Sit/Start Week 3: Reviewing All Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday September 24th, at 4:05 PM ET

Location: Lumen Field, Seattle Washington

Betting Odds: SEA -3.5, 42.5 over/under total via Oddsshark

Network: CBS

Writer: Dustin Ludke (@TheDunit13 on Twitter)

Carolina Panthers

Quarterback

Bryce Young (Sit)

Let me start with some nice things about Bryce Young. He is getting a ton of reps. He has had over 30 passing attempts in each of the first two games. He gets a good matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, who currently rank 20th in terms of giving up points to the quarterback position. Okay, that’s it. That’s all the positive things I can say about Young. He has not looked good. Despite the attempts, he has yet to throw for over 160 yards. His season completion percentage is under 60%. He even lined up behind the wrong guy on a play. No seriously: he did. He looks out of his depth and is not ready to be a starter. It’s a huge letdown for the number one overall pick. You should not even be considering starting him this week or any week.

Running Backs

Miles Sanders (Start, RB2), Chuba Hubbard (Sit, Flex) 

This season has been everything we have wanted for Miles Sanders in terms of opportunities. He has seen right around 15 carries a game and at least five targets. The issue has been efficiency. Sanders hasn’t had over four yards per carry yet this season in a game and he is not wracking up receiving yards. The Panthers’ offense has been stymied by poor quarterback play and a lack of continued drives. Sanders has yet to reach the end zone which also has kept him out of the RB1 range like we expected. This week against the Seahawks we hope for a bounce back. The Seahawks are giving up the sixth most points to running backs at 21.00. It’s a great opportunity to get some needed points from a running back you were hoping would be a sleeper. If the defense can keep the Seahawks from getting the score out of hand then the Panthers’s offense can run the ball all game. Sanders can be an RB2 this week for you.

Chuba Hubbard has just been a change of pace back so far this season. He hasn’t played over 40% of the team’s snaps yet. He is involved in the passing game which gives him a slight bump in value. Even with the good matchup, I’m not going to rely on a low snap share guy to get me the points I need in my flex. He is still a good hold as a handcuff.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Adam Thielen (Start, WR2), DJ Chark (Sit), Terrace Marshall (Sit), Jonathan Mingo (Sit, Flex), Hayden Hurst(Sit), 

The Panthers’ passing offense has been lackluster but there are some bright spots. It starts with veteran Adam Thielen. For the second straight week, he is playing on over 85% of the team’s total snaps. He has seemed to turn back the clock this past week catching seven of his nine targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. Formation will matter this week. Thielen is lining up 76.3% of the time in the slot which will help get him off coverage by stand-out sophomore Tariq Woolen and on to coverage by Coby Bryant. Bryant is rated as the 77th out of 79 corners in coverage by PFF.com. It’s a smash matchup for Thielen. He should see plenty of volume as he has been a safety blanket for his struggling rookie quarterback. you can trust him as a solid WR2 this week.

Jonathan Mingo has stepped into the role as the main guy opposite Thielen. Mingo played on over 85% of the team’s snaps so far this season including 98% in Week 2. He has struggled to catch his targets which has led to lower production from the rookie. He will most likely see coverage from either Woolen or fellow rookie Devon Witherspoon. While Woolen rates at 70.5 in coverage Witherspoon rates at 52.1. I worry about Mingo being able to not only get the right coverage but also see the targets. Even if he gets the targets, he might not do much with them. I’m sitting Mingo this week.

DJ Chark came back this past week and played on only 62% of the Panthers’ snaps. He only saw one target. Was this a case of the Panthers working Chark in slowly or more that Chark is just washed? Either way, I’m not expecting much from the journeyman wide receiver. He is in the same boat as Terrace Marshall and Laviska Shenault. Not enough volume or snaps to be fantasy-relevant. Sit them all.

Hayden Hurst was a letdown in Week 2 despite seeing his snap share tick up a little. he still is playing on under 60% of the team’s snaps. He only saw three targets. He is very efficient on his targets catching a majority of them over two weeks. The Seahawks are giving up the 20th most points to the tight end position but I’m not banking on a low-volume passing offense where the tight end isn’t playing a ton of snaps in a mid-matchup. Sit Hurst this week and look for other options.

