DFS advice: Week 3 start or sit

DFS advice – TE’s to sit

O.J. Howard (TB) vs. NYG

It’s shocking to have Howard on this list considering that the Buccaneers will be going up against the lowly Giants. Poor quarterback play from Jameis Winston and a lack of targets have caused Howard’s fantasy stock to take a dive. In fact, Howard was not even targeted once throughout the entirety of last Thursday night’s game against the Panthers. I’d stray away from Howard if I were you heading into this week despite a weak defense coming into town.

Vance McDonald (PIT) @ SF

It’s not that McDonald is a bad tight end by any means, but the fact that an unknown quarterback in Mason Rudolph will be at the helm makes me a bit queasy. Ben Roethlisberger will be out for the remainder of the regular season with an elbow injury, so now it’s up to Rudolph to lead this offense. Lack of experience for Rudolph will definitely hurt McDonald’s production and cause many of us to feel less inclined to start him with confidence. The San Francisco 49ers are ranked as the ninth-best defense in the NFL, allowing just 17.0 points per game to opposing offenses. It’s going to be very difficult for McDonald to do much of anything with an offense stuck in neutral and a tough defense approaching on the horizon.

Jared Cook (NO) @ SEA

Now with starting quarterback Drew Brees expected to miss somewhere around six weeks with a thumb injury, Cook’s value in fantasy takes a serious hit. While Teddy Bridgewater is a serviceable backup quarterback, he certainly doesn’t have the explosiveness he can provide to players like Cook in the passing game. Cook also doesn’t possess the greatest catch rate among tight ends (40%), making him an unreliable weapon to go to. I’d seek other avenues if possible this week.