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, four of our writers (Mike Fanelli, Joshua Abbe, Mason Thompson, and MJ Hurley) 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
Drew Brees at Detroit Lions
After two disappointing games to start the season, where he averaged 14.5 fantasy points per game, Brees bounced back last week, scoring 23.5 fantasy points against the Packers. He threw three touchdowns on Sunday night compared to three in the first two games of the season. Now this week, he faces a Lions’ defense that has given up the seventh-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, giving up an average of 21.7 per game. Furthermore, the Lions have given up at least 19 fantasy points in each game this season. Even without Michael Thomas, expect Brees to total 22 or more fantasy points for the second straight week. – Mike
Joe Burrow vs Jacksonville Jaguars
So far this season, Burrow has looked really good. He is averaging 20.4 fantasy points per game and coming off back-to-back 300 or more passing yard games. Now he faces a Jaguars defense that has given up the fifth-most fantasy points to the quarterback position and six passing touchdowns over the past two weeks. Look for Burrow to be the third straight quarterback to go over 22 fantasy points against the Jaguars. – Joshua
Jared Goff vs New York Giants
Even with many fantasy players staying away from drafting him, Goff is the QB9 through the first three weeks. He has totaled six touchdowns in the last two games and gets another great matchup against the Giants this week. New York is ranked as the eighth-best defense against opposing quarterbacks, but have played against Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Mullens in two of the first three games. James Bradberry has been a bright spot, but he’s the only bright spot in the secondary for New York. Start Goff with confidence, and don’t look back. – Mason
Aaron Rodgers vs Atlanta Falcons
Rodgers has been the QB7 so far in this season. With a matchup against the struggling Falcons, Rodgers has a favorable matchup in Week 4. Davante Adams should be back on the field, and the Falcons injury list is staggering, especially in the secondary. At home, with his top weapon returning, look for Rodgers to put up some big numbers. – MJ
Sits
Gardner Minshew at Cincinnati Bengals
Everyone expected Minshew to have a great game against the Jaguars last week. However, after posting back-to-back 20 or more fantasy point games, Minshew struggled and scored just 9.2 fantasy points against the Dolphins. For the fantasy owners who didn’t put him back on the waiver wire, you shouldn’t play him this week. The Bengals have given up the seventh-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, giving up an average of 15.5 per game. Furthermore, they have given up just three passing touchdowns all season long. Expect another poor performance from Minshew this week. – Mike
Tom Brady vs Los Angeles Chargers
Brady hasn’t been great in Florida so far, as he is averaging just 17.7 fantasy points per game. Now, this week he will be without Chris Godwin, who is out with a hamstring injury. Brady has two games this season over 20 fantasy points, but he has yet to face a defense as good as the Chargers. Not only will Brady be without Godwin but also Leonard Fournette, while Scotty Miller is a game-time call. Bench the GOAT for someone else this week. – Joshua
Nick Foles vs Indianapolis Colts
Yes, Foles looked great in the comeback against Atlanta. Unfortunately, the Atlanta defense is much worse than the one the Colts bring to the table this week. The Colts are currently giving up only 132 passing yards per game, the fewest in the league. The Bears are 3-0, but they will be put to the test this week against Indianapolis, and Foles will be under pressure every snap of the game. – Mason
Lamar Jackson at Washington Football Team
Jackson has only been the QB12 through the first three weeks of the season. The Ravens prioritize the running game and have three running backs who can take the majority of the workload before Jackson has to run wild. Furthermore, the young quarterback not even throwing for 100 yards on the night. Meanwhile, the Washington defense has been impressive so far, and their pass rush has given quarterbacks nightmares. Jackson will not have time to sit in the pocket, and the Ravens will likely rely on the run game early and often to re-establish their dominance in a careful win. – MJ
Sleepers
Derek Carr vs Buffalo Bills
Year after year, Carr is overlooked as a solid bye week filling option in fantasy. Yes, he isn’t an elite quarterback or even in the top half of the league. However, Carr has been solid this season for fantasy owners, averaging 16.9 fantasy points and two touchdowns per game. Meanwhile, the Bills have struggled to slow down quarterbacks, giving up an average of 20.9 fantasy points per game this season. Furthermore, they have given up an average of 25.8 fantasy points per game over the last two weeks. If you need a last-minute replacement for Ben Roethlisberger or Ryan Tannehill, Carr should be your target. – Mike
Kirk Cousins at Houston Texans