Seattle Seahawks

Quarterback

Geno Smith (Sit, QB2)

Geno Smith had a spectacular 2022 season and was rewarded with a three-year contract, but now it is looking like that might have been a bad investment by the Seattle Seahawks. Smith has had an up-and-down season through two games and this week looks like it could be another stinker. Geno is facing a Carolina Panthers team that is tied for the second-fewest points allowed to the quarterback position. Despite all the weapons around Geno, the injuries to the offensive line look like they will make reaching last year’s numbers difficult. He had a good Week 2 in a shoot-out with the Detroit Lions but this week looks to be a low-scoring affair with the Panthers. Head coach Pete Carroll has a run-first system and will employ that to eat up the clock in a tight game where he should have the lead. I’m not expecting greatness from Geno this week. I would be looking for other options as I see him as a mid-QB2.

Running Backs

Kenneth Walker (Start, RB1), Deejay Dallas (Sit) Zach Charbonnet (Sit) 

The belief that Zach Charbonnet would take over and outscore Kenneth Walker was popular this offseason but now seems to have vanished. Walker is the clear lead back for the Seahawks. Walker has been playing on over 60% of the team’s snaps in both games this season. While you would want those numbers to be a little higher, they dwarf the 25% for Charbonnet and the less than 20% for Deejay Dallas. Walker isn’t getting a ton of volume because of his limited snaps but has been a decent fantasy running back in spite of it. His weeks have been saved, first by receiving work in Week 1 and then touchdowns in Week 2. In week 1, the sophomore rusher saw five targets and caught three of them. Even if he did only get three yards on them it’s still points in PPR leagues. In Week 2, scoring two touchdowns covered up the fact that Walker only averaged 2.53 yards per carry. This week against the Panthers, Walker should be able to get his points the normal way: volume and yards. The Panthers are giving up the second-most points to the running back position. It’s a great matchup for the Seattle backfield. You can start Walker as an RB1 this week. I’m not starting Charbonnet, but I’m still holding on to him. If Walker can’t produce this week and is saved by receiving work or touchdowns, I think the Seahawks and fantasy managers might be looking at Charbonnet sooner rather than later.

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

Tyler Lockett (Start, WR1), D.K. Metcalf (Start, WR2), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Sit), Noah Fant (Sit)

They aren’t talked about enough but the Seahawks might have one of the best receiving duos in the league. Tyler Lockett in his ninth season hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down. He had a let-down in Week 1 but bounced back in Week 2. He should continue that reminder to fantasy managers this week against the Panthers. Lockett is playing on over 85% of the team’s snaps and leading the team in routes run. He puts in enough snaps in the slot to create the best matchups. The Panthers’ secondary has struggled lately. When Lockett is on the outside he will see coverage from CJ Henderson who rated at 54.4 by PFF.com in coverage. That ranks him as the seventh-best cover corner. You can expect Lockett to be a WR1 this week.

What helps Lockett succeed is the play of D.K. Metcalf on the other side of the field. Metcalf is struggling with a rib injury but should play considering he went back into the game after suffering it last week. Metcalf will be drawing coverage from Donte Jackson who rates at 51.6 and is the 81st best cover corner. The Panthers will probably bring a safety over to help and that will be Xavier Woods who rates at 82.8 and is the fifth-best cover safety. Metcalf has a size advantage over most people so I expect him to still get his opportunities and be a WR2 this week.

Rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba has had a role in the offense but not as big as some had hoped for. He is playing on just under 60% of the Seahawks’ snaps. He has lined up almost 80% of the time in the slot. That would put him opposite Jeremy Chinn who rates at 79.1 in coverage. I struggle to get a player who is playing not a ton of snaps and not seeing a ton of targets against a bad matchup, no matter how talented they are coming into the league. Sit J.S.N this week.

The tight ends for Seattle continue to be a hassle. They have three which means they don’t have one for fantasy purposes. Will Dissly, Noah Fant, and Colby Parkinson all ran just about the same number of routes this past week and saw close to the same number of targets. Fant has been the leading man but its not enough opportunities to be fantasy-relevant. On top of that the Panthers have a good cover linebacker in Kamu Grugier-Hill who is rated as the sixth-best cover linebacker by PFF.com. Unless one of these guys can start to separate from the pack it looks like they all will be on waivers for most of the season. Sit them all and probably drop them.