Start 'Em or Sit 'Em for Fantasy Football Week 3

Well that was a week.

Injuries blew through the NFL like a typhoon in Week 2, leaving many a fantasy season in ruins. Serious injuries felled two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers (elbow surgery) and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints (thumb surgery). As if those setbacks weren't bad enough, they cast a cloud across any number of other players, whether it's running backs Alvin Kamara and James Conner or receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Michael Thomas.

Oh, and Conner's knee is banged-up, because of course it is.

Just two weeks into the season, lots of fantasy teams are in a full-on scramble drill. Squads that are sitting at 0-2 are in danger of letting the season get away from them before the calendar hits October. As the injuries ramp up, so does the panic level.

Every lineup decision is that much more important.

To help folks get their campaigns back on track—or keep it there—I've combed through the start/sit questions posted on the Bleacher Report app to get the right guys in Week 3 lineups.

In news that should surprise no one, we kick things off with the quarterbacks.

            

Still can't figure out your fantasy football lineup for the week? Check out Your Fantasy Fire Drill with Matt Camp, and he'll solve your problems live. Submit your questions and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET, only on the B/R app.

Given the carnage under center last week, it seems only fitting that we start with a couple of quarterback questions.

True story: In August I went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame to participate in the King's Classic fantasy expert drafts. We do two drafts there—one snake and one auction.

My auction quarterbacks were Brees and Andrew Luck. My snake quarterbacks were Brees and Roethlisberger.

Good times.

The Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray and Indianapolis Colts' Jacoby Brissett had similar fantasy outings last week. Murray won the yardage battle, but Brissett threw three touchdown passes.

This pick is about ceiling versus floor. Brissett's shown he's capable in Luck's stead in Indy, but it's become clear the Colts' plan this year is to run the ball, play defense and try to keep games close after the star QB's retirement. Murray's been racking up yardage, but scores have been much harder to find.

However, this feels like the week it all comes together for the rookie at home against the reeling Carolina Panthers.

I have this same call at QB2 in a superflex league, and I'm going with Murray.

Can't say I don't put my money where my mouth is.

The Call: Murray

Then there are those unfortunate souls for whom the likes of Brissett and Murray are not options.

The thing is, though, better choices are likely available under center in Week 3 than the backup quarterbacks who have been tasked with replacing Brees in New Orleans and Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh.

Both of those fill-in signal-callers face tough road matchups against undefeated teams. The Saints' Teddy Bridgewater has to head to Seattle, arguably the NFL's toughest venue to play in. Rudolph and the Steelers face a San Francisco 49ers team that ranks 24th in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks this season.

However, the question posed is Rudolph vs. Bridgewater. And of the pair, Rudolph's an easy call.

The 49ers may not be a good matchup, but it's a better one than playing the Seahawks at Centurylink Field. Andy Dalton may have thrown for 400-plus Week 1 yards in that building, but after Bridgewater failed to find the end zone last week against the Rams, it's not likely he'll match the Bengals QB's totals—or come close.

Given the choice of this duo (or this duo and Daniel Jones, who will start on the road for the New York Giants Sunday, I'm going with Rudolph.

I just don't much like it.

The Call: Rudolph

OK, let's do one quarterback question that isn't born out of a disastrous injury—even though this one came close last Sunday night.

As Reuben Frank reported for NBC Sports Philadelphia, Carson Wentz spent time in the medical tent being tested for a concussion last week and took a number of hard shots in the Eagles' loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

However, it's not Wentz's health that has me leaning toward rolling out the Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson.

It's the health of the players around the Philly signal-caller.

Both Alshon Jeffery (calf) and DeSean Jackson (groin) were forced from Sunday night's game with injuries, and the Week 3 status of the Eagles' top two wideouts remains up in the air. Jackson in particular appears headed toward sitting Sunday's game out.

Wilson, on the other hand, is coming off a 300-yard, three-score effort in a road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. This week, Wilson and the Seahawks get the reeling Saints, who've given up the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year.

In this battle of the "W's," Wilson is, well, the winner.

Woll him out.

