Tre Tucker has 11 targets on the season and 143 air yards attached to them. That is 54.0% of everything Las Vegas has thrown downfield, which is a remarkable concentration for a receiver drawing 5.5 looks per game. He goes to New Orleans in Week 3 against a defense that has been beaten through the air rather than after the catch, and a returning teammate could change his workload before kickoff. Find out whether you should start or sit Tre Tucker in Week 3.
Tre Tucker Start or Sit Advice for Week 3
Tucker is a vertical specialist and the numbers leave no ambiguity about it. He has 146 yards on seven catches, 13.3 yards per target and three YAC across two games. Everything he produces happens before the ball reaches his hands, which makes him dependent on the throw being available.
New Orleans makes that throw available. The Saints have allowed 108.0 air yards per game to opposing receivers against a league mark of 103.0, but just 25.5 YAC per game against a league mark of 43.5. They tackle well and they concede field position. They also see traffic, allowing 20.0 targets per game where the league sits at 17.5, along with six red zone targets in two games.
The evidence lines up with Tucker’s profile specifically. Rashod Bateman put up seven catches for 88 yards and a touchdown on them, and 86 of those yards were air yards. Devontez Walker turned one target into a 47-yard gain on 46 air yards. Amon-Ra St. Brown got his on 14 targets and 40 air yards, which is not how Tucker is built. The receivers who have hurt New Orleans did it down the field, and Tucker generated 117 air yards in Los Angeles last week on his way to five catches for 119 yards. One caveat: the Saints have faced Detroit and Baltimore, offenses throwing about 17% above league average, so their totals read harsher than the defense has played.
The Biggest Fantasy Risk for Tre Tucker in Week 3
Brock Bowers. He’s been limited with a meniscus issue and is in line for his season debut, and an offense throwing 29.5 times per game cannot absorb a pass catcher of that caliber without somebody losing looks. Tucker’s air yard share should survive it better than his target count will, but 5.5 targets per game is not a number with much room to shrink.
The rest is the volatility that comes standard with this archetype. Tucker caught two of four for 27 yards in the opener, so the two-week sample holds one quiet afternoon and one big one. He has a 63.6% catch rate, a small catch radius and one red zone target despite being a factor for this offense inside the 20. Cody White has two red zone looks and two scores on three targets, and Ashton Jeanty has four red zone targets, so those chances are spread around.
Las Vegas throws on 47.2% of its plays and scores 18.0 points per game. The run game is producing 2.83 yards per carry, which argues for more passing, but the play calling has not reflected that yet.
Fantasy Outlook for Tre Tucker in Week 3
Tucker is a Start in Week 3, with the understanding that you are buying a range rather than a projection. Four catches for 65 yards is the middle of it, and the outcomes on either side are far apart. This is the matchup where his one skill is the skill that works, and New Orleans throwing 45.0 times per game should keep Las Vegas in a passing script.
Play him in a flex spot or as a bye-week fill if you can live with the variance. Check the Friday report on Bowers first. If Bowers is active and Tucker draws four targets again, the afternoon hinges on one throw.
Find more Week 3 fantasy football start/sit coverage here!