Week 3 Start 'Em and Sit 'Em
Disclaimer ... Before you start reading, please understand that we are not in the business of stating the obvious and wasting your time (or ours), so you won't be reading here why you need to start Aaron Rodgers, Arian Foster, Calvin Johnson or any other top-tier players. We're here to help you make a decision on players you are on the fence about.
Forget about the Madden Curse. We now have the Curse of Michael Bush. Everywhere Bush goes the starting running back gets hurt.
Bush and Darren McFadden were teammates for four seasons in Oakland, and McFadden never played more than 13 games in a year. Bush came to Chicago this season, and already Matt Forte has gone down with an ankle injury in Week 2.
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| Darren McFadden | vs. PIT |
| Jamaal Charles | at NO |
| Chris Johnson | vs. DET |
| Adrian Peterson | vs. SF |
| Steven Jackson | at CHI |
Forte is not going to play this week, so Bush now gets the tasty matchup against the Rams. Maybe Bush has a voodoo doll for the guy in front of him on the depth chart.
It worked out great for Bush when McFadden went down last year. In nine games as the starter for the Raiders, Bush had 740 rushing yards, 307 receiving yards and five touchdowns with six games with double digits in Fantasy points. We've said all along we wish he didn't sign with Chicago because he could have been a starter elsewhere, but now he's getting his chance as the No. 1 option.
Bush already had one good outing for the Bears in Week 1 against the Colts with 12 carries for 42 yards and two touchdowns. With Forte out of the way, Bush should get double digits in Fantasy points against the Rams.
St. Louis has already struggled against Kevin Smith (21 Fantasy points) and Alfred Morris (eight), and even Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III ran for two touchdowns against the Rams last week. Getting at least eight Fantasy points against the Rams is almost a given for an opposing running back.
In 2011, the Rams allowed 18 running backs to reach at least eight Fantasy points, with 11 scoring double digits. Eight Fantasy points is a good starting place for Bush, and we expect him to shine.
Forte should return soon, and hopefully he doesn't have a high ankle sprain. But until he's back Fantasy owners can count on Bush to succeed. He's done it before, and he should do it again, starting with this matchup against the Rams.
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| Player | Fantasy Pts. (proj.) | Fantasy Pts. (actual) | Start % | Pos. rank |
| C.J. Spiller, RB, Bills | 15 | 28 | 87 | 2 |
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| Robert Griffin III, QB, Redskins | 21 | 32 | 51 | 1 |
| Reggie Bush, RB, Dolphins | 13 | 31 | 77 | 1 |
| Trent Richardson, RB, Browns | 12 | 25 | 68 | 3 |
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| Shonn Greene, RB, Jets | 8 | 2 | 48 | 59 |
| Torrey Smith, WR, Ravens | 7 | 5 | 54 | 46 |
| Fred Davis, TE, Redskins | 6 | 1 | 53 | 70 |
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| Peyton Manning, QB, Broncos | 25 | 9 | 84 | 29 |
| Jay Cutler, QB, Bears | 28 | 4 | 49 | 32 |
| Coby Fleener, TE, Colts | 8 | 1 | 31 | 36 |
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| Michael Vick, QB, Eagles | 18 | 23 | 54 | 9 |
| Willis McGahee, RB, Broncos | 7 | 24 | 55 | 4 |
| Brent Celek, TE, Eagles | 4 | 15 | 18 | 3 |
Quarterback
Start 'Em
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Michael Vick (at ARI): Vick's history against the Cardinals isn't good. In three career meetings he is 39 of 76 passing for 396 yards, no touchdowns and four interceptions. He does have 27 carries for 248 yards, and we're expecting him to play well this week. Vick has done well going against history already this year. Last week he snapped Baltimore's 19-game streak of not allowing a quarterback to score multiple touchdowns when he scored twice. He needs to limit the interceptions (six), but he is averaging 21 Fantasy points in two games, which is quality production.
