As we round the quarter pole of the NFL season we get an early start to some great week 4 action. The Thursday night game features the Miami Dolphins visiting the Cincinnati Bengals and the matchup offers plenty of players to start this week. After three weeks we should have an idea of what our players are going to offer our us and we should be making the necessary adjustments now before it is too late. If you are one of the owners dealing with under performs or injuries and you need help figuring out who to start, I am here to help. If the guy you are stressing over is not on this list feel free to hit me up at @mikekelleydlp with any additional sit/start questions you might have. Good luck this week to everyone, unless I am playing in one of my leagues.

NoHalftime START of the Week:

RB Mark Ingram (NO)

Last season Ingram was on pace to finish as a top 3 running back before getting injured in week 13. This year Ingram is off to a slower start, but last Monday night he turned a performance reminiscent of last year. He had 77 yards on 15 carries and added another 30 yards on four receptions with a touchdown. A few more solid weeks like last week and Ingram will be right back in the top 10 of running backs. This week the Saints head out west to play the Chargers who have been very generous to running backs so far this season and are 27th in fantasy points allowed. Ingram should be able to accrue 125 total yards four or five receptions and at least one touchdown.

NoHalftime SIT of the Week:

QB Jameis Winston (TB)

We might have to rename this spot to, the poor guy that has to go up against Denver. It seems every week I am talking about how strong the Bronco’s defense is and how it can just shut down even some of the best players in the NFL. This week is no exception, while I think that Winston is an up and coming star for the NFL, he is still going to experience some growing pains this year, and going up against the Bronco’s gives everyone growing pains. Maybe if he can find a way to rush for a TD he can salvage his day like Cam Newton did in week 1, but if not his line might not be all that great. Without the help of a busted play, I don’t see Winston going over 225 yards or getting more than one touchdown. It should be a long day for him this Sunday.

Quarterback

START Trevor Siemian (DEN)

In the first two weeks of the season, Siemian’s job was to not lose the game and he did his job well. Last week Siemian put the team on his back, went into a very tough environment in Cincinnati, and led them to victory. If you watched the game or at least the highlights, you were treated to some very pretty throws. Siemian was calm, cool, and collective and torched the Bengals secondary at will. This week he faces off against Tampa Bay who has been lit up in the secondary a couple of times this year already. I expect Siemian will build on last week’s performance, but I don’t think they will lean on him as much as they did last week. The run game should have a little room to operate this week, which could lead to a dip in number, but I still think he will put up good numbers. I see Siemian throwing for 250 plus yards and two touchdowns, not great but very solid numbers for someone in need of a bye week replacement or a second QB.

Other STARTS:

• Cam Newton (CAR)
• Andrew Luck (IND)
• Kirk Cousins (WAS)
• Philip Rivers (SD)

SIT Ryan Fitzpatrick (NYJ)

Last week was ugly for Fitzpatrick and I am sure he would like nothing more than to come out this week, have a good game, and get last week as far behind him as possible. Well, I have some bad news for Fitzpatrick and his owners, this week the Jets play host to the Seahawks, so putting last week behind him might easier said, than done. I laughed when Skip Bayless said Fitz was a top 10 QB after the Bills game and commented that his performance was more a credit to his receivers than Fitz’s own ability. To be fair Fitz’s is not as bad as he was last week, but he has shown over the years an inability to win games his team needs him to win to help them get over the hump. The Jet’s D can keep them in the game, but if Fitz can’t engineer at least 2 touchdown drives and limit his turnovers they have no chance of winning. With multiple receivers nursing injuries I am staying far away from Fitz this week. If he is lucky he manages 200 yards one touchdown and less than three interceptions this week.

Other SITS:

• Matt Ryan (ATL)
• Marcus Mariota (TEN)
• Brock Osweiler (HOU)

Running Back

START Isaiah Crowell (CLE)

Before the year started I did not think I would ever be putting a Cleveland Browns player in a start spot, players going against the Browns for sure, but actual Brown’s players not really. I have to admit though that I have been impressed with Crowell so far this year. He has borderline RB1 numbers and it should continue this week with his matchup against the Redskins who are second to last in fantasy points to running backs. Crowell is averaging 91 yards a game on 15 carries with an average of 6.1 yards per carry. The more Cleveland stays in the game the more carries they can feed him, the more points he can put up. Crowell should go over 100 yards for the second time this season and find the end zone at least once.

Other STARTS:

• Melvin Gordon (SD)
• C.J. Anderson (DEN)
• Jeremy Hill (CIN)

SIT Lamar Miller (HOU)

When Miller finally got out of Miami I was all in on how great of a year he was going to have finally playing for a team that would fully utilize him. Well after three weeks, while Miller has not been bad, he has been far from good. He is averaging almost 90 yards a game on 25 carries a game and has yet to find the end zone. I really feel like Houston is force feeding Miller the ball rather than letting game flow dictate his use. This week he faces a tough Titans run defense who is first in the league in fantasy points allowed to running backs. Houston has plenty of weapons on offense and they need to find a better balance and when they do things should open up for Miller, but until then Miller’s only appeal is the fact he is getting 25 carries a game and that means lots of chances to score points. If Miller can’t break a big run he may end his day with 70 yards on 20 carries this week and yet another week of no trips to the end zone.

