NFL Week 3 Starts and Sits
By: Logan Lepiscopo
Back with another week of starts and sits! Last week out of the 12 starts and sits given 8 were the correct decision to make. This week I have made sure to include the players projected points to ensure the accuracy is correct (all scoring is the regular ESPN PPR format). We have a great slate of games for week three, so let’s hop right into the guys on your fantasy teams you need to start or perhaps bench this week.
Quarterbacks:
Start ‘em – Mac Jones (vs. BAL) Projected: 18.3
The first two weeks of the NFL season are in the books and the Baltimore Ravens look like once again there is no answer for opposing pass attacks. New England has struggled offensively to find a true identity, but I believe this is the week that Mac Jones gets comfortable in the pocket and makes big plays. It may not be enough to win this game, but I fully expect Mac Jones to exceed his 18.3 projection. Baltimore’s run defense is fairly mediocre so establishing a passing game will be essential.
Sit ‘em – Russell Wilson (vs. SF) Projected: 21.1
Broncos country, let’s cry. Russ is not going to cook this week and fantasy football managers are going to be furious when he fails to meet his projection against San Francisco. Wilson has yet to have a multi-touchdown game against two secondaries that are considered the bottom of the league. This week Russ has the home crowd in his favor, but the 49ers defense is not a push around like the Texans and Seahawks. The 49ers are allowing on average 9.8 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Russell Wilson did not have 20+ points in either of Denver’s first two games so I am very curious as to why he is projected 21.1 when he hasn’t lived up to that yet.
Running Backs:
Start ‘em – Josh Jacobs (@ TEN) Projected: 10.1
I completely understand why someone would not want to start Jacobs with the current news about an illness he has been dealing with. Though Josh Jacobs did not travel with the team he flew in separately the following day and rejoined with his teammates. Josh Jacobs has not eclipsed the double-digit point threshold through the first two weeks of football, but something tells me this is the week he does that and some. Jacobs is not seeing nearly enough receiving work in the Raiders offense, but with Hunter Renfrow out for this matchup it opens up more opportunities as Carr’s safety blanket is now gone. The Tennessee Titans are allowing 31.9 fantasy points per game to running backs, week one allowing 42.9 and week two allowing 20.9. Jacobs may be dealing with an illness but for him to fly out by himself to Tennessee gives me that hope he is going to end up suiting up and getting his usual volume.
Sit ‘em – Devin Singletary (@ MIA) Projected: 11.2
Do not think of this as a punishment for not being a worthy start last week when I said you would be, but more of a minor timeout. The football may quite honestly be run just 15 times from both teams combined. I expect this game to be passing touchdown after passing touchdown. Singletary disappointed me last week and I think he will disappoint again at Miami for week 3. Singletary is a solid running back that can get the job done, but when the passing game has been as electric as it has been it is hard to want even remotely to run the football. Singletary is a flex play at best this week, I am stacking all my chips on Singletary finishing below an 11.2 PPR projection.
Wide Receivers:
Start ‘em – Greg Dortch (vs. LAR) Projected: 8.6
Okay this one may surprise a lot of people to see Dortch up as a start of the week, but this man right here has not only been a sleeper the first two weeks of the season, but he is still not being respected as a valuable flex play for this week. In week one and week two Dortch put up 13.3 and 15.5 PPR points, on top of that he is currently the 23rd best wide receiver in fantasy football (better than both Marquise Brown and A.J. Green). Rondale Moore is out once again this week which leaves Dortch the wide receiver three spot in the Arizona offense. The Los Angeles Rams secondary is also ranked 31st in terms of fantasy points allowed to wide receivers per game. If Dortch was available in any of my league and I needed a flex play I would not just pick him up to stash, but immediately plug him into my starting lineup.
Sit ‘em – Jarvis Landry (@ CAR) Projected: 8.6
I did not have the heart, nor the cojones to say to bench Michael Thomas so I will settle for the next best receiver on the Saints depth chart, Jarvis Landry. Landry had a very quiet week two against the Buccaneers but then again nobody really had a spectacular stat line in that game. Landry still holds value as a solid flex play going into Carolina, but I am fading him down to the bench because if there is to be a wide receiver to have an outstanding game between these two NFC South teams it would be Michael Thomas.
Tight Ends:
Start ‘em – George Kittle (@ DEN) Projected: 12.6
He is finally back, and Kittle is coming into a matchup that is perfect for any fantasy football team managers that have held onto Kittle up to this point. Jimmy Garoppolo is back under center and if my memory is not fogged by the Trey Lance era, Kittle and Garoppolo had a very good connection. The Broncos defense is good in the red zone, only allowing .6 points per game to tight ends in that area of the field. Still expect Kittle to be back strong and powerful and ready to set himself back into top tight end conversations. Not playing the first two week is concerning but start George Kittle confidently this week.
Sit ‘em – Darren Waller (@ TEN) Projected: 13.6
Dawson Knox had a really good game in the second half against the Titans. After a big week against the Arizona Cardinals Darren Waller comes to Tennessee a team that has the top five least fantasy points allowed to tight ends through the first two weeks of the season. As a Raiders fan I am content with knowing that if this sit is wrong that Waller contributed to the Raiders offense and hopefully got them their first win of the season.
D/ST:
Start ‘em – Seattle Seahawks (vs. ATL) Projected: 6.8
I am at a complete loss on what defense to start this week, so I am going with a more underrated approach and picking the Seattle Seahawks. The Falcons offense is not the best, in fact with the lack of Kyle Pitts in the passing game the offense does not even look remotely as good as it can be. I like Seattle’s odds of being at home with the 12th man behind them and forcing some turnovers from Marcus Mariota and the rest of the Falcons offense.
Sit ‘em – Buffalo Bills (@ MIA) Projected: 4.7
Similar to the Vikings and Eagles game last week my reasoning is that this game should be a back and forward all out-air assault attack. That obviously did not happen because the Eagles dominated the Vikings, the main reason for sitting the Bills defense is the recent injuries. Down four members of the defense, two of which being the hearts and souls of the unit Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde. The way that the Dolphins were able to throw the football last week will likely carry over to this week with the missing pieces of the Bills defense. This game could easily be in the range of both teams scoring 30-50 points and being decided on a last second touchdown.
Kickers:
Start ‘em – Wil Lutz (@ CAR) Projected: 7.4
New Orleans is looking to bounce back after its awful offensive display against the Buccaneers last week. Carolina’s defense has not been able to make many stops through the first two weeks if any at all. I expect Wil Lutz to knock a few extra points through the uprights and if the Saints offense comes out and is a bit sluggish again Lutz should have himself a couple field goals.
Sit ‘em – Dustin Hopkins (vs. JAC) Projected: 8.1
Justin Herbert is questionable at the time of writing this article, regardless I do not think Hopkins fulfills his 8.1-point projection. I do not think the Chargers will be held to three points very often, if Justin Herbert plays, I could easily see four or five extra points on the board, but field goals are out of the picture for L.A. this week. After a tough loss on Thursday Night football to the Chiefs I expect Justin Herbert or perhaps Chase Daniel to light up this Jacksonville defense and make a big-time statement. This would result in many Dustin Hopkins extra points but not quite enough to get him to that 8.1 projection.