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

It's been an exciting start to the fantasy football season as NFL offenses have dominated thus far.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has led his team to 80 points in two weeks. Seven teams are posting 30 or more points. And Tampa Bay quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has two 400-yard passing games.

We'll see if that trend continues in Week 3. Until then, here's a look at a player to start, a player to sit and a sleeper for the main four fantasy football positions.

A note that all start/sit candidates are on the borderline. In other words, there won't be any recommendations to start Los Angeles Rams running back and 2017 Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley, as that's an obvious decision. The sleepers are clear bench players who can produce a starter-worthy stat line.

We'll also take a closer look at five of the players below alongside some matchup notes and touch/target potential.

Quarterback

Start 'Em: Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blake Bortles vs. Tennessee Titans

Sit 'Em: Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz vs. Indianapolis Colts

Sleeper: Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill vs. Oakland Raiders

Running Back

Start 'Em: Miami Dolphins RB Kenyan Drake vs. Oakland Raiders

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Sit 'Em: Green Bay Packers RB Jamaal Williams at Washington Redskins

Sleeper: Detroit Lions RB Kerryon Johnson vs. New England Patriots

Wide Receiver

Start 'Em: Jacksonville Jaguars WR Keelan Cole vs. Tennessee Titans

Sit Em: Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. Chicago Bears

Sleeper: San Francisco 49ers WR Dante Pettis at Kansas City Chiefs

Tight End

Start 'Em: Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku vs. New York Jets

Sit 'Em: Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE O.J. Howard vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Sleeper: Carolina Panthers TE Ian Thomas vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Start 'Em: Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blake Bortles and WR Keelan Cole vs. Tennessee Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles looked great against the New England Patriots on Sunday, completing 29 of 45 passes for 377 yards and four touchdowns.

He's established a solid rapport with second-year pro Keelan Cole, who caught seven passes for 116 yards and a score and produced the play of the week:

The Bortles-Cole connection may come up big against a Tennessee Titans team that allowed 437 yards of total offense last Sunday against the Houston Texans.

To its credit, Tennessee bent but didn't break in a 20-17 victory, but Houston wideouts DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller combined for 223 yards and two touchdowns.

This occurred one week after the Titans gave up 106 yards to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills, including a 75-yard touchdown catch.

Tennessee has now allowed three 100-yard receivers in two weeks, and given Cole's emergence, it wouldn't be a surprise if that number rises to four.

That could mean another big game from Bortles, who can also be a fantasy asset thanks to his rushing ability. Through two games, he has 77 yards on the ground. Those few extra points could be the difference in a close fantasy matchup.

Sit 'Em: Green Bay Packers RB Jamaal Williams at Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE O.J. Howard vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Opportunities, targets and touches are paramount in fantasy football. Unless a player has incredible week-to-week efficiency a la New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara, it's best to start players over those who may not be seeing as many future opportunities for whatever reason.

For example, Green Bay Packers running back Jamaal Williams has 34 touches through two weeks, but teammate and backfield mate Aaron Jones is returning from a two-game suspension.

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It wouldn't be a surprise to see Jones take back some of those touches, as the talented second-year pro showcased his skill set in a few games last year (two games of over 130 yards from scrimmage). He could significantly hurt Williams' fantasy value.

As for Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard, he has gaudy numbers to start the year (five catches, 150 yards and one touchdown), but he's done that on just six targets. He won't be getting 30 yards per reception either (the all-time leader is Homer Jones at 22.3).

Tampa has a lot of mouths to feed in the pass game (namely wideouts Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson), so it's unlikely Howard sees many more targets per week going forward.

Sleeper: San Francisco 49ers WR Dante Pettis at Kansas City Chiefs

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dante Pettis' sleeper status is contingent on teammate Marquise Goodwin's availability.

Goodwin, who suffered a quad injury in Week 1 versus the Minnesota Vikings, did not play in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions.

Pettis stepped into the lineup for him during both weeks. Against Minnesota, the rookie out of Washington caught two passes for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

His numbers were less impressive in Week 2 (one catch on 35 yards), but Pettis took part in 88 percent of the offensive snaps. If Goodwin is out or limited in Week 3, expect the 22-year-old to see the field quite a bit.

He's also facing a Kansas City Chiefs defense that has given up the sixth-most net yards per pass attempt, according to Pro Football Reference.

It also helps that the 49ers are underdogs in their potentially high-scoring game against the Chiefs, who are 6.5-point favorites in a game with a sky-high 56-point over/under total, per OddsShark.

That could mean a busy day for 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who may have to pass a ton to keep his team in the game. That may result in more work for Pettis.