By Dave Moore (@davieremixed)
Without doubt, the biggest head scratcher of a fantasy football player is deciding who to start in their line-up each week. There is nothing worse than leaving a game on your bench and spending the entirety of the next week dwelling in hindsight.
Whether you’re in 1 league or 100 leagues, setting your line-ups is the most crucial part of your fantasy week and we’re here to let you know which players are in the best environments to boom and which are most likely destined to bust.
Don’t forget to keep your #EyesPeeled for tomorrow’s podcast where we dive into a full preview of the weekend games and make sure you head over to Twitter (@F10YFantasy) for “Start ‘em, sit ‘em, GIF ‘EM!”.
Spoiler alert: the entirety of TNF is a start ‘em.
Thursday Night Football
Matchup: Denver Broncos @ New York Jets
Start of the Game
Melvin Gordon III – Running Back – Denver Broncos
Good. Lord. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 2020’s first Toilet Bowl. No players are of any consequence to your Fantasy team and if they are, you have problems. The Quarterbacks? Hopeless or helpless. The Wide Receivers? Out, Questionable, unknown or stuck with a subpar QB. The Offensive Lines? Depleted or dreadful. The Defensive Lines? Ditto. The Running Backs…? Barely standing but here we go. Melvin Gordon III is my start, if Mekhi Becton is healthy then Braxton Berrios is worth a look too but…Good Lord.
Other Notable Starts
Denver Broncos – N/A
New York Jets – Braxton Berrios – Wide Receiver
Sit of the Game
Noah Fant – Tight End – Denver Broncos
How about ‘all of the above’? No, let’s at least try some critical thinking here. Noah Fant is the premier pass catcher remaining on the Broncos that isn’t a rookie (see Jerry Jeudy). However, Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien and Blake Bortles are not the answer and you can find a few Tight Ends on waivers this week who stand to catch more balls for more success than Fant.
I hasten to add, I could easily see this being a 60+ point slugfest but anyone who thinks that you can pinpoint who’ll be of Fantasy value here needs their head checking.
Other Notable Sits
Denver Broncos – Jerry Jeudy – Wide Receiver, KJ Hamler – Wide Receiver
New York Jets – Frank Gore – Running Back
Sunday Early Games
Matchup: Baltimore Ravens @ Washington Football Team
Start of the Game
JK Dobbins – Running Back – Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore were a big disappointment on Monday Night Football as they fell in the much-mooted AFC Championship Game to the Chiefs. As they trailed for most of the game, the ground game was sacrificed but that changes this week with Baltimore travelling to Washington. The Football Team could be without Chase Young and gave up plenty on the ground to the Browns in Week 3. I expect Dobbins to get back on track.
Other Notable Starts
Baltimore Ravens – Lamar Jackson – Quarterback
Washington Football Team – Terry McLaurin – Wide Receiver
Sit of the Game
Mark Andrews – Tight End – Baltimore Ravens
I was a huge fan of Andrews in 2019 and he got me to the playoffs in many-a-league but, so far this season, he’s not lived up to last year’s performance with back-to-back weeks in low single digits. This issue had further light shed on it when it was Nick Boyle who snagged a score for the Ravens on Monday night. Until we see otherwise, make him warm the bench.
Other Notable Sits
Baltimore Ravens – Marquise Brown – Wide Receiver
Washington Football Team – N/A
Matchup: Los Angeles Chargers @ Tampa Bay Buccaners
Start of the Game
Mike Evans – Wide Receiver – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I came into the season very down on the Bucs-Brady 2020 Experience and, whilst I’m not fully believing in it as yet, this week provides Tampa with an ideal opportunity to get to 3-1. Evans snagged both of his Redzone targets for scores against an ailing Denver. With Chris Harris Jr now on IR, and the Bucs receivers themselves a bit banged up (Godwin, Miller and Watson all hurt), this has a big day for Evans written all over it.
