Week 3 Fantasy Football Start 'Em & Sit 'Em: Jakobi Meyers Vs. DeVonta Smith
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Week 3 of the NFL season continues on Thursday night before a loaded slate of Sunday games. During Sunday’s 1:00 p.m. EST slate, the Las Vegas Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles will both suit up.
The Raiders are coming off a Week 2 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers, looking to bounce back on the road versus the Washington Commanders. Raiders wideout Jakobi Meyers has posted solid performances in each of his first two games, eclipsing six receptions and 60 yards in both contests.
On the other hand, the Eagles are looking to build on a 2-0 start to the season, coming off a narrow victory versus the Kansas City Chiefs last weekend. Philadelphia’s passing attack has struggled to start the season and DeVonta Smith has reaped the consequences, catching just seven passes for 69 yards through the first two games of the year.
In fantasy football, owners could be deciding between the two wideouts when building a Week 3 starting lineup. Here’s a look at who could rack up more fantasy points this weekend:
The Case For Jakobi Meyers
Meyers has posted consistent fantasy production in each of his first two games. In the season opener, Myers notched 17.7 fantasy points in PPR-format leagues, catching eight of his 10 targets for 97 yards.
He followed that up with a 12.8-point showing in Week 2, catching 6-of-12 targets for 68 yards in the loss.
Entering Week 3, Meyers’ volume projects to remain consistent versus an unstable Commanders defense. The seventh-year receiver should continue a steady streak of production in Week 3.
The Case Against Meyers
In his third season in Las Vegas, there’s now several other mouths to feed in the Raiders offense. Matched up against a subpar Commanders run defense, Las Vegas is likely to give star rookie running back Ashton Jeanty significant volume.
Through two games, Las Vegas has leaned on its passing attack and Meyers’ fantasy owners emerged beneficial.
This week projects to paint a different picture. Las Vegas is slated to lean on Jeanty more than previous weeks with a favorable matchup in the interior of the trenches.
The Case For DeVonta Smith
DeVonta Smith’s argument should be an easy one to make. The fifth-year receiver has eclipsed 800 yards and five touchdowns in each of his first four seasons and is coming off an improved performance after a disappointing Week 1 showing.
Despite a lackluster performance from Philadelphia’s passing attack in Week 2, Smith emerged as the team’s leading receiver, accounting for more than half of Jalen Hurts’ passing yards.
Smith is also entering a favorable matchup versus an inferior Rams secondary to that of Kansas City. Week 3 could be the week Philadelphia’s defense begins to find its stride, with Smith ready to break out.
The Case Against Smith
The concerns regarding a struggling Eagles offense are real. The Eagles’ passing attack ranks 31st in the league in yards and 32nd in touchdowns. Hurts has thrown for just 238 yards over two games, which left Smith with just 16 receiving yards after Week 1.
The overall matchup of Philadelphia’s offense versus Los Angeles’ defense also isn’t overwhelmingly favorable. The Rams’ defense has allowed the fewest points in the league this season, and the fourth-fewest yards. That’s not a recipe for success for a struggling Eagles offense.
Kevin Patullo has also shown a willingness to run the ball in close matchups. This makes a significant case against Smith versus the Rams this weekend.
The Final Verdict
Given his volume and production through two games, along with a far more favorable matchup, I’m going to start Meyers over Smith this weekend. I’m quite bullish on the Rams in this matchup of undefeated NFC squads.
Las Vegas should be able to move the ball versus an inconsistent Commanders secondary, while Philadelphia projects to struggle versus the Rams.
Meyers is fourth in the NFL in targets, tied for fifth in receptions and ninth in receiving yards. He should see plenty of opportunities to replicate solid production for the third consecutive week.
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Ethen Hutton is a MLB, WNBA, College, and Fantasy contributor at On SI. Previously, he's covered the NBA, WNBA and NFL for Sportskeeda. Hutton is also a passionate fantasy football player and an immense music lover.