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Fantasy football managers will be locked into Thursday Night Football in Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season with many important players to watch. It's crucial to make the proper lineup decisions on Thursdays as it sets the tone for the large Sunday slate each week. Missing out on value, or reaching for an unnecessary play, can sometimes be the direct difference between winning and losing.
When the San Francisco 49ers take on the New York Giants, many fantasy football angles will be present. This is especially true considering some injuries to key fantasy lineup staples. This creates opportunities for other players to step up, creating an interesting list of fantasy players to start or sit.
Thursday Night Football Week 3 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em fantasy football
With the help of Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer, managers can come up with the best strategy when making lineup decisions each week. Thursday Night Football can be tricky for fantasy football, forcing managers to make some early decisions about who they play this week. The Optimizer is an excellent tool to help navigate some of these difficult decisions.
This particular Week 3 matchup between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers has several important factors for all fantasy football managers to take note of. Maybe most importantly, the Giants have already officially ruled out Saquon Barkley for the game as he deals with an ankle injury.
While it sounds like Barkley avoided a major injury, the Giants seem to prefer being cautious with their superstar running back, especially on a short week against an elite 49ers defense.
They have instead opted to start Matt Breida and allow Barkley some extra time to rest his ankle, presumably in anticipation of their Week 4 game next week.
As for the 49ers, star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is currently listed as questionable to play with a shoulder injury. He reportedly suffered the injury in the first quarter of their game against the Los Angeles Rams last week.
While he was able to complete the game, his usage was a bit limited and his involvement in their offense was much lower than it had been in the previous two weeks.
Also Read: Brandon Aiyuk injury update
According to head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, Aiyuk will be a true game-time decision for this contest against the Giants. This means he will test out his injured shoulder on gameday before coming to a decision with the medical staff on whether or not he will be available to play. This also means fantasy football managers will need to check his official status prior to kickoff.
While plugging injured players into a fantasy lineup, even when they appear in their NFL game, always carries a bit of extra risk, Brandon Aiyuk has been productive enough to warrant a starting spot in fantasy lineups if he does in fact play for the 49ers on Thursday Night Football.
If he's officially listed as out for the game, managers will need to come up with an alternative game plan for their wide receivers.
With the exception of Aiyuk, whose Start/Sit status in fantasy lineups should be directly determined by whether or not he's too injured to play, the rest of the options appear settled. Here are some players to target, and others to avoid, in the kickoff game to Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season.
Week 3 fantasy football Start 'Em picks
Daniel Jones
The New York Giants were in legitimate danger of suffering a massive upset against the Arizona Cardinals last week. They trailed for more than three quarters of the game, but Daniel Jones' stellar second-half performance saved the day. He showed off his dual-threat skillset on his way to a QB1 finish in Week 2 fantasy football.
While the San Francisco 49ers' elite defense will provide a much bigger test for Jones, he should still be started in most fantasy lineups. His consistent rushing contributions have kept him fantasy-relevant, ranking among the top ten overall quarterbacks in fantasy points per game since the start of last season.
Christian McCaffrey
Not much analysis is needed with Christian McCaffrey when it comes to fantasy lineup decisions. He was the best overall fantasy player last season and is well on his way to being so again for the 2023 season. He can be safely started every week, regardless of matchup, but a game against the Giants' beatable defense is even more attractive than usual.
Deebo Samuel
Deebo Samuel broke out in a major way during the 2021 fantasy football season, ranking among the top ten overall players. He did so with his unique mix of both rushing and receiving contributions. While running backs who contribute receiving stats are extremely common, Samuel is one of the rare wide receivers who posts fantasy-relevant rushing numbers as well.
After a relatively disappointing 2022 season as compared to the high standards set the year prior, Deebo Samuel is off to a strong start to this fantasy football season. His dynamic skill set has been on full display, currently averaging eight targets, four carries, and 70 total yards per game. If Aiyuk is forced to miss the game due to injury, Samuel gets even more of a potential boost.
Darren Waller
Darren Waller was brought in by the Giants to serve as their primary receiving target this year. He's done exactly that so far, including a solid Week 2 performance with six receptions for 76 yards. The Giants may have to pass often to keep up with the 49ers this week, further improving Waller's fantasy football outlook.
Also Read: George Kittle or Darren Waller Start Em’ Sit Em’
George Kittle
George Kittle is off to a slow start to the 2023 fantasy football season, but his offseason groin injury may have a lot to do with that. He's now reportedly fully recovered and participating fully in practice, so he should be expected for a big game soon. This could be the one, as the Giants have struggled against opposing tight ends in recent years.
To acquire any of these Start 'Em targets, make sure to consult the fantasy football trade analyzer first.
Week 3 fantasy football Sit 'Em picks
Brock Purdy
While Brock Purdy has been one of the most successful NFL quarterbacks since the halfway point of last season, he's not exactly a fantasy football star. The 49ers' offensive design limits his fantasy upside, especially with how often they run the ball. The game's script could result in a similar output in Week 3, so Purdy can be benched in traditional 1QB leagues.
Matt Breida
While fantasy managers who landed Matt Breida from the waiver wire this week are likely excited to have a new starting running back on their roster, this isn't the week they should be rushing to get him into their fantasy football lineups. The 49ers have one of the best overall defenses in the entire NFL and will make it difficult for Breida to find enough running room to be effective. He's a bench stash for now.
Giants WRs
While the game's script will likely dictate for the Giants to have to throw the ball often against the 49ers, their wide receivers should all probably still be left out of fantasy lineups. Darius Slayton, Parris Campbell, and Isaiah Hodgins all lack sufficient upside to outweigh their dangerously low floors.
Jalin Hyatt probably has the most upside of the group, but his floor still makes him too risky to trust. There will be better wide receiver options when the weekend arrives.
