdown in Week 2 barely squeaked him into the top 24.
On the road in Baltimore, against a defense significantly better than Chicago, we're back to hoping Montgomery scores, or we'll be disappointed with single-digit fantasy points. That's not something I'd like to gamble on (which, ironically, I did bet last week) for anything more than a flex, unless you play in a non-PPR league.
Quinshon Judkins (RB, CLE) vs. Green Bay
After participating in about two practices with the Browns, Quinshon Judkins made the most of his NFL debut. His 10 carries matched those from Dylan Sampson and Jerome Ford combined. He averaged over six yards per carry against a tough Baltimore front seven, and he caught three passes!
The expectation is that Cleveland will slowly phase Ford out of the dreaded three-man rotation. That'll boost the stock of Judkins and Sampson, especially because Joe Flacco has been targeting his running backs at a scorching rate. Judkins may not be playing third downs or in the two-minute drill, but he's still an active participant in the receiving game.
#Browns Kevin Stefanski said Quinshon Judkins is doing great and they'll "continue to bring him along."
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) September 17, 2025
That won't come quite yet, and the matchup against Green Bay is one of the worst. The Packers have held opposing backfields to 78 yards on 32 carries this season, and none have found the endzone. Judkins' time is coming (hey, it's the patience game again!), but it won't be this week.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB, WAS) vs. Las Vegas
The underlying theme of the 2025 fantasy football season has been patience. The high-profile rookie running back class, regarded as one of the best in the last decade-plus, is off to a slow start. Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson, RJ Harvey, and Kaleb Johnson are shaky (at best). Dylan Sampson is the only rookie inside the top 24, and he's now losing touches to Quinshon Judkins.
Patience still may need to be practiced, even when the rookie is vaulted to the top of the depth chart. That's where we find Washington's Jacory Croskey-Merritt due to the season-ending Achilles injury for Austin Ekeler. Still, it seems unlikely that Dan Quinn and Co. are going to fully commit to Bill as the bellcow.
Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt is now officially the #Commanders RB1. He was listed as RB4 ahead of week 1 vs the NYG.
I asked him about those expectations today.
"I’ve still got to go out there and do my job and still earn their trust to be the starting running back." @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/9vXru8K5Bo
— John Doran (@JohnDoranTV) September 17, 2025
The previously inactive Chris Rodriguez Jr., plus third-down back and special teams ace Jeremy McNichols, will have backfield touches. The roster crunch forced Washington's coaching staff to deactivate Rodriguez, who received glowing reviews in camp, on game days. McNichols is the superior player on special teams, Ekeler was the do-it-all veteran, and Croskey-Merritt outplayed Rodriguez for the early-downs role.
JCM could, and should, get the majority of the opportunities on Sunday. But we saw a lot of McNichols last Thursday night once Ekeler departed the game. Roriguez was rumored to be the goal-line back during training camp. The high-value touches could be going away from Croskey-Merritt in a messy three-headed backfield.
Plus, the Washington offense as a whole may be taking a step back with quarterback Jayden Daniels (knee) iffy for the Week 3 matchup against Las Vegas. The Raiders successfully stumped New England's rushing game in Week 1 (45 yards on 13 running back carries) and followed it up with a blockade against the Chargers (52 on 16) on Monday. It's a small sample size, but worth noting.
Be excited about Croskey-Merritt's potential for the rest of the season! It just may make more sense to let the division of labor shake out and wait for the rookie to showcase why he should command more touches.
James Conner (RB, ARI) at San Francisco
Is James Conner finally starting to show his age?
The 30-year-old is averaging 3.2 yards per carry through the first two weeks and 3.4 yards per touch when factoring in his five receptions. There's further concern about those numbers when looking at Arizona's opponents, Carolina and New Orleans, the worst and second-worst run defenses last season. The Saints may be an improved unit, but Carolina doesn't seem to be. They allowed Jacksonville to rack up 200 rushing yards in Week 1. Plus, according to PlayerProfiler, Conner is facing a light front 91% of the time. Woof.
Naturally, the Cardinals are getting second-year back Trey Benson more involved. The former third-round pick was the two-minute drill running back against Carolina, in addition to mixing in on early and third downs. His touches per game have increased from five last year to nine, while Conner's decreased from 17.7 to 14. A touchdown in both games has saved the veteran.
