2011 NFL Fantasy Football Week 3: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em:

After two weeks, we have enough data in our hands to believe in names that were afterthoughts on draft day and bench some options that we may have been counting on as top options. In our Week 3 start 'em and sit 'em, we take a look at those names on the rise and those you might want to keep on the shelf this week.

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Start ’em

Cam Newton vs. Jaguars

It’s time to believe as Cam Newton has put together back-to-back 400-yard performances, and his latest performance was against the Packers' stout defense. The Panthers are wisely allowing Newton to play aggressively, and he’s going to put up numbers for the foreseeable future. For those of you that are struggling at quarterback and have had Newton on the bench, make sure you have him in your lineup against the Jaguars.

Not only will Newton make plays in the passing game, he’s found the end zone on the ground in each of his first two games and ran for more than 50 yards last week. It’s going to take defenses some time to figure this kid out, and in the meantime he’s going to have respectable numbers.

Ben Tate at Saints

With Arian Foster re-aggravating his hamstring once again and Derrick Ward battling an ankle injury, the Texans are set to give Ben Tate a full workload this week against the Saints. Look for Tate to have a strong game in New Orleans as this should be a high-scoring affair with two talented offenses on the field. Fantasy owners should view Tate as high as a RB-2 this week.

Daniel Thomas at Browns

It didn’t take long for the Dolphins coaching staff to grow tired of Reggie Bush’s inability to run in-between the tackles as they pulled him for Daniel Thomas after two ineffective runs in Week 2. Thomas went on to rush for more than 100 yards, and he should be the main option in the Dolphins backfield moving forward. This week Thomas is worth a look as a flex play option against the Browns.

Eric Decker at Titans

While Brandon Lloyd should be back on the field this week, fellow receiver Eddie Royal (groin) will be on the shelf for at least two weeks, and that is all Eric Decker needs to make an impact as a starter. While the Broncos will have their struggles this year, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Broncos fare better in Tennessee than the Ravens did. The Titans should use Cortland Finnegan to line up against Lloyd, and Decker should take advantage of one-on-one opportunities against corner Jason McCourty.

David Nelson vs. Patriots

The Patriots have struggled against the pass thus far and the Bills are averaging around 40 points a game coming into this matchup. While David Nelson isn’t an explosive receiver, he should rack up a high volume of catches in this game as top receiver Stevie Johnson is batting a groin injury that has bugged him since training camp. The Bills will be throwing the football, and with Nelson standing in at 6′5", why wouldn’t Ryan Fitzpatrick look for his big target around the end zone and as a favorite option to pickup first downs?

Mike Sims-Walker vs. Ravens

The Ravens made Matt Hasselbeck look like a Pro Bowl quarterback as they struggled to stop one of the projected worst passing offenses coming into the season. With Danny Amendola out for awhile, veteran Mike Sims-Walker got the nod for more playing time against the Giants, and he responded with a team reception-high of six for 92 yards.

Look for Sims-Walker to continue to be the top option for targets in the Rams passing game, and I expect him to have another respectable performance against Baltimore’s re-worked secondary.

Sit’em

Tony Romo vs. Redskins

While Tony Romo had a great game against the 49ers, he suffered more than just a painful rib injury as Miles Austin is lost for up to a month with a hamstring injury and Felix Jones separated his shoulder. Keep Romo in your lineup if you don’t have a respectable option on your bench like Cam Newton, Matt Ryan or even Josh Freeman, but this is a week Romo will have a hard time posting strong numbers, as the Cowboys battle through a bunch of health problems.

Eli Manning at Eagles

It was nice to see Eli Manning settle down as the game went on against the Rams, but it’s clear to see the Giants have some work to do on both sides of the football. There will be opportunities for Manning to throw for up to 300 yards this week, but with Hakeem Nicks sporting a knee injury, Mario Manningham suffering a concussion and Domik Hixon re-aggravating a knee injury (had torn ACL last year) this is one beat-up group.

Cedric Benson vs. 49ers

The Bengals had great success throwing the football last week, but Cedric Benson struggled to give fantasy owners a respectable performance, and I expect this week to look the same as the play at home against San Francisco. The 49ers are stout up front to stop the run, but they struggle against the pass. Expect A.J. Green to have another solid performance, but Benson is better left on your bench.

Plaxico Burress at Raiders

Oakland struggled to stop the Bills passing game in the second half, but I have to wonder if fatigue it this group as they had to play a Sunday morning game coming of a late Monday night game in Denver. While Plaxico Burress had a respectable Week 1, he laid an egg against the Jaguars as he failed to catch a pass. Fantasy owners need consistency from boarder line options, and Burress isn’t ready to be an accountable player for your lineup.

Reggie Wayne vs. Steelers

Maybe Reggie Wayne can put up some numbers in garbage time this week, but it’s going to be a long year for the Colts and if your starting Wayne weekly, he’s going to let you down. Kerry Collins just hasn’t had much time to work with this group and Wayne will struggle to find his way up to seven touchdowns and more than 1,000 yards on the season.

2011 Weekly Lineup Help

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