Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the weekly NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Sleeper alert features an under-the-radar player who could produce good numbers. Owners beware features a regular fantasy starter who could fail to meet expectations based on the strength of his opponent. Obvious fantasy starters like Aaron Rodgers and LeSean McCoy will not be featured. For your final lineup decisions, check our lineup rankings.
Note: All starts and sits in this column are based on NFL.com's standard scoring system (non-PPR).
Start of the week
Cordarrelle Patterson at New Orleans Saints: Patterson hasn't had a great start to the season based on his receiving totals, posting a mere 82 yards with no touchdowns through two games. Still, it's tough to ignore this week's matchup against the Saints. In their first two games, New Orleans has allowed the most receiving yards and the second-most fantasy points to wide receivers.
Start 'em
Andre Johnson at New York Giants: Johnson hasn't been a superstar, but he has recorded 70-plus yards in each of his first two games. I'd keep him active against the Giants, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts in 2014. What's more, Johnson has recorded double-digit fantasy points (standard scoring) in seven of his last nine road games against the NFC.
Mike Wallace vs. Kansas City Chiefs: A little home cooking is just what Wallace needs to produce strong totals for your fantasy team. In his last four games in Miami, the veteran has scored one touchdown and produced a pair of 100-yard performances. The Chiefs pass defense is a mess right now, which just adds to Wallace's value from a fantasy standpoint. Get him into your lineup.
Alshon Jeffery at New York Jets (Mon.): Jeffery has had a slow start, posting a combined 11.80 fantasy points in his first two games. I'd continue to start him in Week 3, though, as he has a great matchup against the Jets. After two weeks, no team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing wide receivers than the men in green. Jeffery also has three scores in his last four road games.
Sleeper alert - Jeremy Maclin vs. Washington Redskins: All right so Maclin isn't a traditional sleeper at this point, but I wanted to get him in the Start 'Em portion of this column. That's because he has thrived against this week's opponent, the Redskins. In his last four games against this NFC East rival, Maclin has recorded three 100-yard performances. Get him active for this weekend.
Sit of the week
Victor Cruz vs. Houston Texans: This is less about the matchup and more about the fact that Cruz has been brutal at home. In his last eight games at MetLife Stadium, he's recorded the same number of touchdown catches as I have dates lined up with Kate Upton ... zero. Want another reason to sit Cruz on your fantasy team? He has one 100-yard performance in his last 12 contests overall.
Sit 'em
Eric Decker vs. Chicago Bears (Mon.): Decker had a decent stat line last week, but he also aggravated a nagging hamstring injury that could have his status for Week 3 in question. Since he's not playing until Monday night, it's tough to wait on Decker if he's a game-time decision. Furthermore, he's recorded 80-plus yards just twice in eight career home games against NFC opponents.
Pierre Garcon at Philadelphia Eagles: Garcon put up a 1.20-point stinker last week, and his career trend against his upcoming opponent, the Eagles, doesn't bode well for a major increase in stats. In five career games against the NFC East rival, the veteran wide receiver has posted fewer than 70 yards four times. Furthermore, Garcon has never scored a touchdown versus Philadelphia.
Torrey Smith at Cleveland Browns: Smith has had a miserable statistical start to this season, scoring a combined six fantasy points while losing targets to Steve Smith. Up next he goes toe-to-toe with Joe Haden and the Browns, who have held Torrey in check during his career. In fact, he's recorded double-digit fantasy points in just two of his six career games against this AFC North rival.
Owners beware - Larry Fitzgerald vs. San Francisco 49ers: Fitzgerald has dominated the Niners during his illustrious career, but you have to be concerned with his lack of targets and production in the first two weeks of the season. Furthermore, the veteran wideout will be catching passes from career backup Drew Stanton this weekend. That scenario makes him an even bigger risk.
Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on NFL.com and NFL Network and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Have a burning question on anything fantasy related? Tweet it to _**@MichaelFabiano**_ or send a question via **Facebook**!
