As always, Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is geared toward helping fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. You won't see "start Jahmyr Gibbs" here. Instead, I'm exploring the players closer to the perceived fringe and aiming to optimize your lineup for a win each week. Importantly, the new "Start of the Week" and "Sit of the Week" are the calls I have deemed the most notable in each category, not necessarily the most essential players to start or sit.
Also, you'll see quite a few references in this year's column to NFL Pro, spotlighting insights provided through Next Gen Stats data dashboards, matchup evaluations, All-22 film and the uniquely trained Fantasy AI Assistant. You can get access to all of those tools yourself with an NFL+ Premium subscription!
P.S. Feel free to follow me on X (@MattOkada) or Instagram (@mattokadaNFL) and hit me with your questions, congratulations or complaints throughout the year.
Start 'Em
Start of the Week
Believe it or not, Shough is a top-tier fantasy quarterback. Here's proof: He’s scored at least 22 fantasy points in all three games this season, leads the NFL in pass attempts and completions and is the QB3 overall. Shough is the first quarterback since Josh Allen in 2022 to post 250+ passing yards, multiple touchdowns and 22+ fantasy points in each of the first three weeks of a season. He’s thriving in Kellen Moore’s offense and faces the Falcons, who have allowed 583 yards and five pass TDs to their last two opponents, on Monday night. Shough is must-start material until further notice and has a good chance to be the top scorer in Week 4.
Notable starts
It was a close race between Tyler Shough and Young for “Start of the Week,” considering the latter leads the NFL in passing yards and faces the best matchup for fantasy QBs, the Lions, on Sunday night. He’s an elite QB1.
Purdy is playing spectacular football right now, leading the NFL with a 133.1 passer rating and 0.63 EPA/dropback. He’s the QB2 overall in fantasy and should be started without hesitation, even against the Broncos' defense.
Stafford posted 20-plus fantasy points without Puka Nacua for the second straight week, this time against the Broncos in Denver. Trust Stafford again on the road against the Eagles, especially if his No. 1 receiver returns.
Jones has not been good this season, but neither has the Commanders' defense from a fantasy standpoint, allowing an absurd 82.14 combined fantasy points to opposing QBs through three weeks. Washington’s been tagged for a league-high 11 passing touchdowns, and Jones should add to that total in London.
Deeper streaming options: The Texans' C.J. Stroud (vs. Cowboys) and Jets' Geno Smith (at Bears) have been decent through three games and draw juicy fantasy matchups in Week 4. ... If you're in a particular pinch, stream Marcus Mariota, who just dropped 20.42 fantasy points on the Seahawks and gets a much softer matchup versus the Colts in London.
Sit 'Em
Sit of the Week
The Mike McDaniel era is off to an inauspicious start in Los Angeles. Herbert has yet to hit 14 fantasy points in a game and has three TD passes to four interceptions, plus three fumbles luckily all recovered by the Chargers. He’s bottom eight among qualified QBs in passer rating (73.4), completion rate (59.1%) and completion rate over expected (-3.8%), success rate (39.4%) and EPA/dropback (-0.13). Most of those lists also include backups Cooper Rush and Carson Wentz. Taking on the Seahawks in Seattle, Herbert is more likely to finish outside the top 20 than near the top 10.
Notable sits
My assessment after every snap Maye has taken this season: He’s in shambles. One touchdown, six giveaways, no chemistry with his receivers, no confidence when throwing downfield and 7.2 fantasy points per game. Until we see something change -- significantly -- Maye must ride the fantasy bench.
Prescott shredded the Commanders in Week 2, but that defense has proven to be a very soft matchup and the Cowboys QB has averaged just 16.67 points in his other two outings. The Texans' defense drops him from a decent QB1 to a low-floor QB2.
The Buccaneers' defense is above average, and Love tends to struggle against tough defenses. He’s gotten a little lucky with fantasy production, considering his 52.4% completion rate and -0.09 EPA/dropback, and is still just the QB15.
