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

Broncos at Packers

 

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, September 22nd at 1:00 pm EST

Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

Betting Odds: GB -8, 43.5 Total via Oddsshark

Network: FOX

Sleeper Spotlight: Marquez Valdes-Scantling

 

Denver Broncos

 

Quarterback:

• Joe Flacco (Sit)

 

Okay so, full disclosure: I think Joe Flacco is the most overrated active quarterback in the NFL. The guy threw the ball 50 times last week and still barely put up 15 fantasy points. His final stat line was massively padded by his touchdown and two-point conversion in the final three minutes of the game. Flacco is a straight-up bum, there’s a reason he’s only rostered in five percent of fantasy leagues. This week won’t be any easier either when he goes up against a Packers defense that has looked great over their first two games. 

 

Running Backs:

• Royce Freeman (Sit, FLEX)
• Phillip Lindsay (Sit, FLEX)

 

Both Royce Freeman and Phillip Lindsay are looking like consistent and reliable backs. The only problem is the Broncos have been giving these guys pretty even splits, even through the air. This can be frustrating because it makes it nearly impossible for fantasy fans to predict weekly performances. For instance, Freeman only got seven points in Week 1 but put up 15 just this past week. I never want to root for injuries, but this backfield could be a fantasy nightmare unless one of these two goes down. I’m personally keeping these guys on my bench for now because I can’t bring myself to start either of them with confidence. When both backs are active their upsides will always be limited. 

 

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends:

• Emmanuel Sanders (Start, WR2)
• Courtland Sutton (Start, WR2)
• Noah Fant (Sit)
• Jeff Heuerman (Sit)
• DaeSean Hamilton (Sit)

 

After last week, I’m as surprised as you to hear the Broncos have more receivers than just Emmanuel Sanders. Jokes aside, it seems like the Broncos aren’t spreading the ball around very well. Last week, Sanders blew up and had a great game. The week before that, it was Courtland Sutton getting the lion’s share. I’ve listed both as a WR2 this week only because I have no clue who will get more targets. I don’t expect production from both these guys in the same week and will continue to do so until the Broncos prove me wrong. If you happen to start the guy Flacco chooses to relentlessly feed that particular week, you should be golden. Good luck with that.

I was pretty high on Noah Fant but it’s tough to get excited when Jeff Heuerman is on the field taking away his opportunity. Fant could be worth a hold for the time being but he’s going to need more than four targets a game to become fantasy relevant. DaeSean Hamilton had a good amount of targets last week but couldn’t do much with them. He likely isn’t even worth a bench spot anymore. 

 

Green Bay Packers

 

Quarterback:

• Aaron Rodgers (Sit, QB2)

 

All things considered, Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been too bad this year. His first two games were against very tough NFC North defenses, and while his fantasy numbers haven’t been great, he seems to be on the right track with his new offense. I’m hesitant to list Rodgers as a QB1 this week only because he hasn’t shown us he can do it with this offense yet. The Broncos still have a strong defense that could continue to limit Rodgers’ upside. Rodgers should take more positive steps in the right direction, but this offense still has some growing pains it needs to get through first. 

 

Running Backs:

• Aaron Jones (Start, RB1)
• Jamaal Williams (Sit)

 

Aaron Jones truthers unite! People who own Jones have got to be excited about his performance against a very difficult Vikings defense last week. Heck, you could take away his touchdown and he would still have respectable performance. Last week, Jones had the most touches he’s ever had in a game. That’s great news for fantasy owners, considering Jones is in a new system with a new coach. It’s also encouraging that he got the second-most receiving targets among Packer players. Don’t expect that to happen often, but it’s still a great sign. You would be crazy to leave Jones out of your starting lineup after his performance last week and you likely won’t have a better option anyway.

Jamaal Williams had a respectable stat line but he shouldn’t put up numbers like last week consistently. His fantasy points would have been unremarkable without his touchdown reception. 

 

Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends:

• Davante Adams (Start, WR1)
• Geronimo Allison (Sit)
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Start, FLEX)
• Jimmy Graham (Sit if you have better options, TE2)

 

After an unsatisfying Week 1, many thought Davante Adams was going to take a while to heat up, especially when his Week 2 opponent wasn’t much easier. Luckily, he proved all the doubters wrong with a great 17-point performance against the Vikings. It’s worth noting that Adams got about the same targets in both games, the difference was in the quality of his targets. Rodgers seems to be heating up and running this offense more efficiently with each week. I wouldn’t be surprised if Adams picks up where he left off last week with another WR1 game against the Broncos. 

I’m a big fan of Geronimo Allison’s game but it’s going to be tough for him to put up consistent fantasy points. I just know he’s going to break off a catch-and-run for a 40-yard touchdown one of these weeks and everyone will be overspending for him on the waiver wire. The thing is, he’s going to be a “boom or bust” player and most of his games will be fantasy busts. He’s usually targeted around the flats where he can gain some yards with his speed. Speaking of speed, I’m still pretty high on Marquez Valdes-Scantling but he will also be pretty “boom or bust” this year. The Packers are still trying to utilize Valdes-Scantling’s speed which could result in some big downfield plays once he and Rodgers are on the same page. The young receiver still needs to take a big step up in his sophomore year. He’s barely a FLEX play this week. You likely have more reliable options right now. 

Jimmy Graham is pretty concerning. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I like to evaluate my tight ends with a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately mentality. After Week 1, I was thinking Graham would have a solid floor of about 11 points; but after his goose egg against the Vikings, it’s tough to have faith in him. To make matters worse, you likely took Graham pretty darn late in the draft and have at least one more tight end on your team you need to choose between. Fire him up if you need to, but I wouldn’t expect anything more than 11 or 12 points. Graham could be pretty touchdown-dependent this year.

-Ryan Kruse (@ryanpkruse)