Week 3 of the NFL season kicks off this Thursday with the Pittsburgh Steelers going to Cleveland for a divisional matchup with the Browns. As far as fantasy football goes whether you’re 2-0, 1-1, or 0-2 you probably have some questions or concerns about your team given all the injuries that have taken place so far. With all the data out there it’s becoming easier to find the start and sit options week to week.
READ MORE: Week 3 Waiver Claims | Week 3 Stream Team
Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 3
Quarterback Starts: Kirk Cousins and Joe Burrow
Kirk Cousins does not play in primetime so you are free to throw him back in your lineup this week! Cousins has a matchup against a Lions defense that is bottom five in sacks and sack rate going into week three. The over/under for this week three matchup is 53.5 which is the highest total this week. This is lining up to be a high-scoring competitive game against a Lions secondary that is very bad. In the first two weeks, the opposing team is averaging 39 pass attempts per game vs the Lions. Don’t be afraid to throw Cousins back in your lineup this week.
The Bengals offense has struggled so far in the 2022 season. Quarterback Joe Burrow has been sacked 13 times in the first two games this season. Luckily for Burrow, he doesn’t have to worry about TJ Watt or Micah Parsons this week. He plays against a Jets defense that struggles to rush the passer and struggles in the secondary. The national media and Bengals players were critical of head coach Zac Taylor after the Week 2 loss vs the Cowboys.
Here's Joe Burrow yelling to Zac Taylor: "No empty set."
You can actually hear him say it. #Bengals used Joe Mixon as a blocker the next play. Burrow was sacked. Led to a FG. pic.twitter.com/dyOBm1GSiP
— Jeremy Rauch (@FOX19Jeremy) September 19, 2022
Positive adjustments should be made this week to allow Burrow to throw all over this young Jets secondary. The Cowboys and Steelers both rank top 12 in sack rate while the Jets are bottom 10. The Burrow struggles will end this week.
Quarterback Sits: Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers travel to Tampa Bay this Sunday for a matchup against the Bucs. Rodgers has struggled this season without Davante Adams as expected. He got Allen Lazard back this week and that certainly helped but he’s got a rough matchup this week. The Buccaneers rank top 10 in completion percentage, YPA, passing yards, and sacks so far this season.
The Bucs defense has scored more points this season than the offenses they’ve faced
— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) September 18, 2022
They are also still very good against the run which is important with the Packers being a run-heavy team without Davante Adams. The Packers top leaders in targets so far are Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. The Bucs rank top five in yards and targets given up to running backs so that is a matchup to watch.
Russell Wilson has struggled so far as a member of the Denver Broncos. Much has been made of Nathaniel Hackett’s mistake as a head coach but Russell Wilson’s struggles have gone under the radar. Wilson is QB20 on the season and is 25th in the league in completion percentage. Wilson is second in the league in pass attempts in the redzone with zero redzone touchdowns. Positive regression is coming but not this week vs the 49ers.
The 49ers are an elite defense with a great front seven going against an average Broncos offensive line. The Broncos also may be without Jerry Jeudy who was injured last week against the Texans. Wilson has been bad since returning from his finger injury last season, so until he proves otherwise I will be skeptical of him from a fantasy perspective.
Running Back Starts: Ezekiel Elliott and David Montgomery
Ezekiel Elliott has struggled during this season and many are questioning if he has anything left in the tank. He has a great matchup this week against the New York Giants who give up almost five yards per carry. Elliott has a great history vs the Giants, in ten career games vs the Giants, he averages over 90 yards per game and nine total touchdowns. Elliott has yet to find the endzone this season and Monday night will be a great chance for him to finally get one. If there was ever a time to confidently start Elliott, this is the week.
Same as Elliott, Montgomery has struggled this season but should overcome the slow start thanks to a great matchup. The Bears play a Texans defense that is bottom five in carries and yards allowed to running backs. The Texans are also bottom five in targets allowed to running backs. The Bears are favored over the Texans this week so he should see a heavy workload.
Running Back Sits: Chase Edmonds and AJ Dillon
Chase Edmonds led the Dolphins in touches in Week 1 but that drastically changed in Week 2. o explanation was given as to why it’s not a good look for Edmonds going forward.
Miami Dolphins
RB Snap Share:
– Raheem Mostert – 52.7%
– Chase Edmonds – 47.2%
– Alec Ingold (FB) – 34.7%— PlayerProfiler NFL (@Profiler_NFL) September 20, 2022
Edmonds is known as a speedy back with pass-catching skills but he only has seven targets in two games with six coming in Week 1. Also, the matchup this week is brutal for Edmonds. The Bills shut down Derrick Henry in Week 2, holding him to 25 yards on 13 carries. The Bills are heavy favorites this week so the Dolphins will eventually give up on the running game and if Edmonds isn’t getting targets his value is lowered this week.
AJ Dillon was one of my breakouts entering the season and was great in Week 1 and bad in Week 2. On the season Dillon has been inefficient as a runner averaging less than four yards per carry. His target share went down dramatically in Week 2, the Packers played with a lead so that might be the reason why but he has a bad matchup this week. This Buccaneers are top five in yards and targets allowed to running backs so that doesn’t help. The increase in Aaron Jones’s production from Week 1 to Week 2 also doesn’t help Dillon this week.
