By MIKE HERNDON
What a miserable week of fantasy football last week was.
We could put together an entire team of would-be fantasy stars who failed to make it to double digits in standard last week:
QB: Russell Wilson
RB: Jonathan Taylor
RB: Joe Mixon
WR: Justin Jefferson
WR: Ja’Marr Chase
TE: Darren Waller
FLEX: Austin Ekeler
Blech.
Much like NFL players themselves, however, you’ve got to put last week behind you. This week brings a new opportunity, and this one begins with a Thursday night game between Cincinnati and Miami that should get it started with some fantasy goodness.
This week’s starts and sits:
QB:
Starts:
Joe Burrow, Bengals: Last week was a prime get-right spot for Burrow and the Bengals, who got theirfirst win of the year over the Jets. Thursday night feels like a perfect opportunity to keep the run going – an undefeated, but banged-up Dolphins team limps into their house on a short week having given up the second-most passing yards in the league behind only Baltimore. Fire up Joe Shiesty.
Sits:
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: What a difference a competent coach can make to a quarterback’s development. Lawrence is starting to show the promise that made him the first overall pick in the 2021 draft, tossing five touchdowns and no interceptions in the last two weeks while leading the Jags to convincing wins over the Colts and Chargers. But this week he faces a red-hot Eagles defense that has held Kirk Cousins and Carson Wentz under 12 fantasy points in each of the last two weeks while holding the Vikings and Commanders to 15 points, combined.
RB:
Starts:
Rashaad Penny, Seahawks: We’ve been waiting patiently for Penny to start looking like he did at the end of 2021, and a Lions defense that he torched for 170 yards last year – and that is allowing 5 yards per carry on the ground this year – may be just the ticket.
Jamaal Williams, Lions: On the other side of this game, D’Andre Swift is unlikely to play and that leaves the entire backfield to Williams, who put up a big fantasy number last week with 87 yards and two touchdowns. Detroit should be scoring plenty against Seattle, who owns the second-worst run defense in the league through three games.
In other injury-replacement news, if David Montgomery is out, fire up Khalil Herbert, too. But you probably didn’t need me to tell you that after watching him run for 157 yards last week.
Sits:
Cam Akers, Rams: He’s regained his role in the Rams’ offense and made those Week 2 waiver claims for Darrell Henderson Jr. seem hasty. But the 49ers defense is a tough draw, allowing only 2.8 yards per carry on the ground. Look elsewhere this week.
J.K. Dobbins, Ravens: I know we all want to see his triumphant return to full strength, but it looks like the Ravens are taking their time ramping him back up to a full workload. The Bills’ stingy defense doesn’t seem like an ideal spot to re-insert him in your lineup.
WR:
Starts:
CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys: I was wrong about Lamb in a Dakless Cowboys offense – he’s been just fine. He’s the target hog we expected him to be with Amari Cooper packed off to Cleveland and Cooper Rush is getting him the ball just fine. The Commanders’ defense should present no significant problem.
Gabe Davis, Bills: Baltimore’s secondary has given up more passing yards than any other team in the NFL. Part of that was the shootout with Miami, when the Ravens’ cornerback room looked like a MASH unit, but DeVante Parker torched them for 156 yards last week – only 147 more than he had in the first two games combined. Davis should be back to full health now, and Buffalo will likely need to fully utilize all its weapons to outscore Lamar Jackson.
Sits:
D.K. Metcalf, Seahawks: Yes, he finally popped off while we had him in the sit column last week. This week, however, he gets a matchup with Detroit’s Jeff Okudah, who shut down Justin Jefferson last week.
Any New York Giant or Chicago Bear: Sterling Shepard was the only Giant receiver you were considering playing and he tore an ACL while running out a route last week against the Cowboys. With Chicago avoiding the forward pass like it’s 1959, the volume isn’t there to support even one receiver. Avoid anyone who isn’t a running back in this game.
TE:
Starts:
Pat Freiermuth, Steelers: He’s becoming a trusted weapon for Mitch Trubisky and a date with the Jets may give him an opportunity to find the end zone.
Sits:
George Kittle, 49ers: He may be still playing his way back into shape and now his team faces the Rams without All-Pro tackle Trent Williams, heightening the likelihood that Kittle will be asked to block more. You probably don’t have better options in the tight end hellscape, but temper expectations.
Categories: Fantasy Football
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