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Fantasy Football Starts & Sits Week 3: Click, Click, Bait

Fantasy Football Starts & Sits is back for Week 3 of NFL action. It looks like there is some work to be done as I have dipped below .500 after Week 2. Injuries were the name of the game in affecting some starts and sits including Jarvis Landry and Tyrod Taylor in week two. Plus some growing trust issues I have with certain franchises and the way they handle certain players like Cole Kmet and Ronald Jones.

My record heading into week three is: 

  • Starts: 4-9
  • Sits: 6-2
  • Overall: 10-11

Let’s get this rolling with a look into Week 3!

Starts & Sits Week 3: Quarterback

 

Daniel Jones (vs. ATL) START

Daniel Jones is currently the QB5 in PPR leagues. Yes, you read that right. Despite the Giants being a bottom-dwelling team, DJ is giving managers what they hoped for. Back-to-back games of 25+ fantasy points, 20+ pass completions, and one passing touchdown and rushing touchdown.

The Atlanta Falcons have struggled early on against quarterbacks allowing back-to-back 30 point games. One to Jalen Hurts, the other to Tom Brady. They also allowed 250+ yards and 3+ touchdowns through the air in each game. Barkley should really crank it up and return to form with the extended rest. Evan Engram could be back. Plus he’s got an army of weapons in the wide receiving room. Jones not only has QB1 upside but could be THE QB1! 

Jameis Winston (vs. NE) SIT

The New England Patriots defense has looked good. Really good! They made Zach Wilson’s life a living hell last week with four picks. In Week 1, they gave Tua a tough matchup. Additionally, they have only allowed one total passing touchdown. They have given up less than 210 yards and have had a pick in each game. Sure, Tua and Wilson aren’t the creams of the crop for fantasy quarterbacks. Neither is Jameis Winston and his lackluster weaponry.

Winston is coming off a dud against Carolina where he completed 11 passes for 111 yards, one rushing TD, and two interceptions. This was good, more likely bad, for 13.5 PPR points. Winston has a spotty history of decision-making. Pair that with the fact he hasn’t thrown for 150 yards in a game through two weeks. This isn’t a good combination of output and matchup brewing.

Starts & Sits Week 3: Running Back

 

Javonte Williams (vs. NYJ) START

Last week, I took MelGo, this week I am going to Javonte Williams. Javonte may have lost some snap share in week two to Gordon, but his workload remained. This week the duo face a Jets team that allowed James White a 18.5 point showing last week. Their defense isn’t good and both backs could reap the benefits of this matchup.

Javonte had 13 rush attempts last week after putting up 14 in week one. Even seeing an improvement in efficiency up 1.7 yards per attempt from week one to two. The receiving work hasn’t been there yet, with only two targets in two weeks. Gordon only has five. I feel this can really be the game where Javonte separates from Gordon in this tandem. Snaps and opportunity shares are there. The matchup is there.

Wheels up!

Mike Davis (vs. NYG) START

While people watch in awe at the mid-life re-emergence of Cordarelle Patterson in a putrid Falcons offense, Mike Davis is putting in work. Patterson has played 33% of snaps in both games, while Davis has played over 60%. Arthur Smith makes every attempt in a game to establish a run game, despite the game script and lack of offense. Things could get a little easier this week against the Giants who allowed back-to-back 150-yard all-purpose rushing attacks.

Davis finished as the RB18 last week and has real RB1 upside this week. Davis has rushed for 26 total attempts and seen 13 targets through two weeks. This included five red-zone touches in week one.

Finishing with back-to-back 10+ PPR finishes. Patterson did see the red zone work in week two. Davis should see the majority of groundwork, a healthy dose of air work and if even a fraction of red-zone work returns, he will pay dividends.

Antonio Gibson (vs. BUF) SIT

Antonio Gibson is currently the RB32 in PPR formats. Not exactly where owners pictured him when drafting among the top 12 RBs in a startup. Although the current major theme in fantasy goes, it is still early. After two weeks Gibson has only played between 60 and 65% of snaps. One has to wonder if the preseason foot issue may still be bothering him. He’s also dealing with a shoulder injury. Washington also targets wide receivers at a significant rate due to a negative game script.

This week Gibson will face his toughest opponent in the early season against the pass-happy Buffalo Bills. Immediately the game script likely won’t go in Gibson’s favor. The Buffalo Bills rank 6th in pass attempts this season and 1st and 2nd in yards and points per drive. While against the run, they are ranking top ten across the league including giving up zero touchdowns to running backs and only 25 total receiving yards.