Other Notable Starts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – N/A
Los Angeles Chargers – Austin Ekeler – Running Back
Sit of the Game
Hunter Henry – Tight End – Los Angeles Chargers
A decent performance in Week 3 is one I can’t see being replicated in Tampa. Henry hasn’t been targeted in the Redzone in the last fortnight and whilst he’s catching a lot of balls thrown at him, the Tampa defense will have confidence oozing through them and I expect them to shut down Henry.
Other Notable Sits
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – N/A
Los Angeles Chargers – N/A
Matchup: Seattle Seahawks @ Miami Dolphins
Start of the Game
Devante Parker – Wide Receiver – Miami Dolphins
We all know about what the Seahawks can do and what they’re almost certainly going to do to the Miami secondary, but let’s show some love for Devante Parker. He’s been targeted 17 times and caught 14 of those targets. Against a weakened Seattle secondary who already love giving up air yards, Parker is worth a look this week.
Other Notable Starts
Seattle Seahawks – Tyler Lockett – Wide Receiver, DK Metcalf – Wide Receiver
Miami Dolphins – Ryan Fitzpatrick – Quarterback
Sit of the Game
Myles Gaskin – Running Back – Miami Dolphins
On the contrary, Seattle stuffs the run and Gaskin hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. Even though he had 22 carries against Jacksonville and caught all five of his targets, he didn’t get in the endzone thanks to Jordan Howard’s goal line production.
Other Notable Sits
Seattle Seahawks – N/A
Miami Dolphins – N/A
Matchup: Minnesota Vikings @ Houston Texans
Start of the Game
Justin Jefferson – Wide Receiver – Minnesota Vikings
We know you’re starting Dalvin Cook this week, his greatness is already established. So let’s overreact and say that Justin Jefferson will fill the hole left by Stefon Diggs after he dominated Malcolm Butler at the weekend. In the second edition of the Toilet Bowl (both teams 0-3), this is a must win game for both teams. No question about it. Expect a points-fest.
Other Notable Starts
Minnesota Vikings – Adam Thielen – Wide Receiver
Houston Texans – Will Fuller – Wide Receiver
Sit of the Game
Brandin Cooks – Wide Receiver – Houston Texans
I just can’t trust Cooks to produce. He’s regularly appearing on the injury report and hasn’t broken into double digits yet this season. Maybe he can get on track this week against the Vikings but, until he starts catching more balls and battling fewer injuries, I can’t advise playing him.
Other Notable Sits
Minnesota Vikings – DST
Houston Texans – DST
Matchup: New Orleans Saints @ Detroit Lions
Start of the Game
Matt Stafford – Quarterback – Detroit Lions
The Saints have reverted back to the 2015/2016 vintage of just giving up huge chunk plays downfield on top of really stupid penalties. During this spell they played against a Stafford-led Lions who took them apart in a 28-13 win. After beating the Cardinals in Week 3, don’t be surprised to see the revival continue.
Other Notable Starts
New Orleans Saints – Alvin Kamara – Running Back
Detroit Lions – Kenny Golladay – Wide Receiver, TJ Hockenson – Tight End
Sit of the Game
Emmanuel Sanders – Wide Receiver – New Orleans Saints
If Thomas isn’t good to go then I expect Jeff Okudah to focus on Sanders who – whilst showing something against the Packers – has so far been a disappointment. Okudah and the Lions secondary looked rejuvenated against the Cardinals and I expect another run-heavy day from New Orleans.
Other Notable Sits
New Orleans Saints – Tre’Quan Smith – Wide Receiver
Detroit Lions – N/A
Matchup: Cleveland Browns @ Dallas Cowboys
Start of the Game
Kareem Hunt – Running Back – Cleveland Browns
The Browns are above .500! All thanks to the best running back 1-2 punch in the NFL. It’s no surprise then that I’m going for the Browns to stick with the formula that’s worked so far and go after a weakened Cowboys defensive line on the ground. If you’ve got Hunt in a PPR league then this is an absolute must start.
