Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 3 D/ST: Raiders, Steelers, Titans, Lions | Sporting News (2024)

With Week 3 almost here, we're going to take a look at some fantasy football start or sit advice for four D/STs: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders.

The Steelers and Raiders will both be playing their first home games of the 2024 season. Pittsburgh will host the Los Angeles Chargers, while Las Vegas draws the flailing Carolina Panthers.

In Tennessee, the Titans will welcome the Green Bay Packers, who may be starting one of their former draft picks at quarterback. The Lions are the only team out of the group to be on the road, and they draw a matchup against a hot Arizona Cardinals team.

Which one of these D/STs are viable lineup options in Week 3? Let's take a look.

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Raiders D/ST

On the surface, a matchup against the Panthers seems like an absolute cinch for Las Vegas' defense. However, the change at quarterback from Bryce Young to Andy Dalton makes a huge difference.

Dalton managed to throw for 361 yards and two scores without an interception in his lone start last season, which led to the Panthers posting 27 points in a losing effort. It was clear then that Dalton was the better option over Young, and that's probably still the case.

Dalton has seemingly had a spell on the Raiders during his career. The veteran quarterback is 3-0 as a starter (4-0 overall) against the Raiders and has completed 67% of his passes for 708 yards and seven touchdowns to no picks in those starts.

In his last outing against Las Vegas with the New Orleans Saints in 2022, Dalton completed 22-of-30 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns.

The Raiders have a good defense, but the unit hasn't been productive for fantasy purposes, ranking as a bottom-five unit. If you are a fan of past trends, starting the Raiders' D/ST against Dalton doesn't feel great.

You can certainly do worse than a matchup against the worst team in the league.We'll still HESITANTLY call the Raiders D/ST a starting option,but don't be surprised if it blows up in your face when the Dalton train rolls through Vegas.

Verdict: Start 'Em

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Lions D/ST

The Lions have been an average D/ST over the first two games, as the unit is tied for 16th in fantasy points. While Detroit will be a solid option to roll with for a decent amount of games this season, that is not the case this week.

Detroit's Week 3 opponent, the Cardinals, have posted 69 points over their first two games, including 41 against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. As a result, Arizona has been the third-stingiest team for D/STs through two games. The Lions aren't a viable starting option in Week 3.

Verdict: Sit 'Em

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Steelers D/ST

The Steelers have already shown they have an elite defense over two games, with Pittsburgh ranking tied for DST4 after two double-digit fantasy outings. That in and of itself makes them an every-week option.

Pittsburgh's Week 3 opponent, the Chargers, have been a bad matchup for D/STs this season, with Los Angeles tied for the fourth-fewest fantasy points surrendered.

The Chargers' main source of offense has been the ground game, but that might not be a recipe for success against a Steelers defense that has the fourth-best run defense in the NFL.

Adding to that, Justin Herbert may not be 100%, as he's been limited so far this week and had his injured ankle heavily wrapped in practice. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Herbert was "extremely limited" on Thursday.

There's more than enough meat on the bone to deploy the Steelers' D/ST with confidence in Week 3.

Verdict: Start 'Em

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Titans D/ST

The Titans' defense has looked pretty good over the first two games, and that's with very little help from the offense, which hasn't done a good job sustaining drives to give the unit a rest.

The decision to start the Titans' D/ST in Week 3 comes down to whether or not Jordan Love plays. The Packers quarterback has been taking part in practice this week, albeit on a limited basis. Still, that gives him a chance to play.

We saw first hand just how limited Malik Willis is as a passer last week, and it's clear the Packers would prefer to lean on the run if he's under center. That could present a problem this week, though, as the Titans sport a top-10 run defense, which may force Willis to throw more, putting him at risk for turnovers.

If Love ends up playing, the Titans' D/ST isn't a suggested lineup option. However, if Willis gets the ball again, you should most certainly insert Tennessee into your lineup for Week 3.

Verdict (if Love starts): Sit 'Em

Verdict (if Willis starts): Start 'Em

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 3 D/ST: Raiders, Steelers, Titans, Lions | Sporting News (2024)

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