The Chicago Bears lost a game they should have won in Week 1, then won a game they should have lost in Week 2. The New York Jets, meanwhile, won when they should have, and lost when they should have, so at lleast something makes sense.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 3: Bears vs. Jets
Nothing about the Bears’ season so far has made sense, while the Jets’ season has followed form.
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Monday night, the two teams face off, with the Jets hosting the 8:30 p.m. ET game. We’ll see plenty of fantasy-relevance in the game:
Bears
Start in every league: Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery
Start if you're desperate: Jay Cutler, Martellus Bennett, Robbie Gould, Defense/special teams
Bench: ...
The Jets have a truly great run defense, shutting down Eddie Lacy a week ago, so sure, Forte could struggle, but there's no way to justify benching him. ... Even still battling moderate injury concerns, Marshall and Jeffery are basically must-starts.
Cutler is always a risk to have a game of stupid decisions, but if he can play like he did in Week 2, he’s an every-week starter. ... Bennett has looked good through two weeks, but we might see the team work to get Jeffery on the board this week, at the expense of the tight end. ... Gould hasn’t been great so far, but is still a strong kicker option. ... The Bears’ defense will give up rushing yards for sure, but there is some low-end potential if you’re desperate.
There are of course some Bears you won't be starting Monday night (Santonio Holmes), but none that are even possibly fantasy-relevant to begin with.
Jets
Start in every league: Chris Johnson
Start if you're desperate: Geno Smith, Chris Ivory, Eric Decker, Nick Folk
Bench: Jeremy Kerley, Jeff Cumberland, Defense/special teams
That shoddy Bears’ run defense means that Johnson profiles as an easy start this week; he’s my RB10.
Smith is notoriously unpredictable at quarterback, but if Good Geno shows up, he can always have a big game. I rank him 15th at the position for the week. ... Just like Johnson’s stock rises because of the matchup, so does Ivory’s. ... It looks like Decker will be healthy to play Monday night. Best bet, if possible, is to have someone like Ivory, or Holmes, or Kerley, as a just-in-case play if Decker’s news goes south. ... Folk is right near must-start territory among kickers. He’s not quite there, but he’s close.
Kerley hasn’t done a lot yet this season, but if Decker is limited Monday, Kerley has some potential. ... Cumberland, meanwhile, does not. ... Even with the strength of their run defense, facing the Bears means the Jets’ defense is probably a stay-away.
