Disclaimer: Starts and Sits are relative to where a player is ranked on the aggregate. In other words, a "Start" is someone I like more than most, and a "Sit" is the opposite. So if I say to start DeShaun Watson and sit Dak Prescott, that doesn't mean I'd start Watson over Prescott, it just means I think Watson will exceed his expectations while Prescott will underperform his. Cool? Cool. Let's get it. -Seltz
Quarterback
Start
Trevor Siemian (vs. OAK) - OK, since I'm going back to the Siemian well (phrasing?) for the second week in a row, I may as well address the elephant in the room off the top. I did a terrible, awful, disgraceful job last week. It was an atrocious display of fantasy prowess, or lack thereof. TBH, it was embarrassing. I may never recover from it. Just kidding, I'm fine now. If anything, it's reinvigorated me. This is going to be my best start/sit week ever. E-V-E-R. Now that we have that settled, let's get back to Siemian. Last week I said this: "Siemian has been a beast through two weeks (#2 fantasy QB) and has looked good in doing it. I think he might just be legit." First of all, yes I just quoted myself - get over it. Second, thank you Trevor Siemian for making me look like an a-hole. The only way Siemian can redeem himself is by making me look smart this week. Luckily, facing an Oakland pass defense that looked even dumber than me last week, I believe he will.
DeShaun Watson (vs. TEN) - I'm all in on DeShaun Watson. I loved him in college and had no doubt he was going to be a successful NFL quarterback. He's a gamer who makes plays #SportsCliches. But I didn't expect him to have fantasy value this soon. While he's not ready to be a consistent week-to-week performer, he has a high floor thanks to his legs (averaging 54 YPG on the ground in two starts) and should be a nice matchup play all season. This week is one of those matchups, as he faces a Titans defense that's allowed the third most fantasy points to opposing QB's this season.
Sit
Dak Prescott (vs. LAR) - Dak is the consensus ranked #6 QB this week. NUMBER SIX!!! That's insane. Dak had, easily, his best game of the season last week and was the 10th highest scoring QB. This week he faces a Rams defense that has done a nice job defending the pass. Conversely, the Rams have done a miserable job stopping the run. Start Zeke this week, sit Dak.
Carson Palmer (vs. SF) - It seems like most people are bullish on Palmer this weekend. I am not most people. I think Palmer stinks and will disappoint. He's old, playing on a short week, and facing a Niners pass defense that isn't as bad as you think. You know who is as bad as you think? Carson Palmer. Enough said.
Bonus Sits
Cam Newton (@ NE) & Ben Roethlisberger (@ BAL) – I'm guessing you already know to sit these two, but I'm just making sure because I care about you guys. Ben is awful on the road (as we've discussed) and has a tough matchup in Baltimore. He's a definite sit this week. Cam has a great matchup, the problem here is that he stinks. He's really, really bad. So ... yeah.
Running Back
Start
LeSean McCoy (@ ATL) - Obviously you're starting Shady if you own him in seasonal leagues, this is more of a DFS play recommendation. Atlanta has allowed the fourth-most points to opposing RB's. Shady is a really good RB. Ipso facto ... or something. Point is, Shady is going to have a monster week. Book it.
Bilal Powell (vs. JAX) - Matt Forte is hurt. Powell will get all the work. ALL OF IT. OK, probably not literally all of it, but you know what I mean. The Jags have been far more effective defending the pass than the run and Powell is criminally under-ranked as the consensus #32 RB this week.
Sit
Carlos Hyde (@ ARI) - I'm a huge Carlos Hyde fan. I think he's the bees knees. I also think he's overvalued as the consensus #12 running back. Arizona's run defense has been stingy, holding Zeke to a 3.6 YPC average last week, and they'll be keying in on Hyde. So I guess what I'm saying is, you may want to hide from Hyde. Nope. Just...no. Sorry. Let's move on.
Joe Mixon (@ CLE) - Am I the only one who doesn't think Joe Mixon is going to be a superstar? I think I'm the only one. I gotta say, it's lonely over here on "Joe Mixon ain't all that" Island. But I'd rather be lonely than wrong. Luckily I'm never wrong. Except for last week, obviously. But that was a one time thing. As a result, trust me, Joe Mixon ain't all that. And while he certainly has some DFS value given his low price point, he won't have the breakout week most people are expecting. Trust me, "I'm never wrong." Yup, you're damn right I just quoted myself again. Can't stop, won't stop.
