Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 3: Reviewing Fantasy Football's Top Fringe Starters
Week 3 brings a tough challenge for fantasy football owners looking for a fill-in tight end in case Rob Gronkowski, Jordan Reed, Jimmy Graham or Tyler Eifert sit out for their upcoming matchups. All the aforementioned players may come down to game-time decisions. Should we look to the New York Giants for a solution?
An Arizona Cardinals wide receiver has been on the rise since the previous season, but 77 percent of Yahoo league owners shamefully overlooked him before Wednesday's waiver-wire pickups. After a 120-yard performance with a touchdown, the 5'10" receiver hits the fantasy football radar as a must-start player.
Many have taken jabs at the Seattle Seahawks offense. Should fantasy owners take a swipe at their defense with a mobile quarterback who can win with his legs and arm?
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We'll go through several start 'em and sit 'em candidates for Week 3.
Start 'Em
QB, Jay Cutler, Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets
RB, Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks vs. Tennessee Titans
WR, J.J. Nelson, Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys
TE, Evan Engram, New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
DEF, Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants
Sit 'Em
QB, Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks
RB, Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Baltimore Ravens
WR, Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants
TE, Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos
DEF, Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons
Start 'Em: TE, Evan Engram, New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Why would any fantasy football advisor recommend an offensive player other than wideout Odell Beckham Jr. on the Giants roster?
After watching Big Blue struggle on Monday Night Football, you're probably going to steer away from anyone who's depending on quarterback Eli Manning behind a porous offensive line. It's the wrong move.
The Giants signed Brandon Marshall as the possession receiver to complement Beckham, but he's yet to bring any impact on offense with the superstar wideout hobbled with an ankle sprain.
Instead, Manning has developed a rapport with rookie tight end Evan Engram. At the collegiate level, the first-rounder served as Mississippi's primary pass-catcher in 2016. Now, he's become a safety blanket within the Giants offense.
Through two games, Manning targeted Engram 12 times, and the tight end hauled in eight catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. Until Marshall finds himself within the offense and holds onto the football when targeted, the rookie should continue to see five or more receiving opportunities in each game.
Even with Beckham on the roster, Manning shows favor to his tight ends. In 2014, Larry Donnell caught 63 passes for 623 yards and six touchdowns. He missed eight games in the following season but still saw 41 targets. Will Tye took over as the starter and finished with 62 looks in the passing attack.
In the previous season, Manning threw 92 passes to his veteran tight end duo. Don't hesitate to take Engram and plug him into your lineup.
Start 'Em: WR, J.J. Nelson, Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys
Before wideout John Brown suffered a quad injury, fantasy owners should've kept a watchful eye on J.J. Nelson. As Larry Fitzgerald goes into his sunset career years, the Cardinals may have a new top-flight receiver on the rise.
Nelson scored touchdowns in six of the previous seven games. Last year, he tied with Fitzgerald for the most receiving touchdowns among Cardinals pass-catchers.
The third-year wideout stands at 5'10", 160 pounds, but he's a big-time playmaker for the offense. Nelson will hold solid fantasy value for several weeks, especially in PPR leagues that award points per reception, with injuries plaguing running back David Johnson and Brown.
Before Week 3 waiver-wire transactions commence, only 23 percent of Yahoo fantasy football owners have Nelson on a roster. Quarterback Carson Palmer hasn't reverted to 2015 Pro Bowl form, but his speedy big-play receiver continues to score touchdowns.
Sit 'Em: QB, Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks haven't scored many points in two games (21), but they're not allowing their opponents to reach paydirt either. Thus far, head coach Pete Carroll's group has surrendered two touchdowns.
Through two games, Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota has thrown one touchdown pass and an interception. He's rushed for a score against the Oakland Raiders in Week 1, but head coach Mike Mularkey's passing attack isn't clicking on all cylinders yet.
The Seahawks can't afford to surrender more than 17 points with a non-existent offense. Expect the defense to clamp down on Mariota with a quarterback spy and limit scoring opportunities.
Furthermore, both squads will attempt to establish the ground game to set up the passing attack. Fantasy owners should keep Mariota on their bench in a tough matchup that won't yield too many points or offensive yards.
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