Each week we’ll provide two start and two sit options from each position for the upcoming week in fantasy. To be clear: if you own Aaron Rodgers or Antonio Brown, you should start them. These recommendations should never supersede the obvious. Start your horses!QuarterbackSTART: Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Colts) Indianapolis is soft up front and has no pass rush, which means Rivers will have time to throw. He can put up huge numbers any time but this is a game where he could explode in a shootout. START: Matt Ryan, Falcons (at Saints) Ryan is playing out of his mind and is the top-ranked quarterback by passer rating in the NFL. He gets an already bad Saints defense that’s gutted in prime time. Start him with confidence. SIT: Andy Dalton, Bengals (vs. Broncos) There’s almost no way to feel confident about starting anyone against Denver’s defense. They threaten to injure, intercept and downright destroy just about anyone they face on a weekly basis. SIT: Russell Wilson, Seahawks (vs. 49ers) Good spot for Wilson to improve on his first two games of the season, but also potential for him to struggle. He has an injured ankle, so the Seahawks won’t want him to run much, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them lean on the running game a lot here. Running BackSTART: Melvin Gordon, Chargers (at Colts) The expectation for the Chargers offense is they feed Gordon against a Colts team that struggles to stop physical offenses on the ground. Gordon’s been great this year and could bust out big without Danny Woodhead around.START: Theo Riddick, Lions (at Packers) With Ameer Abdullah out for the year, Riddick is going to be the feature back in the Lions offense. He’s not as talented as Abdullah but he catches a ton of passes and will be prominently featured here. Touches are key in fantasy.SIT: Jeremy Hill, Bengals (vs. Broncos) Another rough week for Hill, who hasn’t show any signs of breaking out this year thus far. No need to trust him against a dominant Broncos defense that’s locking down running games so far this year. SIT: Fozzy Whitaker, Panthers (vs. Vikings) Fozzy went for 100 yards last week, but it was garbage time. The Vikings have an outstanding defense and he might not even be the featured runner (could be Cameron Artis-Payne). Steer clear of this situation entirely.Wide ReceiverSTART: Stephon Diggs, Vikings (at Panthers) Carolina’s secondary is better than people think, but still young. Diggs and new quarterback Sam Bradford flashed an impressive rapport against the Packers and Bradford should keep feeding the breakout star. START: Travis Benjamin, Chargers (at Colts) If you’re sensing a theme here, well, there is one. The Chargers could put up some big numbers against a struggling Colts defense on an indoor track and Benjamin looks like Rivers’ top target in the passing game. SIT: Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (at Bengals) Denver’s defense is great, but you know who else is good? The Bengals. They shut people down and while Thomas has seen targets, he’s still catching passes from Trevor Siemian. Not an ideal situation here. SIT: Randall Cobb, Packers (vs. Lions) The Green Bay offense is in a serious funk right now, and Cobb is even funkier. The diminutive wide receiver with a big contract hasn’t scored a touchdown in eight games. He hasn’t been over 100 yards in 16 games. Yikes. Tight EndSTART: Dennis Pitta, Ravens (at Jaguars) Pitta was the primary target for Joe Flacco against the Browns and figures to play a big role again this week with limited weapons. The matchup is a good one, and you can drop Gary Barnidge or Coby Fleener for him without thinking twice.SIT: Gary Barnidge, Browns (at Dolphins) With Cody Kessler under center for Cleveland, it’s just hard to imagine starting any of their skill-position guys. Corey Coleman is out so Barnidge might be the only option, but this could be an ugly game for the Browns. DSTSTART: Dolphins (vs. Browns) Week in and week out it’s fairly safe to plug the defense going against Cleveland in here. It doubly applies with Corey Coleman out and Cody Kessler starting. The Fins are available, start them with confidence. SIT: Eagles (vs. Steelers) Philadelphia boasts an incredibly talented defensive unit, but the matchup against Pittsburgh is not one to mess around with. Given good weather, Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown will eviscerate anyone on the other side. NFL WEEK 3 PICKSDolphins (-10) vs. Browns Over/Under 42.0THE PICK: This isn’t a “must-win” game for Miami, it’s a “can’t lose” game for the Dolphins. Covering 10 points is way too much though. Fins win, Cleveland covers.Bills (+4) vs. Cardinals Over/Under 47.0 THE PICK: Too many people love the Cards coming to Buffalo this week, and with good reason. The Bills are floundering, but this is a ton of points and just a little TOO obvious. Back the Bills.Titans (-1.5) vs. Raiders Over/Under 47.0THE PICK: America still loves Oakland despite their home egg against the Falcons. The line reflects this. But the Titans can run all over a weak Raiders defense and they will. Jaguars (+1) vs. RavensOver/Under 47.0THE PICK: Because of the records for these two teams, the Ravens are favored. Who have they beaten? The Bills and the Browns. There’s too much value in the Jags.Giants (-4.5) vs. RedskinsOver/Under 46.5THE PICK: Can Kirk Cousins really be this bad? It seems impossible that he won’t correct back towards “kind of mediocrity” at some point. Washington keeps it close.Panthers (-7) vs. VikingsOver/Under 43.0THE PICK: Carolina didn’t close against the 49ers and they lost Jonathan Stewart in the process. Sam Bradford looked great. This is a lot of points for a strong Vikings team.Bengals (-3) vs. BroncosOver/Under 41.0THE PICK: Two really stout defenses and two teams battling early for AFC seeding purposes. The Bengals win at QB but the Broncos defense is better. Take the points in a close game. Packers (-7) vs. LionsOver/Under 47.5THE PICK: The Packers are struggling badly and still sit there at a full touchdown favorite. It’s a lot of points almost like Vegas wants people taking the Lions. We’ll go Packers.Buccaneers (-5.5) vs. RamsOver/Under 42.0THE PICK: No idea why but this feels like a game where Todd Gurley can bust out. Both teams traveling back from the West Coast and the Rams could give Jameis Winston fits.Seahawks (-9.5) vs. RamsOver/Under 40.0THE PICK: San Francisco’s been frisky through two games, but couldn’t keep up with the Panthers. Seattle has struggled on offense but might smell blood in this game and should blow out the 49ers. Eagles (+3.5) vs. SteelersOver/Under 46.0THE PICK: Carson Wentz is 2-0, playing above his head and about to face his first real defense. But a really good Eagles defense at home getting points is too hard to pass up. Chiefs (-3) vs. JetsOver/Under 42.5THE PICK: New York has 10 days rest, is starting to click offensively and the Chiefs can’t stop anyone without Justin Houston. Upset city.Colts (-2.5) vs. ChargersOver/Under 51.5THE PICK: Really surprising to see the Colts favored after two bad efforts from this team out of the gate. San Diego isn’t as good on defense as Denver, but they’re better offensively. Chargers win a shootout.Bears (+7) vs. CowboysOver/Under 44.5THE PICK: The Bears are terrible and will be starting Brian Hoyer with Matt Barkley waiting in the wings. But Dak Prescott doesn’t have a passing touchdown yet and this is too many points.Saints (-3) vs. FalconsOver/Under 53.5THE PICK: Everyone expecting a big-time shootout here and it could definitely happen. The big advantage Atlanta has here is they actually possess a defense, which New Orleans doesn’t. Take the points.
