The fantasy football landscape has changed dramatically after the first two weeks of the NFL season, as many star players have suffered injuries that could keep them out for an extended period of time.
Whether your roster has been decimated by injuries or simply needs a spark, here’s what to do about several flex options, streaming candidates and other players you could be on the fence about starting in Week 3.
Quarterbacks
Start: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Eagles at Saints / 1 p.m. ET Sunday
Carr and the high-powered Saints offense have arguably been the biggest surprises of the young season, with the team averaging a league-leading 45.5 points per game. Although we should expect that level of production to decline, Carr is well-positioned to build on his early success in a matchup boasting the second-highest implied point total (49.5) on this week’s slate.
Philadelphia’s secondary has improved since last season, but through two games, the team has still allowed the sixth-most passing yards (501) and third-most passing touchdowns (four) in the NFL. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Carr, who could still be on your waiver wire, deliver another week-winning performance.
Other starts: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions; Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
Sit: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Ravens at Cowboys / 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday
The three-time Pro Bowler is only averaging 13.2 points this season, which ranks him as the QB16 on a per-game basis. While Prescott has the talent and receiving corps to enjoy some massive outings, it’s unlikely he’ll get his fantasy season on track against a stingy Ravens defense. Not only is Baltimore allowing just 13.5 fantasy points per game to opposing signal-callers, but the team should also be playing with greater intensity after blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to the Raiders last week.
Other sits: Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings; Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Running backs
Start: Zamir White, Las Vegas Raiders
Panthers at Raiders / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday
White has struggled to begin his first season as a starter, rushing for a mere 68 yards on 22 carries through two games. Despite White’s lackluster production, Raiders HC Antonio Pierce still envisions him as a workhorse tailback, recently telling reporters that the team’s goal is to get the Georgia product at least 20 touches per game.
It’s hard to put much stock in Pierce’s comments, but even if White sees a slight uptick in carries this week, he should enjoy a strong performance against a weak Panthers run defense. So far this season, Carolina has given up 333 rushing yards and three touchdowns to opposing running backs, the second most among teams in each category.
Other starts: Zack Moss, Cincinnati Bengals; Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sit: Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings
Texans at Vikings / 1 p.m. ET Sunday
After scoring 18.9 PPR points during Minnesota’s Week 1 win over the Giants, the 29-year-old turned in a lackluster outing against a formidable 49ers defense this past Sunday. Although he was still a factor in the passing game, recording five receptions for 36 yards, Jones received fewer carries (nine) than backfield mate Ty Chandler (10) and rushed for just 32 yards.
With a matchup against a Texans defense that has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards (75) and fourth-fewest fantasy points (22.3) to opposing running backs looming, Jones’ risk greatly outweighs the potential reward of starting him.
Other sits: Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers; Carson Steele, Kansas City Chiefs
Wide receivers
Start: Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers
Panthers at Raiders / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday
While Johnson isn’t a must-start, if one or two of your top wideouts are sidelined with an injury, the 2019 third-round pick should be considered for your starting lineup. There’s no denying that the start of Johnson’s Panthers tenure has been disappointing, as he has caught just five passes for 34 yards in two games.
Even so, the Panthers passing offense should see some improvement in Week 3, considering 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young has been benched in favor of journeyman QB Andy Dalton. In his lone start last season, Dalton completed 34 of 58 pass attempts for 361 yards and two touchdowns, providing optimism that Johnson can be a viable flex option against the Raiders.
Other starts: Tank Dell, Houston Texans; Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
Sit: Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
Dolphins at Seahawks / 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday
Depending on the situation of your roster, Waddle might be too talented to bench this week, but if you have solid depth, it could be worth sitting him. As you probably know, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa will be out until at least Week 8 due to a concussion he suffered during last Thursday’s loss to Buffalo.
With Tagovailoa out, 2022 seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson will start at quarterback for Miami, which could be detrimental to Waddle’s production, especially since he was already the No. 2 receiver on his team. As pointed out by Draft Shark’s Jared Smola, Waddle averaged just 5.3 targets, 3.7 catches and 37 yards in three full games with Thompson in 2022, failing to score a touchdown in any of them.
Other sits: Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders; Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
Tight ends
Start: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Chiefs at Falcons / 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday
One of the most frustrating players to roster in fantasy football, Pitts followed up a respectable Week 1 performance with a dud against the Eagles, scoring just five PPR points. Fortunately for Pitts’ managers, he has an opportunity to bounce back against Kansas City, which has already allowed Baltimore’s Isaiah Likely and Cincinnati’s Mike Gesicki to finish as top-five fantasy tight ends.
Overall, the Chiefs have allowed the most receptions (25), receiving yards (276) and fantasy points (33.6) to the tight end position in 2024.
Other starts: Hunter Henry, New England Patriots; Jonnu Smith, Miami Dolphins
Sit: Evan Engram, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jaguars at Bills / 7:30 p.m. ET Monday
Engram, last season’s TE2 overall in PPR scoring formats, was a late scratch for Jacksonville’s Week 2 home loss to Cleveland after tweaking his hamstring during pregame warmups. At the time of this article’s publication, it’s still unclear whether Engram will be active in Week 3, seeing as though he hasn’t practiced since suffering his injury.
Even though Engram is one of the NFL’s better tight ends, if his status is still up in the air on Sunday morning, it’d be wise to find an alternative in case he gets ruled out on Monday. Not to mention, even if he plays, Engram’s workload could be limited, and his matchup wasn’t all that exciting to begin with, considering Buffalo has allowed just 5.21 fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends.
Other sits: Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals; Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
