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Fantasy Football Start Sit Week 3: Can We Trust Detroit's Offense?

Scoring wasn’t the only thing up in Week 2. Injuries also increased, leaving many fantasy managers scrambling to find new starters. 

Staying ahead of each week’s sneaky starters and avoiding players who face adversity is integral for securing a win in Week 3.

Our Draft Sharks Who to Start tool is an invaluable weapon in the arsenal of the well-prepared fantasy manager.

Quarterbacks

Last week’s No. 1 QB could struggle.

Start 

Daniel Jones, Colts

Jones enters Week 3 as the No. 2 QB in fantasy and gets another choice matchup. The Colts travel to Tennessee to face a Titans team that ranks last in total offense (192.5 yards per game), 31st in first downs, and has punted more than any other team.

That translates to more drives for Indianapolis and more opportunities for Jones to keep piling up fantasy points. Jones ranks second in passing yards (588) and third in fantasy points per dropback (0.74). 

Tennessee’s inability to sustain drives will give Jones ample opportunities to continue his hot start. Matthew Stafford hit up the Titans for 298 yards and 2 TDs in this building last week. Jones’ dual-threat ability gives him top-6 upside in this AFC South showdown. 

Sit

Jared Goff, Lions

Goff finished as the overall QB1 last week, but he faces an entirely different task going on the road to face one of the NFL’s top teams. A strong Baltimore pass rush, which Pro Football Focus grades as the league’s 12th best, will cause problems for Goff, who PFF grades 29th when pressured. 

Additionally, Goff’s struggles when playing away from Ford Field are well-documented. Dating back to 2023, Goff’s QB rating drops 25.1% when playing outdoors. 

The Lions enter Baltimore as 5-point underdogs, facing an offense projected to score the second-most points. And beyond the aforementioned pass rush, the Ravens also rank third-best in coverage grade.

Running Backs 

There’s a new feature back in the NFC North.

Start

Jordan Mason, Vikings 

Through two games, Mason was already playing a healthy role. He has a 58% snap rate and has taken 60% of the Vikings' rushes. He has also contributed in the passing game, posting a 35% route rate and 8% target share. 

Aaron Jones has landed on IR with a hamstring injury. The Vikings re-signed Cam Akers to the practice squad. And undrafted RB Zavier Scott, who has never touched the ball in the NFL, is the only other back on the roster. 

Minnesota is also down its starting QB and will start journeyman Carson Wentz. This should lead to a more conservative approach, with more reliance on the ground game. Mason is poised to be a three-down workhorse against a Cincinnati defense that has already allowed 3 RBs to eclipse 15 PPR points in 2 games. 

Rhamondre Stevenson, Patriots 

TreVeyon Henderson’s struggles in pass protection have led to more playing time for Stevenson. After a strong showing last week, Stevenson has now accounted for 47% of New England’s rushing attempts while dominating work on passing downs. 

Stevenson has played 73% of the Patriots’ 2-minute snaps and is the only New England RB to command a carry inside the opponent’s 15-yard line. These are the valuable fantasy touches we covet. 

This week, New England hosts a Pittsburgh defense that has allowed a 100-yard rusher in both of its games. Stevenson should continue to see the majority of carries and targets out of the backfield, setting him up for another strong fantasy outing. 

Sit

Omarion Hampton, Chargers

After showing some burst in Week 1, Hampton had a poor outing last week. That was capped by a fumbled exchange that led to the rookie ceding fourth-quarter carries to Najee Harris. 

Hampton’s 72% snap share looks good, but he has received 26 touches and is averaging just 3.3 yards per touch. Harris out-touched Hampton in Week 2, which raises concerns that the Chargers may revert to a more split approach. 

The Chargers have also gone more pass-heavy than anticipated. A Week 3 matchup against the Broncos looks decent for the ground game, but Hampton’s lack of production and questionable role make him a risky bet in fantasy lineups. 

David Montgomery, Lions

OC John Morton isn’t using the split backfield that his predecessor favored. Jahmyr Gibbs has played 57% of Detroit’s snaps, while David Montgomery is down at 38% through two games. Gibbs has also commanded an 11% target share to just 4% for Montgomery. 

Monday’s Detroit-Baltimore tilt has the highest projected total on the slate, with the Ravens being favored. Baltimore has jumped out to fast starts in their games, relying on the pass. That game script favors Gibbs, whose 52% route rate dwarfs Montgomery’s 21%. The Ravens have also allowed the second-most receptions (17) to RBs.