Philip Rivers (vs. ATL): Rivers showed in Week 2 he doesn't need Antonio Gates (ribs), Ryan Mathews (shoulder) or Vincent Jackson (now with Tampa Bay) to be successful when he had 284 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception against the Titans. He should get Mathews and Gates back this week, and the Falcons secondary should get exposed despite what happened against Peyton Manning in Week 2. Rivers now has 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in his past five home games while averaging 251 passing yards over that span.
Joe Flacco (vs. NE): Flacco has faced the Patriots each of the past three years, including the playoffs in 2011, and he has at least 20 Fantasy points in each game. He has at least two touchdown passes in four of his past five games at home, and the Patriots secondary will be tested for the first time this season after facing Jake Locker and Kevin Kolb through two weeks. We hope the Flacco from Week 1 against the Bengals (23 Fantasy points) shows up again in this matchup.
Ben Roethlisberger (at OAK): Roethlisberger has gotten off to a solid start this season, averaging 21 Fantasy points through two games at Denver and against the Jets. He has four touchdowns and one interception, and he's already attempted 71 passes with the Steelers lack of a running game. This week he faces the Raiders, who just gave up 21 Fantasy points against Dolphins rookie Ryan Tannehill. In his past two meetings with the Raiders, Roethlisberger has 553 passing yards, six total touchdowns and one interception.
Robert Griffin III (vs. CIN): Griffin has been amazing to start the season, and he is averaging 30 Fantasy points in two games at New Orleans and St. Louis. He makes his home debut this week against the Bengals, and this is a great matchup. Cincinnati is banged up on defense, and Flacco and Brandon Weeden each have two-touchdown performances against the Bengals so far. It's time to treat Griffin as a must-start Fantasy quarterback, and this week I would start him ahead of Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Vick and Tom Brady.
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| Alex Smith | (at MIN) | Smith is playing well with consecutive games of 20-plus Fantasy points. |
| Matt Cassel | (at NO) | The Saints have allowed the most Fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. |
| Ryan Fitzpatrick | (vs. CLE) | The Browns have allowed 300-plus passing yards and multiple TDs each week. |
Sit 'Em
Matt Schaub (at DEN): If you haven't noticed, Schaub has become a game manager. He is the No. 30 Fantasy quarterback through two games with only one touchdown against Miami and Jacksonville. Meanwhile, Arian Foster and Ben Tate have five touchdowns, and the Texans will again lean on their running backs in this matchup. Schaub could easily throw two touchdowns and be successful against Denver, which has allowed multiple touchdowns to Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan. But based on his play thus far Schaub might not do enough to help you win this week.
Peyton Manning (vs. HOU): Manning looked like a quarterback who missed an entire season in Week 2 at Atlanta with one touchdown and three interceptions. He struggled to throw down the field, and he regressed from his Week 1 performance against the Steelers. This will be a tough matchup against the Texans, who have only allowed multiple touchdowns to two quarterbacks (Cam Newton and Matt Hasselbeck) in their past 12 games. Manning will continue to improve as the season goes on, but he could have minimal production this week and is worth benching.
Carson Palmer (vs. PIT): Palmer has done a nice job to start the season with at least 18 Fantasy points in two starts against San Diego and Miami. But in today's NFL, you need 20 Fantasy points to be a starter in most leagues, and he has a tough matchup against the Steelers. Palmer has a lengthy history against the Steelers going back to his Cincinnati days, and he has just four touchdowns and four interceptions in his past five meetings. He also has just three touchdowns and one interception in his past three home games, and he should continue to remain as a No. 2 Fantasy quarterback this week.
Josh Freeman (at DAL): We should see by the end of the season that the Cowboys had one of the best pass defenses in the NFL with the additions of Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne. Dallas so far has limited Eli Manning and Russell Wilson to an average of 182 passing yards and one touchdown through two games. Freeman did OK in Week 2 against the Giants with 243 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, but he could struggle against the Cowboys. He faced Dallas last year and had just 148 passing yards and one touchdown and 37 rushing yards and a fumble, which is just 11 Fantasy points.