After scoring negative 1.5 fantasy points against the Colts in Week 2, Cousins bounced back last week against the Titans, throwing for 250 yards, three touchdowns, and scoring 19.4 fantasy points. Rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson looks like a star in the making, and that will only help Cousins this week against the Texans. So far this season, the Texans are giving up an average of 19.1 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, about the league average. However, they have been blown out in two of their games this season and should take an early lead on the Vikings. Expect Cousins to have plenty of garbage time points against a poor Texans secondary. – Joshua
Ryan Fitzpatrick vs Seattle Seahawks
Fitzpatrick has been great in back-to-back games against Buffalo and Jacksonville, and should again this week. Seattle is giving up an astronomical 430 passing yards per game through three weeks. Miami should put up a fight this week, and it will ultimately be a shootout where Fitzpatrick will have to keep up with the Seahawks’ offense. – Mason
Baker Mayfield at Dallas Cowboys
This game will be a shootout. The Browns have put up 34 and 35 points in the last two games, and the Cowboys have been scoring 29 points per game in their three matchups to date. Neither the Cowboys nor the Browns have looked impressive on the defensive side of the ball. This bodes well for Baker Mayfield in this matchup. The Cowboys like to play fast and move the ball down the field as quickly as possible, and that style of play will benefit Mayfield and his wide receiver duo. – MJ
Running Backs
Starts
Darrell Henderson Jr. vs New York Giants
The last two weeks have made it clear this is Henderson’s backfield until further notice. Over the past two weeks, he is averaging 6.1 yards per carry and 19.6 fantasy points per game. Cam Akers is dealing with a rib injury and has been ruled out. Meanwhile, the Giants just got destroyed by the 49ers’ running backs last week. The problem is, they didn’t have Raheem Mostert or Tevin Coleman. Despite both being out, the 49ers’ running backs scored 43.1 fantasy points against the Giants. Expect a big game for Henderson this week, with top-five upside. – Mike
Devin Singletary vs Las Vegas Raiders
Last week Zack Moss missed the game with a toe injury and is questionable to play this week against the Raiders. With Moss out of the lineup, Singletary had a season-high 17 touches for 121 yards and 16.1 fantasy points. Whether Moss plays or not, Singletary should be in your lineup again this week. The Raiders have given up the most fantasy points to running backs this season, giving up 44.5 per game, 19.8 more than the league average. Furthermore, the Raiders have given up two rushing touchdowns in every game this season. – Joshua
David Johnson vs Minnesota Vikings
Johnson is currently the RB21 on the year and will have another opportunity to shine against Minnesota. The Vikings are allowing the seventh-most points to opposing running backs, and the Texans need to find any way to win after an 0-3 start. – Mason
James Robinson at Cincinnati Bengals
Robinson has been the RB6 through the first three weeks of the season, and he faces the 27th ranked run defense in the NFL for his Week 4 matchup. With their limited weapons on offense, there is no way the Jaguars don’t give Robinson at least 15 touches again this week. With a Bengals offense that relies heavily on the passing game lead by Joe Burrow, there should be plenty of time for the Jaguars to feed Robinson. – MJ
Sits
Myles Gaskin vs Seattle Seahawks
Gaskin has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy owners this season, averaging a solid 13.1 fantasy points per game. Last week, he had a career-high 22 carries and scored 14.5 fantasy points against the Jaguars. With Jordan Howard and Matt Breida playing a limited role on offense, Gaskin is getting the majority of the work. However, this week, he faces the Seahawks. So far this season, they have given up just 19.1 fantasy points per game to running backs and held Ezekiel Elliott to 17.8 fantasy points last week. Meanwhile, they have given up more fantasy points than anyone in the league to wide receivers. Expect a shootout in Miami and for Gaskin to have a limited role as the Dolphins chase points all afternoon long. – Mike
Adrian Peterson vs New Orleans Saints
The old man won’t go away, as he said this week he would like to play till he’s 40. However, being part of a three-headed monster in Detroit makes it hard to predict when to play him. After scoring 14.4 fantasy points in Week 1, Peterson has scored a total of 13.6 fantasy points since. Furthermore, Peterson’s yards per carry have dropped in each game so far this season. Meanwhile, the Saints will be without both starting cornerbacks, so expect the Lions to attack them in the air, leaving Peterson’s role uncertain for tomorrow. – Joshua
David Montgomery vs Indianapolis Colts
The Bears aren’t playing the Lions, Giants, or Falcons defense this week. Indianapolis has the top-ranked defense in fantasy football and is making it rough on opposing offenses. Despite Tarik Cohen being out for the year, Montgomery won’t be able to make the most out of his workload this week. Indianapolis has the fourth-ranked run defense in the league, and Chicago’s offensive line isn’t great. – Mason
