Welcome to the 3rd 2023 edition of Fantasy Football: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Ems. Many students here at BHS are involved in fantasy football leagues. Many also fail to receive guidance on the important weekly decisions that may change the outcome of their matchups. I, along with guest analysts, will break down a handful of players at each position weekly and give you advice. Any readers with specific players they would like covered are encouraged to email to myself (at the end of this article) or other analysts.
Here’s last week’s results:
My Previous Starts:
QB: C.J. Stroud, T-QB9 (26 Points).
Stroud, as I predicted, threw another 40+ attempts and got his first few NFL touchdowns. Also, with nearly 400 yards, Stroud looked like a legit option for the ROS. I hope you listened to me about this one. Stroud was a better start than other fringe QBs like Sam Howell (24 pts.), Anthony Richardson (17 pts.), Deshaun Watson (16 pts.), and Derek Carr (8 pts.).
RB: Jamaal Williams, T-RB55 (2 Points).
Williams got injured early into the 2nd quarter, and didn’t return to the game. This was super unfortunate. Random backup Jones Jr. had two goalline scores that likely would have been Williams’ points. Right spot, tough luck.
WR: Mike Williams, T-WR26 (16 Points) and Nico Collins, WR5 (27 Points).
Williams had a fine week, although being totally overshadowed by Keenan Allen. Williams was a good start as a WR2/FLEX this week. Collins was surprisingly fantastic. He made a sick TD grab and continued on his day, nearing 150 yards. He was a perfect FLEX play if you followed my advice.
**GUEST PICK-MERTZ** TE: David Njoku, T-TE21 (7 Points).
Mertz threw a dart blindly here, barely landing on the edge of the board. Certainly not a bullseye, but Njoku shouldn’t have demolished your weeks with his mere 7 points.
My Previous Sits:
QB: Dak Prescott, T-QB15 (23 Points).
Dak didn’t play as bad as I thought he would, but still was not an elite QB by any means this week. If you played him, fine, but you could have sat for C.J Stroud!!!
**GUEST PICK-ACKERLY** RB: Cam Akers, RB-∞ (0 Points).
Akers, as of the Friday publishing of the previous article, was expected to be the Rams’ starting RB. On Sunday, news broke that he was going to be a healthy scratch and a trade candidate for no apparent reason. So we hope you checked your lineup and sat anyway. You can cut him or hold him on your bench.
WR: Jakobi Meyers, WR-∞ (0 Points).
Meyers was questionable on Friday. He was then labeled doubtful and finally out over the weekend. Again, we hope you sat him as well. He and Akers will not count towards my record due to their inactivity this week.
TE: Hayden Hurst, T-TE33 (5 Points).
Hurst disappointed in a game where Carolina struggled again. Find yourself a better TE.
I’m a harsh critic of myself, but I’d say I went 4/6 (66.6%) last week, and have a 8/16 (50.0%) total on the year.
So now, heading into Week 3, here’s my advice:
Start ‘Ems (Who you should START this week)
QB: Geno Smith, Seattle
Smith is going to feast against the Panthers today, who are leaning on backup QB Andy Dalton. The Seahawks have been slightly stagnant thus far, and Geno will lead them to a sharp rebound this week.
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit
There is no doubt in my mind. Yes, I have Gibbs in every one of my leagues. With David Montgomery out, Gibbs is gonna go nuclear. He has already shown his receiving prowess, but he is gonna be a 18+ touch monster this week. If you had any reservations on starting your second/third round pick due to a kinda slow start, you must be out of your mind. Play Gibbs.
WR: George Pickens, Pittsburgh, and Christian Kirk, Jacksonville
Pickens is due for his QB to wake up, and I think that time will come against a really bad Vegas defense. The Steelers will wake up this week on SNF. Pickens PPR upside will finally emerge. As for Kirk, he’s coming off a great week, which has some people hesitate, especially after his terrible Week 1. I think his emergence last week combined with Zay Jones being out means Kirk is a great WR2/FLEX play this week just like Pickens is.
TE: Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles N
Tight ends are so difficult. I like the idea of the Rams trying to get back to their bread and butter this week. Higbee is semi-due, and he can be a nice last-ditch effort to get 10ish points on MNF.
Sit ‘Ems (Who you should SIT this week)
QB: Jordan Love, Green Bay
This is not a knock on Love. The kid has been balling for the Pack these last two weeks. I’m just worried that without Aaron Jones, Christian Watson, or David Bakhtiari, this impeccable hot streak for Love will cool down a bit against a stellar Saints defense. Do not cut Love whatsoever, but be slightly hesitant to put him into your starting lineups.
RB: Raheem Mostert, Miami
Mostert is coming off a big week, and with Jaylen Waddle out, you may think they will run the ball more. I just do not trust Mostert this week, and I doubt Miami abandons their passing game even against a great defense like Denver. Mostert will come plummeting back to earth here in Week 3.
WR: D.J. Moore, Chicago
Simply put, you cannot trust Chicago. Their defensive coordinator quit this week due to unknown inappropriate circumstances. Their QB is blaming the playcallers. Moore is blaming the playcallers. The turmoil in the Windy City will certainly translate to a terrible game plan and execution against the defending Super Bowl champs. Moore cannot be played this week, despite the likely positive game script.
TE: Hunter Henry, New England
Henry is a very popular play after two dynamite weeks from him. I worry the TD production will sap up this week, leading him to falter slightly. Jets defense has shown promise before, and I think both of these mid offenses will lead to a very boring 13-6 game.
Thank you for tuning in. If you have requests for next edition, email me at [email protected]. Good luck this week to all!
