Footballguys Fantasy Football Show: Starts, Sits, and Sleepers for Week 3 (2025)
Hosts: Alfredo Brown & Dave Kluge
Date: September 18, 2025
Theme:
A rapid-fire, insight-packed rundown of key starts, sits, and high-upside sleeper picks for Week 3 of the 2025 fantasy football season. Hosts Alfredo and Dave dive into the shifting values, usage trends, and matchup nuances that fantasy managers need to know—peppered with film analysis, insider perspectives, memorable host banter, and actionable advice.
Main Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Week 3 Landscape: Emotional Reactions and Patience
- Both hosts reflect on the risk of overreacting to slow starts or hot streaks, especially for players like TreVeyon Henderson.
- Alfredo: “Everyone's going to start to quit on him. Like, I have him and I'm just going to keep starting him every week … eventually it's just going to pop off.” (00:49)
- Both warn against panic trading and locking in early biases—“I like went through all of my trade ... and I was like, what am I doing? No, no, I'm overthinking this.” (01:54, Dave)
2. Starts of the Week
Quarterback & Passing Offenses
Dak Prescott & Dallas Cowboys weapons
- Dave’s Must Starts: Dak Prescott (QB4 for the week), CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson, Javonte Williams—even deep flexes like KaVontae Turpin vs. Chicago.
- Rationale: Bears’ pass defense is “terrible” with injured corners, high implied point total (50.5), and recent explosive games allowed.
- Quote: “Start your Cowboys this week.” (03:25, Dave)
George Pickens (WR, Dallas)
- Alfredo’s Start: Leans heavily on Chicago’s corner injuries and Pickens’ heavy targets. Sees him as a locked-in WR2.
- “I want every single bit of the passing offense for the Dallas Cowboys this week.” (04:41)
Wide Receiver
Keenan Allen
- Dave: “He has just kind of like pushed himself into must start territory... Led the Bears in target share last year ... Even that feels too low. I've got him as my wide receiver 28, but he kind of feels like just a plug and play wide receiver too at this point.” (06:28, Dave)
- Discussion highlights how his age was overblown, and Allen should be treated the same as other veteran stars (Cup, Diggs, Evans, Adams).
Tight End
Juwan Johnson (Saints)
- Alfredo: “Juwan Johnson I think is just the real deal... This is a must start tight end each week. ... This is a tight end 1 must start in all leagues.” (09:13)
- Dave: Highlights Johnson’s transition from WR to TE, now hitting his stride with Spencer Rattler’s arrival. “Easy start.” (10:20)
Running Back
Quinshon Judkins (Browns)
- Dave: A riskier call—loving Judkins’ power and rapid ascent to lead back despite tough Green Bay matchup. Not just a matchup play: “He just looks so much better than everybody else.” (10:48)
- Sees volume climbing and recommends him as a strong RB3, cautiously optimistic on receiving involvement.
Isaiah Pacheco (Chiefs)
- Alfredo: “A get right game… the film is not pretty right now on Isaiah Pacheco, but the film is not pretty on the Chiefs offense altogether.” (13:33)
- Giants’ run defense has been a sieve—if Pacheco doesn’t deliver now, it may be time to move on.
- Both hosts discuss Pacheco’s issues (vision, following blockers), O-line problems, and Chiefs RB trade rumors: “Isaiah Pacheco can run, but he can't see, and Kareem Hunt can see, but he can't run.” (16:18, Dave quoting Twitter)
3. Sits of the Week
Marquise (Marquis) Brown (Chiefs)
- Dave: Major rankings outlier—cautions against chasing the 16-target outlier, insists Brown “just looked very pedestrian in those attempts” and is not a must-start. (18:19)
- Chiefs WRs’ volatility: “I don't know that we can trust any one single wide receiver on the Chiefs offense right now.” (19:45, Alfredo)
Tyrone Tracy (Giants RB)
- Alfredo: Snap share plummeted from 74% to 42%; Cam Skattebo encroaching, potential hot hand situation, and a tough KC run D. Not desperate to start him, especially amidst coaching uncertainty. (20:20)
4. Sleepers to Target in Deep Leagues
Tyquan Thornton (Chiefs WR)
- Dave: “I have Tyquan Thornton ahead of Marquise Brown in my rankings this week … He is pulling a 31.4 yard average depth of target. That is absolutely insane… He’s somebody that you can put in your flex spot that has the opportunity to score from 40/50/60/70/80 yards out.” (23:17)
- Thornton is functioning as the Chiefs deep threat while other targets are injured/suspended; huge air yards, offers true boom potential.
