Making tough lineup decisions each week can be the most challenging part of the fantasy football process. When you're torn between two similar players and simply don't know who to start, start the player with the superior matchup.
Ah, but exactly how does one determine the best (and worst) weekly matchups?
The matchup rankings provide a schedule independent method to evaluate positional matchups each week, ranking all 32 opposing defenses in order of most to least favorable for opposing players at all four skill positions (quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end). Instead of relying upon seasonal totals, we calibrate points allowed data to show how each defense fared relative to the difficulty of the schedule it has faced. This provides a fairer approach to judging the quality of individual matchups.
As we enter Week 4, only data from the 2025 season is used, but once six weeks are in the books, only the most recent five weeks' worth of numbers will be used.
Adjusted fantasy points allowed (Adj. FPA) reflects how far above or below players' weekly PPR fantasy point averages that defenses held opponents at that position. A positive number means that the matchup is favorable. A negative number means it is unfavorable. Additionally, remember that teams often use multiple running backs and wide receivers in a game, and these plus/minus averages cover all of a team's personnel at that position.
Finally, a caveat: Matchups are only one ingredient in my rankings formula. Not every favorable matchup should be exploited, nor every unfavorable matchup avoided. If you want my -- and ESPN fantasy staff's -- most complete source for whom to start and sit each week, consult our weekly rankings.
Quarterbacks
Matchups highlight: Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (at Dallas Cowboys). He and the Packers are coming off a devastating loss in Cleveland, but now they get a prime-time game in Micah Parsons' return to Dallas against one of the worst defenses in the league. Specifically against the pass, the Cowboys rank last in Total QBR allowed (79.5), yards per attempt (9.8) and Next Gen Stats' Pass EPA (40.7), and they're the only team to allow an opposing quarterback to score 24-plus fantasy points with a top-eight positional finish in each of their first three games.
Others to like:
Matchup to avoid: Dak Prescott, Cowboys (vs. Packers). Thanks in large part to his defense's struggles keeping points off the board, Prescott has been heavily used through three weeks, tying for the league's lead in dropbacks and passing attempts (49.3 and 42.0 per game). While he might shoulder a similar burden Sunday night, he'll do so without his No. 1 receiver, CeeDee Lamb, while facing one of the league's best defenses. The Packers have surrendered the fewest passing yards per attempt (4.8) and have the third-best Pass EPA (minus-27.7).
Running backs
Matchups highlight: Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (at New York Giants). Najee Harris' season-ending Achilles injury thrusts Hampton into the spotlight. Following Harris' departure midway through Week 2, Hampton played 86% of the offensive snaps and absorbed 14 of the team's 16 rushing attempts. That spike in usage aligns perfectly with a soft matchup against a Giants defense that has seen a league-high 43.8% of opponents' carries go for more yards than expected, per Next Gen Stats. Javonte Williams scored 25.0 fantasy points against this defense, playing 71% of the snaps and totaling 24 touches in Week 2.
Others to like:
J.K. Dobbins, Broncos (vs. Bengals)
Matchup to avoid: David Montgomery, Detroit Lions (vs. Cleveland Browns). He might have more rushing attempts this season than backfield mate Jahmyr Gibbs (22 to 21) and is coming off his best fantasy performance in nearly two years, but Montgomery is in for a matchups-fueled letdown in Week 4. The Browns have allowed the fewest rushing yards per carry (2.3) and have held opponents to 65 rushing yards beneath expected, the most in that direction in the league. They did that while facing a trio of running backs who averaged 15-plus fantasy points per game last season (Chase Brown, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs).
Wide receivers
Matchups highlight: Jakobi Meyers, Raiders (vs. Bears). Tre Tucker might have been the Raiders' Week 3 star, but Meyers remains Geno Smith's go-to guy, as Meyers' 24.5% target share leads the team (Tucker is at 19.6%). The Bears, meanwhile, have struggled mightily without two-time All-Pro CB Jaylon Johnson, surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points per game (41.3) and second-most points per target (2.48) to opposing wide receivers. That Meyers is the Raiders' usual slot receiver also benefits him facing this matchup, as the Bears' 2.49 points per target afforded slot receivers is second most in the league.
Others to like:
Matchup to avoid: Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals (at Broncos). A player of his skill set, with the league's fourth-best target share (32.3%), and having been the No. 1 selection on average in ESPN drafts during the preseason, is practically impossible to bench. That said, Chase is without his usual quarterback, Joe Burrow, was unimpressive in Week 3 (8.9 fantasy points on six targets), and now has to tangle with Broncos CB Pat Surtain II, who allowed a combined 11.7 points on eight targets as the closest defender to Calvin Ridley, Michael Pittman Jr. and Quentin Johnston, the receivers across from whom he was most frequently aligned. Chase managed only 5.7 points on six targets with Surtain as the nearest defender in these teams' Week 17 meeting last season.
Tight ends
Matchups highlight: T.J. Hockenson, Vikings (at Steelers). Hunter Henry's 29.0-point Week 3 continued the Steelers' struggles against tight ends, which date back to the beginning of last season. During that time, the team has seen 12 tight ends score 10-plus points against them, one shy of the Cincinnati Bengals' league-leading total, including AJ Barner's 10.8 in Week 2. In his first game working with Carson Wentz, Hockenson scored 15.9 points on a 25% target share in Week 3, a signal that he's still involved heavily enough to capitalize upon the matchup.
Matchup to avoid: Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (at Atlanta Falcons). He's off to a hot start, with 36.8 fantasy points on an 18.2% target share, which rank seventh and 11th among tight ends. That said, he had his quietest game yet while working with fill-in Marcus Mariota in Week 3 (6.8 points on three targets), and he's now facing one of the hottest-starting defenses against the position. The Falcons held Hockenson to 2.2 points on three targets in Week 2, and for the season they've afforded the second-lowest passer rating to the position (65.7).