Fantasy Football Week 3 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Jerome Ford, Tony Jones, More

Sit: Tony Jones, Saints Running Backs

Jamaal Williams suffered a hamstring injury in Week 2 and all signs point towards him missing Week 3. With Alvin Kamara still one week away from making his return to the field, some fantasy football managers are going to be tempted to start Tony Jones. They shouldn’t. Gone are the days where the New Orleans Saints running back was an automatic superstar in fantasy football. The New Orleans offense has not done much of anything in the first two weeks of the season, and Jones isn’t exactly an elite talent. Chances are, he won’t put up anything better than an RB30-40 finish. If you don’t have a better option than that, you’re in trouble.

Note: If Tony Jones isn’t the starting running back, this paragraph still applies. You don’t want to start Kendre Miller, a third-round rookie, making his NFL debut.

Wide Receivers

Start: Josh Reynolds

After an offseason of hype, the Detroit Lions offense remains as dangerous as ever, thanks in part to Josh Reynolds. The journeyman wide receiver is off to a great start, entering Week 3 as the WR10 in overall scoring. Reynolds probably won’t finish that high, but he’s averaging 6.5 targets per game, which is great for a guy who specializes in deep targets. He only needs to haul in one or two to be an adequate flex play, and four or five receptions should be enough for a top-24 finish.

Sit: Garrett Wilson

Garrett Wilson is one of the most talented young wide receivers in football and is seeing a high volume of targets. Unfortunately, all of those targets are coming from Zach Wilson. Aaron Rodgers’ presence has not done a thing for the former second-overall pick, as Wilson still cannot hit the broad side of a barn. Last week, Garrett Wilson hauled in just two of his eight targets, and it’s hard to see that improving against New England’s dangerous defense.

Start: Nico Collins

Chase opportunity and hope efficiency follows. Nico Collins had what was easily the best game of his career last week, hauling in seven of his nine targets for 146 yards and a touchdown while finishing as the WR4 overall. This wasn’t just a one-week fluke, either, as Collins recorded six receptions for 80 yards on a staggering 11 targets in Week 1. It’s clear that the 24-year-old has established himself as C.J. Stroud’s safety blanket and will continue to see targets as long as he’s on the field. Stroud is far from an All-Pro, but the rookie has performed well through two weeks and should only improve with time. While the underwhelming nature of Houston’s passing attack limits Collins’ ceiling, the volume makes him a safe start in fantasy football.

Sit: Skyy Moore

Skyy Moore had a solid game last week, racking up three receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, he did all this on just four targets, and that low volume is simply not sustainable. Moore has had every opportunity to earn a larger role in the Chiefs passing attack, and he has always fallen short of expectations. Chances are, he’ll go back to being a depth option in the Chiefs offense and somebody that should be far, far away from your starting lineup.

Tight Ends

Start: Hunter Henry

After two weeks of action, the overall TE2 is…Hunter Henry? Apparently, the New England Patriots offense can support at least one fantasy-relevant pass catcher, as Henry has been remarkably consistent throughout the first two games of the season. He has yet to have a weekly finish outside of the top two and, while he did catch a touchdown in both games, he’s averaging 6.5 targets per game. Considering the desolate tight end landscape, Henry is probably a “set and forget” option for the remainder of the season.

Sit: Hayden Hurst

The Carolina Panthers have one of the most inept passing offenses in the league, and the only way for any player to have any sort of fantasy football value is to be peppered with targets. Hayden Hurst saw a ton of targets in Week 1, but that volume was not there in Week 2. Hurst only saw three tagets, making him far too risky for a starting spot. If you need to stream the tight end position, look at someone with a higher chance of finding the endzone.