Fantasy Football Week 3 ‘Thursday Night Football’ Starts, Sits Advice

The Washington Redskins and New York Giants kick off Week 3 of the 2015 NFL season by resuming their NFC East rivalry Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.

It’s also time for fantasy football owners to look at their teams and begin making the tough decisions on which players to start and sit for the week.

Here’s some advice on which players to start and bench from Giants-Redskins.

New York Giants

Eli Manning, QB: Manning is not worth starting, unless you play in a two-quarterback league and don’t have any better options. He hasn’t been too productive this season with 485 yards passing and just two touchdowns. He’s also playing against a Redskins defense that’s given up the second-fewest pass yards through two games.

Odell Beckham Jr., WR: OBJ always is a must-start as one of the elite receivers in the NFL. He caught seven passes for 146 yards and a touchdown in a Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Shane Vereen, RB: Vereen only is worth starting at the flex position in deep leagues. He’s averaging 89.5 total yards through two weeks and has yet to find the end zone. The Giants also have a crowded backfield, so the chances of Vereen picking up an ideal amount of points in the running game are slim.

Rashad Jennings, RB: The Giants’ starting running back isn’t worth starting unless you have no other options available. Jennings has tallied just 64 yards on 22 carries (2.9 yards per attempt) and is playing against the third-best run defense in the league.

Larry Donnell, TE: The Giants’ best tight end is averaging 24.5 receiving yards per game with one total touchdown in two games. He’s not worth starting unless your league starts two tight ends each week. It’s touchdown or bust with Donnell, and that’s not worth the risk.

Washington Redskins

Kirk Cousins, QB: Start Cousins if you want to lose your matchup this week.

Alfred Morris, Matt Jones, RBs: The Redskins lead the league in rushing after two weeks and have two running backs in Jones and Morris averaging 75 yards or more per game.

Morris is the better play because he’s expected to receive a few more carries, but both players will get enough touches to be fantasy relevant. Morris and Jones have averaged 4.2 and 6 yards per attempt, respectively. Jones also has two rushing touchdowns, and his superior size makes him a threat at the goal line.

Pierre Garcon, WR: Garcon is the only Washington receiver worth starting. He’s caught 12 passes on 15 targets for 97 yards and a touchdown, and six of those receptions have been for first downs. He’s the Redskins’ No. 1 receiver and should be targeted early and often by Cousins.

Jordan Reed, TE: Reed is a must-start in any fantasy league. He’s averaged 8.5 targets per game this season as the most dependable option for Cousins in the passing game. Reed also has tallied 145 yards and a touchdown through two weeks.

Thumbnail photo via Danny Wild/USA TODAY Sports Images