Dallas Cowboys And 3 Other Fantasy Football Week 3 Must-Sit Defenses

There is nothing worse than a defense in fantasy football doing more harm to your team than good. In Week 3, there are a good number of defenses set up to do just that. With that, here are four defenses no fantasy manager should have in their lineup this week.

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins have problems all throughout their roster, and that has been extremely prevalent through the first two weeks of the season. They have given up 31.0 points per game, which is tied for the third-most in the NFL. In Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, they are set up to give up a large amount of points again.

The Chiefs scored 31 points in Week 1, and in Week 2 they scored 33. One part of their offense that has given them new life in 2026 is their run game. This should be an area where the Chiefs can dominate the Dolphins' defense.

The Chiefs' RB1, Kenneth Walker III, has a combined 290 rushing yards this season. The Dolphins, especially in Week 1, struggled to limit the opposing team's RB1’s production on the ground and in the air.

RB1 for the Las Vegas Raiders, Ashton Jenaty, in Week 1 against Miami had 23 carries for 102 yards. He also had six receptions for 45 yards and two TDs.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys' defense looks to be terrible again in 2026. In 2025, they allowed the most points per game of any team in the NFL, 30.1. Over two games this season, they are allowing the 13th most points per game, 24.0. They should have a higher average, but after they limited the Washington Commanders to 20 points in Week 2, it went down—Commanders QB Jayden Daniels left the game in the second quarter with an injury.

Going against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3, Dallas should struggle mightily to keep them out of the endzone. That stems from the Cowboys allowing the third-most rushing yards per game in the NFL thus far, 173.5. The Ravens, with their elite rushing QB and RB tandem of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, are averaging the fourth-most rushing yards per game of any team so far this season, 155.0.

Arizona Cardinals

The San Francisco 49ers have an offense that no team in the NFL should want to go against right now. They are averaging the eighth-most yards per game in the NFL and are tied for averaging the fourth-most points per game, 31.0. Their offense does not come off the field, as proven by them averaging just 2.0 punts per game so far, tied for the second-lowest average in the league.

The Cardinals, after dropping 31 points to the Seahawks in Week 2, are going to have just as hard a time slowing down San Francisco, making them a simple must-sit defense this week in fantasy.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions, on the surface, may seem like a decent play in fantasy in Week 3, but their Week 3 opponent, the New York Jets, are a completely different team this season. Through two games, they are averaging the 14th-most yards per game in the NFL. Also, they have done a great job of taking care of the ball. New York’s offense has not had a single turnover in 2026.

With the Lions' defense allowing 30 points in Week 1 and 41 in Week 2, this is not the bounce-back matchup for them that some fantasy managers may think it is.

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