NFL Week 3 Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Wide Receiver picks
The vaunted Week 3 has arrived for the NFL and its wide receivers. It is one of the biggest weeks in fantasy football. At this point, analytics will start to take over.
However, this week is largely decided by gut instinct and what the player has done in his brief sample size. Here are some of the top starts and sits of the week.
Week Three: top NFL wide receivers to sit or start this week
Start 'em
#1 - Start: Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Over the past two weeks, Cooper Kupp has emerged as one of the most productive receivers in football. He already has 271 yards and three touchdowns. At this rate, he'll be a 1000-yard receiver by the end of Week Six. With the Rams taking on the Buccaneers this weekend, they will be facing the 30th ranked passing defense in the NFL. If it sounds like a slam dunk, that is because it is.
The Matthew Stafford-to-Cooper Kupp connection has been on fire to start the season.
Stafford is 16-for-21 for 271 yards and 3 TD when targeting Kupp in just two games.
Kupp had just 3 receiving TD in all of 2020.
#2 - Start: AJ Brown, Tennessee Titans vs Indianapolis Colts
AJ Brown has had two somewhat slow weeks as a starting fantasy wide receiver. He was a 1000-yard receiver in each of the last two years. The Titans will face the Colts, who gave up 163 yards and two touchdowns to Cooper Kupp last week.
Something has to give. Expect the Colts to focus on Julio Jones and open up the secondary to AJ Brown.
#3 - Start: Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets
In years past, the Broncos were one team essentially dead on arrival on offense. But this season, Courtland Sutton is on fire. He had nine catches for 159 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Broncos face the Jets this Sunday, who are ranked 28th against the pass. With quarterback Teddy Bridgewater now able to give the Broncos a way to stretch the field, this could be a recipe for a great day.
Sit 'em
#1 - Sit: Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills vs Washington Football Team
Stefon Diggs is a receiver who should start every single week. That is, unless they are playing against the Washington Football Team. Diggs started the season slowly by fantasy standards, reaching only 129 yards and a touchdown through two games. Remember, last week's 35-0 win over the Dolphins only resulted in 60 yards and a touchdown.
With the Washington Football Team's defense to contend with, Diggs could be more of a risk than it is worth. Unless there are no other options, Diggs should be tucked away for a week.
#2 - Sit: Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns
Allen Robinson has a new quarterback this week. While this is great news for the fans of the Chicago Bears, it is a problem for fantasy owners. It also doesn't help that Justin Fields' first start will see him attempting to poke holes in an air-tight secondary.
Robinson will be facing double teams and Denzel Ward as the rookie quarterback learns his first lessons in the NFL. Put simply, Robinson is a risky start and safer options should be available to most teams this early in the season.
#3 - Sit: Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Lost in Cooper Kupp's ascendance is Robert Woods. Through two games, the receiver has only 91 yards and a touchdown. Even more startling is that with a new franchise quarterback leading the team, Woods could be permanently hamstrung behind the Kupp-Stafford connection. It may be time to trade wide receivers before it's too late.
Top ten fantasy wide receiver starts in Week 3
- Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers, at San Francisco 49ers
- DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals, at Jacksonville Jaguars
- Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons, at New York Giants
- Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers, at Kansas City Chiefs
- DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks, at Minnesota Vikings
- Terry McLaurin, Washington Football Team, at Buffalo Bills
- Marvin Jones Jr, Jacksonville Jaguars, vs Arizona Cardinals
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings, vs Seattle Seahawks
- Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs, vs Los Angeles Chargers
- Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys, vs Philadelphia Eagles
Also Check Out: Complete NFL Week 4 TV Schedule