It’s Week 3 and you may already be rolling out some interesting names from the waiver wire to replace Saquon Barkley or Christian McCaffrey.
That said, there are still some advantageous Week 3 matchups, including a potential shootout between the Cowboys and Seahawks in Seattle.
Below are some good plays for the second week of the 2020 NFL season, as well as some other players you should consider avoiding.
If you need a streaming option or injury fill-in, check out Week 3 waiver wire pickups here.
Who to Start in Week 3
Cam Newton (QB), New England Patriots vs. Las Vegas Raiders
It’s difficult to believe that 31 NFL teams passed on Newton this offseason after watching him through two games. So far, he’s looked phenomenal and has a 71.4 completion percentage, 122 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns through two games. Those stats have been good enough for QB6 in Week 1 and QB2 in Week 2. He will face off against the Raiders, who allowed the Panthers to rack up 30 in Week 1. Start him with ease as a QB1 with top-three upside this week.
Joshua Kelley (RB), Los Angeles Chargers vs. Carolina Panthers
Kelley posted another solid fantasy performance and has proven he has standalone value independent of Austin Ekeler’s status. The 2020 fourth-rounder from UCLA has also seen far more goal-line chances than Ekeler and has finished as a low-end RB2 each week. He has RB2 potential at home against a highly exploitable Panthers defense.
James Robinson (RB), Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Miami Dolphins
Robinson is coming off of a fantastic Week 2 against the Titans where he converted 16 rush attempts for 102 yards and a touchdown. He added four catches for 18 yards. He has high-end RB2 upside this week, especially in light of the injuries that have already impacted key running backs around the league.
CeeDee Lamb (WR), Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks
Lamb led the Cowboys in receiving during Sunday’s improbable win over the Falcons, tallying six catches on nine targets for 106 yards. He has yet to score this season, but seems to be emerging as the No. 2 option in this offense behind Amari Cooper. He is a borderline WR2 this week against a flimsy Seahawks defense that was lit up for 30 points against the Patriots in Week 2.
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR), Cleveland Browns vs. the Washington Football Team
It feels odd that starting Beckham bears reminding at this point, but some were very hasty to write him off after a slow Week 1 start. He looked much better in Week 2 and caught four of six targets for 74 yards and a touchdown. As for Week 3, while the Washington front seven has looked fearsome, its secondary remains a weakness. Beckham and Jarvis Landry both have decent upside this week.
Jonnu Smith (TE), Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings
Smith has been an absolute yards-after-catch machine this season and leads all tight ends in the category with 87 such yards. He is a TE1 play this week against a Minnesota defense that was gutted this offseason and just allowed Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox to reel in 111 yards in Week 2.
Who to Sit in Week 3
Carson Wentz (QB), Philadephia Eagles vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Wentz should theoretically feast on this juicy matchup against the Bengals at home, but he is too risky to start after back-to-back sub-par outings to kick off the season. Injuries to his pass catchers and offensive line haven’t helped. He completed 26 of 43 pass attempts for 242 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in Week 2 against the Rams. He isn’t start-worthy in one quarterback leagues until he shows major improvement.
David Johnson (RB), Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers
After a strong start to the season in what looked like a bounce-back spot for the 2016 first-team All-Pro, Johnson disappointed managers with just 34 yards on 11 rushes. He will face another tough opponent this week against a stingy Steelers run defense that held Saquon Barkley to 0.4 yards per carry in Week 1. He’s a low-end RB2 that could be benched if there are better options on your rosters.
Ronald Jones II (RB), Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos
Jones scored in Sunday’s matchup against the Panthers, but was eclipsed by Leonard Fournette in touches and yards. It certainly does not help his case that he fumbled a handoff ahead against the Panthers and it could impact his opportunities against the formidable Broncos defense. He is a RB3/flex play for Week 3, and not one you should be particularly excited about starting.
A.J. Green (WR), Cincinnati Bengals at Philadelphia Eagles
Green couldn’t seem to find a rhythm with Joe Burrow, who targeted him a whopping 13 times in Thursday’s loss to the Browns. He caught three passes for 29 yards and finished as WR89 on the heels of a WR46 finish in the week prior. He isn’t a trustworthy WR2 this week in Philadelphia.
Sammy Watkins (WR), Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens
Watkins exited Sunday’s game in Los Angeles after sustaining a helmet-to-helmet shot which impacted his fantasy production. He claims he’s “fine,” but remains a boom-or-bust WR4/5 option, especially against the lights-out Ravens secondary in Baltimore this week.
Evan Engram (TE), New York Giants vs. San Francisco 49ers
Engram redeemed himself last week after faltering in Week 1 against the Steelers. Unfortunately, he will see another tough matchup this week versus the 49ers who, in spite of copious injuries to key players, still have a number of tough playmakers on defense. Jaquiski Tartt held Jets tight end Chris Herndon to a miserly one catch for five yards last week. Engram has a near-zero floor and falls outside the TE1 conversation for Week 3.