James Conner just had two smash matchups and only managed 23 carries for 73 yards.
Meanwhile, Trey Benson has looked rock-solid.
— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) September 16, 2025
Again, this all came in games that Arizona led (until they nearly gave both games away). What happens when a superior team, like the San Francisco 49ers (despite all the injuries), lines up across the field? They're respectable against opposing running backs (11th-fewest fantasy points per game). Not only am I fading Conner this week, but I'd try to sell him while he still carries the reputation of a ringleader.
Josh Jacobs (RB, GB) at Cleveland
For the umpteenth year, there's not much for Browns fans to be excited about. The team is 0-2, has the third-worst point differential through two weeks, has a brutal upcoming schedule, and the quarterback of the future may not even be on the roster yet.
But there is one thing they're doing right, and that's stopping the run. Team management took a top-5 defense against fantasy football running backs last season and added two new defensive tackles, including fifth-overall pick Mason Graham, and spent their second-round selection on run-stuffing linebacker Carson Schwesinger. The unit is now the best against the run (45.5 yards per game) and second in the fantasy points department (11.75). The brick wall limited Chase Brown in Week 1 and stifled Derrick Henry last week.
I spoke with #Browns Safety Grant Delpit this week who told me of Jordan Love: “We know he’s gonna let it fly…”
The Browns have the #1 Total, #1 Rush, #3 Pass defense in the NFL. This is gonna be a fun one in Cleveland… @nflnetwork @NFLGameDay #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/v3s1PUBmXO
— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) September 19, 2025
Before we go any further, no, you're not actually benching Josh Jacobs. Browse NFL power ranking articles across the internet and you'll find Green Bay consistently in the top five, while Cleveland is at or near the bottom. The Packers are more than a touchdown road favorite. The game shouldn't be a close contest. That could lead to a run-heavy game script.
Cleveland's matchup with the Ravens wasn't close either, and Henry finished with 23 yards. Green Bay's running back is averaging over 20 touches per game. That's a number I expect to see again. It's a matter of efficiency, and Jacobs hasn't been great in that department so far this season (3.6 YPC, four yards on one reception). He also has a two percent target rate in the passing game.
If Cleveland continues on their run-stuffing journey, Jacobs will need a touchdown to turn a productive day. A touchdown-dependent RB1 isn't something we like to bank on for a fantasy matchup.
Chris Olave (WR, NO) at Seattle
The Spencer Rattler experience in New Orleans has gone surprisingly okay so far. Sure, the team is 0-2, but they've been competitive and, more importantly, Rattler is supporting multiple receivers for fantasy football.
Juwan Johnson's emergence is the most exciting development, especially with most of the middle-round tight ends failing to live up to their draft capital. Chris Olave, on the other hand, isn't as riveting. He's been consistent (12.4 and 11.4 PPR points), but consistently boring. The targets are there (11.5 per game), but the average depth of target (9.5 yards) is leading to the safest of floors.
Unfortunately, we may take the elevator down a few floors on Sunday. This is the first road test for Rattler and the Saints, and it comes against a Seattle defense that has surrendered the fewest receptions (11) and second-fewest yards (173) to wide receivers through two games.
Olave is ranked as a WR3, but there's very little upside this weekend. Avoid him in lineups if possible, but there should be better days ahead.
Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman (WR, CLE) vs. Green Bay
A Cleveland double dip!
Through two games, Green Bay is where offenses go to die. The Detroit Lions went from "Panic! Ben Johnson is gone!" to a five-touchdown fiesta. The Packers took away Daniels' mobility in Week 2. In both instances, a garbage-time touchdown made things look much better than it was.
While the wide receiver target share is mostly consolidated between Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, there are two tight ends and a pass-catching running back competing for the ball. Jeudy leads the team with 16 targets. Harold Fannin Jr. and Tillman aren't far behind with 14. Dylan Sampson (11) and David Njoku (10) aren't far behind.
It helps that Flacco leads the NFL in pass attempts so far, but it hasn't resulted in fantasy success for Jeudy. He's averaging a hair over 10 PPR points per game, largely due to a 56% catch rate and zero red zone targets. You could argue that Tillman is the go-to guy in the red zone, seeing as he's scored twice, but one of those attempts was definitely not intended for him.
