The best part about fantasy football is winning. The second best part is the draft. However, the draft has come and gone, and fantasy owners struggle with who to start, who to sit, and who to target as a sleeper each week. Thankfully, three of our writers (Mike Fanelli, Joshua Abbe, and Mason Thompson) offer up their takes on who fantasy owners should start, sit, and play as a sleeper this week. Be sure to follow all of them on Twitter and reach out with any fantasy football questions you may have. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Quarterbacks
Starts
Baker Mayfield vs Houston Texans
In his last game, Mayfield looked awful. He completed only 48 percent of his passes for 122 yards and scored 7.8 fantasy points. However, the Browns face a Texans defense tomorrow that is giving up an average of 21.2 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Furthermore, the Texans gave up 21.5 fantasy points to Jake Luton in his first career start last week. Mayfield should have no trouble having a field day against the Texans’ awful secondary. – Mike
Ben Roethlisberger vs Cincinnati Bengals
Big Ben should come off the Covid-19 list today and be good to go for tomorrow. Assuming he is, he’s got a great matchup against the Bengals. They have given up at 21 fantasy points to quarterbacks in four of their last six games. Furthermore, over their previous five games, the Bengals have given up at least two passing touchdowns in each contest. Start Big Ben and don’t think twice about it. – Joshua
Jared Goff vs Seattle Seahawks
Goff has struggled in recent weeks. He hasn’t posted over 17 points in a game since Week 5. Thankfully, Goff gets a fantastic matchup this week against the Seattle Seahawks, as they are allowing the most fantasy points to the quarterback position. The Rams will be trying to keep pace with Russell Wilson and Seattle’s explosive offense. Goff has an opportunity to get back on track. – Mason
Sits
Joe Burrow at Pittsburgh Steelers
Aside from the awful Week 5 game against the Ravens, Burrow has been impressive this season. He is averaging 18.7 fantasy points per game while scoring at least 15 in all but one game. However, he faces arguably the best defense in football tomorrow. The Steelers are giving up the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, giving up 15.5 per game. Furthermore, they have held quarterbacks to two or fewer touchdowns in every game this season. Unless this game turns into a blowout quickly, giving Burrow plenty of opportunity for garbage time points, fantasy owners should look elsewhere this week. – Mike
Matthew Stafford vs Washington Football Team
Last week against the Vikings, Stafford had a season-low 8.4 fantasy points and threw a season-high two interceptions. Yesterday, the Lions ruled out star wide receiver Kenny Golladay, leaving Stafford with limited weapons in the passing game. Meanwhile, Washington has held quarterbacks to under 14 fantasy points in three straight games. Look elsewhere this week if you need a bye week filler. – Joshua
Teddy Bridgewater vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Surprisingly, Bridgewater is the QB11 on the year. He was a great streaming candidate for a few weeks in a row but now has an unforgiving game against the Buccaneers, who are seventh-best against opposing quarterbacks. Bridgewater has been targeting both Robby Anderson and Curtis Samuel but has disregarded D.J. Moore. With Christian McCaffrey out, Bridgewater will have to shoulder more of the load this week, and it’ll be hard against Tampa Bay’s stifling defense. – Mason
Sleepers
Tua Tagovailoa vs Los Angeles Chargers
In his first career start, Tua was rocky, completing only 54.5 percent of his passes for just 93 yards. However, last week he showed up against the Cardinals, completing 71.4 percent of his passes for 248 yards, two touchdowns, and 21.4 fantasy points. This week, he and fellow rookie quarterback Justin Herbert will battle it out. The Chargers are giving up an average of 20.6 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Furthermore, they have given up at least two passing touchdowns in four of their last five games. Expect this game to be a shootout with both quarterbacks having a strong fantasy performance. – Mike
Nick Foles vs Minnesota Vikings
While the Bears have struggled lately, losing three straight, Foles has played well. He has scored 16 or more fantasy points in three of their last four games. Furthermore, over his previous two games, Foles is averaging 304 yards and two touchdowns per game. The matchup this week is excellent for Foles as the Vikings are giving up an average of 21.1 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Furthermore, they have given up at least two passing touchdowns in five straight games. – Joshua
