NFL Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 3: Wide receivers

I was talking to Chris Godwin before the season started (sick name-drop) and he told me that Tom Brady and Evans had really established a connection while working out prior to the season. And we’ve seen some of that. Evans has scored touchdowns in every single game he’s played with Brady. I mean, just LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. But what I believe is the case is Evans is kind of like the new Gronk for Brady. A big, reliable target near the goal line. You might have noticed I had Brady as a sit this week. But look, you should have sat Brady last week and still played Evans and I’ll do that here. The matchup against the Broncos is good for the receivers as Denver has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this year (47.35).

Is it weird to anybody else that Edelman set a career-high with 179 receiving yards in his second game with Cam Newton? And that he never reached that high of a total with Tom Brady? I mean, that’s odd, right? You would have thought that Brady would have, at one point, thrown like 20 screens to Edelman to get him close to 200 yards. Am I the only one thinking this? Edelman is looking for the follow-up this week against the Raiders who have allowed an average of three offensive touchdowns per game (and they did it on Monday night). That’s the third highest-total in the NFL. 

Sure didn’t take long for Lamb to get comfortable in this Cowboys offense. Like when a new neighbor moves in and immediately starts throwing mixers and Bunco parties which had always been Michael Gallup's thing, but nobody is even inviting him anymore. Lamb is the WR26 on the season, but saw an increased role against the Falcons and he ranks second on the team with 7.5 targets-per-game. Seattle has allowed the most points to fantasy receivers this season. And yeah, that role just looks like it’s going to continue to grow.

Davis is heading toward winning this year’s DeVante Parker Award for the wideout who was considered washed, but is now actually turning in a productive fantasy season. I mean, everyone loved A.J. Brown and Corey Davis couldn’t even get his fifth-year option. Now, Davis has scored at least 12 points in both games this season. The Vikings have allowed the most touchdowns to receivers this year (five) and allowed Davante Adams to crush them in Week 1.

He’s almost become too automatic to list in this space, but let’s give him one more sendoff here before you come to understand he’s an automatic start. He’s currently the WR8 after he has scored at least 19 fantasy points in both games this season. He led the NFL with 16 end zone targets last year, and now he’s scored a touchdown in each game this season. The Cowboys have allowed the eighth-most points per game to receivers this year. I believe what we saw in Seattle on Sunday night is going to be something we see in a lot of Seahawks games this season.

I had instant regret after putting draft capital into Kupp this season. Kind of like the way I regretted purchasing that Harvey Danger CD when I was a kid, because I really only wanted to listen to Flagpole Sitta. The whole CD (ask your parents what those were) was dependent on that song. And Kupp is way too dependent on touchdowns. Kupp has six targets or less in both games this season and hasn’t topped 14 points this year. The Bills have allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to receivers. Plus if one receiver was going to go off it would be Robert Woods in a revenge game, obviously. Kupp is a great player (Godwin told me this, too), but feels like he’s been usurped in this offense going back to last season.

Brown is averaging 12.15 fantasy points per game this season. Which isn’t quite what we expected this year. Many of us thought it was going to be a big breakout season. Like the way I thought Hideo Itami was going to get over in the WWE, but it never happened. It’s too late for KENTA, but I’m still hopeful for Hollywood Brown. Just not this week. The Chiefs have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to receivers dating back to 2019. The breakout is coming. And maybe if he does falter this week, he eventually ends up on the waiver wire. Just keep an eye out.

All right, I need an explanation on what happened with Fuller on Sunday. Oh wait, he wasn’t targeted. That’s the explanation. I’m really starting to have it up to HERE with Bill O’Brien. But in a world where Adam Gase and Matt Patricia exist, O’Brien just seems to float by without any notice. I would be hopeful for a bounce-back, get-right game for Fuller. But the Steelers have allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to receivers since 2019. The Steelers are one of the best at getting to the quarterback, while the Texans struggle to protect Deshaun Watson. I’m not sure how much opportunity will exist for Fuller this week. But watch him drop 30 because we’re all benching him.

The Redbirds have been pretty good against wide receivers this year. And yes, that’s even with Terry McLaurin having a huge game in Week 2. Still, on average, the Cardinals have allowed the fewest points per game to receivers this year. And they have also allowed the second-fewest receiving yards per game to the position as well. And for the second-consecutive week Kenny Golladay missed the game. His status needs to be monitored this week.