With two weeks under our belts, fantasy football managers are either looking to get into the win column or stay above the majority of their leagues. As each week progresses, the start and sit decisions grow equally more important.
Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.
Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.
You also can check out our start and sit bench list for Week 3.
Here is a look at some of the tough start and sit decisions in fantasy football for Week 3:
Sit: TE Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
Waiting around until Monday night to see if Schultz will play may not be the wisest choice. Even if he is active against the New York Giants, the matchup and situation with Cooper Rush isn’t all that enticing. Schultz is likely a mid-to-backend TE2 for the week if he’s active for the primetime game.
Start: TE Irv Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings
For those in need of a quick fix at the tight end position may be in luck. After a brutal goose egg in Week 1, Smith bounced back in primetime with five receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown while posting a 17.4% target share in Week 2. Now, Smith will face off against a Lions defense that is allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to the position to open the season. If you’re in a pinch, Smith could be a solid start in a game that could be high scoring.
Sit: WR Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
No one should be doubting McLaurin’s abilities as a receiver. He’s pretty good at this football thing. But talent doesn’t always correlate to fantasy points. Wide receivers are inherently inconsistent, and with Curtis Samuel leading the team in target share and Jahan Dotson playing just as many snaps as McLaurin, Carson Wentz has looked away from his No. 1 receiver. In Week 3, McLaurin could draw a lot of attention from Darius Slay, who was integral in shutting down Justin Jefferson on Monday Night Football.
Start: WR Treylon Burks, Tennessee Titans
The rookie wideout is starting to make some very intriguing progress as a potential boom candidate for the second half of the season. He should certainly be picked up if he’s on any waiver wires and can even be considered for a start for teams with flex trouble. Though we want to see his snap count rise, Burks is still being targeted at a high rate when he’s on the field. His six targets and 25% target share led the team in Week 2, and he finds himself in a much more favorable matchup against the Raiders.
Sit: RB Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
Jacobs is listed as questionable due to an illness, which means he still has a chance to play. While the matchup against the Titans is a favorable one for running backs, managers should probably look the other way this week. Even if he’s active, the illness could bring lingering effects, and the Raiders could simply use more of a committee approach with Zamir White, Brandon Bolden, and Ameer Abdullah.
Start: RB Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
Pierce saw a strong workload in just the second regular season game of his career. He took 15-of-16 backfield carries for the Texans in Week 2 with Rex Burkhead seeing the other rush attempt. While his work in the passing game leaves much to be desired, Pierce could find his way into the RB2 range against a Bears defense that’s allowed 5.3 yards per carry, especially if he finds the end zone.
Sit: QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Not having Davante Adams has truly crushed Rodgers’ upside in fantasy football. The receiving corps hasn’t stepped up, and now they will be without some of the starters going into the weekend. Rodgers has yet to post a finish better than QB17, which came in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears when he threw for two touchdowns. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense should apply a lot more pressure in Week 3 and without a full group of weapons, Rodgers should be viewed closer to the back end of the QB2 range this week.
Start: QB Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
Despite adding Davante Adams to the offense, Carr has yet to finish higher than QB11 to start the season. But for those in need of a safer start or those in need of a potential streamer (if he’s available), Carr should be in for a solid outing. Even without Hunter Renfrow, Carr gets to take on a Tennessee Titans defense that ranks 25th against fantasy quarterbacks. They’ve allowed multiple touchdowns in each week. Even though the Titans have a pretty high pressure rate (30%), they only have three sacks on the season. Carr is a solid QB2 with a bit of upside to finish as a back-end QB1.
