NFL I FANTASY
Ravens vs Cowboys: Fantasy starts and sits
The Dallas Cowboys host the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday. With that matchup in mind, here are the players worth starting and sitting in Week 3.
The Dallas Cowboys will host the Baltimore Ravens at AT&T Stadium this Sunday, September 22. The Ravens are surprisingly 0-2, but they won’t stay winless for long, and the Cowboys are coming off of a brutal beating at home. Both teams will be looking for redemption on Sunday, but some players made it clear they’re not worth starting in fantasy football, while others still deserve a chance.
The Cowboys defense was stomped all over and made a lot of unforgivable mistakes, but quarterback Dak Prescott’s errors weren’t all his fault and could improve in Week 2. The Ravens have a ton of players who, regardless of their record, deserve to be started weekly, like quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry. But they also have a few players who could come in and out depending on the matchup and the circumstances.
Here are the Ravens and Cowboys fantasy players you should start and sit in NFL Week 3.
Ravens vs Cowboys Fantasy starts and sits
Obvious starts:
COWBOYS:
- K Brandon Aubrey
- WR CeeDee Lamb
RAVENS:
- QB Lamar Jackson
- RB Derrick Henry
- WR Zay Flowers
Ravens vs Cowboys Week 3 Starts:
- Cowboys QB Dak Prescott:
Prescott is by no means a weekly starter or an obvious one, but despite his low stats the last few weeks, he should perform well against the Ravens defense, who's been struggling in their first few weeks, especially in the passing game. Considering Dallas' weak run game, Prescott is much more likely to utilize his passing skills against Baltimore in Week 3, which is all the more reason to start him against them.
- Ravens TE Mark Andrews:
Andrews has taken a while to get his momentum in both of the Ravens' games so far, but in Week 2, he finished as the Ravens' second-leading pass catcher. Though fellow tight end Isaiah Likely outperformed him in Week 1, Andrews had a lot more opportunities last week and should again play an integral role in the passing game against Dallas this week.
Ravens vs Cowboys Week 3 Tentative starts:
- Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson OR Luke Schoonmaker:
Basically, if Ferguson is healthy and starting on Sunday, put him in. Ferguson is Prescott’s second-favorite target behind CeeDee Lamb and has been a huge contributor for Dallas since last season. If he’s in, start him. If he’s not in, however, then Schoonmaker isn’t a bad idea to start instead if you can pick him up without dropping Ferguson. The Ravens defense has given up an average nine points to TEs so far this season.
Ravens vs Cowboys Week 3 Sits:
- Ravens TE Isaiah Likely:
Despite an explosive Week 1 when Likely put up 26.1 fantasy points, he saw much fewer opportunities in Week 2, with Mark Andrews seeing the majority of the work instead. While he may still get a few chances, he's going against a Dallas defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends since the beginning of last season.
- Cowboys defense:
The Dallas defense allowed 44 points, 190 rushing yards, and four touchdowns on the ground to the Saints last week. Even if that wasn't true, playing any defense against Lamar Jackson is just plain not a good idea. The Chiefs and Raiders defenses were only able to get four fantasy points when they were up aganist him. I doubt the Cowboys will be the first to break that stat.
- Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott:
Elliott was never going to be a great option to start, despite being listed as the Cowboys RB1 on their depth chart. But as he's starting to fade behind Rico Dowdle and against the Ravens, it's better to leave him on the bench this week.
- Ravens defense:
The Ravens defense has been struggling, in pass coverage especially. So far, they've scored a total of 11 fantasy points through two games. The Cowboys offense isn't necessarily going to be elite, but they do still have some passing power. It's not worth the risk this week. Sit 'em.