Fantasy football advice, Week 3: Who to start/sit for Washington vs. Giants on Thursday night

When the Week 3 Thursday night matchup of Washington vs. the New York Giants was originally scheduled, some people surely yawned at what looked like just another game of also-rans. Thanks to the football disasters that have befallen the NFC East co-favorite Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, though, Washington and New York are suddenly in a position where a couple wins in a row could put them right in the heart of contention.

From a fantasy angle, both teams will be without wide receivers they basically haven't had all year, with the Giants missing Victor Cruz and Washington missing DeSean Jackson. Outside of those two, the teams are basically healthy from a fantasy perspective.

Start 'em?: You typically like running backs going into a Thursday game. You would like Alfred Morris and Matt Jones if either were on his own in the backfield. With both keeping relevance, though, it becomes riskier. Morris looks like a fine RB2 and Jones a flex play, but if one seizes the role to start the game, the other might not have a chance to produce. ... This game could see a lot of points and a lot of passes. Without Jackson, that means good things for Pierre Garcon. ... A week after 11 targets in Week 1, Jordan Reed had only six in Week 2. You want more quantity out of him. ... The Washington defense is very good against the run, though much less so against the pass. Against a Giants team that will occasionally implode, this is a low-end play with upside.

Sit 'em: The bright side of Kirk Cousins' Week 2 was his lack of turnovers. But even with that, in a game the team won and put up 24 points, Cousins did very little, with just over 200 passing yards and one touchdown. When a 12-point fantasy day is your bright spot, things aren't great. ... Dustin Hopkins was flawless in his 2015 debut, but still, he was unemployed when this month began.

Start 'em: For the frustrating parts of Eli Manning's first two weeks, he has no turnovers and two touchdowns. That's very un-Eli, and against Washington's pass defense, he should be able to do well. ... Some people were briefly worried about Odell Beckham Jr. after Week 1. Those people are dumb.

Start 'em?: His usage is declining, and facing the Washington defense means Rashad Jennings will have even a tougher go of it Thursday. ... Shane Vereen is seeing a lot of looks in the short passing game. He's an interesting PPR option. ... Josh Brown has had plenty of kicking chances through two weeks, and that stands a good chance of continuing Thursday. ... There are very few teams against whom you'd even consider the Giants' defense, but against Washington (and Cousins), the team could stumble into a few forced turnovers. High-risk, high-reward.

Sit 'em: Ostensibly filling in for Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle has four catches for 28 yards through two games. Total stay-away. ... The touchdown from Larry Donnell in Week 2 was nice, but he hasn't reached even 30 yards in a game this year, or even 60 yards since Week 7 of last year.

Start in every league: Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr.
Start if you're desperate: Alfred Morris, Matt Jones, Pierre Garcon, Jordan Reed, Washington defense, Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, Josh Brown, New York defense
Bench: Kirk Cousins, Dustin Hopkins, Rueben Randle, Larry Donnell