Matthew Golden (Packers WR)
- Alfredo: “I am willing to start Matthew Golden as a sleeper this week against Cleveland. ... They need to get Golden more involved.” (26:20)
- Jordan Love singles him out in media; had narrowly missed two long TDs last week. Browns secondary can be attacked deep, and Golden’s route tree matches team needs.
5. Notable Quotes & Banter (Speaker | Timestamp)
-
“As soon as I put him [TreVeyon Henderson] on my bench, he's just going to explode with like a 40 burger.”
B (Dave Kluge), 00:28 -
“Start your Cowboys this week.”
B (Dave), 03:25 -
“I've got Keenan Allen as my WR28, but he kind of feels like just a plug-and-play wide receiver two at this point.”
B (Dave), 06:28 -
“Isaiah Pacheco can run, but he can't see, and Kareem Hunt can see, but he can't run. That just perfectly sums up this backfield.”
B (Dave), 16:18 -
“I don't know that we can trust any one single wide receiver on the Chiefs offense right now.”
A (Alfredo), 19:45 -
“Tyquan Thornton... pulling a 31.4 yard average depth of target. That is absolutely insane.”
B (Dave), 23:17 -
“I like, love doing this show... but like 90% of the people that I'm in leagues with watch this show. ... It's like playing poker with our cards up on the table. It is so freaking hard.”
B (Dave), 29:40
6. Key Timestamps for Segment Navigation
| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | Trayveon Henderson concern | 00:28 | | Rapid-fire Start/Sit Segment begins | 02:18 | | Start: Dak & Cowboys recommendations | 02:43 | | Start: George Pickens deep dive | 03:41 | | Start: Keenan Allen argument | 04:59 | | Start: Juwan Johnson must-start at TE | 08:07 | | Start: Quinshon Judkins as a volume play | 10:23 | | Start: Isaiah Pacheco as a desperation flex | 13:33 | | Sit: Marquise Brown breakdown | 18:19 | | Sit: Tyrone Tracy & Giants backfield worries | 20:20 | | Sleepers: Tyquan Thornton upside | 23:17 | | Sleepers: Matthew Golden deep play | 26:20 | | Listener league/host banter | 29:40 |
7. Tone and Language
The episode blends sharp analysis and lively banter, with digs at each others’ fantasy luck, film-junkie observations, and “trust your gut” wisdom. Alfredo and Dave challenge each other's takes in good humor, admit to their own fantasy tilts, and keep the pace brisk, relatable, and informative—ideal for active fantasy managers.
8. Summary Table: Featured Picks
| Player | Start/Sit/Sleeper | Rationale | |-----------------------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | Dak Prescott & DAL WRs| Start | Bears’ defense reeling, shootout potential | | George Pickens | Start | Chicago’s secondary injuries, volume climbing | | Keenan Allen | Start | Veteran value, consistent usage, matchup proof | | Juwan Johnson | Start | Tight end stability, Rattler connection, favorable matchup | | Quinshon Judkins | Start | Rapid ascension, volume, power runner vs. tough matchup | | Isaiah Pacheco | Start/Flex | Must-prove vs. weak Giants, O-line issues but opportunity | | Marquise Brown | Sit | Disappointing usage, not a difference-maker in Chiefs' offense | | Tyrone Tracy | Sit | Snap drop, hot hand approach, tough run defense | | Tyquan Thornton | Sleeper | Chiefs' deep threat, huge aDOT, boom/bust flex | | Matthew Golden | Sleeper | Packers WR injury openings, downfield usage, matchup exploit |
Recommended For:
- Anyone setting lineups for Week 3 (2025) across all formats, especially managers debating flex choices, weighing low-floor/high-ceiling plays, or needing deep sleepers.
- Listeners who want friendly, actionable, and entertaining fantasy football advice without fluff.