September 20, 2017

Fantasy football advice for Week 3 of the NFL season. Adam Hammer responds to RotoBaller reader questions to help with lineups and start-sit recommendations.

Two weeks into any fantasy season is my favorite time. No, it's not because I'm always 2-0 and vindicated by all of my amazing draft picks – but it's because now is the ideal time to buy low and sell high. Many owners are ready to hit the panic button, and this year's rash of early injuries creates even more holes than usual after Week 2. So whether you are 2-0, 1-1, or 0-2, it's time to take advantage.

Look to buy guys like Isaiah Crowell, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jamison Crowder (typically high floor players who have gotten off to slow starts), and look to sell guys like Mike Gillislee and Buck Allen (players who are unlikely to maintain their current pace moving forward). It's not that either Gillislee or Allen don't offer consistency or upside rest of season, but their value probably won't be any higher than it is right now. And that's reason enough to float their names out there to see if you could get a steal.

Just to be clear, I'm not telling you to sell Kareem Hunt just because he's unlikely to end up as the #1 player in all of fantasy (which he currently is), I'm just telling you to look for potential value and sell the guys that you don't think are in the best situations to maintain current pace.

Week 3 Mailbag - Q&A

Thanks again to everyone who reached out with questions for this week's mailbag! The response has been great and this will continue to be a weekly feature throughout the entirety of the season. Please continue to direct any/all questions by using #RotoBallerMailbag on Twitter or by emailing [email protected].

Should I drop Greg Olsen or is he worth holding onto at this point?

I'm probably holding Olsen if I have the roster spot available, but if you need to make room for someone else, then I'm okay with dropping him. His official move to the IR means that he's not eligible to return to game action until Week 11, which means you're potentially getting him back for the final three weeks of your league's regular season. He has already had surgery on his broken foot, but there's obviously no guarantee that Olsen is activated at the earliest possible point. Hold him as long as you can afford to, but once you drop him don't expect to get him back.

Thoughts on starting Alex Smith this week?

I got multiple Alex Smith questions this week, so I am going to try to address them all here. He followed up his 368 yard, 4 touchdown performance from Week 1 in New England with a good, but not great, 251 yard and one touchdown stat line against a tough Philly defensive front. The Chiefs offensive game plan allows Smith to manage the game, and thus you won't see many turnovers, but his ceiling that you saw in the season opener may not happen again all year. He's a fine streaming option in Week 3 against the Chargers with a high floor, but likely nothing more than that. I'm starting him over Jay Cutler, but not Carson Wentz.

Are you starting Rishard Higgins immediately?

If you were lucky enough to snag Higgins off of the waiver wire, congrats! He was this week's top WR waiver target, and rightfully so. He caught seven passes on 11 targets this past weekend for 95 yards, and out-snapped all other Browns receivers in the process. Corey Coleman's injury creates a major opportunity for the second-year man out of Colorado State, but I'd like to see it for another week before I'm trusting him in my lineup week in and week out. I do think he's worth a WR3/FLEX dart throw this week, but he could very well follow up last week's breakout with a dud.

What is going on with Bilal Powell?

Honestly? It's just the Jets being the Jets. You'd think that the game script for most Jets games actually favors Powell as they are likely to be down against most teams and he's proven to be a good pass catcher, but for whatever reason he's being out-snapped and out-touched by the aging Matt Forte. Heck, even Elijah McGuire had more touches in Oakland than Powell. He's almost sure to have a handful of games where he catches 8-10 passes, but good luck guessing when. I'm staying far away from anyone in the Jets offense if I can.

What do I do with Jordan Howard? Do I start Derrick Henry?

There's a chance that Howard doesn't play this weekend, but even if he does I think I prefer Henry to him this weekend. I actually think Howard is a great example of somebody that you can buy super cheap right now that could return decent value, but the Bears offense is awful and Tarik Cohen has solidified himself as the team's passing down back. Henry is finally offering standalone value in Tennessee and his 14 touches against Jacksonville were promising, but my preference for Henry this weekend is mostly just because I don't trust Howard/the Bears.

Martavis Bryant or Kelvin Benjamin?

Probably Benjamin in any sort of PPR, but I like taking a shot with Bryant in standard leagues. He's as likely as anyone to break a long one loose, and I'm not crazy about the Panthers offense right now.

Jimmy Graham or Martellus Bennett?

Bennett, especially if Jordy Nelson is going to miss anytime. Same deal as Benjamin above as with Graham, but I'm not trusting the Seahawks passing attack until their offensive line can prove that they can keep Russell Wilson in one piece.

Ben Watson or Jack Doyle?

Jack Doyle for sure. I know Watson was solid this past weekend, but Doyle is the perfect safety valve for Jacoby Brissett and is much more of a sure thing.

More Week 3 Lineup Prep