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Week 3 fantasy football starts and sits

Joe Mixon’s managers are facing a tough road this week.

By PatrickJudis
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The NFL season is a long one, and fantasy football is no different.

Sometimes people get too caught up with the highs and lows when all they are in the grand scheme of things are just gradual dips or bumps. It seems that we as fans have become obsessed with being among the first to call something (whether good or bad) just so it can be lorded over others.

General advice this week is to just take a breath, try again and keep moving forward. Whether that is giving your stud running back you drafted in the first round another shot in your lineup or just life in general.

Starts

Running backs

  • Ty’Son Williams, Baltimore Ravens (@ DET): Despite the Ravens bringing in a flurry of familiar names to fill their backfield, Williams still seems to be the main running back. Unfortunately, he will always lose some production to Lamar Jackson. Still, against the Detroit Lions — who have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs so far this season according to Fantasy Pros — he should be in your lineup this week.
  • Chase Edmonds, Arizona Cardinals (@ JAX): Edmonds has been reliable this year, especially in points per reception leagues. He caught five passes while having 75 total yards last week, and things will only look better this week has he takes on a Jacksonville Jaguars defense that is giving up 23.4 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs.

Wide receiver

  • DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles (@ DAL): The Dallas Cowboys have allowed an average of more than 30 fantasy points per game so far to wide receivers this season. Smith popped off Week 1 but was far more pedestrian last week against the San Francisco 49ers. Despite that, he still led the Eagles in targets, which is where you want to be heading into a great matchup like this.
  • K.J. Osborn, Minnesota Vikings (vs. SEA): You are obviously starting guys like Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. However, Osborn should still be on fantasy radars. He leads the Vikings in receiving yards and has 12 catches on 15 targets for 167 yards and a touchdown on the season. While the two top dogs are getting all the defensive attention in a shootout, Osborn may end up being one of the biggest contributors on the day.

Tight end

  • Noah Fant, Denver Broncos: Even when the Broncos weren’t forced to throw the ball all over the field, Fant managed to reach the end zone. He is pretty much a must start at this point even with the Broncos going with a two tight end look most of the time on offense.

Defensive stream

Sits

Running backs

  • Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals (@ PIT): This is just a very bad matchup for Mixon this week. I would love to be proven wrong, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have only given up a little over eight fantasy points per game to opposing running backs so far this season. It’s going to be tough sledding for the running back in this one if they hope to try and establish the run instead of establishing the pass to free up the box of defenders.
  • Buffalo Bills running backs (vs WAS): We thought Week 1 had seen the end of this cluttered backfield for the Bills when Zach Moss was a healthy scratch. Devin Singletary looked like he would be the guy, but he had issues with fumbles. Moss returned in Week 2 to score two touchdowns, but he only had 10 total touches for 34 yards despite the Bills working with a lead. Then, when you add in quarterback Josh Allen taking away red-zone rushing opportunities, it makes it easy to avoid these two in a bad matchup.

Wide receivers

  • Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team (@ BUF): No offense to Taylor Heinicke as he did some fun things on Thursday Night Football, and he should keep McLaurin relevant the rest of the season. However, the Buffalo Bills are allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season. It’s going to be rough for the passing game this week.
  • Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Bucs (@ LAR): Evans draws the Jalen Ramsey assignment this week, and the Los Angeles Rams defense has only allowed an average of 17.7 fantasy points to wide receivers this season. Tom Brady is also very good at finding the great matchup his offense has against the defense. This one just isn’t it.

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