As much as you want to play Gibson, save yourself a headache. This is a Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown, and Logan Thomas type of game.

Start & Sits Week 3: Wide Receiver

 

Emmanuel Sanders (vs. WSH) START

Speaking of Buffalo and their pass-heavy offense, one of my must-start wide receivers is Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders may not be exciting you in the early going of the season with production, but there are lots to like against a team struggling against wide receivers. He has been targeted 14 times with an average depth of target that ranks 7th among receivers, 17.4 yards. He is also on the field the second most to only Stefon Diggs at wide receiver in Buffalo.

As the Bills clear deep threat, a team giving up the fifth-most yards to wide receivers seems a perfect matchup. The Football Team has allowed three wide receivers to eclipse 75 yards in only two weeks. Emmanuel Sanders should see a continued healthy number of targets. Paired with his depth of the target, Sanders is bound to explode. Two teams that are targeting their wide receivers at top-five rates in the NFL clashing can only mean good things for said teams’ wide receivers.

Robert Woods (vs. TB) START

There are likely some frustrated Bobby Trees owners out there as Cooper Kupp has taken a lion’s share of the work. Kupp is leading the team in targets with 21 to Woods 13.

Woods did see an uptick in snaps last week playing 98% of the team’s snaps as the team used three wide receivers on 92% of plays, a Week 2 NFL leading amount. This week should be no different as they face a Tampa Bay Bucs team who is the #1 team against the run. Not so stout against the pass-through. They are giving up the second-most yards to wide receivers. Also, in two weeks have allowed an average of 67 PPR points per game to wide receivers.

Darrell Henderson is looking like a game-time decision which would shift the game to even more pass-heavy if he is ruled out. This feels like a week where Woods and Kupp can be rolled out with confidence. Woods is my start because of the frustrated owners questioning his reliability. Even Van Jefferson could be considered in a pinch in your flex spot. In week one, this Bucs team allowed two 100 yard receivers in Amari Cooper and Ceedee Lamb.

Brandin Cooks (vs. CAR) SIT

This is in no way throwing shade at Brandin Cooks. I love Cooks and he and Tyrod Taylor had a good thing going. Cooks has been targeted 21 times in two weeks. He pumped out 210 yards and a touchdown on 14 receptions. He is sitting pretty as the WR11 in PPR. This is absolutely a, I don’t trust Davis Mills take. Plus this Carolina defense is ahead of schedule and looking good. 

Cooks will see the targets. Mills continued to pepper Cooks with targets especially thanks to Nico Collins exiting the game as well. If you saw any of Davis Mills play last Sunday after Tyrod went down, then I can only imagine the Carolina Panthers defense is salivating at the opportunity to face him. I just can’t confidently play Cooks on Thursday night against this defense and with this quarterback.

Starts & Sits Week 3: Tight End

 

Kyle Pitts (vs. NYG) START

This feels like a cop-out, but I am rolling with it anyway! The Atlanta Falcons offense, including Kyle Pitts, is off to a slow start. I know, can you believe that as a community we thought Pitts would skip the runway and just take off from week one. Pitts looked better in week two and is seeing targets, 14 total targets, and two red-zone targets through two weeks.

There are five teams after week two who have given up 20+ PPR points per game to tight ends and the New York Giants are one of them. Pitts also saw his snap percentage go from 68 to 79% between week one and two. Oh and Russell Gage the team’s WR2 will be out this week. Ridley and Pitts could see their targets climb a bit more this week.

Mike Gesicki (vs. LV) SIT

There are a few things working against Mike Gesicki this week. Good to see he got some snaps back in week two after Durham Smythe led the Miami Dolphins TEs in snap count week one. He also caught a football in week two, which was another step in the right direction. Unfortunately, he still didn’t finish as a top 12 tight end.

Now, what is working against him?

Tua is out and Jacoby Brissett will be starting. The offense looked stagnant last week with Brissett in. Will Fuller is expected to return and will likely eat into available targets. And the Vegas raiders have shut down the likes of Mark Andrews and Eric Ebron in an opening couple of weeks. They have yet to allow over 40 yards to a tight end. Gesicki doesn’t strike me as the first tight end to crack the Raiders with so much working against him.

 

As always, good luck with your starts & sits Week 3! Be sure to follow True North Fantasy Football on Twitter at @TrueNorthFFB and subscribe to the TNFF Youtube channel so you don’t miss any content!

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