Fantasy Football Warning Signals for Week 3: Russell Wilson, Josh Jacobs, D.K. Metcalf

September 24, 2022

Fantasy football start/sit picks for players with warning signals going into Week 3 (2022). NFL players who have struggled recently and may be worth benching.

You are counting on your lineup decisions to lead to your fantasy team’s success. Whether you are 2-0 or 0-2, you want to either keep your success going or turn your team around right now.

Monitoring the matchups to make sure there are no warning signals is vital to your success. Key players can have problems depending on their matchups. We cannot ignore the warning signals of bad matchups. If we keep rostering the players who are underperforming, it will end up with more losses than wins and nobody wants that.

Here is a look at some players you should think twice about putting in your lineup in Week Three.

Quarterback Concerns – Sit ‘Em for Week 3?

Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

In the last two weeks, Wilson has 73 pass attempts, 43 completions, and two touchdowns. He is rocking a 58.9% completion percentage and if you kept him in your fantasy lineup, he has given you 17.8 and 12.1 fantasy points, respectively.

New head coach Nathaniel Hackett isn’t helping. His play calling has left the Broncos with a 0-6 red zone conversion rate and three delay of games penalties. He can also be faulted for not trusting Wilson on fourth and five resulting in a missed 64-yard field goal attempt in Week 1.

The team is 16^th in passing play percentage (60.47%). In those few passing plays, Wilson has only thrown to his wideouts 46.6% of the time. Currently, running back Javonte Williams is second in targets (16), only two behind wideout Courtland Sutton.

There is confidence that the future Hall of Famer will get right, but this is not the week to test that theory. This week, the Broncos play the San Francisco 49ers in primetime. The 49ers are currently allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to the quarterback position (10.5).

What To Do

Jared Goff is a pivot for this week since he is available in 78% of Yahoo! leagues. Last week, Goff passed for 256 yards and four touchdowns. Per NFL Network, the Lions rank first in big offensive plays and third in offensive scoring.

This week they play the Minnesota Vikings in a game with the highest predictive total (53.5).

Running Back Concerns – Sit ‘Em for Week 3?

Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

Jacobs has yet to rush for more than 70 yards in the two games this season or collect more than 15 receiving yards. In Week 1, he was on the field for 60% of the offensive snaps, in Week 2, it was 72%. It isn’t a question of a timeshare with Zamir White, it is one of productivity. The acquisition of Davante Adams is having a ripple effect.

The Raiders have four offensive touchdowns, and Adams has two of them. The “big three” in the receiving corps, Adams, Hunter Renfrow, and Darren Waller, have been targeted a total of 54 times in their two games. Jacobs and Brandon Bolden lead the running backs with two targets a piece.

This week, the Raiders will play the Tennessee Titans, who just got decimated by the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. Even then, the Bills’ rushing attack was led by James Cook, who had 53 rushing yards on 11 attempts.

The Titans are allowing the most average fantasy points to the running back position (24.5) but that is because Saquon Barkley scorched them in Week 1 for 164 rushing yards, 30 receiving yards, and one touchdown.

What To Do

Tony Pollard finished as RB3 last week with 17.8 fantasy points. He had 43 yards and a rushing touchdown but also added 55 receiving yards on four receptions. You drafted Pollard as a handcuff to Ezekiel Elliott but now you can utilize him on his own. Pollard has been on the field for 62 snaps and Elliott for 81 snaps. However, Pollard has a 15% target share and Elliott has a 5% target share. Pollard is the back on passing downs.

Cooper Rush will be under center until Dak Prescott returns. Last week, Rush targeted Pollard seven times, second to only Cee Dee Lamb’s 11 targets. Until Prescott returns, Pollard is an option and particularly valuable in PPR and half-PPR leagues.

Wide Receiver Concerns – Sit ‘Em for Week 3?

DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks

Metcalf is in a good situation this week. He goes against an Atlanta team that has given up the third-most fantasy points per game to wideouts. But it is also good to remember that although he is on the field for a 91.5% snap share, his quarterback is now Geno Smith. For Metcalf, that has meant seven targets, seven receptions, and 36 yards in Week 1 and six targets, four receptions, and 35 yards in Week 2. In neither week has Metcalf found the end zone.

What To Do

Jakobi Meyers is often overlooked because he plays in a run-first offense. Last season, the New England Patriots passed the ball on 54.27% of their offensive plays. This year after two games, they are on the same trajectory, passing the ball on 55.83% of their offensive plays. However, when they do pass it, it is usually to Meyers. Last week, Meyers had 13 targets, nine receptions, and 95 yards.

Meyers has been on the field for 85.8% of the offensive snaps and has a 29.7% target share. While Nelson Agholor had the better statistical game last week with six targets, six receptions, 110 yards, and one touchdown, he has only been on the field for a 49.2% snap share and a 17.2% target share.

This week, the Patriots play the Baltimore Ravens, who limited the Miami Dolphins running backs to less than 85 yards combined. But the Ravens did allow both Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle to have over 170 receiving yards (Hill 190 and Waddle 171). The Ravens also surrendered five receiving touchdowns last week.

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