Who to have active in your starting lineup and who to sit on the bench for Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season.
The rash of injuries to star players this early in the NFL season means that your Week 3 starting lineup may look vastly different than you had hoped.
Going forward without Christian McCaffrey, Isiah Pacheco, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel, Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa and others this soon into the year has left fantasy managers scrambling, forced to utilize bench players prior to the bye weeks.
From a start/sit perspective, trying to identify the players that will either surpass their projections or underperform may be more difficult for fantasy managers to predict, with so many of the reliable weekly studs banged up, but we’re here to help.
As previously explained, for our weekly “starts,” we’re targeting players who you may be a bit more on the fence about and are being started in 70% or less of Sleeper leagues at time of writing.
On the flip side, fantasy managers become extremely attached to the players they drafted. As a result, many become reluctant to sit their high-drafted players over a bench option with a more favorable matchup. But sometimes dipping into your depth or the waiver wire is the wiser play, and we’ve again selected some underperforming fantasy stars that you’ll want to consider benching this week.
With that said, let’s jump into Week 3 starts/sits:
STARTS
QB Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
vs. Philadelphia; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Carr is one of the biggest surprises thus far in fantasy, leading the NFL in touchdown passes (five), yards per pass (11.4) and QBR (96.2) and ranking second in completion percentage (76.9%). Fantasy football’s overall QB2 (44.1 points) has simply been superb in helping the 2-0 Saints score the most points (91) of any team.
Now, he will face an Eagles pass defense that’s fresh off allowing 241 yards and two touchdowns to Kirk Cousins’ Falcons and has proven to be vulnerable in the early going. Carr, who is only being started in 10% of Sleeper leagues, has start-of-the-week potential in facing a Philadelphia secondary surrendering the seventh-most passing yards (501), while tied for the third-most passing touchdowns (four) allowed through two games. If you were starting Love or Tagovailoa or just need a boost at QB, Carr is your man in Week 3.
TE Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
vs. Carolina; Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
The overall TE2 in PPR (30.6 points) has been sensational, hauling in 15 receptions for 156 yards in his first two games as a pro. The former Georgia standout owns the second-highest target share in the Raiders’ offense (he has one fewer than Davante Adams) and has done everything but find the end zone.
Bowers, who projects as Sleeper’s TE6 (10.5 PPR points), has developed an instant rapport with Gardner Minshew and now draws a Carolina defense that has allowed 11 receptions for 104 yards and two TDs to opposing TEs to start the season. Fire up Bowers with confidence as either your starting TE or even as a flex.
RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
vs. Miami; Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Filling in for the injured Kenneth Walker III, the second-year back turned 19 touches into 69 total yards and a TD in Week 2. In Week 3, Sleeper’s projected RB34 (8.4 PPR points) draws a favorable home matchup against a Dolphins defense that has surrendered an average of 111.5 rushing yards per game and four total TDs to opposing running backs and just got gashed by Buffalo’s James Cook.
With Walker (oblique) reportedly in line to miss a second consecutive game, fantasy managers need to get Charbonnet, who is being started in only 36% of Sleeper leagues, into their lineups.
WR Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans
vs. Green Bay; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The sixth-year pro, who is only being started in 54% of Sleeper leagues, is currently the overall WR16 in PPR (32.7 points). He scored both through the air and on the ground against the Jets in Week 2, amassing 24.7 PPR points and an overall WR6 finish for the week.
Ridley has proven to be the clear top offensive weapon for the 0-2 Titans, and due to his high target volume, he should find more opportunities against Green Bay to surpass Sleeper’s WR33 projection (10.9 points) in Week 3.
RB Brian Robinson, Washington Commanders
at Cincinnati; Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Robinson, started in just 55% of Sleeper leagues, is a back-end RB2 according to Sleeper’s RB24 projection (10.7 PPR points) for Week 3. Monday night, he and Washington face a Bengals team yielding an average of 126 yards on the ground per game to opposing RBs and 4.34 yards per rush, so there should be ample opportunity for him to feast again.
The third-year pro, who landed as one of our top starts last week as well, rewarded fantasy managers with 133 rushing yards vs. the Giants. Through two games, he is the overall RB14 (32.5 PPR points) and stands to shine in primetime.
SITS
QB Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
vs. Chicago; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
After a sizzling opening-game performance against Houston, Richardson came crashing down to earth in Week 2 against the Packers, throwing for 204 yards and three interceptions. Finishing with fewer fantasy points (12.9) than Malik Willis (13), Daniel Jones (18.3) and Sam Darnold (20.9) was not what fantasy managers were envisioning.
To say Richardson has struggled immensely with his accuracy is an understatement. He ranks 32nd – dead last – among all QBs with a 49% completion percentage, which is alarming, even in just a two-game sample size. In Week 3, the second-year signal-caller will not find it easy to achieve Sleeper’s QB7 projection (19.1 points) against a stout Bears defense that has held opposing QBs to only 193.5 passing yards per game.
RB Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
vs. L.A. Chargers; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Despite out-touching the banged-up Jaylen Warren 39-15 in Pittsburgh’s backfield, Harris has failed to live up to expectations to start the season. The fourth-year back, who was drafted as an RB2, has averaged an O.K. 69.5 rushing yards per game, but he’s only caught one pass per game, and he hasn’t gotten in the end zone yet. He has posted less than nine PPR points in consecutive weeks even with that heavy volume.
Sleeper’s projected RB19 (11.4 PPR points) is a risky RB2/flex play in Week 3 in defiance of his workload. Look to avoid a matchup against a Chargers defense that has held opposing running backs to a paltry 73.5 yards per game and no rushing scores on the ground.
WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
vs. NY Giants; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Through two games, Cooper has just five receptions for 27 yards (7.7 PPR points) – making him WR83 in PPR. The veteran, who is still currently being started in 68% of Sleeper leagues, needs to find a way to your bench.
In Week 3, the Browns will face a Giants pass defense that has only surrendered two passing TDs to opposing wideouts. Despite an 0-2 start, Big Blue has not allowed any individual WR to reach 60 receiving yards this season, making this a matchup to avoid for Sleeper’s projected WR18 (13.2 PPR points).
WR Michael Pittman, Indianapolis Colts
vs. Chicago; Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Fantasy managers were bullish that Richardson’s return under center in Indianapolis would lead to immense target share and production for the talented wideout this season. Yet through the first two games of the year, Pittman ranks as the overall WR61 after hauling in just seven receptions for 52 yards (12.2 PPR points).
In Week 3, Pittman will face a Bears defense that has only allowed one receiving touchdown to opposing wideouts, and he’s still attached to a QB who has only 26 completions total in two games. As a correlated play with our suggested sit of Richardson, Sleeper’s expected WR24 will struggle to eclipse his 12.5 PPR-point projection.
WR Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
at Buffalo; Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Fantasy managers may soon find the Jaguars’ supposed top WR on the side of milk cartons. Drafted as a high-end WR2 this summer, Kirk has been an absolute bust through the first two weeks. He stands as the overall WR97 and has just two receptions for 29 yards – a grand total of 4.9 PPR points.
On Monday night, Kirk draws a difficult matchup against a Bills defense that has held opposing wide receivers to an average of 69.5 receiving yards and just one touchdown total. Despite the bright lights of primetime, let Kirk ride the pine in Week 3, as he will struggle to surpass his 9.4 PPR-point projection at the rate the Jaguars’ offense is producing.
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