Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 3
Passing and scoring are down significantly after two weeks. Also, injuries have piled up. That common has fantasy managers scrambling. Our Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 3 will help you make the best decisions to get yourself a crucial victory this week.
Subsequently, our Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em Week 18 will help you navigate that turbulence to pick a winning lineup in the 2023 season finale. Additionally, FullTime Fantasy has some of the top tools of the trade and accurate rankings.
Quarterbacks
Start ‘Em
Derek Carr (New Orleans Saints) vs. Philadelphia
Derek Carr ranks fourth in fantasy points among quarterbacks, despite being 31st in pass attempts. Carr is on fire, leading the league in both Pro Football Focus’s passing grade and NFL Next Gen Stats’ completion percentage above expectation. Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak is pulling out all the stops with heavy use of pre-snap motion and play action, leading the league in both categories. Expect Carr to stay hot this week at home against the Eagles, whose pass defense ranks 25th in DVOA and 24th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks.
Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) vs. Denver
Baker Mayfield is off to a red-hot start in 2024, posting QB2 and QB5 finishes in fantasy. He currently leads all quarterbacks in total fantasy points. He’s set up for another big game this Sunday against a Broncos defense that ranks second-to-last in pass defense DVOA. The Buccaneers are projected for 23.25 points, making their offense one of the top-scoring units of the week.
Sit ‘Em
Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) vs. Baltimore
Cowboys fans, brace yourselves! Dak Prescott has struggled in his first two games, failing to top 13 fantasy points or throw for multiple touchdowns. He’s added minimal value with his legs, rushing for just 15 yards so far. He hasn’t been a threat on the ground in years. Now, he faces a Ravens defense that ranks sixth in sack rate and has allowed just two passing touchdowns. Baltimore’s defense even held Patrick Mahomes to 15 fantasy points in Week 1. With Prescott’s early struggles and the tough matchup, it might be time to look elsewhere.
Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars) at Buffalo
Trevor Lawrence has only thrown one touchdown through two games and hasn’t cracked 14 fantasy points yet. Lawrence is allergic to throwing TDs after only having 21 in 2023. His best passing yardage total is just 220, and in Week 2 he only managed 16 passing yards in the first half. The Bills’ secondary is good, allowing the third-lowest yards per attempt and ninth-lowest pass EPA in the NFL. Given Lawrence’s early-season struggles and the tough matchup, you’re better off finding another quarterback this week.
Running Backs
Start ‘Em
Zack Moss (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Washington
Zack Moss’s fantasy production hasn’t exploded yet, but it’s going to happen. He’s out-touched Chase Brown 21 to seven in carries and five to three in targets. Moss is primed for a breakout in Week 3, as the Bengals are 7.5-point favorites at home against the Commanders, who are getting gashed by RBs.
Tony Pollard (Tennessee Titans) vs. Green Bay
Tony Pollard is sitting at RB12 so far this season. He’s been a workhorse, ranking in the top 10 for both rushing attempts and targets. Meanwhile, Tyjae Spears is dealing with an injury and missed practice time this week. Pollard will face a Green Bay Packers defense that has given up the seventh-most fantasy points to running backs this season.
Sit ‘Em
D’Andre Swift (Chicago Bears) at Indianapolis
D’Andre Swift’s season is off to a sluggish start, averaging just 2.0 yards per carry, tied for the lowest among backs with at least 20 attempts. He’s been hit behind the line of scrimmage on 37.5% of his runs, the highest rate among backs with that volume. While the Colts have allowed the most rushing yards this season, they’ve also faced the highest number of attempts. With the Colts favored Swift might struggle to turn his opportunities into meaningful fantasy points this week.
Najee Harris (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Najee Harris has been the Steelers’ leadback through two games, but his stats are underwhelming. He has yet to score more than 8.9 PPR points, and Jaylen Warren played more snaps than Harris in Week 2. The Chargers haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown yet, and Harris doesn’t figure to see much work in the passing game. Finally, if he doesn’t find the end zone, his fantasy output will be limited. He’s a flex play at best this week.
Wide Receivers
Start ‘Em
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks) vs. Miami
After a quiet Week 1, Jaxon Smith-Njigba broke out in Week 2 against the Patriots, hauling in 12 catches for 117 yards on 16 targets. Hopefully, this continues especially with DK Metcalf continuing to dominate. Smith-Njigba enters Week 3 as a potential WR2 against the Dolphins. Look for the Seahawks’ passing attack, led by Geno Smith, to continue leaning on Metcalf and Smith-Njigba.
Dionte Johnson (Carolina Panthers) vs. Las Vegas
Dionte Johnson’s first two weeks have been rough, with just five catches for 34 yards on 12 targets. However, things could turn around in Week 3 as the Panthers switch to Andy Dalton at quarterback in place of Bryce Young. Facing the Raiders, who have allowed at least one wide receiver to score 14.9 PPR points in every game this season, Johnson could rebound as a WR3 in fantasy lineups this week. If Andy Dalton can even run a functional offense, Johnson can turn his season around.
Sit ‘Em
Xavier Worthy (Kansas City Chiefs) at Atlanta
Xavier Worthy may be the Chiefs’ No. 2 receiver, but he’s only played in under 70% of their snaps and has just two catches along with a single carry in each of the first two games. The Chiefs are 3.5-point favorites this week, and they may opt to run the ball more even without Pacheco. Worthy is also dealing with a quadriceps injury but was a full participant in practice, making his role uncertain.
Michael Pittman (Indianapolis Colts) vs. Chicago
Despite commanding a healthy 30% target share, Michael Pittman’s fantasy output has been disappointing, averaging just six points per game. Colts QB Anthony Richardson has struggled mightily, posting one of the league’s lowest completion rates. With the Colts’ offense leaning heavily on the run and Pittman not being targeted downfield, his fantasy value is on the decline. He faces a tough Bears defense this week. Therefore, it’s better to leave him on your bench.
Tight Ends
Start ‘Em
Dallas Goedert (Philadelphia Eagles) at New Orleans
Dallas Goedert ranks 12th in fantasy points among tight ends this season. This mirrors his performance from past seasons, where he’s been a steady contributor despite a lack of touchdowns. He just doesn’t get those gimme play-action passes by the goalline all the other TEs get. With the Eagles as slight underdogs against the Saints and A.J. Brown likely to miss another game, Goedert should continue to be a focal point of the offense.
Mike Gesicki (Cincinnati Bengals) vs. Washington
Mike Gesicki is coming off a strong Week 2 performance with seven catches for 91 yards, and now he’s facing one of the worst pass defenses in the league in a Monday Night Football showdown. Finally, f Tee Higgins is unable to play, Gesicki’s value only rises. Even if Higgins suits up, Gesicki remains a viable option in this juicy matchup.
Sit ‘Em
Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Los Angeles Chargers
It’s just not clicking for Pat Freiermuth this season. He had a slightly better performance in Week 2, but he still only managed 7.9 fantasy points. The Steelers’ passing game has been limited, with most of their plays happening close to the line of scrimmage. Freiermuth is touchdown-dependent, and without finding the end zone, he offers little upside. Subsequently, he’s best left for someone else to stream this week.
Dalton Schultz (Houston Texans) at Minnesota
Dalton Schultz’s target share has plummeted this season, dropping from 19.4% to 10.2%. The addition of Stefon Diggs and the Texans’ healthier receiving corps have eaten into his opportunities. Houston’s matchup against Minnesota doesn’t help either, as the Vikings boast one of the best coverage units so far. Schultz is also nursing an ankle injury and was limited in practice. It’s wise to look elsewhere for tight end production this week.
