Fantasy Football Start 'Em & Sit 'Em NFL Week 3: Daniel Jones Vs. Jared Goff
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The young NFL season has already given fantasy football owners plenty of notable performances from the quarterback position. In Week 2, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff were among the top-five quarterbacks in fantasy.
This week, Jones’ Colts go on the road to take on the Tennessee Titans in a divisional matchup. Fantasy owners will look for Jones to continue a streak of stellar play to open the season, vastly exceeding expectations to start his Colts tenure.
For Goff and the Lions, they’re set to go on the road in Week 3 as well. Detroit will take on the Baltimore Ravens, coming off a dominant 52-21 win over the Chicago Bears last week.
Fantasy football owners could be stuck with the dilemma of which quarterback to start between Jones and Goff for Week 3. Let’s look at which quarterback projects to have a better fantasy performance this weekend.
The Case For Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones has been one of the most impressive quarterbacks in the league through two weeks of action. He managed to lead seven scoring drives and scored three touchdowns, two rushing and one passing. Jones entered a tough matchup in Week 2 as QB2 in fantasy and continued his high-level play versus one of the toughest defenses in the NFL in the Denver Broncos.
Entering Week 3, Jones has arguably his most favorable matchup of the season versus Tennessee. This week’s game projects to feature plenty of scoring drives from Jones and the Colts’ offense. His immense efficiency and touchdown production through the air and on the ground gives him a sound argument for this start-sit matchup.
The Case Against Jones
Jones’ lackluster play during his first six NFL seasons has caused owners to raise concerns over the sustainability of his production. The seventh-year signal-caller’s past tendencies present reason for suspicion of potential regression after two solid games in Weeks 1 and 2.
A season ago, Jones threw seven interceptions and fumbled the ball four times. Historically, he’s been a turnover machine, though he’s seemed to turn it around so far this season.
The Case For Jared Goff
Jared Goff posted the best fantasy performance of any quarterback in the league in Week 2. Matched up against Chicago, Goff threw for 334 yards and five touchdowns without a turnover. His 34.0 fantasy points were the second-most of any quarterback so far this season, behind Josh Allen’s 38.8-point showing in Week 1.
After a concerning Week 1 effort from Detroit’s offense, Goff and the Lions bounced back for a league-high 52 points. Detroit’s offense appears to have found its stride just in time for a tough matchup versus Baltimore.
The Case Against Goff
The biggest argument against Goff is a tough matchup versus the Ravens defense. Goff notoriously struggles under pressure and could be in for a long day if Detroit’s offensive line can’t prop him up in the pocket.
Detroit’s offense struggled in Week 1, matched up against a comparable - albeit slightly improved - Packers front. Baltimore’s front could make Goff uncomfortable in the pocket and throw off the rhythm of the Lions’ offense early.
The Final Verdict
I’ve been quite bullish on Daniel Jones’ pairing with Colts head coach Shane Steichen, which has proven to be a winning tandem through two weeks of action. Given his rushing upside and the consistency of the Colts’ offense, I’m going to start Jones this week with a favorable matchup against Tennessee’s defense.
Goff and Detroit’s offense could struggle versus the Baltimore defense in Week 2. Jones and Indianapolis’ offense should manage to control the game versus an inconsistent Titans defense, potentially giving the signal-caller yet another strong fantasy showing.
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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.