Fantasy Football Week 3 Rankings: Lineup Decisions

For all of you who opened the 2011 fantasy football season with an 0-2 record, don't give up hope yet.

I'm here to suggest some people who might have been sitting on your bench all season that you need to get in your lineup to win week three. We will also discuss some players who you would usually start, but they might be better off on your bench this week.

Let's get right into it.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Bills [Start]

Unbelievably, nowadays in the fantasy world, if you overhear a discussion about fantasy football and someone mentions the name "Fitz", we can no longer be sure if they are talking about Larry Fitzgerald or Ryan Fitzpatrick. That's how relevant Fitzpatrick has become.

If you're anything like me, you saw the week one game against the Chiefs when Fitzpatrick threw for four touchdowns and you were sure it was a fluke. Then he went out and had an outstanding game again in week two throwing for three touchdowns, and now I am somewhat sold.

The Bills offense looks better overall with Fred Jackson also running the ball well to open up the passing game.

This week, Fitz is going against the New England Patriots who have been getting torched through the air.

One of the main reasons quarterbacks put up better numbers against the Patriots is that most teams are always playing from behind against them and have no other choice but to resort to the pass.

From a fantasy perspective, points are points so you need to get Fitzpatrick in your lineup this week.

Ryan Mathews, RB, Chargers [Start]

Ryan Mathews was a disappointment last season for fantasy owners as many drafted him pretty early, but injuries and Mike Tolbert limited his production tremendously.

Even with Tolbert still taking away some carries and production from Mathews, he has still managed to put up back to back games with more than 100 yards from scrimmage. He has looked quick and most importantly stayed healthy this season, so I'm excited to see the numbers he puts up this year.

This week, the Chargers will face the seemingly incompetent Kansas City Chiefs and we can expect a big game out of Mathews. The Chargers may as well have a 100-point lead by the second half, and Mathews will get some more looks on the ground.

It's reasonable to be disappointed this week if he doesn't have 150 all purpose yards and at least one score.

Everyone on the Detroit Lions [Start]

The Detroit Lions are the most exciting team in football right now.

With Matthew Stafford and Jahvid Best healthy, they are looking like a very well-balanced offense who will be very difficult to contain this season.

We know we are starting Calvin Johnson every week but get Best in your lineup, get Nate Burleson in there, get Stafford in there and get the Lions D/ST in there this week. There's enough fantasy points to go around with this squad.

Robert Meachem, WR, Saints [Start]

It's hard to find a reliable fantasy start at the wide receiver position in New Orleans, but with Marques Colston still out with injury, Robert Meachem is your best bet. I know he didn't have a great game last week, but he still scored a touchdown to salvage his day.

In week three, he will have a much better outing during the shootout we will likely observe against the Houston Texans on Sunday. We can bank on around five catches, 90 yards and a touchdown.

Beanie Wells, RB, Cardinals [Start]

Chris "Beanie" Wells seems to be out to quiet the naysayers and prove that he can be relied upon as a feature back. He has scored a touchdown in each of the first two games of the season while rushing for at least 90 yards in each as well.

He has averaged almost six yards per carry, proving that the balanced offense the Cardinals didn't have last year is having an impact on his production this season.

Don't expect this one touchdown and around 100 yards a game trend end in week three against the struggling Seahawks.

Peyton Hillis, RB, Browns [Bench]

Yes, Peyton Hillis had a productive game last week on the ground with his two touchdowns. However, he was playing against arguably the worst team in the league right now.

The Browns managed to keep it a close one against the Colts, which got destroyed by the Houston Texans in week one.

Take a look back one week when the Browns played another team that is pretty awful in the Bengals, and we find that Hillis had only 87 yards including his receiving yardage.

The Browns just don't look very good this season. With Rob Ryan out of Cleveland, the defense is looking worse and if at all possible you want to avoid any players on the team including Hillis.

He's going against the Miami Dolphins this week, which are much better than the Colts and Bengals. I know he was a drafted as a No. 2 RB in most leagues, but temper your expectations this week and look hard for other options.

Tim Hightower, RB, Redskins [Bench]

Tim Hightower looked great in the preseason and hopes were high for him. However, we have to remember he's a running back playing for Mike Shanahan who probably flips a coin in the morning to determine who will handle the load for his team.

Maybe it is because he doesn't want defensive coordinators to plan around a certain type of back or maybe he likes to keep the backs competitive, but whatever it is isn't good for fantasy owners.

Roy Helu took over most of the work in the second half of week two, and he looked pretty good so who knows what Shanahan's plan will be this week.

Combine this with the fact that the Redskins are going against the Dallas Cowboys' above average run defense and it's a pretty safe bet to leave Hightower on your bench in week three.

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers [Bench]

The bad news for Big Ben owners is that he won't put up big fantasy numbers in week three against the Colts.

The good news for Big Ben himself is that his arm won't be sore on Monday because he won't be throwing the ball too much in this blowout.

The bad news for football fans is that we will have to DVR an afternoon game to watch again during this one.

The good news for the families of Steelers and Colts is that these guys will be home early on Sunday night. It won't last long.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, Giants, [Bench]

In this one, Mario Manningham could be out because of concussion symptoms and the Giants' No. 3 wide receiver, Domenik Hixon, is out for the season.

If Manningham ends up being out as well, it probably wouldn't hurt the Philadelphia Eagles to have Nmandi Asomugha, Rodgers-Cromartie and Asante Samuel to just triple team Hakeem Nicks in this one.

That was sort of a joke, but nonetheless he will at least be dealing with Asomugha and this star-studded secondary did a pretty good job last week of keeping Roddy White in check.

Dig deep for other options for week three, because Nicks' upside is very limited in this one.

Dwayne Bowe, WR, Chiefs, [Bench]

Is Matt Cassel the worst quarterback in the NFL? Nah, probably not, but he sure is looking the part so far this season. After coming off a surprisingly successful 2010 season, the Kansas City Chiefs have looked horrendous.

Dwayne Bowe was the team's only bright spot in week two against the Lions, but this week he will be up against the underrated San Diego Charger defense.

Sure, Tom Brady made them look like garbage but he makes any defense look like garbage. Combine that with the fact that their gameplan will basically revolve around limiting Bowe's production, and we can assume that Bowe is in for rough go in week three.