Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 3: Smartest Matchups to Exploit, Sleeper Plays and More

The Detroit Lions ended Week 3 with a bang in a dominant performance over the New York Giants Monday night, with an emphatic 24-10 victory on the road. For Giants fans, the loss hurt. But for fantasy football players, including Odell Beckham Jr. owners, the 10-point offensive showing was a downright disgrace.

The Giants offense has been abysmal, to say the least, over the first two games of the season. With the likes of Eli Manning, Brandon Marshall, Sterling Shepard and Beckham, there aren't any excuses as to why the Giants can't put up any points not just on the scoreboard, but also in fantasy.

As we look toward Week 3, there are a lot of players—and waiver-wire add/drops—to consider. But here, we'll take a look at the best matchups of the week for each position, followed by the best sleeper to keep an eye on as we get closer to Thursday night.

Quarterbacks

Top matchup to play: Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers) vs. New Orleans Saints 

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Cam Newton hasn't looked like his old-MVP self over the opening weeks of the 2017 NFL season, but have no fear, fantasy owners. He's going up against the New Orleans Saints defense, which has allowed 65 points through eight quarters of play.

Not only is allowing 65 points in two games downright sad, the Saints defense has scored -2 points in fantasy. Yes, you read that right. Minus-two points.

When the likes of the Minnesota Vikings can have a field day against a secondary in Week 1, followed by a three-touchdown performance by the New England Patriots' Tom Brady in just one quarter, there's a good chance that any team—especially with a mobile quarterback like Newton—can run riot on New Orleans.

Newton and the Panthers had a frustrating Week 2 against Buffalo, but he is looking to bounce back this week against the Saints with a projected score of 29.08 in standard Yahoo fantasy leagues. 

Start Newton. He'll make up for his mediocre performances this week. 

Sleeper: Marcus Mariota (Tennessee Titans) vs. Seattle Seahawks

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Marcus Mariota isn't a sleeper in fantasy football anymore, but he might be overlooked this week going up against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle's defense, also known as the Legion of Boom, has lived up to its reputation this season even though the team's offense has not.

Allowing 28 points combined through two games, including a 17-point game from Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, the Seahawks should be more than capable of handling a young team like the Titans, right?

Wrong.

The Titans are, arguably, the most looked-over team in the NFL. Led by Mariota, the Titans have a strong offensive line with a dynamic running game with Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray. Throw in a solid receivers unit led by Eric Decker and Rishard Matthews, and you have one of the most balanced offenses in the league.

Tennessee begins and ends with the play of their quarterback, however. Mariota is still young but carries himself with the maturity of a 10-year veteran. Not only is he accurate throwing the ball, but he is downright dangerous when given time in the pocket.

He can pass; he can run; he can do it all. 

The Seahawks will try to send a lot of pressure with blitz packages to disrupt the pocket, but look for Mariota to use his legs more on Sunday to evade the pass rush. After scoring at least 21 points in Yahoo fantasy leagues in each of the past two weeks, Mariota is projected to score 23 against Seattle, an above-average number for a quarterback going up against a top defense.

If you have Mariota on the bench, this is the week to play him. Let him shine under the spotlight against Seattle. 

Wide receivers

Top matchup to play: Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers) vs. Chicago Bears 

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Pittsburgh's star wideout is coming off an average performance by his standards (11.20 points in standard Yahoo leagues) after an electrifying Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns where he scored over 32 fantasy points.

Heading into Week 3, Brown is projected to have one of his biggest outputs of the season, with a projected score of 22.68 fantasy points against the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have had some unfortunate injuries to start the season, but they have been surprisingly competitive despite their deficiencies on both sides of the ball. The Bears have allowed 23 points to opposing offenses in each of their last two games, despite playing against the likes of the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bears will once again have their hands full against Pittsburgh and will look to neutralize Brown in the passing game. But that's the game plan for every team that Pittsburgh goes up against.

Look for Brown to start off slow against Chicago, then move around the field to create openings in the slot for big plays. Brown is a No. 1 receiver this week, so don't blow it by not playing him. 

