You already have enough decisions to make in your daily life. Let me help you decide who to start and sit in your IDP fantasy football league in Week 3.
Just like in standard fantasy football, the biggest names aren’t always the best IDP plays. For the first half of his illustrious career, Tom Brady was a middling fantasy quarterback. Until last season, Matthew Stafford had never finished a season as a top-three fantasy quarterback. In fact, he has more finishes outside the top 10 than inside it.
The same is true in IDP. Look no further than New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. He’s the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, but he’s not an IDP star. His biggest strength is coverage and that is exactly what limits his stats. Last week, he allowed DK Metcalf just 2 catches for 8 yards on 7 targets. He dominated the matchup but finished with only 4 tackles, underperforming his projection.
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Below are six well-known defensive players. Start three of them. The other three, despite their name recognition, belong on your bench.
Players to Start in Week 3 in IDP Leagues
Leonard Williams, Seahawks DL
Williams signed a three-year, $90 million extension in late August, and he’s already playing up to it. The second-team All-Pro has a sack in each of the Seahawks’ first two games and now faces a Commanders team with a backup quarterback under center and an offensive line missing its best player. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is one of the sharpest defensive minds in football and should find plenty to attack in Washington’s offense.
Williams should make plays against the run and off the edge. Start him in your IDP fantasy football league in Week 3.
Demario Davis, Jets LB
Last season, Davis had nine-plus tackles in nine games. The Jets lost eight of them. I expect the Lions, playing on extra rest after Thursday’s game in Buffalo, to beat the Jets in Detroit. Look for Detroit to lean on the run with a late lead, creating more tackle chances for the veteran LB.
Caleb Downs, Cowboys DB
Through two games, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft has racked up 18 tackles, a forced fumble, and a pass defended. He’s already a must-start in IDP leagues, but ESPN didn’t even rank him among the top 40 DBs last week.
Dallas takes on Baltimore in Brazil this week, and Downs should have plenty of chances to make stops against a high-powered Ravens offense (tied for fourth in the league in yards per game).
Get him in your lineup if you can. He is a start for the foreseeable future in IDP.
Check out all of our Week 3 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings | MOP Rankings
Players to Sit in Week 3 in IDP Leagues
TJ Watt, Steelers DL
Watt is a superstar. If he’s on your roster, you’re starting him every week. I get it, and I respect it. But I don’t love his Week 3 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Call it less of a sit and more of a fade.
Watt primarily plays on the left side of Pittsburgh’s defensive front, meaning he typically rushes against the opposing right tackle. Enter Bengals right tackle, Amarius Mims. The 2024 first-round pick out of Georgia has stifled every pass rusher he’s faced this season. In Week 1, he didn’t allow a single pressure on 37 pass-blocking snaps against the Bucs. In Week 2, facing a Texans rush led by first-team All-Pro Will Anderson Jr. and second-team All-Pro Danielle Hunter, he gave up just one pressure on 34 pass-blocking snaps. His 99.3% pass-block efficiency ranks third-best among all tackles in 2026.
Perhaps Watt can get the best of Mims on Sunday, but I would lean towards someone else if you can.
Nick Bolton, Chiefs LB
Bolton is the ninth-best IDP linebacker on ESPN ahead of Week 3, which virtually makes him an auto-play. Normally, I would agree, but Kansas City takes on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The Chiefs are favored by 11.5 points. In the last 6 games that Kansas City has won by two scores, Bolton is averaging just 6.5 tackles per game. Expect a dip in production for the 6th-year veteran who finished tied for 7th in the league in tackles last season.
It’s difficult to sit such a productive player in your IDP league, but in Week 3, it’s the right move.
Devon Witherspoon, Seahawks DB
The Seahawks made Witherspoon the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback in August (four years, $152 million) fresh off a Super Bowl win in which he had a sack, three pressures, and a hit that set up an interception. He’s one of the most impactful defenders in football and a household name.
I fully expect another phenomenal season from Witherspoon, who’s made the Pro Bowl in all three of his years, but I don’t expect him to pad the stat sheet against Washington this week. Marcus Mariota played in 11 games last season for Washington and topped 250 passing yards just once. It’s just hard to see enough volume for Witherspoon to exceed his projection.
It’s a case where Seattle is one of the best team defenses you could start in standard fantasy football, but one of its best defenders is someone to avoid in IDP.
Witherspoon is a great player, but sit him in Week 3 if you have another worthy DB on your roster.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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