Three players to start, and three players that you might want to think twice about this weekend.

With six teams on bye this week, including the Bills and Bengals, you may be finding this weeks start/sit decisions a bit more challenging.

Well to make things a little easier, here are three players you should be putting into your lineups this weekend, and three that you might want to avoid.

STARTS

Bucky Irving (Tampa Bay)

Coming off a week 11 bye, Bucky Irving now looks to be the primary ball-carrier in Tampa Bay, having out-carried Rachaad White in the team’s last game against the 49ers.

This week, the electric rookie faces the Giants, who have made just as many headlines as any other team since week 10, despite also not having played a game since.

There was reportedly some discontent among senior Giants players at the treatment of quarterback Daniel Jones. Jones was publicly benched after the teams loss to Carolina, before being officially released earlier today.

On the field, the Giants have given up the 4th-most rushing yards/game this season, a stat that will no-doubt encourage Irving.

Per game stats are, of course, game script dependent, but that remains relevant this weekend. The Buccaneers are a good team, with a good quarterback and may very well rack up the score this weekend against a Giants team set to run it back with Tommy DeVito under center.

Kareem Hunt (Kansas City)

Coming off an RB30 (half-ppr) finish in week 11, you should be back in on Kareem Hunt this week.

In two, more even, games, Hunt’s carry total dropped to 14 in weeks 10 and 11, from 27 in week 9. That’s because the Chiefs were playing from behind to both the Broncos and the Bills, but the same can’t be expected this weekend.

The Panthers have shown signs of life lately, but their defense remains a mess, allowing the most rushing yards/game on the year. Even in a winning performance against the Giants in week 10, they allowed Tyrone Tracy to carry for 103 yards and a score.

Hunt definitely doesn’t have the juice that Tracy does, but with the Chiefs likely pulling away early, he should see his carries bounce back up into the twenties.

When you factor in Hunt’s goal line usage, and the fact that Isiah Pacheco has now been ruled out for Sunday, Hunt should have no trouble accumulating fantasy points this weekend.

Will Dissly (LA Chargers)

I’m not usually one to chase an outlier fantasy week, especially one that was boosted by a touchdown, but Will Dissly has now seen back to back games with 6 targets.

Justin Herbert is throwing the ball more, and Dissly looks to be his tight end of choice. I certainly wouldn’t expect him to repeat the 80 yards and a touchdown from week 11 too often, but I wouldn’t completely rule it out this coming Monday.

The Baltimore defense remains 32nd in passing yards allowed/game, though the game script on Monday may be a little closer than it has been for the Ravens this season.

In their last three games though, Baltimore have allowed 5 passing touchdowns to only 1 on the ground. In a position that is so heavily affected by touchdowns, Dissly looks a great shout for your tight end spot this week.

SITS

Chuba Hubbard (Carolina)

Chuba Hubbard, the RB11 in half-ppr this year and the RB2 in week 10, is a flex at best for me this week.

I feel uncomfortable as a write this, Hubbard has been so good despite so many negative game scripts that it feels wrong to rule him out, but Kansas City is by far the best defense he has faced this season.

Through ten games, Hubbard has only faced two top-half defenses in rushing yards allowed/game and scored less that 10 fantasy points against both.

Kansas City ranks 3rd in that stat and has only allowed 50+ rushing yards to two running backs this year (Jordan Mason 58, Audric Estime 53), both in games that were close until late.

This weekend, I don’t see the Panthers being able to keep up with the Chiefs, the gulf in class between the two defenses is just too great.

Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis)

Jonathan Taylor will most likely be started almost everywhere this week, because he’s Jonathan Taylor. But I just can’t see a way for him to rack up the yardage on Sunday.

After struggling against a mediocre Jets run defense last weekend, Taylor now faces an intimidating Lions team that have held Joe Mixon and Travis Etienne to just 73 combined rushing yards, from 37 combined attempts over the last two weeks.

When you factor in that the Lions’ points-differential this season is 53 points higher than the next best team (Buffalo), and that Anthony Richardson is back to steal goal line touches, Taylor may need to break off a massive run just to be flex-worthy this week.

Mike Evans (Tampa Bay)

“If he needs to be in there, he’ll be in there, but we’ll get him out when we have to“.

Those were the words of Todd Bowles (per Adam Schefter) when discussing Mike Evans‘ potential usage this Sunday against the Giants.

Many have waited patiently to play Mike Evans again since his injury against Baltimore, so it’s understandable that he will most likely be starting in most leagues on Sunday.

What I gather from that quote though, is that if the Buccaneers can get the job done without Evans, they will. If Tampa Bay can get ahead by a couple of scores on Sunday, it would not surprise me to see him sit out the final quarter or two.

Even when he is on the field, Evans clearly won’t be 100%, and he faces a Giants pass defense that has given up the 4th-fewest passing yards/game this year.

As I eluded to earlier in this article, the Buccaneers should be able to get this one done on the ground, so I would avoid him altogether this week. Flex him if you need to, but I wouldn’t expect WR2 numbers from Evans until next weekend.

That’s all from me, I hope this has helped with a few difficult decisions this week. I’ll release my week 12 betting preview tomorrow evening but until then, have a good start to your weekend.

In-depth stats from Pro Football Focus.