Thursday Night Football gave us a matchup that was mostly a snoozefest, but George Pickens introduced himself to a national audience, making one of his patented acrobatic one-hand catches. There were some IDP fireworks to kick off Week 3, with Alex Highsmith getting back on the sack sheet, and Myles Jack and Devin Bush both playing well, each totaling double-digit total tackles. Jacob Phillips looked good for the Browns; unfortunately, his extra playing time came because of injuries to both of Cleveland’s starting linebackers in Anthony Walker and the electric Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Looking ahead to this weekend, we will take a look at five players fantasy managers should do their best to plug into their lineups and five others who are better left on benches despite promising upside. Let’s dig in.
Start em
Kamren Curl (S – WAS)
This likely spells the end of Darrick Forrest as a must-start in IDP leagues as Kamren Curl has finally progressed to ball drills. He was a full participant in practice this week, and it sounds like his thumb is nearing 100 percent. Both the team and the player sound excited to have him out there this Sunday, so it will likely take a setback to delay his season debut. Curl is locked in as a DB1 option when he is healthy, and this week is no different. Week 3 gives him a Philadelphia Eagles team that has gifted the third most fantasy points to the safety position. Mind his floor as he could see his snaps slightly scaled back, but with the team struggling as bad as it has been in the secondary, they are going to be looking to give him all the snaps he can handle.
Leo Chenal (LB – KC)
Chenal is not going to get the first crack at the starting job as expected, but he should still see a large enough role to accrue LB3 value. He won’t have the LB2 upside he would have had if Andy Reid had named him the Willie Gay replacement over Darius Harris, but there is a reason Chenal saw more snaps than Harris in Week 2, limiting the veteran to just three defensive snaps total. Chenal is going to be out there as much as possible (though Harris will likely see the field on obvious passing downs). The Chiefs, who have had Harris on the roster for two, going on three seasons, already know what they have, or don’t have in Harris. Chenal has the talent to steal the starting job by the time Gay returns from his suspension. Start him as an LB3 option where needed.
Mykal Walker (LB – ATL)
Mykal Walker appears to be the new tackle magnet in the middle of the Atlanta Falcons defense and should be started as an LB2 option for Week 3. Walker is playing a near every snap role for the Falcons and has impressed with his defensive versatility, notching a sack in Week 1 and an interception in Week 2. It should only be a matter of time before he sees his solo tackle production creep up from the 4.5 he has averaged over his first two contests. He draws the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2, a team that has allowed at least one strong outing to the middle linebacker position per week. Start him where needed.
Malcolm Rodriguez (LB – DET)
Hard Knocks star Rodrigo saw his snaps increase in Week 2, and his production climbed with it. He played 60 percent of the snaps in Week 1, recording four solos, two assists, and a tackle for loss. In Week 2, his snap count rose to 73 percent, and he tallied six solos, two assists, and two tackles for loss (with one QB hit). He is going to make some mistakes (he was a sixth round pick for a reason), but at this point, his positives outweigh his negatives, especially when compared to others in the linebacker room who are capable of manning nickel looks. Start him as an LB3 with LB2 upside against a Minnesota team that has allowed the 10th most fantasy points to the linebacker position on the young season.
Greg Rousseau (DL – BUF)
Yes, he is part of a frustrating five man defensive end rotation in Buffalo, but Big G, as Von Miller likes to call him, is on his way to a breakout season. He flashed his Pro Bowl potential last season, but with Miller beside him and in his ear, we may be witnessing the birth of an All-Pro. Rousseau has two sacks through his first two games and is facing off against a still questionable Miami Dolphins offensive line. He had two sacks against the Dolphins in his first game against them last season and should see the sack sheet once again this week. Von Miller and Rousseau will also see their snaps increased if the Dolphins can keep it competitive. For now, Rousseau is still a DL2 option, albeit an elite one, but it may just be a matter of time before he forces his way into the weekly DL1 discussion.
Sit em
David Long (LB – TEN)
A player I am sitting wherever possible is the Tennessee Titans David Long. He has had a much slower start to the season than anyone could have anticipated. He was solid in Week 1 with five solos, three assists, and one tackle for loss, but was just a rumor in Week 2, managing just one solo and one assist. The most concerning number, however, is that his snaps were scaled back from 100 percent in the opener to 81 percent last week. This could be because the Titans were getting blown out by the Buffalo Bills, but two total tackles on 55 snaps is what it is, regardless of snap percentage (he played 60 in Week 1). If you need an LB4/flex2, by all means, Long is still a good option. However, for those looking for an LB2, or even an LB3, there are better options for Week 3.
Haason Reddick (LB/DE – PHI)
Reddick is going to get it going sooner rather than later, and it could very well come this week against a Washington Commanders team that has allowed the 10th most fantasy points to opposing edge rushers. However, it seems like Reddick has yet to find a true comfort level as a member of the Eagles defense, generating zero pressures over two weeks despite playing 67 percent of the snaps. Racking up double-digit sacks in each of the past two seasons, Reddick will ascend back to the DL2 conversation once he gets going, but for now, he is better left as a DL4/depth option for those looking for a higher floor option for Week 3.
Jordan Fuller (S – LAR)
Jordan Fuller made his mark in Week 2 despite playing just 59 percent of the snaps. The snap percentage is a welcomed increase from the 31 percent he saw in Week 1, but the fact is that Fuller remains a backup with a weekly snap count that cannot be relied on as of yet. With a couple more weeks of data, we can start to ascertain what his role may be going forward, but for now, the advice is to keep him on your radar but not to chase the six solos and two assists he managed last week against the Atlanta Falcons. Talent dictates that he is a hold in deeper leagues, especially those with more than 12 teams, but he should remain on benches for at least one more week.
Keanu Neal (S – TB)
Keanu is just not being utilized on defense by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He saw three snaps in Week 2, an improvement from the zero defensive snaps he saw in Week 1. The thought was that he would get the first crack at starting, but for now, at least, he is just a depth reserve, not even a rotational player. He is extremely productive from an IDP standpoint when he is on the field and getting regular snaps, so I get the appeal, but outside of the deepest of leagues and/or dynasty leagues, it is fair to question whether he even warrants a roster spot at this juncture of the season. Stash him if you can afford it, otherwise cut him loose in favor of someone who is actually in his team’s weekly defensive gameplan.
Darrick Forrest (S – WAS)
Darrick Forrest goes from start to sit with Kamren Curl on track to make his season debut this weekend. It would be surprising if the Commanders don’t find a way to get Curl and Forrest on the field together at times, especially since Curl can play some snaps in the box, but all signs point to a drastic reduction in snaps and role with Kam healthy. He is a dynasty league stash, but those in redraft leagues will want to look for other starting options for Week 3. He can be released altogether for those who do not have the bench space, but with byes not yet here, a wait-and-see approach may be the most prudent strategy.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.