Other Notable Starts
Cleveland Browns – N/A
Dallas Cowboys – Michael Gallup – Wide Receiver, Dalton Schultz – Tight End
Sit of the Game
Baker Mayfield – Quarterback – Cleveland Browns
Through 3 weeks, Mayfield has shown us the different types of Mayfield we’ve seen in each of his first two seasons in the league. Inconsistency is a fantasy owner’s worst nightmare and when a player can’t succeed with receiving talents such as OBJ and Jarvis Landry, you start to wonder just how legitimate they can be.
Other Notable Sits
Cleveland Browns – Odell Beckham Jr – Wide Receiver, Jarvis Landry – Wide Receiver, Austin Hooper – Tight End
Dallas Cowboys – N/A
Matchup: Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cincinnati Bengals
Start of the Game
James Robinson – Running Back – Jacksonville Jaguars
I’m not sure if the Bengals are actually poor defending against the rush, but they’ve given up plenty on the ground through three weeks and, with Robinson having the hot hand, I expect him to have another big week for a Jags team that offered nothing outside of Robinson’s production against the Dolphins.
Other Notable Starts
Jacksonville Jaguars – N/A
Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Burrow – Quarterback, Tyler Boyd – Wide Receiver
Sit of the Game
AJ Green – Wide Receiver – Cincinnati Bengals
I think Green is on his way out of Cincinnati, be it via mid-season trade to a surging contender or next off-season. He’s not getting the production that we’d have hoped this year with Tyler Boyd looking more and more like the WR1 and Tee Higgins having a big game last week with a pair of scores. Swerve Green for the foreseeable future.
Other Notable Sits
Jacksonville Jaguars – Gardner Minshew – Quarterback
Cincinnati Bengals – Joe Mixon – Running Back
Matchup: Indianapolis Colts @ Chicago Bears
Start of the Game
Mo Alie-Cox – Tight End – Indianapolis Colts
I love my man Mo. He followed up a triple digit receiving yards game with 50 yards and a score. Yes, they were against winless teams but I’m buying into this guy. The Bears love giving up scores to Tight Ends so far this year and it wouldn’t surprise me to see another big game from Big MAC.
Other Notable Starts
Indianapolis Colts – DST
Chicago Bears – N/A
Sit of the Game
Jimmy Graham – Tight End – Chicago Bears
Yes I know he had his best game in years last Sunday, but remember it was against the Falcons. Y’know? The 99 win percentage winless Falcons? Any road, the Colts defense is for real and even if Nick Foles is now calling the shots, one productive game in two years does not a fantasy starter make.
Other Notable Sits
Indianapolis Colts – Jonathan Taylor – Running Back
Chicago Bears – Nick Foles – Quarterback, Allen Robinson II, Wide Receiver
Matchup: Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers
Start of the Game
Kenyan Drake – Running Back – Arizona Cardinals
The Panthers looked a bit more rigid along the defensive live in Week 3 but still allowed Austin Ekeler over 100 scrimmage yards. The weeks prior? Leonard Fournette gashed them for triple digits on the ground and Josh Jacobs had a hat-trick. If DeAndre Hopkins isn’t 100% then look for Drake to have a huge role this Sunday.
Other Notable Starts
Arizona Cardinals – Kyler Murray – Quarterback, Andy Isabella – Wide Receiver
Carolina Panthers – N/A
Sit of the Game
Mike Davis – Running Back – Carolina Panthers
The Cardinals, on the other hand, haven’t allowed triple digits on the ground to a back this year and if we were talking about Run CMC I’d feel a lot differently but this seems like such an obvious sit to me that I’m just going to leave it at that.
Other Notable Sits
Arizona Cardinals – N/A
Carolina Panthers – Teddy Bridgewater – Quarterback
For the latest on each player’s start and sit status, make sure you checkout @F10YFantasy on Twitter. Remember, keep those #EyesPeeled.