Week 2 of the NFL season is officially in the books! The NFL landscape has already been riddled with injuries and unexpected results. If you’re facing tough lineup decisions, I’ve got you covered.
Let’s break down my start/sit fantasy football picks for Week 3.
Quarterback
Start ‘Em: Derek Carr (Saints) vs. Eagles
Heading into Week 2, I highlighted the reigning QB2 (Baker Mayfield) as a start. While Mayfield didn’t put up otherworldly numbers, his 19.8 points finished fourth among those at his position.
This time around, I’m highlighting the reigning QB2 once again. Now, a month ago if you told me Baker and Derek Carr would be the best fantasy quarterbacks through two weeks, I would’ve called you nuts… but here we are.
Carr has been unbelievable through two games, racking up 443 passing yards and six total touchdowns with a 76.9% completion rate. He only completed 11 passes against the Cowboys and still racked up over 25 fantasy points. The matchup with Philly isn’t ideal, but at this point Carr has earned the right to start in fantasy lineups until he cools off.
Sit ‘Em: Dak Prescott (Cowboys) vs. Ravens
It hasn’t been the start fans were expecting from Prescott after Dallas made him the highest-paid player in NFL history on September 8.
The Cowboys’ franchise quarterback was coming off the best season of his career in which he racked up 4,516 passing yards with 36 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. That positive momentum hasn’t carried over into the 2024 campaign, as Dak has already thrown two picks and holds a passer rating of 81.4 — which isn’t worth overreacting about through two weeks but would be the worst of his career — with a 64.8% completion rate.
After being embarrassed by the Saints at home, it’s hard to trust Prescott against an elite Ravens defense — that will be especially eager to make a statement following their Week 2 loss — coming to town on Sunday.
Fantasy Advice Twitter Takeover
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Running Back
Start ‘Em: Zach Charbonnet (Seahawks) vs. Dolphins
If Kenneth Walker III is unable to suit up for a second straight week, Charbonnet becomes a must-start. However, even if Walker plays, there’s room for strong numbers for the second-year back.
Charbonnet found a path to production alongside Walker in Week 1 through the passing game, catching a touchdown. Stepping into a larger role against the Patriots, rushing efficiency was still an issue but he found the end zone for a second consecutive outing. The versatile back also caught all five of his targets for 31 yards, proving his worth in PPR leagues.
This week, Seattle takes on a Dolphins defense that has been quite vulnerable against the run. With no Tua Tagovailoa to operate Miami’s high-octane offense, the game script could work in Charbonnet’s favor even more.
Sit ‘Em: Zamir White (Raiders) vs. Panthers
While a matchup with the Panthers is incredibly enticing, White is a sit for me until further notice.
Zeus is still the lead back in Vegas, but there are two main problems. The first is his lack of efficiency. Whether you put that on the Raiders’ offensive line — which I do, for the most part — or White himself, the 24-year-old has really struggled, averaging just 3.1 yards per attempt.
The second issue is the presence of Alexander Mattison. White was out-snapped by his backfield mate in Week 1, which was quite concerning. That wasn’t the case on Sunday against Baltimore, but Mattison still found a way to vulture the Raiders’ lone rushing touchdown.
While I believe in Zeus’ talent, Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy appears content riding the hot hand, which will continue to result in an inconsistent workload for White. It’s impossible to trust him, even against an atrocious defense, until he proves himself and actually gets into the end zone.
If you want a deeper dive into the Week 3 fantasy running back landscape, check out my positional start/sit article here.
Wide Receiver
Start ‘Em: Khalil Shakir (Bills) vs. Jaguars
Shakir has emerged as Josh Allen’s definitive No. 1 option, almost doubling up the Bills receiver (Keon Coleman) with the second-most yards. The third-year speedster has racked up eight receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown through a pair of games, most recently finding a path to production in a matchup in which Allen only threw for 139 yards.
This week, Buffalo will take on a vulnerable Jacksonville secondary that has allowed the fourth-most passing yards through two games. As Allen develops rapports with his myriad of new receivers, Shakir will continue to serve as his safety valve. The 24-year-old has breakout game potential this Monday.
Sit ‘Em: Tank Dell (Texans) at Vikings
Dell appears to be the odd man out in Houston’s receiving room at the moment.
After racking up an electric 709 yards in just 11 games as a rookie, many expected him to pick up where he left off in a high-octane Texans passing attack. That hasn’t been the case so far, as Dell caught three balls in Week 1 and recorded just one reception for -3 yards Sunday night against Chicago.
Nico Collins has a stranglehold on No. 1 receiver role, with Stefon Diggs comfortably checking in as C.J. Stroud’s next-favorite option with 12 targets so far. It pains me to suggest benching Tank as I believe he’s immensely talented, but I need to see proven production before trusting the second-year speedster.
Check out my Week 3 receiver-specific start/sit article for a deeper dive into the position!
Tight End
Start ‘Em: Mike Gesicki (Bengals) vs. Commanders
The fantasy tight end landscape is once again a mess. I know, shocker.
Only six guys are averaging over 10 PPR points per game. In a bizarre turn of events, Gesicki just so happens to be one of them.
The veteran played a surprisingly significant role in Cincinnati’s passing attack against the Chiefs, catching seven of nine targets for 91 yards. His Week 1 numbers against the Patriots don’t look great on paper, but it’s worth noting he caught a touchdown that was ultimately overturned.
Whenever Tee Higgins returns to the equation — and Ja’Marr Chase starts playing like Ja’Marr Chase — Gesicki’s role will almost certainly decrease. However, I don’t expect both of those things to happen this Sunday against the Commanders, so fire up the 28-year-old tight end!
Sit ‘Em: Dalton Schultz (Texans) at Vikings
Speaking off odd men out in Houston’s receiving room, that title extends to Schultz as well.
I had concerns about the veteran’s potential role heading into the season, and they’ve been justified through two weeks. The talented tight end has received just six targets, catching five of them for 37 yards. The snap percentage has been there for Schultz (75.5%) but the rapport he boasted with Stroud last year has greatly diminished.
It may take an injury for Schultz to see consistent targets, and there are probably better options on your waiver wire this week.
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em Week 3 fantasy football picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice next week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
