Fantasy sit-start: Lineup advice for every Week 3 game

Indianapolis Colts vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Start: Eric Ebron, Corey Clement

Ebron’s already recorded two touchdown catches this season and will be a full-time player for the first time with his new team on Sunday after Jack Doyle (hip) was ruled out. The Colts will likely be throwing a ton while playing from behind, and it’s good being Andrew Luck’s tight end.

Clement is getting 5.1 YPC this season, has scored seven touchdowns on 100 career touches (not counting his electric performance in the Super Bowl) and will act as Philadelphia’s lead back Sunday with Jay Ajayi (back) and Darren Sproles (hamstring) sidelined in a favorable matchup. Clement ranks top-10 among backs this year in yards per touch (6.9) and fantasy points per opportunity (1.30) and becomes a must-start in DFS given his price tag.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Carolina Panthers

Start: Tyler Boyd, Ian Thomas

Boyd has emerged as Cincinnati’s clear No. 2 WR, owning a higher target share (20%) than Emmanuel Sanders and Amari Cooper, and the former second rounder gets a Carolina secondary that’s allowed 7.8 YPA.

Thomas had a poor Week 2 when he dropped a would-be touchdown, but he’s going to continue to see more work with Greg Olsen out, and the Bengals have allowed the most fantasy points to tight ends through two weeks.

Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Start: Jacksonville defense in DFS

Sit: Corey Davis

While most who pay up for a defense this week will be on Minnesota, Jacksonville is home against a shaky Titans offense that will be starting either Blaine Gabbert or Marcus Mariota with nerve damage in his throwing elbow. Since the beginning of last season, Mariota sports a 5:13 TD:INT ratio while on the road.

Davis’ target share (33%) ranks fifth-best among wide receivers, but he’s turned all those looks into just 117 scoreless yards and gets arguably the league’s toughest matchup in Week 3.

New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons

Start: Ted Ginn, Calvin Ridley

Ginn has acted as New Orleans’ clear WR2 this season, which is beneficial given the team’s regression coming in opposite ways from its defense and passing offense. Sunday’s over/under (53 points) pegs a shootout.

Ridley emerged with a 4-64-1 line last week and gets a Saints defense that’s allowed an NFL-high 11.4 YPA — by far the most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. The rookie is a sneaky play.

Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens

Start: Baltimore defense

Sit: Demaryius Thomas

The Ravens return home with extra rest and get a Denver team lucky to be 2-0 traveling for the first time this season. Case Keenum has been shaky (four picks) and is dealing with a knee injury.

Thomas somehow turned 11 targets into just 18 yards without a score last week against the Raiders, thanks in part to multiple bad drops. This week he gets a Baltimore secondary that’s ceded a league-low 4.8 YPA (it helps having faced the Bills) and will see plenty of shadow coverage from Brandon Carr.

New York Giants vs. Houston Texans

Start: Evan Engram, Will Fuller

After a quiet Week 1 against Jacksonville, Engram caught all seven of his targets and scored last week. Eli Manning is limiting the Giants’ upside, but Houston ranks 30th in defensive DVOA against tight ends.

Fuller is up to eight touchdowns over five games with Deshaun Watson and faces off against a Giants defense that will be missing Eli Apple (groin) and Olivier Vernon (ankle), setting up nicely for a familiar deep TD catch.

Oakland Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins

Start: Kenyan Drake in DFS

Sit: Marshawn Lynch

Frank Gore continues to get work, but the 2-0 Dolphins are favored at home against a winless Oakland team, potentially leading to plenty of Miami carries against a Raiders rush defense that ranks last in DVOA. Drake is an RB1 start in Week 3 but not priced as such in DFS.

Lynch’s lowly 3.7 YPC mark to open the year is in part due to a tough schedule (he’s breaking tackles like usual), but that doesn’t get any easier Sunday with an early game across the country against a Miami team that, through two weeks, enters surprisingly ranked first in defensive DVOA. The Raiders are underdogs and Lynch doesn’t see much work in the passing game, so he’s likely to disappoint.

Green Bay Packers vs. Washington Redskins

Sit: Jamaal Williams, Adrian Peterson

They weren’t easy matchups, but Williams managed just 3.4 YPC (with a long of 11 yards) over 31 carries acting as Green Bay’s workhorse to open the year, and Aaron Jones returns from his suspension Sunday. Williams is superior in pass protection, but he’s gotten an ugly 2.2 YPC against base fronts this season.

