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

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, September 24th, 12:00 PM CDT

Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Betting Odds: LAC -2.5, 54 total via Odds Shark

Network: Fox

Writer: Steve Bradshaw (@SteveBradshawFF)

Los Angeles Chargers

Quarterbacks

Justin Herbert (Start, QB1)

After a rough 2022 season, Justin Herbert has come out firing, putting up 20.9 and 22.2 points in his first two games. Austin Ekeler, who didn’t practice on Wednesday, missed Week 2 and doesn’t have a timeline to return. This slightly hurts Herbert, but Keenan Allen and Mike Williams looked great last week against the Tennessee Titans.

Even if Ekeler doesn’t play, Herbert will be in a shootout with the Minnesota Vikings, backed by the over/under line of 54 put out by Odds Shark. The Vikings don’t have a great defense and have allowed 17.76 points to quarterbacks, the eighth most in the NFL. Both the Vikings and Chargers rank Top 10 in passing yards per game, which benefits an elite talent like Herbert.

Running Backs

Austin Ekeler (Healthly= Start, RB2), Joshua Kelley (No Ekeler= Start RB2), (Healthy Ekeler = Sit)

Right now, things aren’t looking great for Austin Ekeler, and as we mentioned before, the Chargers have refused to give an official timeline on his injury. The difference between Ekeler being day-to-day and week-to-week is massive, and we’ll need more information to give a better evaluation. With what we know right now, I don’t have Ekeler as an RB1, even if he plays.

This injury doesn’t look as minor as initially expected, and it’s more likely that Ekeler needs a week to get back to full strength, even if he plays. That said, in what should be a high-scoring game, Ekeler still offers an elite floor due to his receiving role, making him an automatic RB2.

Despite a disappointing Week 2, it’s likely that Joshua Kelley will be the starter once again. Kelley looked flat without Ekeler to compliment him, but he’s still a certifiable RB2 this week due to his volume, the quality of his offense, and the dearth of other options on waiver wires. In what should be a shootout, confidently Kelley and hope he’ll score a touchdown and have a better week through the air.

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends

Keenan Allen (Start, WR1, WR2), Mike Williams (Start, WR1, FLEX), Quentin Johnston (Sit), Gerald Everett (Start TE 2), Donald Parham Jr. (Sit)

Coming off a monster 31.1 performance, Keenan Allen is set up for another big game. Allen has drawn nine and ten targets in the first two games, and this should go up even more if Ekeler doesn’t play. In a shootout, you should be stacking players in said game, especially with a talent like Allen. Everything lines up for Allen this week, and if he’s on your roster, start him as a WR1.

After putting up a lackluster 8.5 points in Week 1, Mike Williams came back and scored 16.5 points in Week 2. Game conditions are essential, especially with a vertical threat like Williams. Williams holds a ton of value due to his touchdown upside, so in a game where 54 points are expected to be scored, expect big things from Williams. Assuming Ekeler is out, Williams should get a bump in his target share, which is huge in this type of game environment.

Quentin Johnston is an exciting young player that I can’t wait to grade as a “Start,” but we’re not there yet. Johnston hasn’t scored over 3 points yet in his NFL career, and I expect this drought to continue until the halfway mark of the season. It’s common for rookies to get off to a slow start, and Johnston is no exception.

Although Donald Parham outscored Gerald Everett in Week 1, Everett proved he’s still the TE1 in this offense last week. Everett was by no means spectacular, but it’s encouraging to see him put up 7.7 points. Since Everett isn’t an elite tight end, I’m only starting him for his touchdown upside in a high-scoring game. Meanwhile, Donald Parham may have had a solid Week 1, but now it’s clear that he’ll only see the field in specific red-zone scenarios. Parham fell right back down to Earth, only posting 1.7 points in week two. There’s no reason you should be starting Parham, and his Week 1 performance was a flash in the pan.

Minnesota Vikings

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins (Start, Low-QB1)

Kirk Cousins crushed the Philadelphia Eagles last week with 28.5 points, and I expect this success to carry over into Week 3. The fantasy fortunes of pocket-passing quarterbacks are highly dependent on  game script and passing volume, more so than mobile quarterbacks. Cousins is a very solid real-life quarterback playing on an offense that’s fourth in passing attempts per game. In a quarterback dual against Herbert, Cousins will be forced to air it out, making him a QB1 this week.

Running Backs

Alexander Mattison (Start, RB2), Ty Chandler (Sit), Cam Akers (Sit)

Alexander Mattison had a horrible start to the season, and Week 3 is the last time I’ll be starting him if he disappoints again. In an offense that throws the ball at the fourth-highest rate in the league, Mattison should be very efficient, even if he sees limited touches. However, in his first two games, Mattison averaged 3.3 yards per carry and scored 4.9 points last week on Thursday Night Football. Mattison has a chance to bounce back due to his workload and expected point totals, but it’s risky to move him any higher than RB2.

Even if Mattison continues to struggle, playing Ty Chandler on purpose is inadvisable. In an offense that loves to throw, there’s simply not enough opportunity for a backup running back to be fantasy-relevant. Chandler is a Sit this week and every other week going forward, especially with newly-acquired Cam Akers entering the mix.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Justin Jefferson (Start, WR1), Jordan Addison (Start, WR2), K.J. Osborn (Start, Flex), T. J. Hockenson (Start, TE1) 

Start Justin Jefferson, no matter what; you already know he’s a top-three wide receiver in any format. This week, I have him as the overall WR1. Jefferson has been great so far, averaging 24.5 PPG, and this should continue into Week 3. If you have Jefferson on your squad, this Sunday should be fun. On the other hand, if you’re facing Jefferson, it will be a September Sunday to dread.

Jordan Addison is off to a scorching hot start, averaging 16 PPG, even if this pace isn’t necessarily sustainable. I still have him around that same range this week, but that’s due to a surplus of passing volume expected in this game. Addison has played great, but keep in mind that he’s had two somewhat lucky long touchdowns. While this deep threat upside is much more important in a shootout, don’t overvalue Addison after this week.

Although K.J. Osborn isn’t a great wide receiver, he’s a beneficiary of increased expected passing volume in this game. Osborn did score 12.4 points last week, but he should be viewed as a flex-type player. As the fourth option on this team, Osborn can still hover around the 10-point mark, but shouldn’t be ranked much higher than this, even in a shootout.

T. J. Hockenson is my TE1 for the week following his 25.56-point performance against the Eagles. Hockenson is one of the best tight ends in football, and he’s been extremely productive as the number two target in the Vikings’ offense. While Jefferson attracts the defense’s attention, Hockenson destroys his defenders near the line of scrimmage or in the middle of the field. He possesses a ton of touchdown upside, making him a great bet in a high-scoring game. Don’t be surprised when Hockenson dominates once again and outscores Travis Kelce again in Week 3.