Fantasy Football Week 3 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em Wide Receivers: Who to start, bench, sleepers and bust of the week
Wide receivers you want in your Week 3 lineups, and those you should avoid
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The rookie running backs might be struggling to start this season, but let's give credit to two rookie receivers off to a hot start. Tetairoa McMillan and Emeka Egbuka have become must-start Fantasy options heading into Week 3.
McMillan has 11 catches for 168 yards on 19 targets against Jacksonville and Arizona. And he's just starting to show what he's capable of as a Fantasy receiver.
In Week 3, McMillan gets a great matchup against the Falcons, who will be without cornerback A.J. Terrell (hamstring). I like McMillan as a top-15 receiver in all leagues.
Egbuka has been a better Fantasy receiver than Mike Evans so far this season with eight catches for 96 yards and three touchdowns on 13 targets. Evans, by comparison, has 10 catches for 107 yards and no touchdowns on 19 targets.
Evans will start to produce at a high level soon, but he could get shadowed by Sauce Gardner in Week 3 against the Jets. That could open things up for Egbuka even more.
I like Egbuka as a top-20 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. He should continue to stay hot in this matchup at home.
WRs to Start
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Meyers is off to a great start with Geno Smith with 14 catches for 165 yards on 22 targets in two games against the Patriots and Chargers, and he scored at least 12.8 PPR points in each outing. This should be another game where Meyers gets plenty of volume, and he has scored at least 13.7 PPR points in four games in a row on the road. I like Meyers as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Sutton struggled in Week 2 at Indianapolis with one catch for 6 yards on four targets, but he should bounce back this week at the Chargers. Sutton has scored a touchdown in three of his past four games against the Chargers, and Los Angeles could struggle to put pressure on Bo Nix in this game with standout pass rusher Khalil Mack (elbow) out. Troy Franklin, who had 24 PPR points in Week 2 at the Colts, is worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. But I like Sutton as a solid No. 2 Fantasy option in all formats in Week 3.
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Odunze has become the go-to target for Caleb Williams, and Odunze should be started in all leagues until further notice. Through two games against Minnesota and Detroit, Odunze has 13 catches for 165 yards and three touchdowns on 20 targets, and he scored at least 15.7 PPR points in each outing. This week, he gets a dream matchup against the Cowboys, who just allowed Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson to combine for 17 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns on 23 targets in Week 2. D.J. Moore is also in play this week as a borderline No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues given the matchup.
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We'll see if Jayden Daniels (knee) can play in Week 3 against the Raiders, but I like Samuel as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues even if Marcus Mariota starts. Samuel has stepped up as the No. 1 receiver for the Commanders with 14 catches for 121 yards and a touchdown on 18 targets against the Giants and Packers, and he also has a rushing touchdown. Terry McLaurin will eventually start to be more productive, but I would only use him in three-receiver leagues against the Raiders, even though this is a favorable matchup. Three receivers have already scored at least 15.9 PPR points against Las Vegas this season, and hopefully Samuel will stay hot in Week 3.
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Pickens had a solid outing in Week 2 against the Giants with five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and he should stay hot this week against the Bears. While CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson should have plenty of production, Chicago just allowed five passing touchdowns to the Lions in Week 2, including Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams combining for 11 catches for 223 yards and four scores. Pickens is worth starting in all leagues as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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I expected Pittman to struggle in Week 2 against Denver, and he finished with only four catches for 40 yards on five targets. He was much better in Week 1 against Miami with six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown on eight targets, and I hope he can replicate that level of production in Week 3 at Tennessee. The Titans have already allowed three receivers to score at least 18.1 PPR points this season, so Josh Downs is in play as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues. And Pittman has a good track record against Tennessee with a touchdown in two of his past three games against the Titans on the road. He should be considered a borderline No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all formats.
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I don't expect Robinson to repeat his performance from Week 2 at Dallas when he had eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets, but he's always good for a safe floor. For example, he had six catches for 55 yards on eight targets in Week 1 at Washington, and you should be able to count on him for around 12 PPR points in this matchup. Three receivers for the Chargers scored at least 13.4 PPR points against the Chiefs in Week 1, and Robinson and Malik Nabers should once again be heavily involved in this matchup. Robinson is worth using as a No. 3 PPR receiver in Week 3.