"Please stop." -You, probably.
Wide Receiver
Start
Golden Tate (@ MIN) - Despite having "new Darelle Revis" Xavier Rhodes, the Vikings have still allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Golden Tate is Detroit's best receiver. Furthermore, he lines up in the slot, aka not where Xavier Rhodes lines up. Yet Tate's only the consensus #21 WR this week. That's stupid. Thus, logic dictates, if you don't want to be stupid, start Golden Tate.
Rishard Matthews (@ HOU) - With all the talk of Corey Davis and Eric Decker heading into the season, people seemed to forget about Matthews. Whoops. Matthews leads all Titans wide receivers in targets (8 per game) and is clearly in Marcus Mariota's circle of trust. Houston's secondary is banged up and just got torched by Tom Brady. And while Mariota isn't Brady, he's good enough to take advantage of the matchup. With Corey Davis out again, Matthews is a lock to be a focal point of the passing attack, but he's still insanely under-ranked and underpriced (in DFS), making him one of my favorite plays of the week.
Sit
Dez Bryant (vs. LAR) - Dez has been a disappointment this season and I love it. God I hate Dez. He's the worst, isn't he? Yeah, he really is. Yet, despite being the worst, Dez is the consensus #9 WR this week. Clearly the rankings like the Dallas passing game more than I do. For what it's worth, I'm right and they're wrong. Dez's subpar season continues this week against a good Rams pass defense.
Tyreek Hill (vs. WAS) - Hill is a tough sit because it only takes one play for him to make his weekly nut. Having said that, he faces a Washington defense that's been outstanding against the pass (third-least fantasy points allowed to WR's), making his consensus ranking (#13 WR) way too high. While you're likely starting him in seasonal leagues, be aware this could be one of those weeks where Hill is held in check. Or not. But maybe. How's that for advice?
Tight End
Start
Cameron Brate (vs. NYG) - The Giants have allowed more fantasy points to tight ends than all but two teams in the league. Brate scored a touchdown last week and is Tampa's preferred receiving option at tight end (sorry O.J. Howard apologists). Did I mention the Giants suck at defending tight ends? Oh...I did? Well, it's true. They really suck at it.
Ryan Griffin (vs. TEN) - I know what you're thinking: "Who the hell is Ryan Griffin?" Well let me tell you who Ryan...wait, what did you say? You weren't thinking that? You already knew who Ryan Griffin is? Welp, now I feel like an idiot. I'm not sure if I'll be able to recover from this. For my own sanity, I'm going to pretend you never said anything. Ryan Griffin is the Texans' new starting tight end. He caught five of his six targets last week for 61 yards and a touchdown. He's a great value play this week against a Titans defense that just got gashed by Jimmy Graham. That's who Ryan Griffin is.
Sit
Jordan Reed (@ KC) - After missing last week, Reed is expected to play Monday night. However, he's playing through an injury that made him look pedestrian over the first two weeks of the season and is facing a Chiefs defense that has been stout against tight ends. Yet somehow Reed is the consensus #9 tight end this week. That's cray. Super, super cray. I want nothing to do with Reed until he's not playing in serious pain, and that's not happening anytime soon.
Kyle Rudolph (vs. DET) - Rudolph is the consensus #6 tight end this week. That's even more cray than Reed's ranking. And yes, I promise - no more "cray." Bradford is out again. Rudolph only saw two targets last week, and that was with Case "Joe Montana" Keenum slinging the ball all over the field. With Keenum under center again Sunday, I'd be leery of rolling with Rudolph, especially at his current ranking/price.
Defense
Start
NY Jets (vs. JAX) - Gross. This is so freaking gross. But here's my thinking: Blake Bortles. If that's not good enough, add in that the Jags were in another country a week ago. I'm expecting a sluggish showing from the Jags. And again, Blake Bortles.
Sit
Houston Texans (vs. TEN) - The Titans have yielded the least fantasy points to opposing defenses this season. Which isn't surprising, they run the ball a lot and rarely turn it over. I expect this to continue in Houston.
Kicker
Start
Some guy who's playing in a dome or who's on a team with a good offense.
Sit
Any guy who doesn't qualify the above set standard for "Start."