Fantasy Football Start and Sit Week 3: Bryce Young’s benching means the Panthers WRs are viable sleepers now

When it comes to competition, one of the best ways to get an edge on the opposition is through prior preparation. In fantasy football, that way of thinking certainly applies. Here at Bet For The Win, we’re doing the preparation for you.

Now is when the fantasy football season starts getting serious. You realize you made a mistake drafting that underperforming receiver who hadn’t proven anything yet. You’re obsessively scouring the waiver wire, looking for any running back who might break out. If you’re undefeated, you’re worried about your status at the top of the league being extremely tenuous.

I’m here to help anyone and everyone with their fantasy problems as we start to leave the unofficial “preseason” portion of the 2024 NFL season.

In this week’s studs, duds, and sleepers, I love a certain running back from Western New York in a favorable primetime matchup. I hate one of the quarterbacks playing in that same game, as his confidence seemingly spirals down the drain. And if you’re looking for any low-risk sleepers, you know, someone on the Denver Broncos doesn’t sound all that bad!

Let’s dive in and see who you should start, sit, and even just consider in fantasy football in Week 3.

Studs

RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

After a short downturn, the electric Kamara has turned back the clock to his perennial Pro Bowl days at the end of the Drew Brees era. Through two weeks, Kamara is the NFL’s leader in yards from scrimmage as the Saints funnel their entire new-look offense through him under coordinator Klint Kubiak. He now gets an Eagles defense that allowed Bijan Robinson and Josh Jacobs to do whatever they wanted when they had the ball in their hands. Kamara is about to eat. Again.

QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (at Dallas Cowboys)

Who do you trust more? A two-time MVP quarterback to save his team from starting 0-3, or the Cowboys, known for vomiting all over themselves when they face a hint of adversity. It’s a good thing Jackson took his red cape to the dry cleaners.

RB James Cook, Buffalo Bills (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, Monday Night Football)

In his third full season with the Bills, Cook has picked up where he left off from a scorching finish to 2023. The Bills have already given the multipurpose back 30-plus touches, and while he’s played well so far with three touchdowns in two games, it feels like Cook is due for a truly monster outing. The hapless Jaguars are a perfect victim.

WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans (at Minnesota Vikings)

Not enough people are talking about Collins as a legitimate top-10 receiver. His connection with C.J. Stroud is what takes the Texans’ offense from good to great at its best. In a tense Minnesota road environment, look for Collins to give Brian Flores’s defense a huge headache all afternoon.

Duds

RB Breece Hall, New York Jets (vs. New England Patriots, Thursday Night Football)

Hall has been … OK in his first real action playing alongside Aaron Rodgers. He now gets a daunting matchup against a Patriots defense that successfully bottled both the Cincinnati Bengals’ and Seattle Seahawks’ rushing offenses. The Jets will try to get Hall going for Rodgers’ sake, but I don’t see it happening against Jerod Mayo’s well-schooled unit.

QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (at New Orleans Saints)

Through two games in Kellen Moore’s scheme, Hurts has been an advantageous rusher. Hurts is already third in the NFL in quarterback rushing yards. His passing output, though, is, unfortunately, a different story for the Eagles. It’s apparent he’s not comfortable airing it out enough to make Philadelphia’s offense threatening so far. Now he gets the pleasure of trying to beat Dennis Allen’s complex Saints defense. So, it might get a lot uglier before it gets any better.

RB Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers (at Tennessee Titans)

The Packers knew that the Colts had an abysmal rushing defense. That’s why they stuffed the football into Jacobs’ chest every chance they got to buoy backup quarterback Malik Willis. The Titans, who are stout and strong up the middle, aren’t going to be so kind. In fact, they’re probably going to keep eight, perhaps even nine men in the box on every play to dare Willis to beat them. This is NOT the week to ride with Jacobs.

QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Buffalo Bills, Monday Night Football)

The Jaguars’ offense has no rhythm and no identity right now. Even worse, I’m not sure Lawrence has any confidence he can get Jacksonville to turn it around. A Bills defense that just ripped apart Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins should be salivating.

Sleepers

WR Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons (vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday Night Football)

The Falcons are short on reliable receivers outside of Drake London. And Mooney just helped Atlanta pull off an unlikely comeback win in Philadelphia. That’s the kind of performance that earns trust from a veteran quarterback like Kirk Cousins, who is still learning the ropes on a new team.

QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (at Indianapolis Colts)

I’m wary about recommending Williams after watching the Bears’ turnstile offensive line let defenses tee off on him. But the Colts’ defense is so bad and incompetent that I’m inclined to believe he can, indeed, finally enjoy a big breakout performance. I’m hedging by labeling him a sleeper this week.

WRs Diontae Johnson/Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers (at Las Vegas Raiders)

Let’s be candid. The now-benched Bryce Young was so broken that he was jumping just to check the ball down. Andy Dalton is no world-beater, but he’s definitely more capable of going through his reads and progressions. If you’re in dire need of receiving talent, Thielen and Johnson are viable sleepers with Dalton in the fold. Yes, that is not a joke.

WR Josh Reynolds, Denver Broncos (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

This will likely be one of the only tacit endorsements you see about the Broncos’ passing game in this space all season long. Like the Panthers’ situation, Bo Nix is a hard watch. I’m not sure he’s an NFL-caliber starting quarterback. However, Nix clearly likes Reynolds, as he’s already given him 13 targets through two games. And the receiver has delivered a solid 138 yards. If you’re looking for a WR3 or flex option this week, you could do much worse than Reynolds.