Wide Receiver Starts: Adam Thielen and Devonta Smith
Adam Thielen has gotten off to a rough start to the season averaging just 44 yards per game. He faced two tough matchups in the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles, he won’t have that issue this week against the Lions. The Lions are inexperienced and young in the secondary and they will be mainly worried about Justin Jefferson. Thielen will finally break out this week in an excellent matchup. So far this season the Lions have given up at least 59 yards to four different receivers. Thielen has a chance to reach that and find the endzone in this high-scoring matchup.
Devonta Smith had 15 PPR points in Monday’s game against the Vikings. This week he gets a Commanders defense that has been bad vs number two and slot receivers.
Good news: The Commanders are averaging 27.5 points per game on offense
Not good news: The Commanders are allowing 29 points per game on defense
— Pete Hailey (@PeteHaileyNBCS) September 18, 2022
With AJ Brown being the number one that leaves Smith in position to have a big game. The Commanders have given up 60 yards to three different receivers this year. The Eagles are also passing more often which will give Smith more opportunities vs a passive zone-heavy Commanders defense.
Wide Receiver Sits: Terry McLaurin and JuJu Smith-Schuster
Terry McLaurin’s fantasy numbers look okay entering Week 3 but there are causes for concern going forward. 12 targets in two games is low for a number one receiver. In Week 2 vs the Lions McLaurin only had four catches, in a game in which the Commanders trailed the entire time. On the season McLaurin only has a 13% target share, he is one of six Washington pass catches with double-digit targets.
The Commanders have six different pass catchers between a 12% and 23% target share:
Curtis Samuel- 23%
Terry McLaurin- 14%
Antonio Gibson- 14%
Logan Thomas- 13%
JD McKissic- 12%
Jahan Dotson- 12%— Frank Stampfl (@Roto_Frank) September 19, 2022
Carson Wentz is doing a good job spreading the targets around but this is bad for McLaurin’s fantasy outlook. What’s bad this week for McLaurin is his matchup vs Darius Slay. Slay shutdown All-Pro Justin Jefferson in week two and will try to do the same to McLaurin this week.
JuJu Smith-Schuster only has 11 targets on the season, he hasn’t been a huge factor for the Chiefs up to this point.
JuJu Smith-Schuster played 74% of the snaps, but only saw 3 targets and finished with 10 yards in Wk 2
He’s averaging just 7.7 air yards per target, the lowest of their WRs and behind Kelce. Maybe Big Ben’s arm wasn’t the only reason he was used like a TE the past 2 years
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 16, 2022
JuJu mainly plays in the slot and has a matchup against the Colts and Pro Bowl corner Kenny Moore this week. That is the one matchup the Chiefs don’t have an advantage in this week so the Chiefs may look to exploit other options. On the season JuJu only has two red zone targets which is the same as Marquez Valdes-Scantling and less than Mecole Hardman.
Tight End Starts: Logan Thomas and Tyler Higbee
Logan Thomas returned from ACL surgery and is one of Carson Wentz’s favorite targets. Not playing all the snaps Thomas has 11 targets in the first two games of the season. This week Thomas has a matchup against an Eagles defense that is bad at linebacker and safety. Thomas has two touchdowns in three career games vs the Eagles. The Commanders are point underdogs this week so he will have plenty of chances to put up a nice stat line.
Tyler Higbee isn’t known for being a target hog but it’s happened so far this year.
Week 2 TE Fantasy Usage
1 Zach Ertz (19.7 exp half PPR)
2 Mark Andrews (17.8)
3 Tyler Higbee (17.8)
—
4 Darren Waller (13.8)
5 Gerald Everett (13.2)
—
6 Travis Kelce (11.8)
7 Juwan Johnson (10.1)
8 T.J. Hockenson (9.7)
9 Pat Freiermuth (9.4)
10 Tyler Conklin (9.2)— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) September 19, 2022
Higbee is second on the Rams in targets with a 25% target share by a wide margin. The next closest pass catcher has 11 less targets, the Cardinals have a history of taking out number one receivers. Davante Adams had just 12 yards last week vs the Cardinals and Cooper Kupp’s worst game last season was against the Cardinals. The Cardinals have given up a touchdown to three different tight ends so far this season.
Tight End Sit: Kyle Pitts
Kyle Pitts has been the biggest fantasy disappointment this season. He had a great rookie year with over 1,000 yards but only scored one touchdown, He was expected to do the same but add to the touchdown total, neither has happened so far this season. Pitts has 38 yards on 10 targets this season and has been a non-factor.
Arthur Smith when asked about Kyle Pitts lack of targets: "It's not fantasy football. We're just trying to win."
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) September 18, 2022
He has one redzone target which ranks second on the team in tight end targets. Rookie Drake London has broken out so far this season and is showing why he was a top ten pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. London’s early breakout has impacted Pitts targets, also the Falcons inability to use Pitts correctly has impacted his role as well. The Seahawks only allow four targets per game to the tight end position.