The Call: Wilson

After looking at the smoking pile of underperforming wreckage that constitutes my running back corps in many leagues, this question makes me a little jealous.

Austin Ekeler is the easiest call of the lot, whether your league is standard scoring or points per reception. All he's done this season is average over 140 total yards and two touchdowns per game—single-handedly destroying Melvin Gordon III's negotiating position in the process.

Todd Gurley II's per-game usage is doing a great job of giving fantasy owners heartburn, and his snap percentage decreased in Week 2 relative to Week 1. But Gurley touched the ball 19 times against the New Orleans Saints and found the end zone. He gets the No. 2 spot.

That leaves Marlon Mack (who was shut down by the Titans in Week 2) and Conner (who is nursing a knee injury for the physically ravaged Steelers). Pittsburgh will likely lean on its young tailback from here out, but between the injury and the stacked fronts he'll see Sunday in San Francisco, steering clear isn't a bad idea if you have a viable alternative.

In Mack, you do.

The Call: Ekeler, Gurley, Mack

It would be helpful to know the scoring system. In leagues that award a point for receptions, the gap between wide receivers such as Robert Woods of the Los Angeles Rams and tailbacks such as Josh Jacobs of the Oakland Raiders is narrowed.

It's the whole point of PPR.

However, in this case it doesn't matter—because Jacobs is the play either way.

It's no knock on Woods, who is an excellent player. But the seventh-year veteran is off to a slow start, with just 10 catches for 103 yards through two games. He'll also see a lot of Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward on Sunday in Cleveland.

Jacobs' matchup with the Minnesota Vikings isn't ideal, and the rookie hurt his groin against the Chiefs. But the Raiders haven't been even a little shy about feeding their rookie tailback, and the result has been an average of 18 touches for over 100 total yards and a score per game.

Assuming Jacobs plays, follow the touches.

The Call: Jacobs

This question wasn't selected so much for the query itself. With Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin coming off an eight-catch, 121-yard, one-touchdown performance with scores in both games this year and Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman scuffling, Godwin's an easy call regardless of format.

This question made the column because it was one of many that essentially asked the same thing: What should we do about Freeman after a pair of pedestrian statistical efforts.

I feel your pain. I spent much of the summer talking up Freeman as a value pick in the backfield and have quite a few shares of the sixth-year pro.

Fewer than 100 total yards through two games and 2.2 yards per carry is not what I had in mind.

If you have any kind of Plan B available, Freeman should be on the bench Sunday when the Falcons travel to face the Indianapolis Colts. But you can't trade Freeman and expect to receive anything resembling value.

As things stand, Freeman's a hold-and-hope.

The Call: Godwin

A number of pitfalls are common in fantasy football.

There's making a last-minute lineup switch, which almost always blows up in your face. 

And then there's overthinking things.

This question qualifies in that last regard.

Yes, T.J. Hockenson of the Detroit Lions had an outstanding NFL debut. A record-setting one, in fact—six catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. And yes, the New York Giants have reportedly made the switch to rookie Daniel Jones at quarterback.

But Evan Engram has caught at least six passes in both games this year. He's the top NFC tight end in PPR fantasy points on the season. And he's New York's best pass-catcher.

Plus—and this is the real kicker—are we sure the Giants won't be better with Jones under center than with Eli Manning given how the latter has looked the past couple of years?

Don't overthink it.

The Call: Engram

Again, it would help to know whether this league awards a point per reception (this week's helpful hint: Always include your league's scoring), but given the players involved, I'll operate under the assumption that it does.

Even if it doesn't, the call would be the same—just closer.

Generally speaking, in battles between wide receivers such as Tyler Boyd of the Cincinnati Bengals and running backs such as James White of the New England Patriots, the back is the way to go. It's a matter of touches—which equal opportunities for production.

But over the first two weeks, Boyd has out-touched White 19 to 15 and has a sizable lead in yardage (185-111). White did find the end zone last week, but the Patriots didn't have much need for his receiving skills against the overmatched Miami Dolphins.