Drew Lock at Las Vegas Raiders
Since Week 7, Lock has been the QB6. That includes last week’s game, where Lock was the QB4 against Atlanta. Once again, he has a great chance to succeed against the Raiders. They are allowing the seventh-most points to the quarterback position. This game should be a high-scoring, and Lock needs to show the front office that he is the future of the franchise. – Mason
Running Backs
Starts
Melvin Gordon at Las Vegas Raiders
Last week Gordon scored a season-low 3.7 fantasy points against the Falcons as he had only seven total touches for 27 yards. However, things should turn around this week against the Raiders. Last week, the Raiders gave up 34.7 fantasy points to the Chargers’ running backs. They did that without Austin Ekeler or Justin Jackson playing. Furthermore, the Raiders have given up an average of just over one rushing touchdown per game this season. – Mike
Antonio Gibson at Detroit Lions
Many are concerned with Gibson’s volume with the change at quarterback and the career-low six rushing attempts last week. However, he has scored double-digit fantasy points for the sixth time over his last seven games. Meanwhile, the Lions are giving up the most fantasy points per game to running backs at 35 per game. Furthermore, they have given up five rushing touchdowns over their last three games, so expect Washington to feed Gibson early and often tomorrow. – Joshua
James Robinson at Green Bay Packers
Robinson has been a favorite in this segment this year. Once again, he’s listed as a start against Green Bay’s pitiful run defense that is allowing the second-most fantasy points to the running back position. With Luton starting once again, Jacksonville should look to attack Green Bay’s front seven. Furthermore, Robinson will likely find more work in the receiving game this week as Jacksonville looks to keep pace with the Packers. – Mason
Sits
D’Andre Swift vs Washington Football Team
Swift has been productive for fantasy owners this season, scoring 11 or more fantasy points in all but two games. However, he has more than nine rushing attempts only twice this season as well. Tomorrow, Swift will take on a Washington team that is giving up an average of only 20.2 fantasy points per game to running games. Furthermore, they have held running backs under 10 fantasy points in two of their last three games. If any Lions’ running back will have a big day tomorrow, it will be former Washington starter, Adrian Peterson. – Mike
Giovani Bernard at Pittsburgh Steelers
With Joe Mixon out of the lineup, Bernard has scored 20 or more fantasy points in both games this season. However, he faced two weak run defenses and still only averaged 3.5 yards per carry. This week he gets the Steelers, who are giving up the fewest fantasy points per game to running backs, giving up 17.7 per game. Furthermore, they have held running backs to run 16 fantasy points in three of their last four games. Volume is king, and you may have to start Bernard, but temper your expectations. – Joshua
David Montgomery vs Minnesota Vikings
Montgomery is the RB18 on the season, but that number is inflated with his touchdown total. He is already at risk of not playing on Monday night against Minnesota as he is dealing with a concussion. The rushing production for Chicago has been horrendous this year, and Mike Zimmer will likely find ways to slow down the rushing attack and force Foles to pass. Whether Montgomery or Cordarrelle Patterson start, no Bear running back should be in your lineup this week. – Mason
Sleepers
J.D. McKissic at Detroit Lions
The only member of the Washington Football Team with more targets than McKissic this season is star wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Last week, McKissic saw a season-high 14 targets and scored 17.2 fantasy points against the Giants. With Alex Smith taking over as the starting quarterback, fantasy owners should expect McKissic to see plenty of targets each week. Meanwhile, the Lions are giving up the most fantasy points per game to running backs, giving up 35 per game. Furthermore, they have given up a total of 101.9 fantasy points to running backs over the last two weeks. Start every Washington running back this week. – Mike
Kalen Ballage at Miami Dolphins
Fresh off the practice squad, Ballage scored 16.4 fantasy points last week. He will be active again this week as both Ekeler and Jackson will miss the game with injuries. Ballage gets to have a revenge game tomorrow against the Dolphins, as they are giving up an average of almost 26 fantasy points per game to running backs. Furthermore, they have given up 90 or more rushing yards to running backs in all but two games this season. Check your waiver wire for Ballage if you need a last-minute replacement at running back. – Joshua
