Fantasy Football: Starts and Sits for Week 3

Time for starts and sits for Week 3. Just like Week 1 and 2, obvious starters like Antonio Brown and David Johnson will not be mentioned.

Starts

Start of the Week: Melvin Gordon- With Danny Woodhead joining Keenan Allen on season ending IR, Gordon takes over as the top dog in this Chargers offense. He has almost no competition for carries, and Gordon may get a chance to catch passes out of the backfield, as Woodhead is not there to fill that role. Gordon has already proven to have the goal line work, and that further adds to his upside. Gordon has had a breakout season thus far, and expect that to continue now. Gordon also faces the Colts defense, which has allowed the most points to running backs so far this season.

Todd Gurley- Normally Gurley would fall under the "obvious starter" category, but I have been hearing that people are sitting Gurley due to his struggles so far. No, no, just no. Play Gurley, be patient. He will figure it out. It may even happen this week as he faces a Buccaneers defense that has been bad against the run this week. Just be patient with him, and I repeat, do not sit Gurley.

Jarvis Landry- I love this matchup. The Dolphins face the Cleveland Browns this weekend. As ESPN noted, Landry works out of the slot, and Browns top corner Joe Haden works outside, so Landry will almost never see Haden. That means big numbers are in store for Landry, especially if Arian Foster misses the game. Jordan Matthews made the Browns defense look silly in Week 1, and Mike Wallace did the same in Week 2. Expect Landry to be the next wide receiver to post big numbers against Cleveland. Landry also hasn’t scored a touchdown yet this season, I expect it to come this week.

Larry Fitzgerald- It doesn’t seem that age will ever catch up this guy. Fitzgerald already had three touchdowns, and has posted two straight 81-yard outputs. Expect more of the same for the Cardinals wide receiver, as he faces a Bills defense that has been far from stellar.

Houston D/ST- See "Any player on the Patriots" in the Sits section.

Sits

Any player on the Patriots- The Patriots are facing a very strong Texans defense on a short week. Normally with the Patriots, this isn’t something one would worry about, but the Patriots will give Jacoby Brissett his first career start. The Patriots offensive line has struggled this season, and they are facing one of the best pass rushes in the NFL. If Brissett is pressured, he may make big mistakes. Patriots receivers should find their way to you bench unless you have no other option. LeGarrette Blount is the best option on the Patriots, but it’s likely that the Texans stack the box and force Brissett to throw.

Corey Coleman- He had a breakout game against the Ravens in Week 2, but that doesn’t make him a must start. Cody Kessler will be the Browns quarterback for Week 3, and reports from Cleveland signal that Kessler does not seem to be totally ready. Also, Terrell Pryor has actually received more targets than any other Cleveland receiver. Despite the nice matchup against Miami, Coleman is a risky start with Kessler at the helm.

Miami running backs- The situation in Miami is a flat out mess. The Dolphins are optimistic that Arian Foster will play, but are not sure that he will. If he doesn’t play, expect a committee between Jay Ajayi and Kenyon Drake. Neither Ajayi or Drake are viable starting options this week, as there is too much uncertainty.

Carlos Hyde- Talk about a bad matchup. It does not get much harder than a trek up to Seattle. For a 49ers offense that has no passing game to speak of, this could be a long night for Hyde owners. Seattle will heavily stack the box on Hyde and force Blaine Gabbert to throw the ball. Hyde struggled against the Panthers front, don’t expect him to do any better against the Seahawks.