Peterson followed up a nice season debut with a Week 2 dud, and especially as underdogs against the Packers, Chris Thompson is the better play.

Buffalo Bills vs. Minnesota Vikings

Start: Latavius Murray

Sit: LeSean McCoy

As whopping 16.5-point home favorites against the lowly Bills and with Dalvin Cook (hamstring) ruled out, Murray is a top-10 RB in Week 3 and one of the bigger bargains in DFS.

McCoy is likely to play, but he’ll be at less than 100 percent while dealing with a rib injury, and it wouldn’t surprise to see his snaps limited in a game that could quickly turn into a blowout. The Vikings have also allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs since last season.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Start: Jimmy Garoppolo, Sammy Watkins

This game’s over/under (55.5 points) is as high as it gets in the NFL, and Kansas City ranks bottom-four in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends (rivaling the 2015 Saints). Fire up Jimmy G, Matt Breida (the NFL’s leading rusher!) and George Kittle in this expected shootout.

Watkins saw seven targets and recorded 100 yards last week and should continue to benefit from such an ideal situation in Kansas City, with Patrick Mahomes emerging as a star to go along with KC’s terrible defense (and Andy Reid’s innovative offensive mind, which apparently Alex Smith was holding back in a way far more dramatic than most realized). The improving 49ers defense gets Reuben Foster back this week, but SF has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to WRs and Richard Sherman (heel) is banged up.

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Los Angeles Rams

Start: Robert Woods

Sit: Mike Williams

Woods owns a top-20 target share (27%) among wideouts (higher than T.Y. Hilton, Davante Adams, Keenan Allen, Larry Fitzgerald and A.J. Green) despite Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp as teammates, thanks to a narrow passing tree in Los Angeles. It also helps having such an aggressive play-caller irrespective of time/score.

The Chargers may have to throw a lot more Sunday, but Williams saw just two targets last week and is expected to see plenty of Marcus Peters in coverage.

Chicago Bears vs. Arizona Cardinals

Sit: Tarik Cohen, David Johnson in DFS

The 5’6″ back has totaled just 13 touches through two weeks, even recording half as many catches (four) as Jordan Howard. Moreover, as good as Chicago’s defense has looked, Mitchell Trubisky has appeared equally as bad (the Bears have produced one offensive TD this season aside from game-opening, scripted drives), hurting all Chicago fantasy assets as a result.

It wouldn’t surprise if the Cardinals pulled off the upset here, and Johnson will improve as the season progresses (it can’t get much worse), but he’s been utilized horribly by Arizona’s new coaching staff and gets a Bears defense that’s yielded the fewest fantasy points to running backs.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks

Sit: Seahawks running backs, Dak Prescott

Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny remain in a timeshare behind a poor offensive line against an improved Dallas defense that’s allowed just 3.7 YPC and should have Sean Lee (hamstring) available.

Prescott has gotten just 6.1 YPA this season and has thrown only two touchdowns over his last five games. The Seahawks have a fading defense, but Seattle remains a tough road venue.

New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions

Start: Matthew Stafford

Sit: Josh Gordon

Stafford has played poorly this season but has managed 316.5 passing yards per game despite an ugly 6.4 YPA mark, thanks to Detroit possessing the highest percentage of pass plays (78.4) through two games since the stat has been recorded back in 2001.

Armed with the league’s best WR trio and a poor defense that’s sure to get shredded by the Patriots, expect a big game from Stafford in a shootout Sunday night.

New England is the best possible landing spot for Gordon long term, but with limited practice reps on a new team while dealing with a balky hamstring (not to mention Darius Slay, who’s been dealing with a concussion, might suit up), it’s safest to bench him this week, especially given the Sunday night start.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tampa Buccaneers

Start: JuJu Smith-Schuster in DFS

Sit: Peyton Barber

Smith-Schuster has 34.2 percent of his target total last year through just two games this year and should continue to dominate out of the slot against overwhelmed rookie M.J. Stewart, who’s been forced into action with Vernon Hargreaves on IR (Brent Grimes returns for Antonio Brown). JJSS should be treated as a borderline top-five WR this week.

Despite acting as the feature back on a team with a QB that just put up the most fantasy points ever through the first two weeks of a season, Barber has managed an anemic 2.6 YPC while offering nothing as a receiver. He’s tough to trust even with his role in a possible shootout against a Pittsburgh defense that’s easier to beat on the ground than through the air.

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