Jay Cutler (vs. STL): Cutler will definitely improve from last week's disaster at Green Bay when he had four Fantasy points, but can you trust him? The Bears could just rely on Bush and their running game to make things easier this week. I can't count on Cutler until I see a rebound performance, and the Rams have actually done well in pass defense. Even though Griffin ran for two touchdowns against St. Louis last week, the Rams still limited Stafford and Griffin to two touchdowns and four interceptions in two games. Cutler will have the chance to start for your Fantasy team this season, but he needs to avoid the turnovers (five interceptions so far) and get more help from his offensive line.
Bust alert: Tom Brady (at BAL): There are several things pointing against Brady this week. He's coming off a bad game at home against the Cardinals with just 16 Fantasy points. He doesn't have Aaron Hernandez (ankle) for this matchup. And he has a difficult history against the Ravens. He's faced Baltimore each of the past three years, including the playoffs in 2011, and he has just one game with more than 13 Fantasy points, which was 21 in 2009. He had 13 Fantasy points against the Ravens in 2010 and 11 Fantasy points in the AFC Championship Game last year. It's tough to sit Brady in any league, but you might consider some quality No. 2 options like Alex Smith, Matt Cassel and Ryan Fitzpatrick, who all have better matchups than Brady this week and have outproduced him this season. Smith, Cassell and Fitzpatrick all have at least 40 Fantasy points this year while Brady has just 37.
Running back
Start 'Em
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Ryan Mathews (vs. ATL): All signs point toward Mathews making his season debut this week from the broken clavicle he sustained in the preseason, and it's worth starting him in all leagues. The Falcons have already allowed three running backs to reach at least eight Fantasy points (Jamaal Charles, Shaun Draughn and Willis McGahee) with three touchdowns allowed, and the Chargers established a semblance of a running game in Week 2 against the Titans when Jackie Battle rumbled for 24 Fantasy points. Mathews should get the majority of work, and his breakout campaign should start now.
Andre Brown (at CAR): Ahmad Bradshaw (neck) is out for this game after getting hurt in Week 2 against Tampa Bay, and Brown is clearly No. 2 on the depth chart ahead of David Wilson. Brown did well against the Bucs when Bradshaw went down with 16 Fantasy points on 13 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown and two catches for 19 yards. He also added a two-point conversion. The Panthers have already allowed double digits in Fantasy points to four running backs this season in Doug Martin, Darren Sproles, Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas.
Trent Richardson (vs. BUF): Richardson is approaching must-start status in all leagues after his performance in Week 2 at Cincinnati when he had 25 Fantasy points with his first two NFL touchdowns. He is dominating the carries with 19 in each of the first two weeks, and the Bills have given up at least 80 total yards to two running backs this season in Shonn Greene and Peyton Hillis. If Richardson gets 19 carries again he should come away with another game with double digits in Fantasy points.
Alfred Morris (vs. CIN): The Bengals are No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs behind Jacksonville after Ray Rice and Richardson each had two touchdown games against them to open the season. Morris had a quiet Week 2 at St. Louis (eight Fantasy points) compared to his season debut at New Orleans (21 Fantasy points), but he has the chance for double digits in Fantasy points again this week in Washington's home opener. Morris is dominating the carries for the Redskins with 44. The next closest running back is Evan Royster with three.
Donald Brown (vs. JAC): If there was a chance to consider Brown a starting Fantasy option, at least as a flex play, this is the week. The Jaguars have been run over by Adrian Peterson, Foster and Tate through two games, with Foster having the worst performance of the three. Peterson and Tate each scored two touchdowns against Jacksonville, and Foster only had 147 total yards and one touchdown. Brown has struggled to start the season with 25 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown and no catches against Chicago and Minnesota, but one of the best games of his career came against the Jaguars in 2010 when he had 14 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. With how Jacksonville has looked on defense so far, another game like that isn't out of the question.