Other SITS:

• Matt Forte (NYJ)
• Carlos Hyde (SF)
• Latavius Murray (OAK)
• Christine Michael (SEA)

Wide Receiver

START A.J. Green (CIN)

What a difference a week makes. Last week Green was facing a very difficult Bronco’s secondary and this week he gets a Dolphin’s secondary that just got torched by a rookie QB and a WR that used to a QB, that ended up playing some QB in the game. Thnigs look very promising for Green this week as the Dolphin’s rank in the bottom half of the league in yards, touchdowns, and fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. I am sure Andy Dalton, Green, and the rest of the Bengals offense are itching to put together a good game after their last two did not go so well. I see Green pulling in at least eight receptions for over 120 yards and one touchdown this week.

Other STARTS:

• Marvin Jones (DET)
• Doug Baldwin (SEA)
• Emmanuel Sanders (DEN)
• Demaryius Thomas (DEN)
• Terrelle Pryor (CLE)

SIT Any Jet Receiver (NYJ)

Whether it is Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, or Quincy Enunwa I am staying away from all of them if I can. Last week all three combined for a slash line of 9/95/0, and that is just plain sad for three receivers to combine for, and don’t forget two of them were in the top 20 last year. Last week they were up against a good Chief’s secondary and this week they will be up against the legion of boom. Things are not looking good for any of them. I don’t see any of them breaking 80 yards individually and maybe one of them gets a TD, but your guess is as good as mine as to which one gets it. My best advice is to not take chances in guessing which one might have a salvageable day, and start someone else if you can.

Other SITS:

• Mike Evans (TB)
• Sterling Shepard (NYG)
• Will Fuller (HOU)
• Tajae Sharpe (TEN)

Tight End

START Jimmy Graham (SEA)

It sure was great to see Jimmy so involved in the Seahawks game plan last week. He turned six of his 9 targets into 100 yards and a touchdown and finally looked like his old self again. This week Graham faces a Jet’s D that have been decimated through the air this season. The Jet’s have plenty of experience in dealing with great tight ends, after all, the face Gronk twice a year, but the difference is Graham goes deep and uses his athletic ability to make plays, where Gronk uses his strength on shorter routes to make plays. I think Graham can feast on the Jets secondary this week with deep down the middle routes. I look for Graham to get at least another 6 reception for 90 plus yards and a trip to the end zone this week.

Other STARTS:

• Zach Miller (CHI)
• Jacob Tamme (ATL)
• Jason Witten (DAL)

SIT Jesse James (PIT)

James has had a small but consistent role in the Steelers offense thus far, but I think that is all about to change. Le’Veon Bell is back from suspension and ready to get his share. James who had been seeing on average 4 receptions a game, might see that number shrink. Between Antonio Brown, DeAngelo Williams, and now Bell all getting their share of the work, there might not be a whole lot left for guys like James and the other receivers. At this point, I think it is safe to look elsewhere for production out of the tight end spot. I cannot really see James getting more than three receptions for 15 yards this week. If you have to start him you might be hoping for some goal line targets in order to get some points from him.

Other SITS:

• Clive Walford (OAK)
• Charles Clay (BUF)
• Martellus Bennett (NE)

Defense

START Minnesota Vikings 

In the last two weeks, the Vikings have clamped down on Arron Rodgers and Cam Newton. They have 15 sacks, five interceptions, two touchdowns and a safety in three games. Plus they are only giving up 13 points a game. Many people were predicting the Giants to be an offensive power house this season and to date, they have been pretty average. I expect another good game from the Vikings D and could see them sacking Eli Manning three times, picking him off at least once, and holding their offense to no more than 16 points.

Other STARTS:

• Denver Broncos
• Seattle Seahawks

SIT Kansas City Chiefs

I know the Chiefs came off an incredible game, but this week they go up against the Steelers who are getting their star running back Le’Veon Bell back. The Steelers just got kicked up and down the turnpike by the Eagles and will be looking for a bounce-back game. I do not see them picking off Ben Roethlisberger the way the did Fitz last week, and the Steelers offense will score more than three points this week. I think Bell and DeAngelo Williams will both get plenty of opportunities to run the ball against the Chiefs average run defense. If you are a defensive streamer don’t expect the Chiefs to produce again this week and you might want to explore other options this week.

Other SITS:

• Miami Dolphins
• Jacksonville Jaguars

BONUS start of the week!

I am a man of my word, and last week I promised a reader that if the Ravens won I would say something nice about them. Well, the Jaguars let me down, and as promised @maygirl557 here is my nice thing. The Ravens have one player in fantasy that is matchup proof. Regardless of who the Ravens are facing, this guy is a must start every week he plays. He is currently number one at his position and should be started by everyone that owns him. That player is Justin Tucker, the Tom Brady of kickers. Put him in your lineup and don’t even think twice about it. Obligation met? #FlockYeah!

 

Michael Kelley is a member of the Going For 2 team. You can check out his website Dynasty League Problems for more writings or find him on Twitter @mikekelleydlp spreading fantasy knowledge for the masses.
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