Sometimes your quarterback misses a game. In the 2019 season, your quarterback is probably missing multiple games. For this start/sit column, your quarterback, Andrew Gould, is only missing one week. I’m only expected to make one start. I’ll try and do better than Luke Falk.
I’m not here to judge Andrew’s performance last week (which was pretty good, if I do say so myself). A lot changes in a week in the football world. Sometimes it is prudent to react to the previous week’s results. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.
As always, the focus here is on “starts” and “sits” that aren’t necessarily obvious. Let’s see what’s in store for Week 3.
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Quarterback
Start
Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) vs PIT: QB15 ECR
Remember when Jimmy Garoppolo was a top-10 quarterback before the 2018 season? He struggled out of the gate Week 1, but he is coming off a 300-yard, three-touchdown performance at Cincinnati. Now, he returns home to face an awful Steelers’ defense that has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Now, granted they’ve faced Tom Brady and Russell Wilson, but Jimmy G is fully capable of exploiting this matchup.
Sit
Carson Wentz (PHI) vs DET: QB7 ECR
There are two things working against Carson Wentz this week. First, the Lions actually have a pretty good defense. They held Philip Rivers’ Chargers to just 10 points last week after completely shutting down Kyler Murray and the Air Raid for three quarters before gassing out. The matchup on its own is not great. Second, and most importantly, Wentz is missing his pass catchers. While Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson are far from elite options, it is extremely debilitating to a quarterback to lose both of his starting wide receivers. Nelson Agholor is awful and now Mack Hollins and JJ Arcega-Whiteside are forced into action. As if that isn’t enough, Dallas Goedert is also trending towards missing this week’s game. Without his primary pass catchers, Wentz’s ability to stretch the field will be curtailed and the Eagles will be forced to lean on more underneath stuff and the running game, capping Wentz’s upside.
Running Back
Start
Sony Michel (NE) vs NYJ: ECR RB21
Back-to-back weeks for Sony Michel on this list. To be clear, I do not think Michel is particularly good at football. He is replacement level a la the recently departed C.J. Anderson. With that being said, it’s another cupcake matchup for the Patriots. They are massive home favorites against a Jets’ team down to its third-string quarterback. This game is going to be a bloodbath. Michel should reach 20 carries again and with the Patriots likely to score at least four touchdowns, it is reasonable to expect Michel to fall into the end zone once or twice.
Phillip Lindsay (DEN) vs GB: ECR RB27
Royce Freeman out-played Phillip Lindsay last week, but the touch distribution was still pretty even with Lindsay having two more opportunities to touch the ball. The Broncos have an awful defense that Aaron Rodgers should torch, forcing the Broncos to take to the air a bit more. That favors Lindsay as the superior pass catcher. The Packers have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs through the first two weeks. Although this is a timeshare, Lindsay is going to be the better Broncos’ back this week.
Sit
Mark Ingram (BAL) at KC: ECR RB15
By all accounts, this game should be a shootout. That means a lot of Lamar Jackson dropping back to pass and not a lot of handing the ball to Mark Ingram. When Jackson throws, we know it’s not going to the running back. Ingram has two targets on the season. Ingram played 33% of the snaps in Week 1 and 58% of the snaps in Week 2. The increase is encouraging, but he is still ceding a lot of time to Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. With game script likely to favor passing and Ingram’s lack of a dominant role, he is an easy fade this week.
Josh Jacobs (OAK) at MIN: ECR RB20
Everyone was very excited about Josh Jacobs after his debut in Week 1, but it wasn’t all that impressive. Jacobs carried the ball 23 times on the heels of positive game script. When the script flipped in Week 2, Jacobs was nowhere to be found. Sure, his 99 yards on 12 carries is impressive, but he is a complete non-factor in the passing game with a single target this season. Jacobs was regularly coming off the field for Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington when the Raiders were in comeback mode. On the road against a very good defense, the Raiders project to be trailing and to once again turn away from Jacobs.
Wide Receiver
Start
Allen Robinson (CHI) at WAS: ECR WR25
After a bust week of just four receptions for 41 yards against the Broncos, fantasy owners are probably concerned about Allen Robinson’s status as an every-week starter. Those concerns are fair when the matchup dictates it. Against Chris Harris, ARob was shut down. Against a Redskins’ defense allowing the most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers through two weeks, Robinson needs to be in your lineup.
Deebo Samuel (SF) vs PIT: ECR WR50
We’re digging deep for this one. Deebo Samuel was actually fourth on the 49ers in wide receiver snaps last week, but he was first in productivity. Samuel looked good en route to a 5-87-1 line. Much like Hollywood Brown splashing on limited snaps in Week 1, I am gambling that Kyle Shanahan will reward performance with playing time. Talent dictates usage. Samuel was so clearly the best wide receiver on the field for the 49ers last week. His snap share should go up and the Steelers have given up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.
Sit
Tyrell Williams (OAK) at MIN: ECR WR34
Rhodes? Where we’re going, we don’t need Rhodes. Doc Brown is right, we don’t need to be dealing with Xavier Rhodes covering Tyrell Williams. While Williams was able to succeed against Chris Harris in Week 1, that was before anyone knew what the Raiders’ offense would look like. After two games, it is clear that Williams is their WR1, and Rhodes is going to lock him down this week.
John Ross (CIN) at BUF: ECR WR38
While John Ross isn’t being ranked as a top-36 wide receiver, he has still looked like an every-week starter through the first two games. There are two big concerns with Ross. First, he is facing the Bills. Tyler Boyd is the one that moves around the formation and lines up in the slot. Ross remains on the outside and will see a lot of Tre’Davious White. No one can keep up with Ross’ 4.22 speed, but, second, Ross really only had one big game. If not for a 66-yard garbage time bomb touchdown last week, Ross would have posted a pedestrian 3-46-0 line. Ross is a poor man’s DeSean Jackson. He can always change things with one play. If he doesn’t get that splash play, he’s probably going to bust. That appears to be in the cards for this week.
Tight End
Start
Vance McDonald (PIT) at SF: ECR TE10
The tight end position is…not the best. Vance McDonald is coming off a game where he caught all seven of his targets for just 38 yards and two touchdowns. While the yards per target is discouraging, Mason Rudolph is starting his first career game and may lean on his veteran tight end in the absence of any reliable pass-catcher outside of JuJu Smith-Schuster. The 49ers are right smack in the middle in fantasy points allowed to tight ends so this is largely a play on game script and a first-time starter.
Sit
Jared Cook (NO) at SEA: ECR TE16
I don’t care about the matchup. I’ve seen enough from Jared Cook to know he is a product of the system. We thought that Drew Brees would turn him into a reliable option. He has four receptions through two games. After Teddy Bridgewater took over, he didn’t look to Cook much at all. This offense is only as valuable as Brees makes it. Even with Brees, all of the passes go to Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara. Without Brees, there will be less accurate passes going to Thomas and Kamara. There is nothing left for Cook.
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Jason Katz is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive, follow him @jasonkatz13.