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| Mikel Leshoure | (at TEN) | He's playing this week and could be a useful flex option. |
| Peyton Hillis | (at NO) | The Saints have already allowed five touchdowns to opposing running backs. |
| Mark Ingram | (vs. KC) | The last three times Ingram got double digits in carries he scored. Give him the rock. |
| Jacquizz Rodgers | (at SD) | With Turner's status in doubt we could finally see Rodgers in a featured role. |
| Isaac Redman | (at OAK) | Redman scored last week, and the Raiders just allowed three rushing scores at Miami. |
Sit 'Em
Steven Jackson (at CHI): We'll find out if Jackson was benched or actually hurt when he left Week 2 against Washington with an apparent groin injury. Either way, this might be a situation to avoid this week if possible. The Bears have allowed double digits in Fantasy points to each opposing running back this season with Brown and Cedric Benson, but Chicago's defense should be miffed coming off last week's loss against the Packers. Jackson might split carries with Daryl Richardson, and he has struggled to open the year with 13 combined Fantasy points and no touchdowns behind a banged up offensive line.
Michael Turner (at SD): Turner would like a do-over for the start of this season. He hasn't run well (28 carries for 64 yards and one touchdown), and following Monday night's game against Denver he was arrested for an alleged DUI. This was supposed to be a week to celebrate going back to San Diego -- where his career began -- but the Falcons might not rely on him as their featured back in this matchup. The Chargers have also gotten off to a great start in their run defense by holding Darren McFadden and Chris Johnson to 23 carries for 49 yards and no touchdowns in two games.
Shonn Greene (at MIA): Greene had a rough Week 2 at Pittsburgh with only 11 carries for 23 yards, and he suffered an apparent concussion that briefly knocked him from the game. He should be fine for this matchup against the Dolphins, but you might consider other alternatives this week. In his past five meetings with Miami, Greene has 61 carries for 200 yards (a paltry 3.3 yards per carry) and no touchdowns. His best game was in 2010 with 21 carries for 74 yards. The Dolphins gave up two touchdowns against Foster in Week 1, but he needed 26 carries to get 79 yards. Last week the Dolphins held McFadden to 11 carries for 22 yards, and Greene should struggle again.
Cedric Benson (at SEA): Benson was one of the best surprises in Week 2 when he had 116 total yards against the Bears. He had 20 carries for 81 yards, which was impressive to see him get so many attempts in this offense. This week, Benson might get a lot of work again, but this is a tough matchup. The Seahawks have allowed the second-fewest rushing yards to running backs behind the Chargers (62) with just 72. While one of their games was against the Cardinals and the struggling Beanie Wells and Ryan Williams, they did limit DeMarco Murray to 12 carries for 44 yards and four catches for 31 yards last week. It's hard to focus on the running game for the Packers with how they throw the ball, but Benson might not have much success based on Seattle's defense.
Jonathan Stewart (vs. NYG): It was good to have Stewart back in Week 2 against New Orleans after missing Week 1 with an ankle injury. He had solid production with 12 Fantasy points, but I'm concerned with Stewart on a short week with his ankle. He's missed practice time, and he will continue to share carries with DeAngelo Williams, who also played well against the Saints with 12 Fantasy points. The Giants have allowed two running backs to get double digits in Fantasy points in Murray and Martin, but both got 20 carries. Stewart hasn't had 20 carries in a game since Week 15 in 2010.
Bust alert: Adrian Peterson (vs. SF): There was a time when you would never sit Peterson, regardless of matchup. Maybe he's still there in your mind, which is fine. But I'm not comfortable playing him this week against the 49ers, who have been dominant in run defense. They held Benson and Smith to a combined seven Fantasy points this year, and Marshawn Lynch is the only running back to run for 100 yards against them in the past 24 games. San Francisco also allowed only three touchdowns to opposing running backs in the past 19 games, and Peterson should be the focal point of the 49ers defense. It's hard to sit him in most formats, but if you have a better alternative you could keep Peterson on the bench this week.