Ronald Jones vs Los Angeles Chargers
Jones has been the leading rusher for the Buccaneers so far this, but he has not been the goal line rusher. Fournette has been getting more carries at the goal line, and that is key. Shy away from starting either running back, especially when there has been no clear decision made through the first three weeks on who the leading back will be. Jones has only been the RB36 so far, and that likely will not change against the sixth-ranked run defense in the Chargers. Don’t start Jones, even with Fournette out this week. – MJ
Sleepers
Joshua Kelley at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last week Austin Ekeler went off against the Panthers. He scored a season-high 31.3 fantasy points, in large part thanks to his 11 catches and 84 receiving yards. Unfortunately for Kelley, he had just 10 total touches and fell out of favor as he fumbled. However, this week he faces a Buccaneers’ defense that has given up an average of 28 fantasy points per game to the running back position. The Chargers will want to limit the amount of time Brady is on the field, and the way to do that is running the ball. Expect both Ekeler and Kelley to have a solid game. – Mike
Antonio Gibson vs Baltimore Ravens
Everyone’s preseason darling has finally gotten going. He has scored 12 or more fantasy points in back-to-back games as he has found the end zone in both contests. While he hasn’t gotten a lot of carries, he is averaging 4.7 yards per carry over the last two weeks. The Ravens have been one of the best teams against running backs this season as they haven’t given up a rushing touchdown. Expect Washington to be trailing most of the game, giving Gibson plenty of opportunities for garbage time points. – Joshua
Jeff Wilson vs Philadelphia Eagles
Once again, the 49ers were bit by the injury bug in MetLife Stadium last week, and it resulted in Jerick McKinnon getting injured. With Mostert and Coleman out, and McKinnon playing hurt, it’s up to Wilson to shoulder the load with Mullens at quarterback. Wilson had 12 carries last week and a touchdown and added three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown as well. Philadelphia’s linebacker core is a mess, and Wilson should be able to take advantage of that. – Mason
Todd Gurley at Green Bay Packers
The Packers have struggled against running backs this season. In Week 3, Alvin Kamara ran wild against Green Bay, and the Falcons should be looking to emulate that model to attack the Packers defense. Whether Julio Jones is fully healthy or not, Gurley will be critical to the Falcons’ success this week. Gurley could be a decent FLEX option in a week, where owners do not have James Conner or Derrick Henry. – MJ
Wide Receivers
Starts
CeeDee Lamb vs Cleveland Browns
In their shootout last week against the Seahawks, the Cowboys had four wide receivers score over 11 fantasy points. Of the four, Lamb finished last with 11.6 fantasy points. However, this should be different this week, as, before last week, Lamb was averaging 14.2 fantasy points per game. This week, he faces a Browns’ secondary that is banged-up and giving up an average of 42.2 fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Furthermore, they gave up 40.6 fantasy points to the Washington wide receivers last week, even though Terry McLaurin had just 12.6 fantasy points. Expect the Browns to focus on Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup, giving Lamb the opportunity for a big game. – Mike
Will Fuller vs Minnesota Vikings
After his great Week 1 performance against the Chiefs, Fuller put up a fat zero in Week 2, only to bounce back last week, scoring 15.4 fantasy points. Now he has a great matchup against a banged-up and young Vikings secondary. The Vikings have given up the fourth-most fantasy points to the position this season, including five touchdowns. They have given up over 220 receiving yards to the wide receiver position in two of their three games this season. Fuller’s big play ability gives him top 10 upside this week. – Joshua
Stefon Diggs at Las Vegas Raiders
Buffalo is running on all cylinders through the first three weeks, and the addition of Diggs has been huge. He’s the WR4 on the season and is averaging a little over nine targets a game. This week, he gets a great matchup against the Las Vegas secondary that is still going through growing pains. Diggs was one of the steals of the draft and should post another top-12 stat line this week. – Mason
Keenan Allen at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Allen is the WR16 so far this season, which is impressive given the quarterback situation in Los Angeles. Allen is averaging 14.5 targets per game with Justin Herbert under center. Herbert and the Chargers will likely be in a shootout against Brady and the Buccaneers tomorrow. Look for Allen to see at least 14 targets again this week and produce solid WR2 or better numbers. – MJ
Sits
Julian Edelman at Kansas City Chiefs
