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With two weeks of the fantasy season already over with, hopefully things are working out according to your plan. Who are we kidding? Things never go as planned. But the season continues to roll on and as we look to maximize our starting lineup, here are some key players at each position you should consider either rolling with or stashing away for the week.
Note: You won’t find all the regular stars who are considered auto-starts week in and week out. Instead, we’ll be looking at fringe players or possibly streaming options in shallow leagues.
QUARTERBACK
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Mitchell Trubisky, Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons (Week 3 position rank: 22nd)
If you are streaming quarterbacks or looking for a daily fantasy sports bargain, then rolling with Trubisky might not be a bad play. He faces an Atlanta defense that has surrendered the second-most passing yards in the league this year. And considering the Falcons will be scoring points themselves, the game script points to a lot things happening through the air. Trubisky already put up a three-touchdown game on the road against the Lions in Week 1, so we know he has it in him.
Sit’Em
Carson Wentz, Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Week 3 position rank: 15th)
How much longer are you going to roll with Carson Wentz? Most fantasy owners got to feel that he’ll come through with a good game against the lowly Bengals, but don’t bet on it. Cincy has actually been pretty stingy against fantasy quarterbacks. Part of that has to do with a Bengals third-worst rushing defense to where teams don’t have to air it out. With fewer opportunities and the propensity to give the ball away, Wentz shouldn’t be trusted.
RUNNING BACK
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Joshua Kelly, Chargers vs. Carolina Panthers (Week 3 position rank: 26th )
Austin Ekeler is the fantasy star from the Chargers, but there is a clear role for Joshua Kelly in this offense. Last week against the Chiefs, Kelly actually out touched Ekeler thanks to his 23 rushing attempts. Not only that, he’s getting goal line work. This week, he’ll face a Panthers defense that has given up the most fantasy points to running backs this season.
Sit’Em
David Johnson, Texans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 3 position rank: 21st)
It’s tough to say what is more concerning, the fact that David Johnson hasn’t eclipsed 11 carries this season or that he now faces the top rushing defense in the league. He’s coming off a game where he only averaged 3.0 yards per carry and that was against a stout Ravens defense. Expect more of the same this week against the Steelers.
WIDE RECEIVER
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Diontae Johnson, Steelers vs. Houston Texans (Week 3 position rank: 19th)
If you drafted Diontae Johnson you have to be feeling pretty good about it as he has been a favorite of Big Ben so far. He’s actually out-targeted JuJu Smith-Schuster 23 to 14, and put up a 19.2 game last week. Against a suspect Houston secondary, both Steelers receivers should be good play, and don’t be surprised if Johnson has a big game.
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Robert Woods, Rams vs. Buffalo Bills (Week 3 position rank: 15th)
The Rams offense can be frustrating as it offers a roulette wheel of goodness. Robert Woods had a six-catch, 105-yard game in Week 1. Then, he only had two catches for 14 yards last week, and had it not been for a fortunate goal line score, he would’ve greatly disappointed. This weekend, he draws one of the best corners in the game in Buffalo’s Tre’Davious White which lessens the likeliness of the ball dropping on his number this week.
TIGHT END
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Noah Fant, Broncos vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 3 position rank: 13th)
The second-year tight end from Iowa is currently the fourth highest scoring tight end in the league thanks to finding the end zone in each of the first two games. His targets haven’t been there, but he should see an increase with Courtland Sutton going down to injury. Not only that, but new quarterback Jeff Driskel seems to look his way. Tampa Bay was good last week against tight ends, but the Panthers didn’t have anyone threatening. Fant will present a stronger challenge for the Bucs this week.
Sit’Em
Evan Engram, Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers (Week 3 position rank: 13th)
It’s good to see Evan Engram get the targets, but they don’t mean anything if he can’t catch them. He’s off to a slow start as he’s dropping passes again. This week, he’ll go up against a 49ers defense that doesn’t give up hardly any fantasy points to tight ends. You should be able to find more viable options this week.
DEFENSE
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Cleveland Browns vs. Washington Football Team (Week 3 position rank: 11th)
Washington is having all kinds of problems moving the ball on offense. They are ranked second to last in yards per play, and nobody is worse than them on third down. The Browns don’t have a great defense, but they can make plays at times, and playing at home against an inept Washington team could provide opportunities to rack up some fantasy points.
Sit’Em
Los Angeles Rams vs. Buffalo Bills (Week 3 position rank: 8th)
The Rams and the Bills are good on both sides of the ball, so this is a game that could go in either direction. Josh Allen is off to a hot start with six touchdown passes and 727 yards passing (most in the NFL). Sure, they’ve come against two fluff teams in the AFC East, but this offense has the ability to be dangerous. The Rams defense are an auto-start most weeks, but sitting this one out might be wise.