Wide receiver
Start 'Em
DeSean Jackson (at ARI): It's time to give Jackson some credit because he's gotten off to a solid start this year after a down campaign in 2011. Jackson has 11 catches for 191 yards on 17 targets, and he could see an increase in work this week with Jeremy Maclin (hip) banged up. The only time Jackson faced the Cardinals in his career was in 2008 when he had six catches for 76 yards and a touchdown, and Jackson should remain a challenge for this solid secondary. It's not the best matchup, but Jackson should still find success based on his quality start.
Lance Moore (vs. KC): Moore enjoys playing at home, and he likes playing indoors. He gets both this week in the Superdome against the Chiefs. Moore has four touchdowns in his past five home games, including Week 1 against the Redskins when he had six catches for 120 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs have already allowed three touchdowns to opposing receivers with three (Julio Jones, Roddy White and Steve Johnson) reaching at least eight Fantasy points. We consider Moore at worst a No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week.
Brandon LaFell (vs. NYG): LaFell's breakout campaign is off to a great start with 23 Fantasy points combined in his first two games against the Bucs and Saints. He has 13 targets for nine catches, 155 yards and a touchdown, and it appears like Cam Newton will continue to rely on him. The Giants are No. 2 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers and have already allowed at least eight Fantasy points against Kevin Ogletree, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams. Steve Smith and LaFell have the chance to join that list in a favorable matchup this week.
Danny Amendola (at CHI): Amendola was one of my favorite breakout candidates in 2011 before an elbow injury knocked him out for the season in Week 1. He's living up to the billing now with his performance through two games. Amendola had 15 catches for 160 yards and a touchdown last week against the Redskins and now has 20 catches for 230 yards and a touchdown for the year. He is second in targets (25) behind Victor Cruz (28), and it might be hard to find a better quarterback-receiver relationship than Sam Bradford and Amendola. Bradford has attempted 60 passes on the season with 42 percent of them in Amendola's direction. The Bears have already allowed four receivers -- Reggie Wayne, Donnie Avery, Donald Driver and Jordy Nelson -- to reach at least eight Fantasy points, and Amendola should be the next one to add his name to that list.
Malcom Floyd (vs. ATL): Floyd has clearly taken over for Jackson with his start to the season. He has 10 catches for 175 yards and a touchdown against Oakland and Tennessee, and he will go for three games in a row with double digits in Fantasy points against the Falcons. Robert Meachem has been non-existent with two catches for 49 yards on six targets, while Floyd has been targeted 14 times. The Falcons have already allowed two receivers (Dexter McCluster and Demaryius Thomas) to reach double digits in Fantasy points, and Floyd will try to make it three this week.
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| Greg Little | (vs. BUF) | The Bills have already allowed five touchdowns to opposing receivers. |
| Justin Blackmon | (at IND) | Three WRs have already reached double digits in Fantasy points vs. Indy, and he's due. |
| Andrew Hawkins | (at WAS) | The Bengals have found their No. 2 receiver, and Hawkins has started 2012 on fire. |
| Randy Moss | (at MIN) | His return to Minnesota could be with a touchdown against this weak secondary. |
| Donnie Avery | (vs. JAC) | One of this year's best surprises with 12 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown. |
Sit 'Em
Vincent Jackson (at DAL): The Cowboys secondary will make things difficult for Jackson this week. He's gotten off to a solid start with nine catches for 175 yards and a touchdown against Carolina and the Giants on 20 targets, but he will continue to be hit or miss for Fantasy owners. He had four Fantasy points in Week 1 against the Panthers and 18 in Week 2 against the Giants. Dallas has not allowed a receiver to reach 60 yards yet, including matchups with Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.
Eric Decker (vs. HOU): Decker is not living up to his expected breakout status with only nine catches for 107 yards on the season. He had 15 targets against the Steelers and Falcons, but he is still looking for his first touchdown in 2012. We expect him to start posting quality stats soon, but this is a tough matchup for him. The Texans have faced mediocre talent at best in the passing game so far against Miami and Jacksonville, but Brian Hartline has hurt them the most with only three catches for 50 yards. Decker should be viewed as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver until Manning starts to improve and he starts seeing equal production to Thomas, who has 30 Fantasy points in two games.
