Our Week 3 fantasy football start and sit recommendations are now live with a ton to look at after the first two weeks of the NFL season.
We now have a two-week sample size when it comes to how defenses have performed against certain positions in the fake football world. Meanwhile, struggles have been the name of the game for two projected top-end fantasy football players on the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s the expect the unexpected time on the NFL schedule.
Without further ado, here’s our fantasy football start and sit for Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season.
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Week 3 fantasy football start and sit: Quarterbacks
Start
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
For the second straight week, we’re recommending Cousins as a start in fantasy football. That worked out swimmingly last week with the veteran tossing for 364 yards and four touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles en route to finishing as the best fantasy quarterback. He also holds that title through two full weeks of the NFL season.
Minnesota is now set to host a Los Angeles Chargers defense that has yielded 712 passing yards and a 116.3 QB rating to the opposition through two weeks. It ranks 31st in points allowed to the quarterback position. Go with Cousins to continue making sweet music with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison (more on him later).
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Through two weeks, Purdy finds himself as a mid-tier QB2 in standard 12-team leagues. He has three total touchdowns and zero interceptions. Not great overall numbers when it cames to the fake football world. But the surprising second-year quarterback is facing a solid Week 2 matchup on Thursday Night Football.
The New York Giants allowed a lesser Joshua Dobbs to complete 21-of-31 passes for 228 yards with two total touchdowns and zero interceptions. With the weapons Purdy has at his disposal and the 49ers’ as 10.5-point home favorites, we’re expecting a big statistical game here.
Related: Fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 3
Sit
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
There is little question about Love as a fantasy relevant option in his first season as a full-time starting quarterback. He heads into Week 3 ranked behind only the aforementioned Cousins in this category. It helps that he’s tallied six passing touchdowns against zero interceptions.
With that said, the advanced stats are questionable heading into a Week 3 matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Love is completing less than 56% of his passes. He’s also now taking on a Saints defense that has yielded one touchdown compared to three interceptions. We’re not buying Love as a top-end fantasy quarterback in Week 3.
Sam Howell, Washington Commanders
Speaking of surprising young quarterbacks, Howell heads into Week 3 as QB11 in standard 12-team leagues. A lot of that has to do with his two-touchdown performance against a surprisingly bad Denver Broncos defense a week ago.
We’re not liking this matchup against Buffalo in Week 3. The Bills have yielded the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks through two games. That includes just 325 passing yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Look for Washington to rely on Brian Robinson and its rushing attack more than Howell come Sunday afternoon.
Week 3 fantasy football start and sit: Running backs
Start
Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
After averaging 5.1 yards per rush last season, Etienne is down to 3.9 through the first two games of the 2023 campaign. We’re just not buying him continuing to struggle in this regard after the former Clemson star finished as a solid RB2 option in 2022.
Etienne has a plus-level matchup in Week 3 against a Houston Texans defense that has given up a league-high four rushing touchdowns to running backs. Last week saw a lesser Zack Moss gain 88 yards and a touchdown as Houston fell to the Indianapolis Colts. Etienne should eat this week.
Kenneth Walker, Seattle Seahawks
Yet another young running back who has not performed up to task through two weeks, Walker is averaging a mere 3.7 yards per rush. However, he does have two touchdowns on a mere 29 rush attempts. That has made the former Heisman finalist a fantasy relevant option.
With Seattle taking on a Carolina Panthers team in Week 3 that has given up the second-most fantasy points to running backs, we’re expecting a break out. Last week saw this unit yield 109 rushing yards and two touchdowns to Taysom Hill and Tony Jones of the New Orleans Saints. Need we say more?
Sit
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
After a decent showing in his NFL debut, Gibbs fell back down to earth this past week. The former Alabama standout gained just 17 yards on seven attempts. While he was solid in PPR formats (seven catches, 39 yards), we’re not buying the rookie as a Week 3 option.
Sure David Montgomery is likely out against the Atlanta Falcons. But this is not a great matchup. Atlanta has given up just 193 yards without a touchdown on 46 rush attempts against running backs through two weeks. It has been stout in this aspect of the game.
Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
Even with the influx of running back injuries, we’re not buying Pierce as a RB1 option moving forward. He’s taken a back seat to Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud as evidenced by the sophomore tallying just 69 yards on 26 attempts through two weeks.
It won’t get any easier against a Jaguars defense in Week 3 that has given up all of 93 rushing yards on 30 attempts to running backs through two games. This unit has absolutely dominated the trenches in that regard, and should hold Pierce in check come Week 3.
Related: Week 3 fantasy football rankings
Week 3 fantasy football start and sit: Wide receivers
Start
Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings
Stud. One of the top NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates. That’s the best way to explain what Addison has done through two weeks (seven catches, 133 yards, 2 TD). This is good enough for him to actually be a top-10 fantasy wide receiver as a rookie.
Don’t expect this to change Sunday against a Los Angeles Chargers defense that has given up the most points to fantasy football receivers on the season. How bad has Los Angeles been in this regard? Wide receivers are catching 74% of their targets against this unit. They are also averaging a resounding 17.7 yards per catch. Stack both Addison and Justin Jefferson in this one.
Sit
Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
Buffalo has yielded just 187 yards to receivers through two games. Pro Bowler Tre’Davious White has been great (five catches allowed for 29 yards). He’ll go up against McLaurin come Sunday.
As we’re recommending with Howell in our fantasy football start and sit column, McLaurin has to be an option to bench. It just makes too much sense for Washington to play ball control offense while trying to keep the ball out of the hands of Josh Allen after his masterpiece last week against the Raiders.
Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Marvin Mims is actually a better fantasy option than Sutton at this stage in the season. If nothing else, for the rookie’s big-play ability in Denver. Sutton has been the antithesis of this with 98 yards on 12 targets from Russell Wilson.
It definitely won’t be easy on Sunday taking on a Miami Dolphins defense that has given up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers on the season. Avoid Sutton as a bottom-end option.
Related: Ranking NFL defenses heading into Week 3
Week 3 fantasy football start and sit: Tight ends
Start
Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Otton has put up eight catches for 60 yards while hauling in 89% of his targets from a surprising Baker Mayfield through two weeks. While those are not fantasy relevant numbers, there is a certain trend here. The second-year tight end has acted as a safety valve for his veteran quarterback.
We’re expecting a target share increase this week against an Eagles defense that has allowed 17-of-20 targets to tight ends to be completed while giving up the most fantasy points to this position through two weeks.
Sit
Darren Waller, New York Giants
With nine catches for 112 yards in his first two games with the Giants, Waller is becoming a favorite target of Daniel Jones. It has him in the top six of fantasy football tight end rankings through two weeks.
Just don’t expect a repeat of this against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday. San Francisco has yielded just six receptions for 34 yards on 15 targets to tight ends. Linebacker Fred Warner and safety Talanoa Hufanga are just going to be too much for Waller when it comes to the tight end being fantasy relevant.