Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 3: Last-Minute Fantasy Football Advice for Sunday

Filling out a fantasy football lineup in September is a burdensome process, which many players across the world have discovered leading up to Week 3.

This is the time of the year where managers get burnt the most. They jump for last week's breakout star, and he proves to be a one-game wonder. They slowly distance themselves from a prominent pick suffering a brutal start, and he promptly reminds them why he warranted that selection in August.

Players must juggle those tough dilemmas when filling out Week 3's lineups. Which starts highlight the truth, and which are sending many woeful people down the path to a loss?

The games kick off this afternoon, so there's no time for full pronouns. With that said, here's a look at this week's "Start 'Em, Sit 'Em" breakdown.

Start 'Em: Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears (at New York Jets)

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Facing the New York Jets' ferocious front seven does not come without worries. Jay Cutler addressed Rex Ryan's dangerous pass rush, courtesy of the Chicago Bears' official Twitter page.

So why start him on Monday night? The San Francisco 49ers weren't the rosiest matchup either, but Cutler exited with four touchdowns. That marks the second game the often-erratic quarterback exuded accuracy running Marc Tressman's offense.

Meanwhile, the Jets' secondary concerns all materialized against the Green Bay Packers. A week after limiting rookie Derek Carr to 4.72 yards per attempt, New York relinquished 346 yards and three touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers.

Cutler, of course is not Rodgers, but after Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery both suited up last Sunday night despite injury concerns, he has the game's most dangerous offensive arsenal at his disposal. Ryan's defensive is vulnerable without a premier cornerback, so expect another big game from Cutler.

Sit 'Em: Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins (at Philadelphia Eagles)

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Early in last week's victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Robert Griffin III left with an ankle injury. Per USA Today's Gary Mihoces, coach Jay Gruden expects him to miss at least a month of action, and even that may be an optimistic outlook.

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He's going to be in a cast for about 10 days, and then they'll reevaluate after they take the cast off,"Nothing new popped up as far as any new injury. ... It's what we thought it was. It's just going to be 10 days in a cast, and then we'll look at it from there. And it'll be a rehab process, probably four to six weeks, somewhere in there.

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With that, the masses rushed to claim replacement Kirk Cousins off waivers. He certainly bolstered his perception by accumulating 250 yards and two passing touchdowns against Jacksonville.

Adding the 26-year-old is a justifiable move, but starting him? Not unless you're desperate. One good game against the Jaguars is not enough to sweep last year under the rug. Forced to fill in for Griffin, he struggled mightily to make a dent.

Category	Number
Games Played	5
Completion %	52.3
Passing Yards	854
Yards Per Attempt	5.51
Passing TDs	4
Interceptions	7
Fumbles	3

The Philadelphia Eagles ranked last in passing defense the previous year, but they recently limited Andrew Luck to 172 passing yards on 34 attempts last Monday night. After quieting a much better passer, the Eagles are not a slam dunk to roll over to Cousins.

Starting him in a two-quarterback league or as a last-ditch alternative to Griffin is one thing. Don't, however, sit him for an established starter such as Tony Romo or Tom Brady.

Start 'Em: Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Indianapolis Colts (at Jacksonville Jaguars)

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Anyone skeptical of Trent Richardson (aka everyone) could have foreseen Ahmad Bradshaw assuming a bigger role, similar to the one Donald Brown received last season. The only surprise is how little time it took for the veteran to leave his mark.

Against the Eagles, Bradshaw amassed 96 total yards on 18 touches, taking two receptions to the house. Along with catching five passes in each game this season, he has tallied 85 rushing yards on 16 carries. While Richardson has received 11 more handoffs, he is averaging just 3.7 yards per run.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Simply put, Bradshaw is better. The 28-year-old's primary concern is health, and he's operating fine at the moment. Now that he's been established as a crucial asset in Indianapolis' offense, look for him to shine at Jacksonville.

Under ESPN's scoring, the Jaguars have allowed 33.0 points per game to opposing running backs—the NFL's second-worst mark. Darren Sproles burned them as a pass-catcher one week, and Alfred Morris shredded them through the ground the next.

Bradshaw can beat them either way, and he very well might excel in both areas. After a strong outing on Monday night, his role will expand even more during Week 3.

Sit 'Em: Toby Gerhart, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

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Moving on to a slow start that should incite legitimate concern, Toby Gerhart has proven useless to fantasy owners early in the season.

Upon signing with the Jaguars this offseason, the 27-year-old looked poised to thrive in a featured role. Prior to this season, he averaged 4.7 yards per carry over four years.

This year, however, he's gained 50 yards on 25 attempts. Last weekend, he vanished during a 41-10 blowout. Considering he converted seven rushes into eight yards, why would the Jaguars keep looking his way? Grantland's Bill Barnwell provides a telling snapshot of a missed opportunity with loads of open space.

The Colts will make quick work of the Jaguars, compelling the winless squad to again abandon the running game. Owners who drafted Gerhart early must swallow their pride and bench him until he shows signs of life. If that day never comes, they'll eventually have to cut their losses altogether.

Start 'Em: Greg Jennings, WR, Minnesota Vikings (at New Orleans Saints)

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One week against excellent competition is not enough to cast Greg Jennings aside.

In the first game of the season, he caught six passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. The following week, Darrelle Revis made him a hostage on his island. The star cornerback discussed the veteran wideout with ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss, illuminating the mindset that led him to cover Jennings rather than Cordarelle Patterson.

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He’s definitely a proven vet in the league who makes great plays and is probably their best route-runner. You have to be kind of careful with him, because he’s very shifty and smooth in his route running. You can’t go to sleep because he does all the option routes, he does a lot of double moves as well. You have to be on point with him at all times and make sure as a DB that you keep your eyes on him through the down; don’t start looking back at the quarterback because he can sneak away from you.

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Jennings will put those skills on display against the New Orleans Saints, whose defense has colossally disappointed early in the season. A year after allowing the second-least passing yards per game, they've surrendered the most through two weeks.

Per ESPN.com, they've given up 39 receptions for 489 yards against opposing receivers, both worst in the league. Last week, they let Miles Austin score his first touchdown since December of 2012. If they can make Austin relevant, surely a fellow 30-year-old in Jennings will have a fun day.

Sit 'Em: Brian Quick, WR, St. Louis Rams (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

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A surging wide receiver facing last year's worst defense? Sounds like Brian Quick is quite the sneaky flex play this weekend. Many folks who submitted rankings to FantasyPros think so, as he holds a consensus No. 37 placement this week among wide receivers. That makes him a starting option in any decently sized league.

Only one problem: The Dallas Cowboys are the only team that hasn't allowed a receiving touchdown to an opposing wideout this season. The much-maligned unit held its own against the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans, both of whom undoubtedly possess superior offenses to the St. Louis Rams.

Quick has caught seven passes on nine targets in each of the opening two games, but the Cowboys might actually represent the best secondary he has faced after combating the Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Throw in a third-string quarterback and the fact that he hadn't caught more than three passes in a game before this year, and Quick is a risky play.