Monday Night Football has the potential to make or break your fantasy matchup, and this week we have a MNF doubleheader slated. First, the Jets and Dolphins face off in Miami at 7:15 p.m. ET, followed by the Bengals and Broncos in Denver at 8:15 p.m. ET. Let’s highlight my start/sit fantasy football picks for both MNF matchups.
MNF Must-Starts
- De’Von Achane
- Ja’Marr Chase
Start ‘Em: J.K. Dobbins (Broncos) vs. Bengals
A trend is starting to emerge with the Bengals… start any running back that’s facing them without hesitation.
Through three weeks, Cincy is allowing a whopping 30 fantasy points to opposing backfields per contest, second-most in the NFL. This isn’t exactly a shocker, as run defense has been a struggle for the Bengals for quite some time. Jordan Mason ran all over them last Sunday en route to a 48-10 blowout, taking his 16 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
That sets the stage nicely for Dobbins, who has established himself as the clear top back in Denver. The 26-year-old has scored at least 14 PPR points in all three contests this year, also finding the end zone in each game. He hasn’t been that involved in the passing attack, but is averaging an impressive 5.4 yards per carry on solid volume. Fire Dobbins up as a high-end RB2 ahead of this advantageous matchup.
Sit ‘Em: Tee Higgins (Bengals) at Broncos
No Joe Burrow, no BIG problem for Tee Higgins.
Cincinnati’s decision to shell out massive contracts to its receiving corps doesn’t look like it will pay off. At least, it won’t as long as Burrow is out of the lineup. Jake Browning was a capable stand-in a few years ago, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case thus far in 2025.
Through 1 1/2 games, Browning has tossed a whopping five interceptions. After seeing eight targets in the Bengals’ Week 2 win over the Jaguars, that total was reduced to two in a blowout loss to Minnesota. It won’t get any easier for Browning and Higgins this week, as they travel to Denver. Ja’Marr Chase and Chase Brown deserve to remain in lineups, but I’d sit Cincy’s WR2 until he flashes consistent fantasy value again.
Start ‘Em: Breece Hall
Hall ran all over the Steelers to open the season, taking 19 carries for 107 yards, flashing upside we saw during his rookie season. Since then, it’s been a struggle for the Jets’ running game to get anything going. While Hall could certainly do more to help his efficiency, the Bucs’ and Jets’ respective defensive lines are no joke. To mitigate his lack of production on the ground, the third-year back has also stayed heavily involved in the passing game.
This week, it gets a lot easier for Hall in the matchup department. The Dolphins allow the fifth-most rushing yards per game and were just dominated by James Cook and the Bills on the ground. Mike McDaniel’s squad has allowed four rushing touchdowns over its first three contests. Hall has plenty of avenues to high-end fantasy production in this MNF matchup.
Fringe start/sit players
- Justin Fields: Lean START
- Garrett Wilson: Lean START
- Tyreek Hill: Lean START
- Chase Brown: Lean START
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em MNF fantasy picks! Stay tuned for more start/sit MNF fantasy advice next Monday!
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