Zack Moss at Arizona Cardinals
Since Week 7, Moss has gotten much more involved in Buffalo’s offensive gameplan. He has 30 rushing attempts compared to Devin Singletary‘s 24. Singletary has more targets than Moss in that time, but Moss has far outproduced Singletary the last three weeks. Moss has 43.1 points over his previous three games, compared to Singletary’s 16.3. Arizona is a fairly good matchup this week for Moss to fully break out. – Mason
Wide Receivers
Starts
Brandin Cooks at Cleveland Browns
Yes, Will Fuller has turned into Houston’s WR1, but Cooks has played great since the change at head coach. Over his last four games, Cooks has at least nine targets and 60 receiving yards in every game while averaging 20.6 fantasy points per game. Tomorrow he faces a Browns secondary that is giving up an average of 44.6 fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Furthermore, they have given up 69 or more fantasy points to wide receivers in two of their last five games. Start both Fuller and Cooks with confidence this week. – Mike
Tee Higgins at Pittsburgh Steelers
The last time Higgins failed to score double-digit fantasy points was in Week 2. He has six straight games with 10 or more fantasy points and will make it seven straight tomorrow. He is a favorite target of Burrow, seeing six or more targets in six of his last seven games. Meanwhile, the Steelers have struggled against wide receivers this season. They are giving up almost 40 fantasy points per game to the position and have given up at least one touchdown to wide receivers in all but one game this year. – Joshua
Cooper Kupp vs Seattle Seahawks
Seattle struggles defending the pass as they are giving up the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and wide receivers. Kupp hasn’t produced as much as many thought he would, but this could finally be the beginning of the stretch where Kupp turns into a fantasy star. – Mason
Sits
Marvin Jones vs Washington Football Team
Even with Golladay out last week, Jones had only four targets against a struggling Vikings’ secondary. If not for a touchdown, Jones would have scored only 7.3 fantasy points. This week Jones takes on a Washington secondary that is giving up the fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers, giving up only 25.8 per game. Furthermore, Washington has held wide receivers to under 85 receiving yards in two of their last three games. – Mike
Justin Jefferson at Chicago Bears
As much as I love Jefferson, he needs to be on your bench this week. Since the Vikings’ Week 7 bye, Jefferson has a total of eight targets and 15 fantasy points. Furthermore, he has scored under 9.5 fantasy points in three of his last four games. Meanwhile, the Bears are giving up the third-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers, giving up only 27.6 per game. They had held wide receivers to only three touchdowns this season. Until he proves he’s out of his slump, Jefferson needs to be on your bench. – Joshua
Jakobi Meyers vs Baltimore Ravens
Since Week 7, Meyers has put up over 10 points in each game, including his 29-point output last week. He may have been the top waiver pickup of the week in some leagues but has a difficult task ahead with Baltimore on the table. New England will likely fall behind early, but Meyers will be matched up against Marcus Peters in this game. – Mason
Sleepers
Mike Williams at Miami Dolphins
While Keenan Allen gets a lot of media attention, Williams has picked up his play recently. Over his last four games, Williams has seven or more targets and over 80 receiving yards in three of them. This week he faces a Dolphins secondary that has given up a total of 104.8 fantasy points to wide receivers over the last two weeks. This game should be high scoring so expect Williams to have a big fantasy performance. – Mike
Darnell Mooney vs Minnesota Vikings
Quietly, Mooney’s role in the Bears’ offense has grown as the season goes on. He has at least five targets in every game since Foles took over as the starter while averaging 9.1 fantasy points per game. Meanwhile, the Vikings are giving up over 45 fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Furthermore, they have given up two or more touchdowns to wide receivers in four of their last five games. If you need a last-minute replacement for Golladay, Mooney is a good option. – Joshua
Josh Reynolds vs Seattle Seahawks
The moral of the story here is simple; play everyone against Seattle. Reynolds is the third option at the receiver spot for the Rams, but the Rams will need everyone to provide a spark to keep up with Seattle’s explosive offense. Reynolds has FLEX appeal this week in deeper leagues or for owners with bye week blues. – Mason
Tight Ends
Starts
Eric Ebron vs Cincinnati Bengals
