Start Joe Burrow or Jared Goff? Week 3

Our Week 3 call

Start Joe Burrow over Jared Goff in Week 3.

De-vigged player props project Joe Burrow at 17.3 points and Jared Goff at 17.2, a gap of 0.2. That is inside the noise of a single catch, so treat it as close to a coin flip. Both numbers are scaled up from a partial market: the books have not posted every stat the position needs, so the rest is estimated from what they have.

What the books imply

Player prop markets imply 17.3 fantasy points for Joe Burrow, with 100 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

The books have Joe Burrow at 253.5 passing yards, 1.5 passing touchdowns and 5.5 rushing yards, with a 12% chance to score a touchdown (14, 17, 12 and 14 books).

Player prop markets imply 17.2 fantasy points for Jared Goff, with 100 percent of the markets a QB needs posted.

The books have Jared Goff at 258.5 passing yards and 1.5 passing touchdowns, with a 5% chance to score a touchdown (14, 17 and 15 books).

That puts Joe Burrow 0.2 points ahead of Jared Goff on the books.

Injury status

Joe Burrow is not on the injury report.

Jared Goff is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 3

Through Week 2, Joe Burrow played 100 percent of CIN snaps, dropped back 73 times and threw an average of 6.0 air yards per attempt.

Joe Burrow, Week 1 against TB: 64 of 64 snaps, 25 of 35 passes for 254 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 4 carries for 21 yards.

Joe Burrow, Week 2 against HOU: 60 of 60 snaps, 20 of 31 passes for 207 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.

Through Week 2, Jared Goff played 100 percent of DET snaps, dropped back 85 times and threw an average of 7.1 air yards per attempt.

Jared Goff, Week 1 against NO: 77 of 77 snaps, 26 of 39 passes for 206 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 2 carries for 2 yards.

Jared Goff, Week 2 against BUF: 65 of 65 snaps, 26 of 38 passes for 327 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, 3 carries for 7 yards.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025, Joe Burrow played 8 games for CIN and scored 139.5 PPR points, 17.4 a game, finishing QB29.

He completed 173 of 259 passes for 1809 yards, 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, and ran 14 times for 41 yards and 0 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 86 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Joe Burrow, Week 18 of 2025 against CLE: 29 of 39 passes for 236 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception, 2 carries for 17 yards, 22.1 PPR points.

In 2025, Jared Goff played 17 games for DET and scored 305.1 PPR points, 17.9 a game, finishing QB9.

He completed 393 of 578 passes for 4564 yards, 34 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, and ran 19 times for 45 yards and 0 touchdowns.

He was on the field for 98 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Jared Goff, Week 18 of 2025 against CHI: 27 of 42 passes for 331 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, 16.2 PPR points.

Their other Week 3 calls

• Start Joe Burrow over Bo Nix.
• Start Bryce Young over Joe Burrow.
• Start Joe Burrow over C.J. Stroud.
• Start Jared Goff over Bo Nix.
• Start Brock Purdy over Jared Goff.
• Start Bryce Young over Jared Goff.