clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Baker Mayfield start or sit: Week 3 fantasy football advice

We go over the fantasy football outlook of Baker Mayfield ahead of the Cleveland Browns Week 3 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns plays against the Houston Texans at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 19, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland won the game 31-21. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

The Cleveland Browns enter Week 3 with a matchup against the Chicago Bears. The Browns are 1-1 on the season after a close loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and easy win over the Houston Texans. Cleveland was always going to be a run-oriented team and things haven’t changed over two weeks. That may not be the case in Week 3 with a certain wideout set to return. Let’s take a look at QB Baker Mayfield’s outlook.

Fantasy Football analysis: Browns QB Baker Mayfield

Through two games, Mayfield has been himself — lackluster. He was OK in terms of actual football in Week 1 vs. the Chiefs and still only threw for 321 yards, no TDs and a pick. We won’t see many big games from Mayfield so long as Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are healthy. In a cupcake matchup against the Texans, the QB only threw for 213 yards and a TD because he wasn’t needed to do much. The game script doesn’t change drastically against the Bears in Week 3.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Mayfield is a QB2 who really only should be started in deeper leagues as a streamer or injury replacement. The matchup isn’t bad, but we could see a low-scoring game against the Bears. Even in a shootout, Mayfield didn’t throw for a TD against the Chiefs. If you need someone as a QB2 in a Super FLEX league, sure, you can do worse than Mayfield. You also could pick up Bears QB Justin Fields and take the rushing upside. Overall, keep Mayfield on your bench this week and wait for a better matchup.