Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 3: Reviewing Fantasy Football's Top Fringe Starters

Most, if not all, teams in your fantasy league have some level of star power on their roster.

That can often mean matchups—and eventually leagues—are won and lost on the fringes.

Part of that exercise involves deftly handling the waiver wire and waking up on sleepers before everyone else. But the part we're concerned with is making the correct coin-flip calls on which players to start and which ones to sit.

We'll examine several start 'em and sit 'em candidates for Week 3 below.

Start 'Em

QB: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals

RB: Matt Breida, San Francisco 49ers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

WR: John Brown, Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals

TE: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals

D/ST: Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Sit 'Em

QB: Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

RB: Carlos Hyde, Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers

WR: Robby Anderson, New York Jets at New England Patriots

TE: Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts

D/ST: Los Angeles Chargers vs. Houston Texans

Start: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Josh Allen made 11 starts as a rookie in 2018 and never once threw for 250 yards. He only completed 60 percent of his passes twice and finished the campaign with a dismal 52.8 completion percentage, the league's worst mark among all qualified quarterbacks.

He already looks like a dramatically improved player this time around. After throwing for 254 yards in the opener, he tossed for 253 in his follow-up. Through two weeks, he has more passing yards than Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff. Allen also owns a respectable 64.2 completion percentage, which ranks him above the aforementioned trio, plus Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray.

Allen has made his aerial game a fantasy asset. It should be a potent weapon once again in this matchup with the Bengals, who just allowed Jimmy Garoppolo to total 297 yards and three touchdowns on only 17 completions.

But the rushing component of Allen's arsenal hasn't been forgotten. In fact, it's what seals his spot as a start 'em recommendation. Other fringe fantasy starters might have similar passing outlooks, but few can match Allen's ability as a runner, which the Bills have already leveraged into 17 carries for 59 yards and two scores.

Sit: Robby Anderson, New York Jets at New England Patriots

Well, Robby Anderson owners, you'll always have Week 2.

The fourth-year wideout has long provided splash plays and made for a sneaky-good investment the past two seasons. Those who trusted him with a start Monday night were rewarded with four receptions for 81 yards, not elite production but usable numbers.

It could be a while before he provides worthwhile statistics again.

To start, the matchup is a problem. Last season, Anderson was targeted 13 times across two contests with New England. He only caught five of those passes for a total of 46 yards. That Patriots defense allowed a very-good-but-not-quite-great 20.3 points per game. This one has surrendered a comically low 1.5.

But that might not be Anderson's biggest worry. Starting quarterback Sam Darnold is out indefinitely with mononucleosis, and his backup, Trevor Siemian, will undergo season-ending ankle surgery. That leaves Anderson to catch passes from third-stringer Luke Falk, a 2018 sixth-round pick of the Tennessee Titans whom the Jets activated from their practice squad ahead of his NFL debut on Monday.

Start: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals

Remember him? Once an elite fantasy option at tight end, injuries and age seemed to remove Greg Olsen from the relevant ranks over the past two seasons.

The 34-year-old debunked that myth Thursday night while delivering his first 100-yard effort since Jan. 2018. He collected six of his nine targets for 110 yards.

Sure, it's one game. By no means are we saying Olsen is back to being a weekly starter.

But the signs of life are encouraging, and this matchup is as good as it gets. The Cardinals have allowed an NFL-high 26.9 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends, per Yahoo Sports. For context, no one else has surrendered more than 17.4. Three different tight ends have scored against Arizona and two have gone for 100-plus yards. Olsen could bump up both of those numbers Sunday.