Edelman is the WR20 on the year, averaging 14.4 fantasy points per game. However, of his 43.1 fantasy points scored this season, he got 60.1 percent of them (25.9 fantasy points) against the Seahawks in their Week 2 shootout. That means he is averaging 8.6 fantasy points per game against everyone else this season. Meanwhile, the Chiefs have given up the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season, giving up an average of 24.9 per game, including just one touchdown all season long. Furthermore, Edelman is dealing with a knee injury and is questionable to play Sunday. Even assuming he plays, he belongs on your bench this week. – Mike
D.J. Moore vs Arizona Cardinals
So far this season, Moore has been supplanted by Robby Anderson as the Panthers’ top wide receiver. While there is still hope Moore turns things around, it’s not likely to happen this week. Moore is coming off an 8.5 fantasy point outing against the Chargers, where he had a season-low four targets. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have given up the second-fewest fantasy points to the position this season. They have given up just two touchdowns to the position and have yet to let a team’s wide receivers to go over 200 yards this season. Moore hopefully turns things around at some point this season, but this week he belongs on your bench. – Joshua
Terry McLaurin vs Baltimore Ravens
McLaurin has been a bright spot on the otherwise struggling Washington offense. He has had over 11 points in each of his three games but will be shadowed by either Marlon Humphrey or Marcus Peters this week. Dwayne Haskins may force-feed him, but McLaurin will have tough sledding against Baltimore’s elite cornerback duo. To make matters worse, he’s dealing with a thigh injury. – Mason
Allen Robinson vs Indianapolis Colts
Robinson has done well for the Bears, but most of that production was with Mitchell Trubisky as his quarterback. Once Foles came in for the Bears, the ball was spread around, and fewer targets were heading Robinson’s way. With the other weapons more involved, it means less action for Robinson, especially against an impressive Colts defense. – MJ
Sleepers
Hunter Renfrow vs Buffalo Bills
Both Henry Ruggs and Bryan Edwards are expected to miss the game against the Bills. With Darren Waller getting all the Bills’ attention, expect Carr to look Renfrow’s way often. With Ruggs out last week, Renfrow caught six of his nine targets for 84 yards and a touchdown against the Patriots, scoring 20.4 fantasy points. Meanwhile, the Bills gave up 25.7 fantasy points to the Rams’ slot receiver Cooper Kupp last week and 27 fantasy points to the Dolphins’ slot weapon Mike Gesicki the week before. Between the Bills’ struggles covering the slot and his expected target share, Renfrow is in line for a top 24 finish this week in PPR scoring. – Mike
T.Y. Hilton at Chicago Bears
No Parris Campbell or Michael Pittman, who else can Philip Rivers throw to besides Hilton. So far this season, Hilton has really struggled, averaging just 7.8 fantasy points per game. He has yet to go over 55 yards receiving in any game and has just eight targets over the last two weeks combined. However, he should break out of his cold stretch this week. The Bears gave up 35.1 fantasy points to the Falcons’ wide receivers last week despite Julio Jones not playing. – Joshua
Daurice Fountain at Chicago Bears
Fountain is owned in less than one percent of leagues, making this a super-deep play. With Pittman undergoing surgery on Monday, and Campbell already injured, Fountain could find himself in a major role on Sunday against Chicago. He caught two passes for 23 yards against the Jets last week and should far outplay that line this week against the Bears. – Mason
Brandon Aiyuk vs Philadelphia Eagles
With Mullens starting in Week 4 for San Francisco, Aiyuk could be in for another big day. The 49ers got Aiyuk involved in the rushing and passing game last week. With injuries all over the place for the 49ers, Aiyuk is the type of dynamic playmaker that Kyle Shanahan loves employing to drive defenses crazy. With a favorable matchup against the Eagles, the young wide receiver could be in for another big day. – MJ
Tight Ends
Starts
Rob Gronkowski vs Los Angeles Chargers
After being targeted just four times over the first two games, Gronkowski caught six of his seven targets last week, scoring 10.8 fantasy points. A big reason for the uptick in targets was Godwin leaving the game with a hamstring injury. Both Godwin and Fournette are out for tomorrow’s game. With limited weapons, expect Brady to look Gronkowski’s way plenty this week against a banged-up Chargers defense. – Mike
Dalton Schultz vs Cleveland Browns
Since taking over as the starting tight end for Blake Jarwin, Schultz has totaled 13 catches on 16 targets for 136 yards, a touchdown, and 30.6 fantasy points. The Cowboys have become one of the most pass-happy teams in the league, and that is good for Schultz. Meanwhile, the Browns have been one of the friendliest teams to tight ends this season, giving up the third-most fantasy points to the position. They are giving up an average of 19.3 per game and have given up 25 or more in two of three games this season. While Schultz won’t score 25 fantasy points this week, he is the perfect last-minute replacement for Jonnu Smith. – Joshua
Mike Gesicki vs Seattle Seahawks
