The constant threat of injuries is why you should never stop shopping on the fantasy football waiver wire.
Running backs and wide receivers are being hit hard by the injury bug once again. Jordy Nelson, Odell Beckham Jr., Randall Cobb and even Corey Coleman have succumbed to injuries. Coleman was showing some promise as the clear-cut No. 1 in Cleveland, but will be out for most of the season. We don’t know much else for the other three mentioned and some other wide receivers battling injuries, but it’s imperative to have some options on your bench to cover for the possibility of missing some top-tier wide receivers.
Here’s the week 3 start ’em, sit ’em wide receivers guide in fantasy football.
Start
Jermaine Kearse vs. Miami Dolphins
You’re going to think I’m crazy, but I don’t mind the matchup this week for the Jets. The Dolphins are going cross-country and just allowed Philip Rivers to nearly notch a completion percentage of 80 percent. This pass defense was torched, but didn’t completely break against the Chargers pass offense. The Jets don’t have Rivers calling the signals, but they’ll throw enough to garner some yards against this porous secondary.
And the player who should earn the majority of attention is Kearse. He’s led the Jets in catches, yards and targets each of the first two weeks. He tallied two touchdowns last week to go along with 65 yards receiving in a blowout loss to the Raiders. Kearse is the best receiver on the roster for the Jets, so if Josh McCown can avoid some pressure (the Dolphins had only one sack against a below-average Los Angeles line in week 2), then there’s a real chance that Kearse could be a decent WR2 play in week 3.
The Jets are going to have to throw to stay alive against the Dolphins. Kearse offers the best chance at production, so I’m banking on him being a decent WR2 candidate.
Jarvis Landry vs. New York Jets
He’s not going to be a monster in scoring touchdowns. But it sure looks like quarterback Jay Cutler likes him.
Landry grabbed 13 receptions on 15 targets in week 2 against the Chargers. Cutler is a solid quarterback at targeting one player and making him a consistent fantasy contributor. Landry appears to be that guy.
He’s always been a heavy producer in the catches department, but even that performance was eye-popping. The Jets struggled in week 2 against the pass, but were OK in week 1. Look for Cutler to use Landry as a safety valve this year, meaning there will be plenty of catches to go around. Landry won’t see the end zone much, but he has a high floor in a position where consistency is almost non-existent.
Stefon Diggs vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If anyone sees Diggs, please return him to the Vikings locker room. He disappeared in week 2 with only two catches for 27 yards as Case Keenum was trying his best to keep the Vikings in the game.
I anticipate Sam Bradford will be back for this week 3 tilt, which is good news for Diggs and his fantasy owners. He was the most talented wide receiver on this roster in week 1 and I expect that to continue. Even without Bradford at the helm, he still had six targets in the week 2 loss.
Diggs will still command plenty of looks, so that always puts him in the conversation as a fantasy starter. This week, he will have better production, with the Bucs facing a far more talented offense than it saw in week 2. Tampa Bay has a good defense, but Diggs should still be a solid WR2 in week 3.
Sit
Demaryius Thomas vs. Buffalo Bills
The Bills have a decent enough defense that moving the ball in week 3 could be a major challenge for the Broncos. And despite Trevor Siemian’s big day in week 2, I’m not trusting him in his first road game of the season against a defense that has hounded quarterbacks to the tune of seven sacks in two games.
The Bills are allowing the fifth-fewest yards per catch this season, so the Broncos will have to earn it. This game should be a low-scoring affair, meaning Thomas likely won’t find the end zone.
That’s problematic for his fantasy owners. He needs touchdowns to garner his true value. The Broncos don’t have enough firepower to give Thomas enough receptions to have monster yardage games. I still like Thomas as a regular contributor in lineups, but this week’s matchup scares me away.
This game comes down to the better defenses, so if I have decent depth on my bench, I’m going with my depth over Thomas.
Sammy Watkins vs. San Francisco 49ers
It’s going to be a rough ride at times for Watkins this year. The Rams aren’t consistent enough through the air yet to justify having Watkins as a plug and play option each week.
And this matchup just doesn’t work out for Watkins. The Rams are the road team on a Thursday night, which usually doesn’t bode well for the offense. And Watkins is squaring off against a defense that has done a pretty good job against the pass.
San Francisco is allowing less than 175 yards passing per game this season. They’ve lost twice, but the defense has been more than respectable in both of those contests. The Rams will try to run the football more in this game, leaving Watkins with fewer targets. I’m not completely putting Watkins out of mind, since that could open up some big play opportunities.
However, with the lack of targets I anticipate, I can’t put him in my starting lineup.
Jeremy Maclin vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
That wasn’t a fluke in week 1 when Jacksonville was fast and dominant against the pass.
The Jaguars have a real pass defense, which should frustrate opposing offenses throughout the season. The rush defense, though, is a different story, meaning the Ravens would be better off running the football rather than airing it out.
That will spell trouble for Maclin.
Maclin has two touchdowns already this season, but he’s plagued by a lack of targets. He has only nine targets so far this season, going for six receptions and 87 yards receiving. That’s just not enough volume to trust his output against a Jaguars defense that is much improved from years past.
You can’t depend on touchdowns, so that’s why Maclin’s value is heavily decreased with a tough week 3 matchup.
