Should I Start Christian Kirk in Week 3? WR Fantasy Football Rankings Analysis

September 23, 2023

Should I start Christian Kirk in Week 3? Our WR fantasy football rankings analysis for Christian Kirk. Read the latest wide receiver start em, sit em recommendations.

Have patience with all things, but first of all with your fantasy football team.

Some fantasy managers who sat through Christian Kirk's Week 1 performance (one catch for nine yards) wanted to give him the boot, or at least move him to the bench. Those who were patient with the Jaguars' wideout were rewarded with the WR13 in Week 2 (11 catches for 110 yards).

Kirk's fantasy norm will likely fall somewhere in the middle of those two stat lines. But with the inconsistency to begin the season, fantasy managers are left wondering if they should give the veteran a spot in their starting lineup.

Christian Kirk Fantasy Football Outlook

Red flags were raised, alarms were sounded, and bells were rung when snap counts for Christian Kirk were calculated after Week 1. The 26-year-old was on the field for just 60 percent of the snaps and rarely saw game action when Jacksonville was in two wide receiver sets.

The tides shifted in Week 2 when Kirk was on the field for more than 80 percent of the snaps.

Starting outside wideout Zay Jones did temporarily leave the game in the second quarter with a knee injury but returned in the second half. He was still on the field for over 65 percent of the snaps. He will not play in Week 3 due to that same injury, so Kirk should be on the field often, regardless of the formation.

Christian Kirk Wide Receiver Rankings Analysis

The ranking staff at RotoBaller views Christian Kirk as a WR3 this week. In PPR formats, the former Texas A&M Aggie ranks 62nd overall and 34th among wideouts for Week 3.

Kirk is ranked behind the likes of Drake London, Jordan Addison, and Jerry Jeudy but ahead of Michael Thomas, Christian Watson (hamstring), and Jahan Dotson. One aspect working against Kirk this week is the potential game script. Jacksonville is an 8.5-point favorite over Houston. Trevor Lawrence may not need to throw the ball much to win.

Should I Start Christian Kirk In Week 3 Fantasy Football?

Kirk excels against man coverage and proved that against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs currently run man-to-man defense over 26 percent of the time. That may not seem like a lot, but it ranks 12th among all 32 NFL teams.

The Texans are right in the middle of the pack when it comes to run/zone percentages. Houston ranks 16th in the frequency they use zone and man. We'll see if they alter their defense now that starting cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (hamstring) is injured. Starting safety Jalen Pitre (lung) will also miss the game.

With Zay Jones on the sidelines on Sunday, Kirk's Week 3 stock rises and he should be locked into your lineup as a WR3 or flex.

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