Gesicki is quietly one of the top-10 tight ends through three weeks of the season. He has had 14 targets the last two weeks, and with the Dolphins likely trying to keep up with Seattle, he could be in for another big game this week. Seattle allowed Schultz to have six targets and gain 48 yards off of four receptions last week. Gesicki should have more than the three targets he had last week, this week against Seattle. – Mason
Mark Andrews at Washington Football Team
Andrews had a rough day against the Chiefs on Monday night. The experienced tight end dropped multiple critical passes in a frustrating loss to the defending champions. However, the Ravens want to keep Andrews involved in the offense, and he should bust out of his slump this week against a struggling Washington linebacker group. They have struggled against tight ends this season and without two of their star defensive players, expect Andrews to have a bounce-back game. – MJ
Sits
Greg Olsen at Miami Dolphins
Olsen had a season-high six targets last week against the Cowboys, which led to his second game this season scoring double-digit fantasy points. However, when facing a solid defense, Olsen has struggled. He scored zero fantasy points against the Patriots in Week 2 and now takes on a Dolphins’ unit that has given up the third-fewest fantasy points to the position this season. The Dolphins have allowed opposing tight ends to score a total of 15.1 fantasy points per game this season. They have yet to let a tight end go over 40 yards receiving or find the end zone. With Russell Wilson having his way with the Dolphins’ cornerbacks, expect Olsen to have a quiet game. – Mike
Hayden Hurst at Green Bay Packers
Entering the season, many had hoped Hurst would step into Austin Hooper‘s old role. However, that hasn’t been the case. Hayden has been solid, averaging 10.7 fantasy points per game, but he’s been inconsistent. He scored 18.2 fantasy points in Week 2 against the Cowboys but has scored under 7.5 fantasy points in the other two games. Last week, Hurst scored just 7.1 fantasy points as he caught his only target for a single yard and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Packers have held tight ends under 10.5 fantasy points in every game this season and have yet to give up a touchdown to the position. Find a streaming option on the waiver wire instead of starting Hurst this week. – Joshua
Darren Waller vs Buffalo Bills
For the second week in a row, Waller is listed as a sit. Coming back from a knee injury against a Buffalo defense will be a difficult task. Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier should find a way to make sure Waller doesn’t have a big game. This could be yet another shootout as the Raiders’ defense is struggling. – Mason
T.J. Hockenson vs New Orleans Saints
Unfortunately for fantasy owners, the Lions have not been using Hockenson the way that everyone expected. Matthew Stafford hasn’t been throwing the ball as much as expected, and Peterson has been leading the pack for the rushing unit. Overall, Detroit has not used their lineup the way anyone expected, and that isn’t likely to change this week. – MJ
Sleepers
Logan Thomas vs Baltimore Ravens
In Week 1, Thomas scored 13.7 fantasy points against the Eagles. However, in the two weeks since, he has scored a total of 13.7 fantasy points. The good news is Thomas is playing the second-most snaps and has the second-most targets on the team, only behind McLaurin. Meanwhile, the Ravens have given up the fourth-most fantasy points to the tight end position this season. They have given up an average of 18.8 fantasy points per game and at least 14.7 fantasy points in every game this season. Furthermore, McLaurin is questionable to play with a thigh injury. Whether he plays or not, Thomas should see an uptick in targets this week. – Mike
Jordan Akins vs Minnesota Vikings
Usually, the Texans’ tight end is only good for stealing a touchdown here and there. However, Akins has been a solid player this season. Despite seeing just four targets per game this season, Akins has scored 11.5 or more fantasy points in two of three games. He has also averaged over 11 yards per catch this season and has a good matchup this week. The Vikings have given up an average of six catches for 94 yards and 15.4 fantasy points per game over the last two weeks. With Deshaun Watson determined to take advantage of a struggling Vikings defense, expect Akins to have a solid day. Akins is a mid TE2 this week for those of you in deeper or two tight end leagues. – Joshua
Robert Tonyan vs Atlanta Falcons
Both Tonyan and Jace Sternberger could be listed as a sleeper. Tonyan has 26.5 fantasy points in the last two games. He has eight targets, which he has turned into seven receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns. The Packers are averaging over 40 points per game this year and likely will continue that trend against Atlanta’s sorry excuse for a defense. – Mason
Jimmy Graham vs Indianapolis Colts
With Foles leading the Bears offense moving forward, Graham should have a big impact. Graham has been the go-to target at the goal line, and he has shown the ability to be a big target in the past. With the Colts locking down Robinson and Anthony Miller, look for Graham to steal a short-yardage touchdown. – MJ
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