Starts and sits is here to help fantasy managers make those all important last minute lineup decisions .While we won’t tell you about obvious starts such as Christian McCaffrey or Justin Jefferson, we will find players you may be waffling about and help you make a decision.
Let’s look at running backs for Week 3.
Start: Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
The franchise running back for the Las Vegas Raiders hasn’t quite looked like himself lately, especially after a putrid performance against the Buffalo Bills last week where he ended up with negative yardage on nine carries. There isn’t much better medicine than a matchup against the team that is giving up the most yards per carry in the league in the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Raiders want any shot to win this game they will need to feed their star player plenty of carries, and he should see plentiful running lanes against a surprisingly porous Pittsburgh run defense.
Start: D'Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles
Though the matchup against a stout Tampa Bay run defense is less than ideal, it was clearly established last week against the Vikings that D’Andre Swift is the most talented ball carrier for the Eagles, and will be the workhorse moving forward. Swift should quickly find his way to the top of the fantasy football ranks of a top ten running back, and given the offensive line Swift runs behind he becomes completely matchup proof. Fire of D’Andre Swift confidently as a RB1.
Sit: Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens
Although Gus Edwards has set himself up as the primary ball carrier for the Baltimore Ravens following the injury of J.K. Dobbins, it will be hard to trust him this week against the best run defense in the league. The Ravens will continue to pound the rock, but it certainly feels more like a Lamar Jackson game than a Gus Edwards game. Edwards will be a touchdown dependent flex option this week.
Start: Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns
An unfortunate leg injury to Nick Chubb that saddened football fans everywhere has opened the door to a different running back to come in and potentially be a league winner for managers who won the waiver wire lotter for Jerome Ford. With one of the best run blocking lines in front of him, and enough talent to make the most of it, Ford is going to be what the offense runs through for the rest of the year. While Ford is not the talent Nick Chubb was, he did look good last week in relief. The Tennessee defense is great against the run, but you can safely project Ford for enough volume for it not to matter that much.
Sit: Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears
It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the Chicago Bears don’t go down big early against the Kansas City Chiefs’ explosive offense. Chicago has one of the worst passing defenses in the league, and Patrick Mahomes is going to take full advantage of that. Khalil Herbert stands to have a poor game just due to the fact Chicago will have to move off a running game very early in the day. Some easy check downs could help spare his day, but it is hard to see Herbert as anything more than a risky flex option this week.
