Welcome back, readers! I am happy to return for a second year as The Sporting Tribune's fantasy football analyst. If you are new here, my mission is to help fantasy managers with any dilemmas or questions they may have through the course of the season to ultimately win their leagues. For the next 17 weeks, I will produce weekly fantasy content that will go over the waiver wire, rankings, and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em columns.
Being a fantasy manager often means having to make difficult roster decisions, but I aim to take some of the guesswork out of it with my Start 'Em and Sit 'Em column for every position. It goes without saying that I won't include obvious calls like "start Trey McBride" or "sit Tommy DeVito." Instead, I search for players that could be perceived as fringe that could propel your lineups for weekly wins.
As always, if you have any questions or don't see your players here, feel free to follow me on Twitter (X) – @JamesNewell96 and send me a message, where I typically respond in a timely manner.
Start ‘Em
David Montgomery @ IND (Projected FPTS - 13.3): Montgomery had a dud performance and received fewer touches than backup Woody Marks, 13-8, in Week Two. He has a strong chance to bounce back in Week Three on the road against the Colts. Indy's defense has allowed the third-most fantasy points to running backs and is bottom three in success rate (51.5%), yards before contact per carry (3.5) and explosive runs (10). If I were to do an anytime touchdown parlay, I would have Montgomery on that slip.
D'Andre Swift vs. PHI (Projected FPTS - 13.9): Swift has had a compelling start to the season with 45.3 fantasy points, ranking as the RB5 in fantasy. And with Kyle Monangai putting up respectable performances, Swift has still touched the ball more than his backup, 36 percent to 21.6 percent. The Bears will likely be without their quarterback Caleb Williams in Week Three, which will result in a gameplan that leans more toward Swift (and Monangai).
Omarion Hampton @ BUF (Projected FPTS - 14.8): Omarion Hampton has been the only player on the Chargers to have any sort of fantasy relevance through the first two weeks. Despite the costly fumble against the Raiders last week, he still put up 115 yards and scored a touchdown on 25 touches. The second-year RB will take on the Bills in Week Three, who've allowed the fifth-most fantasy points and points per game to opposing running backs. Their struggle defending the run has been an ongoing concern since last season and hasn't improved much up to this point.
Honorable Mentions: Breece Hall @ DET; Chuba Hubbard @ CLE; Cam Skattebo vs. TEN; Kyle Monangai vs. PHI; TreVeyon Henderson @ JAX; Jaylen Warren vs. CIN.
Sit ‘Em
Quinshon Judkins vs. CAR (Projected FPTS - 12.1): I believe this is a make-or-break week for Judkins. Through no fault of his own, the second-year RB is stuck behind a bad o-line paired with a poor offense, and he's averaged 2.3 yards per carry. Judkins has a good matchup on paper this week against the Panthers, but keep in mind that the numbers are inflated after the Bears' 59-point game in Week One, where both Bears RBs had monster games. I would wait to see what Judkins does this week before inserting him into lineups.
Jeremiyah Love @ SF (Projected FPTS - 12.4): Love has not seen RB1 usage so far this season. He ended up scoring just 7.5 fantasy points last week against the Seahawks. He gets another tough matchup in Week Three against the Niners, who are an above-average defense. Until the Cardinals start including him more in their gameplan on a weekly basis, I will likely lean toward benching the dynamic rookie.
Travis Etienne Jr. vs. LV (Projected FPTS - 12.1): What Etienne managers feared the most has officially happened. In Week Two, Alvin Kamara returned to the field and took away most of the extra usage Etienne saw in Week One. After seven receptions during the opening week, he only had two catches to Kamara's six in Week Two. His rushing ability hasn't lived up to expectations either, posting just 71 yards on 17 carries through two weeks. Kamara also led all Saints backs in touches at nearly 26 percent, which dropped Etienne's share to 18.5 percent, compared to Week One where he had 26.7 percent. This is not a good look for Etienne or Kamara, as this is turning into a three-back committee with undrafted rookie CJ Donaldson entering the fold. Etienne takes on the Raiders in Week Three, who've allowed the lowest EPA per rush after two weeks.
Lowlights: Bhayshul Tuten vs. NE; MarShawn Lloyd @ ATL; Tony Pollard @ NYG; Rhamondre Stevenson @ JAX; Jacory Croskey-Merritt vs. SEA; Jadarian Price @ WSH; J.K. Dobbins vs. LAR.