Sleeper: J.J. Nelson (Arizona Cardinals) vs. Dallas Cowboys

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Move over, John Brown. J.J. Nelson is the new favorite target for Carson Palmer. 

Brown, who once received comparisons to Marvin Harrison, has been an afterthought in Arizona's offense for the past couple of seasons, and J.J. Nelson has been the direct beneficiary of his absence from the passing game. 

After scoring 15.30 points in standard Yahoo leagues in Week 1, Nelson was expected to come down to Earth in Week 2. But oh how wrong we were.

Instead, Nelson exploded for 23 points, going for 120 yards on 5-of-7 receiving with a touchdown. Nelson is no longer a FLEX play in deep leagues, he is a bonafide No. 2/No. 3 wideout. Going up against the Dallas Cowboys is no easy task, but he is projected to score 12.20 points in standard Yahoo leagues this week, a high number for a wideout who isn't receiving any PPR points.

If you have Nelson, play him. He could be the X-factor for your team this week. 

Running backs 

Top matchup to play: Kareem Hunt (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Los Angeles Chargers

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Is anyone surprised?

Kareem Hunt has been a revelation this season. He looks like Jamaal Charles 2.0 in Kansas City and is putting up the numbers to back up the hype. After going crazy in Week 1 against the Patriots, many fantasy owners expected a good, but not great showing from the rookie in Week 2. 

But instead, Hunt followed up his 62.60 point performance in Week 1 with a 38.90-point performance in Week 2. Is it beginners luck, or is it something more?

Hunt is projected to score 30.55 points in standard leagues against the Chargers this week, and it's hard to argue that he can't put up those numbers at this point. Until further notice, Hunt is the No. 1 running back in fantasy football. 

Sleeper: Tevin Coleman (Atlanta Falcons) vs. Detroit Lions

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Forget about timeshares or running back by committees. The Atlanta Falcons can get both Tevin Coleman and DeVonta Freeman the football enough times to make both players happy. 

Freeman enjoyed a great game against the Packers in Week 2, scoring 43 fantasy points, but Coleman also showed why he deserves touches with his game-changing speed out of the backfield, racking up 42 yards on six carries, totaling 18.50 points on Sunday.

Against the Lions, both Freeman and Coleman will have to show out for the Falcons to win. This game could be high-scoring if the Lions offense can get going and if that happens, look for Coleman to get some touches on third down in the passing game.

If you're in need of a running back no. 2 or a great FLEX, Coleman is your guy. 

Tight end

Top matchup to play: Travis Kelce (Kansas City Chiefs) vs. Los Angeles Chargers

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Can we stop calling Travis Kelce "Baby Gronk?" He's done more than enough to show that he's a star tight end in this league in his own right.

Kelce had a mediocre Week 1 that Hunt dominated, but he came back to life in Week 2 with a 103-yard performance and a touchdown, scoring 24.30 points in standard Yahoo leagues.

While his fantasy production was impressive, nothing can beat the touchdown he scored on Sunday with an unbelievable leap to the end zone from the five-yard line.

With Kelce back in the frame of the offense, the Chiefs just got even more dangerous.

Look for Kelce to dominate the Chargers linebackers this upcoming week for another solid performance, where he's projected to score 16.30 points. 

Sleeper: Delanie Walker

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Delanie Walker is a sleeper every season because there are so many solid tight ends out there. But with the likes of Jordan Reed and Greg Olsen out with injuries already, it's time to start looking for some other options. 

Walker is a prime candidate for a plug-and-play due to his consistency each week. Walker has caught 11 passes through the opening two weeks of the season, scoring 14.60 and 17.20 points in Week 1 and 2, respectively.

While Walker is not a waiver-wire type of player, there are many owners who are just keeping Walker on their bench, with 20 percent of fantasy owners not starting him.

If you're in need of a tight end this week, look for Walker to put up some points against Seattle's defense who will force Mariota to deliver the ball quickly in check-downs to the likes of Walker. If you're in a PPR league, Walker is a must-play this week. 

All projections and stats courtesy of Yahoo Sports unless otherwise noted.