Fantasy Football Quarterback Start/Sit Week 3: Should You Start Anthony Richardson, Geno Smith, or Jared Goff?

Week 1 was a weird one where elite quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow didn't do much fantasy-wise. Week 2 got a little more normal, but we still saw players like Joe Burrow and Deshaun Watson continue to struggle. You're obviously not benching any of those guys (more on that below), but there are plenty of other borderline fantasy starters we need to sift through. 

I'm going to use the list below to cover every quarterback start/sit situation for Week 3. The list is broken into tiers (which as pretty self-explanatory based on the names of them), and you can simply look at the list and make start/sit decisions -- because it's in order of preference! Think of it as my weekly quarterback rankings.

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No-Brainer Start 'Em

You drafted these guys as your starter. There's no reason to waffle on them based on matchups or anything like that. We don't even need to talk things through on any of these guys -- let's stop over-thinking things. Here's the order in which I'd start them this week: 

• Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

  • Kelce is back. The Bears are awful. Don't overthink this. 

• Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

  • The matchup isn't great, but Hurts looked a lot better in Week 2 than he did in Week 1. There's really no reason you should ever bench Hurts. 

• Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

  • After an abysmal Week 1, Allen looked like his old self in Week 2. The Commanders matchup isn't great, but Allen is more or less matchup proof.

• Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

  • Similar to Allen, Jackson righted the ship in Week 2 and is shaping up as a great play against the Colts. 

• Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

  • Hurts put up big numbers against the Vikings, and Herbert should be in line to do the same this week. 

• Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

  • This is a FANtastic matchup against the Texans. Despite a rough Week 2, I think Lawrence has a good chance to finish as a top-5 quarterback this week. 
    
    

• Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

  • I still don't believe in Tua, but I believe in his weapons and his system so I guess I believe in Tua. He's a top-10 quarterback moving forward unless he proves otherwise. 

• Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

  • Cousins was a monster last week and should be able to continue putting up big numbers against the Chargers pass funnel defense. 

• Justin Fields, Chicago Bears

  • Fields might be a bad real-life QB, but he's a good fantasy QB and should be able to put up numbers playing from behind against the Chiefs. 

• Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

  • Dak looked really good against a tough Jets defense and should be able to put up big numbers against the Cardinals. 

• Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

  • Call me crazy, but I still think Burrow is a must-start. Things should get a little easier this week at home against the Rams. 

• Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

  • As long as he's healthy (which is a big if), Richardson's rushing ability keeps him in this top tier. The Ravens secondary should give him some room for upside too. 

• Jared Goff, Detriot Lions

  • Goff looked fantastic against the Seahawks and may very well end up as a top-10 fantasy quarterback this year. 
    
    [projection="Jared Goff"

• Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

  • Smith looked fanastic against the Lions and should be in your lineup despite a tough matchup against the Panthers. 

Still Start 'Em

These guys are a little more of a borderline decision, but they're worth starting this week. Here's the order in which I'd start them this week: 

• Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

  • Love has continued to look pretty good and he's done so without Christian Watson. This week's matchup is his toughest yet, but I still think he's worth starting. 

• Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints

  • Carr had a tough time against the Panthers, but he was still throwing the ball a ton and should continue to do so as the Saints struggle with running back injuries and suspensions. 

• Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

  • I'm done trying to figure out why Brock Purdy keeps puting up good performances (spoiler: it's his supporting cast), but I think we need to keep rolling with him. Especially against a Giants defense that gave up 28 points to Joshua Dobbs. 

• DeShaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

  • I think Watson might be washed, but I'm still starting him in most cases. While the matchup isn't ideal, Watson is still among the top-15 quarterbacks.

Deep League Starts

These guys are basically "sits" in a 12-team league. But they're likely someone you should start in a superflex league or a 16-team league. Here's the order in which I'd start them this week:

• C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

  • Stroud looked really good last week and should be able to keep the good times rolling against the Jaguars this week. 

• Daniel Jones, New York Giants

  • I'm not sure I'll ever trust Jones due to his lack of weapons, but his rushing ability keeps his floor high. While week's matchup stinks, I think he's worth a look in deeper leagues. 

• Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Mayfield has been an early-season surprise, but things will get tougher against a good Eagles defense. He should only be started in deeper leagues. 

• Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

  • Is Russ washed? Maybe. And I'd rather not find out by risking it against a Dolphins defense that has given up points but looked much-improved against the Patriots last week. 

• Sam Howell, Washington Commanders

  • Howell has looked good in spurts, but I'd limit him to a deeper league start with a tough matchup against the Bills on the horizon. 

• Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

  • The Cooper Kupp-less Rams are a fun story, but I don't want to keep rolling dice on Stafford. Especially on the road against a tough Bengals defense. 

Sit 'Em

These guys are "sits" in pretty much any league except a superflex. Here's the order in which I'd start them this week if you absolutely have to:

• Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Pickett has a nice on-paper matchup against the Raiders, but there are at least 25 better quarterback options out there. 

• Joshua Dobbs, Arizona Cardinals

  • I still dont think Dobbs is worth starting despite a solid game last week. And things get worse against a really good Cowboys defense this week. 

• Mac Jones, New England Patriots

  • Mac is putting up numbers, but his receiving options stink and the Patriots have reverted to a dink-and-dunk attack. Keep him on the bench against a tough Jets defense. 

• Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

  • Young hasn't thrown for more than 160 yards in a game this season and he now has to go face the Seahawks on the road. Keep him on your bench. 

• Jimmy Garoppolo Las Vegas Raiders 

  • I'm not sure I'll ever feel good about starting Jimmy G, and I definitely wouldn't feel good about doing so against the Steelers defense. 

• Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons

  • Ridder looked like a viable NFL quarterback last week, but I still don't trust him. Keep him on your bench unless you have no other choice. 

• Ryan Tannehill, Tennesee Titans 

  • The Titans offense will forever limit Tannehill's upside. And he's not a great option anyway. This week is especially tough against a really good Browns defense. Keep him on your bench. 

• Zach Wilson, New York Jets

  • Don't start Zach Wilson. Ever. 

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