- Quarterbacks
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- Defenses
You have lineup questions, we have lineup answers — at least we hope so. Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is here to help fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. And you know what is a good move? Starting CeeDee Lamb. But that’s too obvious, so you won’t see such simple analysis here. Instead, we’re exploring more debatable situations. And if you can’t find a player you are looking for, please check out the latest NFL Fantasy lineup rankings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats come from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats or NFL Research.
Start ‘Em
The Browns are an elite unit and this is an elite matchup. The Giants have surrendered sacks at a slightly above average rate this season, but we’ve seen Daniel Jones and Co. struggle against defenses like Cleveland’s. Myles Garrett should wreak havoc on this offense. The floor is safe and the chance for a big, blow-up performance is high.
Matthew Stafford took five sacks last week against the Cardinals. No shade to Arizona, but their pass rush is not in the same stratosphere as the 49ers’ pass rush. Plus, Stafford does not tend to put up big numbers against San Francisco. With Puka Nacua on IR and Cooper Kupp injured, you can use a defense like San Francisco’s against the Rams.
In Week 1, Carolina allowed 14 fantasy points to the Saints defense. Last week they allowed 11 fantasy points to the Chargers defense. We saw defenses put up huge numbers at times against the Panthers last season as well. I keep saying it: until the Panthers give us a reason not to stream defenses against them, we will continue to do so. Perhaps the move to Andy Dalton at quarterback will end up being that reason, but this Raiders defense is strong in its own right, so I’ll still take the shot against the Red Rifle.
The Chiefs defense did not have a great fantasy game to open the season but bounced back with 11 fantasy points in Week 2. A strip sack and fumble recovery TD formed the bulk of the production, but Kansas City is still a very tough unit in 2024. The Chiefs remain in play this week against a Falcons offense that yet to put a complete game together.
The Broncos allowed nine fantasy points to the Seahawks in Week 1 and then 13 to the Steelers in Week 2 (third-most on the week). Denver has struggled to score and rookie QB Bo Nix has taken multiple sacks and thrown multiple interceptions in both games so far. The Bucs are a good streaming option this week.
Sit ‘Em
The Eagles defense struggled in Week 1 against the Packers and then flopped fantasy-wise against the Falcons, finishing with only one fantasy point. But this is also about showing respect to the Saints offense, which is firing on all cylinders under new coordinator Klint Kubiak. After going off in Week 1 against the Panthers, the Saints did the same thing last week to the Cowboys. Both of those defenses finished with negative fantasy points in those games. I would stream elsewhere this week.
Through the first two games, the Ravens defense has not looked like the elite unit from last year. They’ve scored just 11 fantasy points in total. Now they face a Cowboys offense that, despite not looking like the best version of itself just yet, has plenty of firepower. Baltimore’s not a must-sit, but there are good streaming options this week that I’d rather play in better matchups.
Do not play defenses against Lamar Jackson. It’s not a recipe for success. So far, both the Chiefs and Raiders defenses have scored just four fantasy points against the Ravens. With the Cowboys defense coming off a big letdown against New Orleans, I would look to get away in this tough matchup.
Just like with Lamar Jackson, do not play defenses against the Chiefs. The Ravens were limited to only one fantasy point in Week 1, while the Bengals scraped nine points together off a rare multi-interception game for Patrick Mahomes and a fumble by running back Carson Steele. Still, given how tough it is to sack Mahomes and the upside this offense brings, I would plan to play a different defense.
Are you sensing a theme here? Do not play defenses against the league’s best quarterbacks. While the Jags typically play the Bills tough and pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen plays his best against quarterback Josh Allen, that’s not enough for me to trust this defense. Get away from them this week.
