Welcome to The Big Lead's weekly start 'em, sit 'em column. It pairs wonderfully with our weekly waiver wire column. We are here to dig into the toughest decisions you may be facing for your fantasy matchup this week and give you answers. Some of those answers may even be right!
Presenting our Week 3 start 'em, sit 'em calls.
D'Andre Swift, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Swift has long been a fantasy trap because he is a dual-threat back with big-play ability. Yet he has consistently disappointed as injuries, coaching decisions, and some subpar vision have all contributed to a falling fantasy stock in recent years. He did nothing in his first game with the Philadelphia Eagles and we thought it would be another year of the same thing for Swift. But in the Eagles' short week matchup with the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday, starting RB Kenneth Gainwell was hurt, giving the coaches no choice. Swift had to step up. And he did by rushing for 175 yards on the ground with a TD.
Can he do it again? Our answer is no, he cannot. It was a great game for Swift but he will definitely not get 28 rushes again if Gainwell is healthy and Philly needs to show they'll go with Swift over Gainwell if it comes down to it. Plus they're going up against a pretty good Tampa Bay defensive line. Swift's performance may not be a total mirage but there's still a ways to go before he can be relied upon for fantasy points if all else is equal. SIT 'EM
Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
This feels like a silly entry but yet one worth having. Kelce came back from injury to make his season debut in Week 2 and didn't do a lot. He scored a TD but otherwise had a quiet day, recording four catches for 26 yards. We are not accustomed to those sorts of low numbers from Kelce, one of the best fantasy players in the NFL over the last few seasons, and thus it may be of some worry to those who invested a high pick in his talents.
Consider this your official notification that he's going to be fine. The Chiefs' offense still needs to come together but Kelce will only get more targets as he gets healthier and plays more snaps. He's also looking at potentially a huge week as KC goes up against a porous Chicago Bears defense. START 'EM
Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Ridley had a triumphant return to the NFL and our fantasy teams in Week 1, putting up 101 yards on eight catches with a TD. Then he came crashing back down to Earth in Week 2 as the Jaguars struggled to do anything on offense. Ridley recorded only two catches for 32 yards. Will it be more of that going forward as opposing defenses remember what he can do, or will Ridley rise above?
We cannot say for sure but we can say that Week 3 looks mighty optimistic. The Jags will host the Texans, who just gave up 30 points to the Colts on their home turf despite Indy losing Anthony Richardson in the first half. Jacksonville will get right and Ridley should see plenty of opportunities; while his catches were low this week, Trevor Lawrence still targeted Ridley eight times after throwing to him 11 times in Week 1. He's a good bounce back bet. START 'EM
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
When Tom Brady was in Florida, Evans was an automatic start every week. Now, not so much. He was started in only 69 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues this past week and proved that 31 percent wrong in a big way. Evans averaged nearly 30 yards per reception, catching six passes for 171 yards and a touchdown. Baker Mayfield ain't no Brady but he's smart enough to know Evans is a reliable option, targeting the big wideout 15 times in the first two weeks of the year.
Evans' ceiling will be defined by his TD count but his floor is looking a lot higher than anyone anticipated coming into the year. We're going to keep going with Evans until he gives us a reason not to. START 'EM
Brian Robinson Jr., RB, Washington Commanders
It appears the Commanders are finally letting go of the idea that Antonio Gibson is actually any good. Robinson has gotten nearly all possible rushing attempts over the first two weeks for Washington and is quickly catching up to Gibson in the pass game. It can look like Robinson broke out for good in his team's epic comeback against Washington since he put up nearly 30 fantasy points.
We say it can look like that because we aren't buying it. The difference between Robinson's extremely mediocre Week 1 and his standout Week 2 were the two touchdowns he scored on Sunday. He was slightly more efficient on the ground but caught the same number of passes. Robinson's value fluctuates more than you'd want for a reliable fantasy running back right now due to the lack of work in the passing game and he's going up against a good Bills defense next week. SIT 'EM
This article was originally published on thebiglead as Fantasy Football Week 3: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em .
