Week 2 of the fantasy football season had its own ups and downs. Pretty much everyone on the Chicago Bears underperformed, especially tight end Colston Loveland who only had one catch. Injuries are becoming a serious problem with quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxton Dart as well as receivers Nico Collins and Puka Nacua.
However, there were also players whose fantasy production exploded including quarterback Josh Allen who had five total touchdowns, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba who had 155 receiving yards and three touchdowns and receiver CeeDee Lamb who had 153 yards and two touchdowns.
The fantasy season is starting to take shape, giving fantasy owners a better idea of who to start and who to sit. So, who should be in your
starting lineup for Week 3?
Start: QB Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks
With all the quarterback injuries, if you need to go to the waiver wire for a quarterback, Drew Lock is actually a viable option assuming Sam Darnold does not start against the Washington Commanders. Lock had 235 yards and three touchdowns last week against the Arizona Cardinals and the Commanders happen to give up a lot of fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Lock’s strategy is clear to just get the ball to Smith-Njigba, which should not be a problem against Washington. If you need a quarterback with a decent floor after the injuries in Week 2, Lock is a good option.
Sit: QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots
I said this last week and it worked out after Drake Maye only threw 208 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception. His matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3 is less than ideal. Not having his top receiver, A.J. Brown, on the field does not help either. Maye is simply not startable right now and needs to remain on the bench at least until Brown comes back.
Start: WR Devaughn Vele, New Orleans Saints
Through the first two weeks, Devaughn Vele has done quite well with 16 targets, 12 receptions and 133 receiving yards along with a touchdown in the season opener. New Orleans is playing against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3. On paper, the Raiders have been one of the better defenses against wide receivers. However, they have played against the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers who are some of the worst offenses in the NFL. Vele should not have a difficult time putting up points, especially if Chris Olave ends up not being able to play because of his hamstring injury.
Sit: WR Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears
Rome Odunze’s fantasy production has been mediocre through the first two weeks anyway with just five receptions for 95 yards. However, with Willams most likely not playing in their Monday night matchup and backup quarterback Tyson Bagent in concussion protocol, Odunze is not someone you want to have in the lineup. In fact, none of Chicago’s pass catchers should be in your lineup this week - Odunze, Luther Burden and Colston Loveland - since the Bears are most likely going to lean on the run game.
Start: RB David Montgomery, Houston Texans
David Montgomery only had 10 rushing yards last week, so it would be logical to think about benching him. However, that performance was more attributable to the Bengals defense as opposed to Houston’s offense. Indianapolis has one of the worst rushing defenses through the first two weeks of the NFL season, giving Montgomery a prime opportunity to have a breakout performance and redeem himself.
Sit: RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants
With quarterback Jaxson Dart out for the reason, Cam Skattebo’s fantasy production is at risk. He only had three yards per carry against the Los Angeles Rams with another 19 receiving yards. The Titans defense that he is facing in Week 3 is not the same as the Rams defense, but what the Los Angeles game made clear was that the Giants offense cannot function the same with Jameis Winston at quarterback and that is going to hurt Skattebo.
Start: TE Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans
Dalton Schultz is coming off a performance with 140 receiving yards where he served as the primary receiver for the Texans. Nico Collins is still questionable with a hamstring injury and may not play against the Indianapolis Colts. Indianapolis happens to be giving up a lot of points to tight ends through the first two weeks. Between the Colts’ inability to stop tight ends and Collins potentially being out, Schultz should get a lot of targets and solid fantasy points.
Sit: TE T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
T.J. Hockenson is extremely touchdown-dependent. In the first game against Green Bay, he had a solid fantasy performance because of his touchdown. Against the Bears, he only had three receptions with 29 yards and no touchdown. The Buccaneers have been giving up fantasy points to tight ends through the first two games, but that does not mean he is going to have a production fantasy day. If there is an option with a safer floor, Hockenson should stay on the bench.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Starts and sits for fantasy football ahead of Week 3