HOW did this get through to Cedric Tillman?!
CLEvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/lQvCLggzEe
— NFL (@NFL) September 14, 2025
As for the matchup, the Packers have allowed the fifth-fewest yards and the second-fewest yards per attempt to receivers. Amon-Ra St. Brown? He busted (8.5 PPR points). Jameson Williams (6.6) was worse. Terry McLaurin was also in single digits. Only Deebo Samuel Sr., thanks to the aforementioned garbage-time score, flourished.
Kyle Pitts Sr. (TE, ATL) at Carolina
The Carolina Panthers, on paper, are one of the least worrisome defenses in the NFL. We fade passing games not because of a stingy secondary, but because the Panthers are so bad at stopping the run. If the Falcons want to win this game by pounding the rock, they can. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier form one of the best running back duos in football, and Atlanta averages the fourth-most rushing yards per game.
Expect the backfield to be options one and two for the Falcons on Sunday, followed by wide receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney. Then, we get to Kyle Pitts. Pitts saw eight targets in Week 1 with Mooney sidelined and London departing the game before overtime. Mooney made his season debut in Week 2, taking some of the few opportunities away from Pitts. Michael Penix Jr. only threw the football 21 times, Pitts saw five targets, and Atlanta won the game. The total number of attempts may not be much higher this week.
Though Carolina is a plus matchup for tight ends, and has been for several years, Pitts has a mediocre history against his division rivals. He's averaged 2.5 catches and 41.5 yards (with zero touchdowns) over the last four games against the Panthers.
Baker Mayfield (QB, TB) vs. New York Jets
A popular hypothesis for the 2025 season was that Baker Mayfield's outlandish 7.2% touchdown rate in 2024 would crumble, and he wouldn't live up to his draft capital. So far, that hasn't panned out at all. He has five passing scores, good for a 7.1% clip. His rushing success, also a 2024 outlier, has improved.
Thankfully for those who drafted the former first-overall pick, he's thriving in those statistics, because the passing average has plummeted from 264 yards per game to 191. He currently ranks 25th in passing yards in the young season.
Injuries surrounding Mayfield may not improve the offensive output. Both offensive tackles (Luke Goedeke and Tristan Wirfs) are injured. Goedeke will miss the Week 3 contest against the Jets, as will starting guard Cody Mauch. Wirfs is recovering from offseason surgery and is a question mark. WR2 Emeka Egbuka (hip/groin) hasn't practiced this week. Chris Godwin (ankle) isn't likely to make his season debut.
Bucs guard Cody Mauch's knee injury is significant enough he will require surgery that is expected to end his season. Another major loss for the Bucs, now down three starting OLs in the short term.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 18, 2025
It could be Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Rachaad White, a patchwork offensive line, and Mike Evans, and the latter may be shadowed by one of the NFL's best cornerbacks, Sauce Gardner. The Jets have been more beatable on the ground this year, and the Bucs may lean on their running game to move the football and better protect their franchise quarterback, leading to less-than-ideal results for Mayfield.
Russell Wilson (QB, NYG) vs. Kansas City
Benching the NFL's passing yards leader? You betcha.
Russell Wilson's 450 yards in Week 2 puts him in the lead 🚀 pic.twitter.com/IEWuetrBJq
— NFL (@NFL) September 16, 2025
The hardcore fantasy football players scouring the internet for analytics and browsing RotoBaller for start/sit decisions already know the drill. Don't chase the points! Not all 450-yard, three-touchdown bonanzas are created equally.
The Dallas Cowboys gave up the most fantasy points to quarterbacks last season. They've since traded their best pass rusher, Micah Parsons, and All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland is out with a foot injury. Quarterbacks are looking to feast against the Cowboys' defense.
Against a better defense, like the Washington Commanders in Week 1 or the upcoming Kansas City Chiefs, Wilson won't fare as well. The longtime Seahawk threw for more than 2.5 times the yards in Week 2 than he did in the season opener. 168 yards and no touchdowns is a disaster.
Wilson may land somewhere in the middle against Kansas City - a game that the Giants should trail often, even at home, but that still won't be good enough for starting lineups. Plus, if the score gets more out of hand than oddsmakers predict, then rookie Jaxson Dart is waiting in the wings to take the job from Wilson.
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