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Start ‘Em & Sit ‘Em is the ultimate weekly look at NFL matchups and how they’ll affect your fantasy football team. Fantasy superstars such as Todd Gurley and Antonio Brown will not be featured. All player matchups are based on PPR scoring system. NFL researchers Matt Frederick and Michael Florio have contributed to the column. For your final starting lineup decisions, check our weekly fantasy football lineup rankings.
Byes: Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers
Start ‘Em
Start of the Week – Robert Woods vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Woods has posted 70 or more yards in every game since Week 1, so he has a very safe floor in the world of fantasy football. He should be on the No. 1 wide receiver radar this week against the Chiefs in what should be a very high-scoring game in Los Angeles. The USC product should also see more targets with Cooper Kupp out.
Alshon Jeffery vs. New Orleans Saints
Jeffery has failed to score double-digit fantasy points in each of his last two games, but an upcoming tilt in New Orleans makes him a virtual must start. The Saints have surrendered the most receiving yards (247.5 YPG), seven touchdowns, and the second-most PPR points (50.3 PPG) to opposing wide receivers on their home field.
Larry Fitzgerald vs. Oakland Raiders
Fitzgerald was a bit of a disappointment last week, but he’s still an attractive fantasy option as the Raiders come to town up next. Their defense has surrendered seven touchdowns to slot receivers, which is where Fitz runs 77 percent of his routes. Oakland has coughed up the ninth-most fantasy points to home wideouts overall.
Sterling Shepard vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Shepard had just nine receiving yards a week ago, but he did find the end zone in a win over the Niners. I like him to put up a much bigger line against the Buccaneers, who have allowed the most yards and touchdowns to slot receivers. Quarterbacks also have a mbadive 137.1 pbader rating when targeting slot men against the Bucs.
Amari Cooper vs. Atlanta Falcons
Cooper has seen his target, catch, yardage and fantasy point totals all rise in two games since joining the Cowboys, and an upcoming matchup in Atlanta makes him a solid starter. The Falcons have surrendered almost 31 points per game at home, and enemy wideouts have scored nine times and put up the most fantasy points against them.
Start ‘Em: John Brown vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Tyler Lockett vs. Green Bay Packers (Thursday)
Sleepers: Dede Westbrook vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Tre’Quan Smith vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Sit ‘Em
Sit of the Week – Allen Robinson vs. Minnesota Vikings
Robinson is coming off his best stat line of the season, posting 31.3 fantasy points in a win over the Lions. While that performance might make it tough to sit him, keep in mind that the veteran will now have to face CB Xavier Rhodes and a Vikings defense that’s allowed the fewest fantasy points to wide receivers since Week 7.
Devin Funchess vs. Detroit Lions
Funchess has been held under 50 yards in two straight games, during which time he’s scored a combined 14.1 fantasy points. He’s also failed to clear five targets in each of the last three weeks, so Funchess is now trending in the wrong direction. The return of Lions CB Darius Slay would make Funchess even less attractive in fantasy.
Calvin Ridley vs. Dallas Cowboys
Ridley’s stats have been uneven in recent weeks, and this week’s matchup against the Cowboys makes him a risk-reward flex starter. While this could turn into a high-scoring affair, Dallas’ defense has surrendered just three touchdowns and the seventh-fewest fantasy points to enemy receivers who are split out wide in 2018.
Demaryius Thomas vs. Washington Redskins
Thomas is coming off a bye week and should have a slightly better grasp of the Texans playbook, but I still see him as no more than a risk-reward flex starter against the Redskins. The veteran hasn’t cleared 10 fantasy points in three straight games, and this contest is not projected to be a very high-scoring affair.
Michael Crabtree vs. Cincinnati Bengals
This week’s matchup against the Bengals looks good on paper, but Crabtree’s lack of production puts him on the sit ’em list nonetheless. He’s failed to post more than 66 yards in all but one game, and the former red-zone star has scored just one touchdown in his last eight games. Baltimore figures to go run-heavy with Lamar Jackson under center since Joe Flacco (hip) is not healthy.
Sit ‘Em: Courtland Sutton at Los Angles Chargers, John Ross at Baltimore Ravens
Busts: DeSean Jackson at New York Giants, Doug Baldwin vs. Green Bay Packers (Thursday)
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football badyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram for all of the latest fantasy football news, notes and in-depth badysis!
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