Pressure makes diamonds. There is no pressure quite like trying to plug in the right fantasy football options from a roster full of similar options. I’m happy to help you make those final decisions when it comes to your WR start/sit calls.
Data from TruMedia, unless stated
Which Wide Receivers Should Fantasy Managers Start in Week 3?
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks (vs. MIA)
Usually a season breakout requires a few breadcrumbs. We are teased with potential and whiff a few times before, eventually, seeing our loyalty be rewarded.
Not here. The pride of Ohio State put himself on the weekly starter radar with on single game and did it against a strong defense that shut down the Bengals in Week 1.
- Week 2: 172 air yards
- First four career games in September: 38 air yards
Smith-Njigba was clearly worked into the script in a significant way (three of the first four targets and seven of the first 12) and his versatility was on full display, something the Seahawks had been hesitant to showcase before.
JSN was drafted as the WR2 in this offense and not only is that clearly the case, I have him considerably closer to WR1 than WR3. Miami ranks below the league average on short passes in terms of completion and touchdown percentage – these are the types of matchups where Smith-Njigba owns a nice floor. If the vertical routes we saw last week are here to stay, a top-15 upside is in his profile.
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions (at ARI)
Fantasy’s WR7 through two weeks projects favorably moving forward. That might not sound like a ground-breaking analysis, and it’s not. That said, any time we see an explosive receiver like this produce in consecutive weeks, the “sell high” narrative is inevitable.
Don’t fall into that temptation. I beg of you, don’t do it.
Obviously tiny sample. But Jameson Williams has seen the 5th-best opportunity among all WRs.
Everyone else on this list was going in top-5 rounds of best ball. pic.twitter.com/TROmeedQv2
— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) September 19, 2024
The splash plays are the highlight of Williams’ profile, and that’s no secret. The Goff bombs in weatherproof games are going to continue to be there, and when they hit, we’re looking at a game-breaker. When they don’t? I’m still not worried.
Williams has as many end-zone targets this season as last, and he’s been handed the ball in both games this season. He got tangled up in coverage early in Week 2 and Goff threw a pick, but instead of looking elsewhere on the coming drives, Detroit’s veteran QB showed confidence in his emerging burner.
I’d be more likely to buy high than try to move on from Williams — this is just the beginning.
Which Wide Receivers Should Fantasy Managers Sit in Week 3?
Jayden Reed, Green Bay (at TEN)
We got the dreaded triple-single from the Packers’ receiver room last week under Willis.
- Reed led the WRs in touches
- Dontayvion Wicks led the WRs in targets and scores
- Romeo Doubs led the WRs in yards
The Titans are allowing just 19.4 yards per drive through two weeks (third fewest), and while I’m not sold on this defense as anything other than ordinary, I’m happy to use that stat as an excuse to bench all Packer pass catchers again this weekend.
Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans (at MIN)
The former Minnesota Viking has seen six targets in both of his games as a member of the Texans, though it is worth noting that he satisfied a different role in each of those contests.
- Week 1: nine air yards
- Week 2: 59 air yards
Diggs saw three deep targets last week, and while that raises the potential value of his opportunities, I think it’s a net negative for his projection moving forward. We know that Collins can win on all three levels and that Dell is viewed more as a field stretcher – if Diggs’ aDOT rises, he runs into more target competition.
His former employer owns the seventh-lowest opponent aDOT since the beginning of last season, making this a “show me” game of sorts. If Diggs is earning targets less than 10 yards down the field, I’ll move him back into my low-end WR2 tier. For the time being, I’m labeling him as the WR3 in this offense, and that has me sitting him if I have reasonable depth on my roster.
Right now, he occupies the same spot in my rankings as former teammate Khalil Shakir and just about every receiver in the Packers/Titans game. The name inspires more confidence than I have in Diggs (70 receiving yards this season) right now.