This game looks like one that will favor Gibbs, with Montgomery being relegated to a TD-dependent flex option. 

Wide Receivers 

A top-10 WR faces a daunting matchup.

Start 

Keon Coleman, Bills

Buffalo sports the highest projected total for Week 3 at 31.0 points. Last year, the Bills swept Miami, piling up 61 points over the two games. So far this year, Miami has allowed the second-most points (66) and seventh-most yards per game (375.5). 

Coleman leads all Buffalo WRs in route rate (82%), target share (17%), and PPR points (15.4 per game). His 27.1% first-read rate is nearly double that of the next WR, Joshua Palmer at 15.9%. 

The Bills should get off to a fast start, and Coleman is the best bet to exploit a leaky secondary that has surrendered three TDs to WRs. 

The only concern is Buffalo getting off to a huge lead and grinding out the clock in the second half. If the Dolphins can stay within striking distance, Coleman has a route to a big fantasy performance.  

Romeo Doubs, Packers

Jayden Reed will miss 6-8 weeks after having surgery on a shoulder and foot. Reed’s absence will open up more targets for Doubs, who already leads Green Bay’s receiving corps in first-read rate (20.6%), route rate (75%), and target share (19%). 

At 25.5 points, the Packers enter Week 3 with the fourth-highest projected score. Doubs and the Packers face a Cleveland secondary that has allowed four TDs so far to WRs, second-most through two weeks. 

Reed ran 79% of his routes from the slot. Those snaps will primarily go to Dontayvion Wicks. Doubs, who runs 80% of his routes on the perimeter, projects to have one of the biggest matchup edges this week against Cleveland CBs Greg Newsome and Denzel Ward. Per Fantasy Points, Newsome allows the second-most fantasy points per target (0.41) to WRs, while Ward (0.38) stands fifth-worst. 

Sit

Quentin Johnston, Chargers

It isn’t easy to sit a WR who enters the week seventh at the position in fantasy points, but you should lower your expectations for Johnston. He’s likely to see a lot of Denver CB Patrick Surtain II in coverage. 

Surtain ranks as one of the top shutdown CBs in football. Through two weeks, he's allowing 0.15 fantasy points per target in coverage. That’s tied for lowest in the league. Johnston squared off against Surtain in Week 17 of 2023 and managed just 3 catches for 29 yards. 

In fact, his last three matchups against the Broncos have produced little success: 

• 2023: 3 receptions, 29 yards (WR62)
• 2024: 3 receptions, 22 yards (WR70)
• 2024: 3 receptions, 18 yards (WR73)

Johnston is a TD-or-bust option facing a secondary that has only allowed 11 WR TDs since the beginning of 2024.

Tight Ends

An NFC South TE will remain red hot.

Start 

Juwan Johnson, Saints

Don’t look now, but Johnson ranks No. 2 among fantasy TEs entering Week 3. Volume has been the main driver. He has run the second-most routes (73), ranks second with 13 receptions, and leads the position with 20 targets. 

Week 3 will be a challenge for the winless Saints, traveling to Seattle to take on a Seahawks defense that has only allowed 34 points, tied for the eighth-lowest. 

However, the matchup looks favorable for Johnson. Seattle has allowed the second-most receptions (16) to TEs and is the only defense that has surrendered multiple TDs to the position this season. 

Johnson should be locked into fantasy lineups as a top-10 option. 

Sit

Mark Andrews, Ravens

Andrews got off to a slow start last season before turning it around. We’ll see if that formula repeats, but his lack of involvement in an offense that is scoring an NFL-high 40.5 points per game has been alarming.

Andrews has only caught two passes for 7 yards. He has drawn a target on just 12% of his routes, which ranks eighth on his team. If Isaiah Likely plays, he could take further opportunities away from Andrews. 

Don’t let the name recognition overshadow reality this week. He sits outside the top 50 scoring TEs entering Week 3. Hard to see him getting back on track, facing a Detroit defense that allows the fewest fantasy points to the position.

Next Up

Week 3 Matchups That Matter: Will The Cowboys Keep Rolling?

Next Article  

Jody Smith, Analyst

Jody Smith has been playing fantasy football for over 30 years, the last 15 as an analyst, writer, and editor. Jody's rankings have been among the most consistent, placing him inside the top-10 in multi-year accuracy.