Fantasy: Start, Sit, Stash, Quit - Week 3

SSSQ is a weekly look at under-the-radar fantasy players you should consider starting and potential busts you should leave on your bench. We also identify breakout candidates to stash on your roster and players you can safely cut.

For the rest of your lineup decisions, consult our Week 3 rankings. You can also listen to the Week 3 preview episode of theScore Fantasy Football Podcast.

Start

Josh Allen, QB, Bills

vs. Bengals

Allen has become a regular in this space over the past few weeks given his high ceiling as a dual-threat quarterback. Since we've talked up Allen so much recently as a fantasy option, let's allow Establish The Run's Adam Levitan to help us out this time:

With the Bills returning to Buffalo for their home opener against a Bengals defense that's allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, Allen is once again a top-10 play at the position.

Boone's projection: 241 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 39 rushing yards

Other QBs to start

• Jameis Winston vs. Giants
• Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Steelers
• Matthew Stafford at Eagles

David Montgomery, Bears

at Redskins

While Montgomery's snap percentage increased slightly in Week 2, his carries got a massive boost from six in the opener to 18 in the win over the Broncos. The Bears are 4.5-point road favorites against their next opponent, the Redskins, who have given up the second-most rushing yards in the NFL through two games. Get ready for the rookie to break out in prime time on Monday Night Football.

Boone's projection: 82 rushing yards, 11 receiving yards, TD

Other RBs to start

• Matt Breida/Raheem Mostert vs. Steelers
• Frank Gore vs. Bengals
• Peyton Barber vs. Giants

Christian Kirk, Cardinals

vs. Panthers

Kirk hasn't found the end zone in 2019 (though he was tackled at the 1-yard line last week) and that might be the only thing keeping him down in fantasy. As a full-time player in one of the league's highest-volume offenses, Kirk is tied for 11th in receiver targets on the season and is coming off his first 100-yard game as a pro. With Kirk and Larry Fitzgerald seeing most of their snaps out of the slot, they should avoid the Panthers' tougher cornerback matchups. Bucs slotman Chris Godwin put up an eight-catch, 121-yard, one-touchdown line against Carolina in Week 2. The Cardinals' inside receivers should enjoy similar success Sunday.

Boone's projection: 97 receiving yards, TD

Other WRs to start

• Marquise Brown at Chiefs
• Will Fuller at Chargers
• Nelson Agholor vs. Lions

O.J. Howard, Buccaneers

vs. Giants

Howard has been one of the biggest flops of the fantasy season thus far, but hear me out. His matchup this week couldn't be better - he's facing a Giants defense that's been generous to tight ends for a few years now and, in 2019, has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to the position. These were Howard's previous two outings versus the Giants:

• 5 catches, 78 yards (2018)
• 2 catches, 63 yards, TD (2017)

Despite some tough love from his head coach, both Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich admitted this week that the balls will eventually come Howard's way. He was a solid TE1 in fantasy before getting injured late last season and, despite a slow start, it's worth giving him another chance in Week 3.

Boone's projection: 66 receiving yards, TD

Other TEs to start

• Greg Olsen at Cardinals
• Austin Hooper at Colts
• Vance McDonald at 49ers

Sit

Kirk Cousins, Vikings

vs. Raiders

This may seem like an odd recommendation since Cousins will be at home against a Raiders defense that was the victim of four passing touchdowns a week ago. However, as we witnessed in the Vikings' opener, a positive game script plays right into their new run-first approach. In their blowout win over the Falcons, Cousins threw the ball just 10 times. With Minnesota an 8.5-point favorite, a similar situation could unfold Sunday, making a Cousins a touchdown-dependent fantasy play in a contest that has one of the lowest projected totals on the slate.

Boone's projection: 236 passing yards, TD

Other QBs to sit

• Andy Dalton at Bills
• Derek Carr at Vikings
• Case Keenum vs. Bears

Josh Jacobs, Raiders

at Vikings

Jacobs put up two strong efforts with 113 yards from scrimmage and a pair of touchdowns in his debut, followed by 99 yards on the ground last week. He'll struggle to find that kind of success against a Vikings run defense that's one of the stingiest on home turf. The rookie is also dealing with a groin injury and has been fighting an illness that caused him to lose 10 pounds. He's expected to play this week, but he'll be hard to trust as anything more than an RB3 in fantasy.

Boone's projection: 47 rushing yards, 9 receiving yards

Other RBs to sit

• Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman at Packers
• Adrian Peterson vs. Bears
• James White vs. Jets

John Ross, Bengals

at Bills

Can you really bench a player with 270 receiving yards and three touchdowns over two games? It depends how much you fear Tre'Davious White and the Bills' pass defense. Only two receivers have topped 40 yards against Buffalo this year, and both of them were operating out of the slot (Jamison Crowder and Bennie Fowler). It will be hard to move away from Ross, who's been a week-winner for fantasy, but the Bills' secondary presents a much tougher challenge than he's faced through two weeks.

Boone's projection: 42 receiving yards

Other WRs to sit

• Robby Anderson at Patriots
• Josh Gordon vs. Jets
• Terry McLaurin vs. Bears

Jared Cook, Saints

at Seahawks

We knew Cook's targets would decline when he signed with New Orleans, yet the heightened efficiency and increased scoring opportunities in a Drew Brees-led offense made him an enticing fantasy tight end for 2019. With Brees sidelined, Cook's upside evaporates. His matchup with the Seahawks is a positive one, but you'd be wise to sit Cook this week until we see how this offense performs with Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill at the helm.

Boone's projection: 36 receiving yards

Other TEs to sit

• Kyle Rudolph vs. Raiders
• Tyler Eifert at Bills
• Will Dissly vs. Saints

Stash

Ty Johnson, Lions

The release of C.J. Anderson has moved Ty Johnson into the primary backup role behind Kerryon Johnson. The rookie's weekly touches should rise, but the reason you want to roster him now is as a handcuff or injury-upside stash in case Kerryon goes down.

Chris Herndon, Jets

For the past two weeks, Herndon has been listed in our Waiver Wire column as a potential pickup for tight end-needy owners. Herndon is owned in just 12% of leagues, and though he won't be available until Week 6, he has top-seven fantasy upside at his position. Quarterback Sam Darnold should be healthy by then and the Jets' schedule is considerably easier in the second half of the season.

Quit

Corey Davis, Titans

We mentioned Davis as a player you could consider dropping during Monday's episode of theScore Fantasy Football Podcast. It's hard to tell if Davis is failing on his own merits or due to poor quarterback play, but through three games (the Titans lost Thursday night), Davis has been unable to get going. In fact, he's sixth on the team in receiving yards this season, as JJ Zachariason of Fan Duel and numberFire pointed out. His fantasy bench spot is best used on someone else.

Dante Pettis, 49ers

If you haven't already, you can safely cut Pettis. He went from a strong spring to a disappointing summer to a disastrous beginning of the season - the sophomore wideout has seen one target through two games. The talent is there, but clearly something is missing, and until we see improvement, Pettis doesn't need to be owned in fantasy.