Darrius Heyward-Bey (vs. PIT): Heyward-Bey has been a disappointment so far this season with just seven catches for 84 yards against San Diego and Miami. He only has 13 targets, and Palmer has spread the ball around to nine different receivers. We don't expect Heyward-Bey to remain out of the end zone for long, but Thomas has been the only receiver to gain more than 60 yards against the Steelers in two games.
Kenny Britt (vs. DET): Just like we said last week, we want to see Britt do something first before starting him. He had one catch for 5 yards on two targets at San Diego last week. The Titans plan to increase the work for Britt this week, and we hope he starts to be a more significant contributor. But until that happens, you should keep Britt reserved in the majority of leagues. His time will come later in the season once his knee is back to 100 percent.
Wes Welker (at BAL): Welker hopefully will see a bump in production with Hernandez out, but he's struggled so far to start the season with just eight catches for 109 yards and no touchdowns against Tennessee and Arizona. Like Brady, he also has a bad history against the Ravens. In his past three games against Baltimore, including the playoffs, Welker has 19 catches for 154 yards and no touchdowns. He has at least six catches in each outing, which makes him a quality option in PPR leagues if he can duplicate those performances, but his high in yards is 53. The Ravens know how to limit Welker, and he should only be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in standard leagues for this week.
Bust alert: Larry Fitzgerald (vs. PHI): We had Fitzgerald in this spot in Week 1, and he finished with six Fantasy points against Seattle. We could have kept him here for Week 2 because he was worse against the Patriots with no points on one catch for 4 yards. The Cardinals are struggling to get Fitzgerald the ball, and this week he has a difficult matchup against the Eagles. Philadelphia hasn't allowed a receiver to reach more than 65 receiving yards in its past seven games, including matchups with Brandon Marshall, Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. Fitzgerald crushed the Eagles last year with seven catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns, and he has five touchdowns in three career meetings with Philadelphia. But with Kevin Kolb starting and this porous offensive line for the Cardinals, Fitzgerald could struggle again. He should be considered a No. 3 Fantasy receiver at best.
Tight end
Start 'Em
Brent Celek (at ARI): Celek hasn't slowed down at all from his hot finish last season when he had double digits in Fantasy points in his final three games. He has 12 catches for 222 yards against Cleveland and Baltimore, and he was a focal point of the offense against the Ravens with eight catches for 157 yards on 11 targets. The Cardinals allowed Rob Gronkowski to get six catches for 75 yards and a touchdown last week, and Celek had four catches for 53 yards against Arizona last year.
Martellus Bennett (at CAR): With Nicks (foot) out for Thursday's game against the Panthers we can expect Bennett to take on an expanded role and see more time split out wide, which he did against Tampa Bay in Week 2. He has done a nice job this season and now has nine catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns in two games on 16 targets. The Panthers allowed Jimmy Graham to get seven catches for 71 yards and a touchdown last week, and Bennett could have similar production.
Dennis Pitta (vs. NE): The Patriots have yet to face an elite tight end this year, but already Jared Cook and Todd Heap have reached six Fantasy points each in two games. Pitta did well against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game with five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown, and he has been playing well heading into this matchup. In his past five games, including the playoffs, he has 26 catches for 270 yards and three touchdowns. He has 13 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown this season on a whopping 24 targets, which leads all tight ends.
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| Owen Daniels | (at DEN) | Denver has already allowed double digits in Fantasy points to two tight ends this year. |
| Scott Chandler | (at CLE) | We'll find out if he can keep his scoring streak alive with two touchdowns in two games. |
| Heath Miller | (at OAK) | Like Chandler, he has a two-game scoring streak coming into Week 3. |
Sit 'Em
Greg Olsen (vs. NYG): Olsen has a lot of work to do before Fantasy owners can count on him again this season. He has just seven catches for 69 yards against Tampa Bay and New Orleans, and he has only one touchdown in his past 10 games. He only has 10 targets on the season, so he could do better with more attention, but the Giants have only allowed eight catches for 59 yards to opposing tight ends this year.
