WR Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Picks for Week 3 (2024)

September 17, 2024

Matt's wide receiver (WR) fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for Week 3 of 2024. His WR lineups advice for Week 3 fantasy football start/sit decisions.

With injuries having ravaged the wide receiver position in fantasy, it's getting to the point that if you have a receiver on your bench, and they are healthy, you are likely starting them here in Week 3.

As we head into Week 3, fantasy managers will be scrambling to fill the voids left behind by A.J. Brown (hamstring), Cooper Kupp (ankle), Justin Jefferson (quad), and Amon-Ra St. Brown (leg). Many injuries sustained this past week look like they will sideline these players for multiple weeks. 

To make matters even worse, we were already without Puka Nacua (PCL) and Marquise Brown (shoulder) for an extended period of time. Luckily, if you are looking at your lineups and wondering how you will get through this week, you're in the right place. Here are all the important Week 3 starts and sits at the wide receiver position. Let's go!

Week 3 Starts - Fantasy Football Booms

Rashid Shaheed - WR, New Orleans Saints vs. Philadelphia Eagles

After hauling in three of five targets for 73 yards and a touchdown back in the Saints season opener against the Carolina Panthers, Rashid Shaheed was at it again against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, where he hauled in all four of his targets for 96 yards and another score.

It's time we put some respect on this Saints offense, as well as quarterback Derek Carr. With Carr under center, the Saints have scored on each of their 15 drives this season, making this offense one of the most explosive units early on. Shaheed's explosive playmaking is one of the reasons for their recent success.

Shaheed, after two contests, has averaged 18.6 fantasy points thanks in part to an 81% route participation while accounting for a 46% air yards share and a 23% target share.

Rashid Shaheed THRIVING in Klint Kubiak's scheme.

After two games:

18.6 fantasy points per game
81% route participation
23% target share
46% air yards

Moves into WR3 w/ WR2 upside territory.

— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) September 15, 2024

Say what you will, but Shaheed looks like the perfect complement to wideout Chris Olave in Klint Kubiak's offensive scheme, making him a receiver that will be in that top 24 weekly conversation.

This week, Shaheed and the Saints take on an Eagles defense that has struggled over the past few seasons to limit fantasy production wide receivers. Shaheed should be in your lineups as a WR2 with upside with the Eagles' struggles in their secondary and this newfound Saints passing attack.

 Marvin Harrison Jr. - WR, Arizona Cardinals vs. Detroit Lions 

After a dismal week 1 performance, the Cardinals rookie must have been scoreboard-watching seeing Malik Nabers (more on him later) and said, "Hold my beer." Harrison Jr. hauled in a couple of touchdown grabs and over 130 yards within the first eight minutes of the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams NFC West Showdown.

Marvin Harrison Jr. we love you pic.twitter.com/GE6a9vVabw

— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 15, 2024

Some out there may point out that he has caught passes in only two of eight quarters this season, while others will reply that the former Buckeye is a top 15 fantasy receiver heading into Week 3.

Looking ahead to week 3, Harrison Jr. and the Cardinals are taking on a Detroit Lions team that has been allowing 48.15 fantasy points per game to receivers through two weeks as well as surrendering nearly 450 yards to the position.

Harrison Jr. may not have another 29 fantasy points like he had against the Rams, but he's a solid bet this week as a top 12 fantasy WR.

Brandon Aiyuk - WR, San Fransisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams

It has been a couple of rough weeks for Aiyuk, who is off to a slow start after holding out during training camp. Who knew that training camp was so important?

After seven months without playing football, Aiyuk has a few weeks under his belt. In two contests, Aiyuk sits fourth on the 49ers in receiving yards with 71 trailing Deebo Samuel Sr. (164), George Kittle (116), and Jauan Jennings (101). He also ranks fourth behind the names above regarding receptions, with just six.

Last year, Aiyuk became one of just seven receivers since 2010 to average more than 3.00 yards per route run in a season. According to Reception Perception, he also led the league with a 61.5% contested catch rate and has been among the best in wide receiver success rates.

Don't call it a comeback, but Aiyuk will be looking for redemption against a Rams team that just allowed a pair of receiving touchdowns and 130 yards to Harrison Jr. in the first quarter last week, as well as 121 yards and a touchdown to Lions receiver, Jameson Williams, in their season opener.

Week 3 Sits - Fantasy Football Busts

Malik Nabers - WR, New York Giants at Cleveland Browns

This one hurts a little. After two weeks of peacocking Malik Nabers around here, he lands as one of my sits for Week 3.

Nabers's inclusion here has nothing to do with him and has everything to do with the Cleveland Brown's defense. In Week 1 they held Dak Prescott to just 179 yards passing and CeeDee Lamb to five receptions for 61 yards.

In Week 2 they held Gabriel Davis to just 43 yards on three receptions and, more impressive yet, held Christian Kirk to just one catch for negative one yard. Trevor Lawrence was limited to 14 of 30 passing for just 220 yards in that contest.

Jacksonville's offense hasn't looked much better than the Giants, but they have some better pieces in place. Let's call it the way it is, fantasy points go to die against this Browns defense led by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Nabers proved last week that he is a talented pass catcher and projects to be among the elite for years. However, this week isn't the week, as the rookie is in line for some education on playing the position.

Michael Pittman Jr. - WR, Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears

With just seven receptions for 52 yards, Michael Pittman Jr. sits second on the Colts in receptions and third in receiving yards despite having seen five more targets (15) than the next closest Colt, Alec Pierce.

Perhaps this is more about Pierce being good than Pittman Jr. being bad, but these are not the numbers fantasy managers envisioned when they used a second-round selection on Pittman Jr. back in August.

Compacting issues, and having fantasy managers reaching for the panic button, is the fact that we have yet to see Josh Downs become incorporated into this offense. Still, it is hard to imagine that with Pierce's success, they will want to cut into his opportunities.

At the beginning of the season, this author talked about how Anthony Richardson was mostly a project given his lack of starting experience dating all the way back to college. With Gardner Minshew, Pittman Jr. was the only target. However, with Richardson, Pittman had a smaller target share last season. You can also look at the 69.9% catch rate last season versus the 46.7% with Richardson this season to see why there's been a drop-off.

Richardson's scrambling and his ability to make off-schedule throws affect Pittman's ceiling, as shown by his 7.4 yards per reception early on. At the same time, Pierce, Adonai Mitchell, Ashton Dulin, and Jonathan Taylor are over 16 yards per reception.

There are some troubling red flags popping up for Pittman right now.

Terry McLaurin - WR, Washington Commanders at Cincinnati Bengals

Speaking of disappointing performances, the poster child early on may very well be McLaurin, who has just 39 yards in two games. Those 39 yards sit fifth on the Commander's team behind Austin Ekeler (99), Zach Ertz (90), Noah Brown (56), and Brian Robinson Jr. (52).What is more of a red flag, the 39 yards from McLaurin or the 99 yards courtesy of Ekeler leading the team?

If you are expecting things to improve this week, the Bengals held Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to just 151 yards passing a week after keeping the Patriots to just 121 passing yards. In other words, once again, yardage will be hard to come by this week.

The good news? Better weeks are coming. In Week 4, the Commanders face the Carolina Panthers. Each week, Jayden Daniels will get more and more comfortable in this system and gain more trust in his abilities, and once that happens, McLaurin can once again begin his fantasy ascension.

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