You have lineup questions, we have lineup answers -- at least we hope so. Start 'Em, Sit 'Em is here to help fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. And you know what is a good move? Starting Puka Nacua. But that's too obvious, so you won't see such simple analysis here. Instead, we're exploring more debatable situations. And if you can't find a player you are looking for, please check out the latest NFL Fantasy lineup rankings.
NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, all stats come from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats or NFL Research.
Start 'Em
It might not always be pretty, but Fields gets the job done in fantasy. We witnessed it again Monday night during his 43-yard rushing touchdown. That one play was worth 10 fantasy points. In total, he ran for 81 yards and a touchdown, while throwing for 226 and one TD (he had another called off due to penalty). That effort was good for 27 fantasy points. Fields has gone off in two of his three starts, running for at least 40 yards in each game, and this week's matchup with the Cowboys presents a good chance to make it three of four. The Cowboys have allowed the most passing yards and touchdowns in the NFL this season. Every QB who has faced them has topped 24 fantasy points. In their last three games, opposing QBs have averaged 28.6 fantasy PPG, with each finishing the week as a top-five fantasy QB. Fields is a must-start option this week.
Herbert and the Chargers struggled on the road last week, as he finished with a season-low 12.5 fantasy points, the second straight week in which he has posted fewer than 15 fantasy points. However, his performance was not as bad as the stats indicate. Herbert's first INT was tipped and caught by Dexter Lawrence, and the second occurred when Ladd McConkey tripped during his route. While I have O-line concerns, Herbert is still tied to three stud WRs and a dual-threat RB. Plus, the Commanders have allowed 298 pass yards per game over the last three weeks, with opposing QBs averaging 22 fantasy points in that span. If Jayden Daniels returns, this game has shootout potential. Herbert remains in play despite struggling the last two weeks.
As the leader of the Drake Maye hype train, I have thoroughly enjoyed his awesome start to the season. Maye is proving to have a very safe floor and a high ceiling. He has topped 15 fantasy points in each game and has thrown multiple TD passes in three straight contests. Most importantly, he has averaged 23 FPPG since Week 2. He's using his legs more, too, with 30-plus rush yards or a rush TD in each of his last three games. That will come in handy against a Bills defense that has allowed more rushing yards to QBs than any team in the league (nearly 9 yards per carry). Buffalo has been stingy through the air -- and the fantasy app will flag this as a tough matchup -- but Maye had success against the Bills as a rookie (17.4 fantasy points in Week 16). Given his recent production, what he can do with his legs and the fact that he'll air it out more in an effort to keep up with Josh Allen, Maye remains a start option.
Outside of the one monster performance against Chicago, it has been a disappointing fantasy start for Goff. That's partly because he already faced two of the top defenses. Still, Goff ranks among the top 10 in passing yards and he's thrown the second-most passing touchdowns. Even with him on the road this week, the matchup with Cincinnati feels like a big opportunity for Goff to put up numbers. The Bengals, who have yet to face a top-tier QB this season, have created pressure and sacks at a below-average rate. They kept Joe Flacco and Carson Wentz in check but allowed three touchdowns and 19 fantasy points to Trevor Lawrence in Week 2 and 26 points to Bo Nix on Monday night. This feels like a dice roll worth making.
I've learned to play Jones in matchups where the opponent struggles to create pressure. Last week, he was a sit option against a ferocious Rams defensive front, and by every metric, Jones had his worst output of the season (even if I give him the four points for the fumbled TD by Adonai Mitchell). This week, he gets a Raiders defense that has generated pressure at the sixth-lowest rate in the NFL. Jones has the fifth-best success rate when not under pressure, and Las Vegas has also allowed the 10th-most passing yards this season. Trust Jones to do well in this matchup.
Let the fun begin! Last season, I started pounding the table for Drake Maye before the consensus because his tools were too good to ignore. I feel similarly about Dart this year. In his first start, the rookie didn't light up the stat sheet, but his 111 passing yards, 54 rushing yards and two TDs (one pass, one rush) still equated to nearly 20 fantasy points. His rushing ability stands out; he had a 39-yard run called back due to a penalty but also recorded three carries inside the red zone. The only quarterbacks to have more such carries in a single game this season are Daniel Jones, Josh Allen, Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts and Caleb Williams. This week, Dart faces a Saints defense that has given up the third-most pass TDs and ranks in the top 11 in QB rush yards allowed. I can't yet say that Dart brings a safe floor, but he certainly brings upside. That's especially true in this matchup. If you need a streamer, Dart is your guy.
Sit 'Em
In the two games Purdy has played in 2025, he hasn't shown much consistency, and the Niners have already said Purdy (turf toe) is questionable to play this week against the Rams. If he does play, he'll face a unit that has generated sacks at the third-highest rate and pressure at the fourth-highest rate in the NFL this season. Jalen Hurts is the only QB to have had fantasy success against the Rams so far. It's also worth noting Purdy has been held to fewer than 210 passing yards and zero TDs to two of his three career starts against the division foe.
These are two teams that know each other extremely well, and that doesn’t always lead to the biggest of fantasy days. In fact, since joining the Rams, Stafford has averaged 12 fantasy PPG against the 49ers. Last season, the veteran QB threw for 221 yards and one TD in one game against San Francisco, and 160 yards and no scores in the other. Furthermore, Stafford has tossed one TD or fewer in each of his last five regular-season contests against the 49ers. These weren't great fantasy days to say the least. On a short week, look to get away from Stafford.
The Kansas City defense is starting to clamp down. After allowing a huge passing day to Justin Herbert in Week 1, it shut down Jalen Hurts, Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson (who exited the game early with a hamstring injury). Lawrence's one good fantasy outing this season came against a weak Bengals defense. Even if Lawrence and the Jaguars are chasing points, I wouldn't bank on a big fantasy outing against Steve Spagnuolo's D.
Last week, Wentz finished as the QB9 with 21 fantasy points. If you watched that Dublin game, you know nearly all of it came late in the fourth quarter when Minnesota was in catch-up mode. I wouldn't bank on that against the Browns. They have allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards and record sacks at the fourth-highest rate, while the Vikings have given up sacks at the highest rate this season. This is a recipe for disaster. Wake up early and watch this London tilt, but don't chase the Wentz points.
Through the first month of the season, Smith has had one big fantasy outing. Some managers chased the points last week, but the veteran finished with fewer than 10 fantasy points. Turnovers have been an issue, as he's thrown a league-high seven picks. The Colts are a middle-of-the-pack matchup, but Smith's floor has been too low to trust.