Coby Fleener (vs. JAC): The Jaguars haven't exactly been stingy against tight ends this year with Kyle Rudolph getting five catches for 67 yards in Week 1 and Owen Daniels had six catches for 47 yards in Week 2. But they have yet to allow a touchdown, and Fleener disappeared last week against the Vikings with two catches for 16 yards on four targets. He was heavily involved in Week 1 at Chicago in a comeback effort with six catches for 82 yards on 10 targets, but the Colts might not be throwing from behind late in this game, which could limit Fleener's chances for success.
Fred Davis (vs. CIN): We're going to keep Davis reserved until he shows us something, and he has just four catches for 52 yards on the season. Week 2 was a disappointment for Davis because with Pierre Garcon (foot) out he had just five targets against the Rams. The Bengals got beat up by Pitta in Week 1 with five catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, and this could be a favorable matchup. But based on what Davis has shown so far this season we can't recommend him in the majority of leagues.
Bust alert: Jacob Tamme (vs. HOU): The Texans were among the league leaders in Fantasy points allowed against opposing tight ends last year with only three touchdowns and two (Graham and Tony Gonzalez) reaching double digits in Fantasy points. Tamme was great in Week 1 with five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown, but he disappeared last week with two catches for 13 yards. He has just nine targets on the season, and the Texans pass rush could force Tamme into more blocking this week. He will be a matchup tight end most of the season for Fantasy owners, and this is a bad matchup to consider him a starting option.
Defense/Special teams
Start 'Em
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| Dolphins | vs. NYJ |
| Bills | at CLE |
| Cardinals | vs. PHI |
Jets (vs. MIA): The Jets DST is worth using this week with or without the injured Darrelle Revis (concussion). The Dolphins offense, which was awesome in Week 2 against the Raiders, should still struggle in this matchup. Miami averaged 12.5 points in two games with the Jets in 2011, and the Jets could definitely make this a field goal game. The Jets DST has struggled a little to date in allowing 28 points against the Bills in Week 1 and 27 points against the Steelers in Week 2, but they still have two defensive touchdowns, three interceptions and three sacks on the year. Rex Ryan should be able to confuse rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and this is a good week to count on the Jets DST as a starting option.
Sit 'Em
Patriots (at BAL): Flacco has a good history against the Patriots with 854 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions in his past three games against New England, including the playoffs. Baltimore's offense should be able to move the ball this week, and the Patriots DST did not post overwhelming stats against the Cardinals at home in Week 2 with one sack, two fumbles and 20 points allowed. We'll find out which Ravens offense shows up this week -- the one who dominated the Bengals in Week 1 or the one who struggled at the Eagles in Week 2. Our guess is somewhere in between, which should still mean bad news for the Patriots DST in this matchup.
Kicker
Start 'Em
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| Alex Henery | at ARI |
| Adam Vinatieri | vs. JAC |
| Billy Cundiff | vs. CIN |
Shayne Graham (at DEN): Graham has gotten off to a great start with the Texans with five field goals in six tries and six extra points in two games. Houston's offense is playing at a high level, and we always like kickers going into Denver. In 2011, five kickers made multiple field goals against the Broncos at home, and Denver has already allowed four field goals and four extra points on the season. Graham should emerge as a Top 10 Fantasy kicker by the end of the season, and he is only owned in 57 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com heading into Week 3.
Sit 'Em
Rob Bironas (vs. DET): The Titans offense is in a tremendous funk right now, and scoring chances have been minimal for Bironas. He has just three field goals and two extra points on the season, and the Lions defense should be able to contain this offense even at home. Bironas had just three games with double digits in Fantasy points in eight home games last year, and he should not be started in the majority of leagues this week. You might consider starting Billy Cundiff (vs. CIN), Justin Tucker (vs. NE) or Adam Vinatieri (vs. JAC) and all are owned in fewer than 35 percent of leagues heading into this week.
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