Between injuries and slow starts, the fantasy football season is causing issues for everyone. With that, it pushes us to make tough lineup decisions, which is why I'm here. The thick of the fantasy season is here, and weekly choices become more and more important as each week goes on.
Let's sort through all of that and put your lineups in a spot to pick up some wins by leaving these players on the bench in Week 3.
Tony Pollard, RB, Tennessee Titans
Even with a good matchup, Pollard is not a great option this week. With weekly PPR finishes of 44 and 36 in the first two weeks, Pollard is, at best, a fringe flex option. This week he's up against the New York Giants, who are in the bottom half of the league in rush defense. Pollard is still not an option. He's only playing on 53.5%
of the snaps, splitting time with Tyjae Spears, in what is a horrible offense that's scoring only 15 points per game.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
With TreVeyon Henderson back, Stevenson's path to production is very limited. Last week, Henderson played on 60% of the snaps, while Stevenson was down to 36%. Reggie Gilliam even played on 36% of the snaps. At first glance, Stevenson ran 6 times last week for 43 yards, which is 7.2 yards per attempt, but it's not that simple. He had a 24-yard run, which means he had 19 yards on his other 5 carries. He's not effective and is losing playing time.
Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos' offense has not looked good through two games, and I'd shy away from starting Nix. The offense has mustered only 30 points through two games, and Nix sits at 27th among quarterbacks with -0.09 EPA per play. The matchup against the Los Angeles Rams' defense isn't great, so keep him on the bench this week.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Where has the upside gone? Last season, Egbuka got off to a flying start, and that has yet to show up in 2026. With a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings' defense, it might take one more week to show up this season. The Vikings' defense is at -0.15 defensive EPA per play, which is the seventh best in the NFL. With Egbuka holding a modest 18.3% target share, I'm not convinced he's an elite option this week.
Deebo Samuel Sr., WR, San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have a ton of injuries, but Samuel still doesn't jump off the page as a great option this week. With a lack of pass-catching options healthy, the 49ers might opt for a run-heavy game plan since the Arizona Cardinals allow the 11th most (121.5) rushing yards per game. The duo of Christian McCaffrey and Kaelon Black could do the heavy lifting for their offense this week.
Stefon Diggs, WR, Washington Commanders
Diggs finished as WR8 last week, but that was buoyed by two receiving touchdowns. A 5/47/2 line is nice to see, but touchdowns are highly variable, and without them, a 5/47/0 line is nothing to write home about. There's no doubt Marcus Mariota is a viable backup quarterback, but getting the ball to Diggs and Terry McLaurin consistently against the Seattle Seahawks' defense is a bridge too far for me this week.
Romeo Doubs, WR, New England Patriots
Doubs was better in Week 2 with 12.6 PPR points, but it's mostly smoke and mirrors. A 3/96/0 line on 4 targets is nice to see, but 63 of those receiving yards came on one long catch. He could be good for a big play or two, but a 13.5% target share doesn't inspire a ton of confidence. Defensively, it's a tough matchup versus the Jacksonville Jaguars due to both their pass rush and their secondary coverage. Keep Doubs on the bench this week.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Week 3 fantasy football busts: 7 players to bench or fade