Since the Steelers’ Week 4 bye, Ebron is averaging just under six targets per game. Furthermore, Ebron has scored 11 or more fantasy points in three straight games, scoring a touchdown in two of them. Meanwhile, the Bengals have given up the second-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, giving up 17.6 per game. Furthermore, they have given up 31 or more points to tight ends in two of their last three games. – Mike
Evan Engram vs Philadelphia Eagles
After a slow start to the season, Engram has picked up his play over the last three weeks. During that span, he is averaging just under six catches on 10 targets and 12.9 fantasy points per game. Furthermore, he scored his first receiving touchdown of the year last week against Washington. Meanwhile, the Eagles have given up an average of just over 16.3 fantasy points per game to tight ends. Furthermore, they have given up 10 or more fantasy points in six of eight games this season, including 10.9 to Engram three weeks ago. – Joshua
Austin Hooper vs Houston Texans
Hooper hasn’t played since Week 6. In the time he’s been gone, Odell Beckham suffered a season-ending injury. Even before that injury, Hooper was averaging over seven targets per game and had over 10 fantasy points in three-straight games from Weeks 4-6. He goes against a Houston defense that is allowing the 10th-most points to the tight end position. Hooper is now a TE1 option in a difficult year for the position and could finish in the top-five this week. – Mason
Sits
Jared Cook vs San Francisco 49ers
After scoring 12 or more fantasy points in three straight games, Cook’s fantasy production took a hit last week with the return of Michael Thomas. Cook had a season-low three targets and three fantasy points last week, and things don’t get better this week against the 49ers. They are giving up only 8.9 fantasy points per game this season. Furthermore, they have held tight ends under 10 fantasy points in six of nine games this season. Last week the Saints showed they can have success with any of their tight ends. Expect a quiet game from Cook tomorrow. – Mike
Hunter Henry at Miami Dolphins
Despite seeing seven or more targets in three of his last four games, Henry has scored more than 7.3 fantasy points only once during that span. Furthermore, he has one touchdown on the season and has scored double-digit fantasy points only once since September. Meanwhile, the Dolphins are giving up an average of 8.7 fantasy points per game to tight ends. They have held tight ends to only two touchdowns this season, so don’t expect Henry to find the end zone tomorrow. – Joshua
Rob Gronkowski at Carolina Panthers
After four straight weeks of consistent production, Gronkowski crashed back to earth last week. He only had one catch for two yards against the Saints. This week, Gronkowski faces off against a Carolina defense that is in the middle of the pack against the tight end spot. The most worrisome part for him is that Antonio Brown, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Tyler Johnson have all had a hand in the passing attack. There might not be enough for Gronkowski to put up gaudy numbers this week. – Mason
Sleepers
Robert Tonyan vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Since the Packers’ Week 5 bye, Tonyan has been quiet, scoring more than 5.5 fantasy points only once. In the other three games since the bye, Tonyan has a total of seven targets and zero touchdowns. However, he should bounce back this week against the Jaguars. They are giving up an average of 15.2 fantasy points per game to tight ends. Furthermore, they have given up seven touchdowns to the position over their last seven games. – Mike
Mike Gesicki vs Los Angeles Chargers
Over his last three games, Gesicki has a total of eight targets and nine fantasy points. However, Preston Williams was placed on injured reserve this week, opening up more targets for Gesicki, and just in time. The Chargers are giving up an average of 15.4 fantasy points per game to tight ends this season. Furthermore, they have allowed tight ends to score at least one touchdown and 14 fantasy points in four of their last five games. – Joshua
Irv Smith at Chicago Bears
Since Week 5, Smith has 15 targets. He had two touchdowns last week against Detroit and will likely find more production this week against a Chicago team that is reeling. Furthermore, Smith has scored over 10 fantasy points in three of his last four games. Expect him to score double-digit fantasy points again tomorrow. – Mason
Editor Note: With Smith ruled out for today’s game, Kyle Rudolph is a good last-minute replacement at tight end as he should see an uptick in targets with Smith out. Also, the Bears have given up four touchdowns to tight ends over their last three games.
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