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We'll see how the Packers replace Jayden Reed (collarbone), and Wicks, Romeo Doubs and, hopefully, Matthew Golden should all benefit. I expect Wicks to see a spike in playing time, and he just had four catches for 44 yards on six targets in Week 2 against Washington after Reed was injured. Doubs is probably the safest Packers receiver to trust, and Golden should eventually have the most upside. But look for Wicks to be more involved against the Browns in Week 3, and I like him as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in deeper leagues.
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Coleman and Khalil Shakir have the chance to be No. 3 Fantasy receivers in all leagues in Week 3 against Miami. It's just a matter of how much the Bills will throw against the Dolphins on Thursday night because Josh Allen can easily expose this secondary. In Week 1 against Baltimore, Coleman had eight catches for 111 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets, and Shakir had six catches for 64 yards on nine targets. Both struggled in Week 2 at the Jets with a combined four catches for 38 yards on five targets because Allen attempted just 25 passes. I expect more from Buffalo's passing game in this matchup, and I'm willing to trust Coleman and Shakir as No. 3 receivers, especially in PPR.
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WRs to Sit
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Johnston is off to an amazing start so far this season with eight catches for 150 yards and three touchdowns on 14 targets in two games against the Chiefs and Raiders, and he scored at least 15.9 PPR points in each outing. But I'm concerned about his production this week against Denver. The Broncos are tough against outside receivers, and Johnston should struggle this week. No receiver has scored against Denver in two games against the Titans and Colts, and the most receiving yards is Alec Pierce with 68. In four career games against the Broncos, Johnston has combined for 12 catches for 160 yards and no touchdowns. Ladd McConkey should be considered a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in this matchup, and Keenan Allen is a low-end No. 3 Fantasy option. But I would sit Johnston in the majority of leagues if you can.
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Jeudy has been a disappointment so far this season for Fantasy managers with a combined nine catches for 117 yards and no touchdowns on 16 targets in two games against the Bengals and Ravens. Cedric Tillman has been a better Fantasy receiver, and the Browns are spreading the ball around with David Njoku, Harold Fannin Jr. and the running backs involved. Jeudy has yet to clear 12 PPR points in either game, and he should struggle this week against the Packers. So far, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams and Terry McLaurin have all scored single digits in PPR against Green Bay, with only Deebo Samuel (17.4 PPR points) having a standout performance in Week 2. I would try to avoid Jeudy and Tillman in most leagues given this matchup in Week 3.
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It's tough to trust Hunter or Brian Thomas Jr. right now since both have struggled for the Jaguars to start the season, but I'll still use Thomas as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in the majority of leagues given his potential. Hunter has plenty of potential as well, but he's been a disappointment through two games thus far against Carolina and Cincinnati despite getting 14 targets. He's only managed nine catches for 55 yards and no touchdowns, and we'll see if he continues to see more time on defense. I'm still hopeful for Thomas to be a productive Fantasy receiver this season, but you can't start him in the majority of leagues against the Texans in Week 3.
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It's great that Olave has 23 targets in the first two games of the season against Arizona and San Francisco. But he's only managed 13 catches for 108 yards and no touchdowns with that volume, and it's tough to trust him in the majority of leagues heading into Week 3 at Seattle. This will be Spencer Rattler's first road game this season, and the Seahawks have been able to limit the passing attacks for San Francisco and Pittsburgh in the first two games of the year. Olave is only worth starting as a No. 3 PPR receiver given his volume, but he needs to do more with his receptions or find the end zone to be considered a starter in most leagues moving forward.
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Bust Alert
Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Williams made the most of his four targets in Week 2 against Chicago with two catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, and he finished the game with 18.8 PPR points. But it's troubling that he only has nine targets in two games, and he finished Week 1 at Green Bay with just four catches for 23 yards. The Lions are always going to be a risky play outdoors against a good defense, and that's the case with this matchup against the Ravens. Williams can make his Fantasy production in one play, so keep that in mind. But if he's averaging just 4.5 targets per game then he will be tough to trust in these scenarios, so consider him just a No. 3 Fantasy receiver at best in the majority of leagues.
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