The game script this week isn't likely to be much different Sunday at home against the Jets, while the Bengals have struggled to run the ball and could be playing from behind in Buffalo.

Go with Boyd here.

The Call: Boyd

I've already mentioned that Jacobs is off to an excellent start with the Raiders, averaging more than 100 total yards and a score over his first two NFL games. Entering Week 3, he's a top-10 fantasy running back in PPR formats.

And yet here, Jacobs belongs on fantasy benches...and not just because he's banged-up.

On a per-touch basis, Seattle's Chris Carson hasn't had the success Jacobs has in 2019. He's averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and lost a fumble last week against the Steelers. But Carson has also found the end zone twice and been a surprisingly big part of the Seattle passing game with nine catches.

This recommendation is all about the matchup. The Raiders are headed to Minnesota and will likely trail in the second half. The opposite could be true in Seattle, where the Seahawks should be working on a late home lead against the Brees-less Saints.

Probable game flow (and the touches that come with it) swings this one.

The Call: Carson

Time to crank out responses rapid-fire style, including a couple of the trade questions that were so prevalent this week.

They aren't quite germane to a start/sit column, but what the heck: I'm a helper by nature.

        

Joev 1920 wants to know: "What the h**l is wrong with Joe Mixon?"

It's a combination of factors. Mixon's nicked up (ankle) and had a bad matchup in Week 1, and the Bengals fell way behind against San Francisco. It'll get better—although Cincy's schedule isn't favorable for the runner.

         

RdubVikefan asked: "What to do with Mike Evans?"

Take a breath. Evans was targeted eight times in last week's win over Carolina, hauling in four passes for 61 yards. Start him as you normally would Sunday against the New York Giants

             

More Mike Evans from sergioortega10: "Trade Antonio Brown for Mike Evans?"

Brown's four-catch, 52-yard, one-touchdown line against the Dolphins in Week 2 looks good at first glance, but that came on just 24 snaps. Given the growing off-field cloud around Brown, using that good game to get value in a trade isn't the worst idea.

               

sxsuarez has a running back question: "Devonta Freeman or Matt Breida?"

This one's not close. Breida's yet to find the end zone in 2019, but he's averaging 5.9 yards per carry on 27 totes while Freeman has done next to nothing. Breida will notch his first TD of 2019 Sunday against the Steelers.

       

norski_kid47 has to go to the well at wide receiver: "Should I start Deebo Samuel or Terry McLaurin? Deep league and injuries are killing me."

McLaurin is averaging five catches, over 90 yards and a touchdown during his first two pro games. Case Keenum obviously likes him, and the Washington Redskins will be playing catch-up a lot in 2019.

             

Naaman305 has a flex question: "Pick 2. Breida, Diggs, Montgomery"

Chicago's David Montgomery carried the ball 18 times for 62 yards and a score against the Broncos—marking what could be his coming-out party. Minnesota's Stefon Diggs had a long TD last week but has just three catches on the season. Go with the running backs.

       

Kbarber6 is looking to bolster his tight ends. "Would you trade D.K. Metcalf for O.J. Howard?"

Long story short—no. This isn't to say Metcalf isn't a good sell-high candidate, but Tampa head coach Bruce Arians isn't doing Howard's fantasy value (four catches for 32 yards in two games) any favors.

       

hypeitupprod wants a review of a potential deal. "Would you trade Lamar Jackson and Joe Mixon for Dalvin Cook and Matt Ryan or is that too much?"

It might not be "too much," but I also don't think you're getting the better end of that deal. Of that quartet, Jackson's the likeliest of the bunch to maintain elite production. Losing him isn't worth the bump in the backfield.

       

winay needs wide receiver help. "Need a WR and a FLEX in standard. Kerryon Johnson, Tyrell Williams, Brandin Cooks."

This one may well be answered for you—Williams is battling a hip pointer. Go with the healthy guys.

              

Have other fantasy football start/sit questions? Post them here, on the Bleacher Report app or on Twitter [@IDPSharks] and I'll do my best to help.

Gary Davenport was the Fantasy Sports Writers Association 2017 Football Writer of the Year.