We did well in Week One with our start/sits, but it got shaky in Week Two. I’ll admit when I’m wrong, and between a Tyler Lockett big performance and an Albert Okwuegbunam zero-point week, I have to dig myself out of a hole in Week Three.
With that being said, stick by me, and here are my Fantasy Football start/sits in Week Three:
QB Start: Matthew Stafford @ Cardinals
Matthew Stafford had a disappointing first week but bounced back relatively well against the Falcons in Week Two. Stafford finally started to spread the wealth last week, getting both Allen Robinson and Cam Akers much more involved. If this trend is to continue, we might see the Rams’ offense really start to pick up. A divisional matchup between these two teams could lead to a shootout, which is to the benefit of Matthew Stafford fantasy owners. Quarterbacks have performed well against the Cardinals thus far, and I expect that to continue with Stafford in Week Three. I’m excited about Stafford’s potential this week.
QB Sit: Trevor Lawrence @ Chargers
Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars mutilated the Colts in Week Two. In this game, Lawrence actually looked like a first overall pick, throwing for 235 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The Chargers will prove to be a much tougher matchup. They will bring a much better pass rush, along with a secondary that has made the Chiefs and Raiders struggle at times. This is a threatening defense. The only hope for Lawrence may be the Jaguars being down, which allows him to throw more, but I can’t see Lawrence having another big week. Even at his best, he only scored around 18 fantasy points, so I’m not jumping on the Trevor Lawrence hype train in this game against the Chargers.
RB Start: David Montgomery vs. Texans
David Montgomery has had 15 or more carries in both of the Bears’ games so far. In Week One, he only had 26 rushing yards, but in Week Two, he had 122 rushing yards against the Packers. The Bears clearly are going to score their points on the ground this season, whether that be with Montgomery or Justin Fields. This same dedication to the run will be shown in Week Three against the Houston Texans. Houston has been the third-worst team against the run in the league. This is the perfect combination for a huge game from David Montgomery. I think he has RB1 upside in Week Three, and I expect him to pick up his first touchdown of the season in this game as well. Start David Montgomery against the Texans.
RB Sit: Chase Edmonds vs. Bills
I’m starting to get concerned about Chase Edmonds. His usage dropped from 12 carries in Week One to just five carries in Week Two, and it was Raheem Mostert who led the Dolphins with 11 carries in that same week. This clearly a running back committee between Edmonds and Mostert, and that makes either play risky for fantasy managers. Now, Miami will get another tough matchup against the Bills, who will definitely be scoring points. This is going to lead to a pass-heavy game script from Miami, and the Bills have been good against the run. This game script, along with the unknown variable of which player will get most of the carries, leaves Chase Edmonds on my bench in Week Three.
WR Start: Rashod Bateman @ Patriots
Rashod Bateman has been a pleasant surprise for those that drafted him. Scoring a touchdown in both of the Ravens’ games so far has led to two big weeks for him. In that same stretch, Bateman has seen five and seven targets in Weeks One and Two, respectively. His workload might even increase from there since he’s the clear WR1 on this team. The Patriots’ defense isn’t scary anymore, and they’re going to give up a lot of points to the Ravens, who are looking for a bounce back after choking a huge lead against Miami. They’re going to throw the ball, they’re going to be aggressive, and Rashod Bateman will likely have another big week. He’s definitely a player to start in Week Three.
WR Sit: Robbie Anderson vs. Saints
Robbie Anderson is one of the biggest boom or bust-players in the NFL. He had a big Week One but didn’t do anything in Week Two. Part of this is his style of play, as he’s essentially just a deep threat, but part of it is quarterback play. Baker Mayfield has not been running this Panthers’ offense efficiently, and he’s struggled against both the Browns and Giants. He faces his best defense yet in the Saints, a team that just shut down Tom Brady and the Bucs offense for three quarters. Until Baker proves himself and plays with more consistency, I’m not starting any Panthers receivers not named “D.J. Moore,” so this leaves Robbie Anderson on my bench in Week Three.
TE Start: Pat Friermuth @ Browns
Mitch Trubisky has not been great as the Steelers’ quarterback so far this season. The team hasn’t been productive offensively, and they just lost a tough game to the Patriots. However, it is clear that Trubisky loves to throw the ball to Pat Freiermuth. Friermuth saw ten targets in Week One and seven targets in Week Two. This is a trend that’s going to continue during the Steelers’ Week Three matchup against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns’ secondary has been impressive with Denzel Ward and Josh Johnson, but their linebacker group hasn’t been too good against tight ends. Volume is key in Fantasy Football, and it seems like Freiermuth is worked into the game plan pretty well. He’s going to continue to see those targets, including those in the red zone. Friermuth’s upside is high, so I’m willing to continue starting him in Week Three.
TE Sit: David Njoku vs. Steelers
On the flip side of that Steelers vs. Browns game is Browns’ tight end David Njoku. Njoku was worked into the offense a bit more in Week Two than Week One, but he still only had five catches for 32 yards. The Steelers’ defense will likely put up more of a fight than the Jets’ did, but I still don’t trust Njoku’s volume in this offense with Jacoby Brissett. With T.J. Watt out, the Browns will likely attack Pittsburgh on the ground even more than they usually do. There just simply won’t be enough volume for Njoku to be effective unless he scores a touchdown. Given he hasn’t yet, I’ll be confident leaving David Njoku on my bench this week.
