It is often difficult for fantasy managers to decide which players to start and which ones to sit when it comes to Thursday night football. The game creeps up on everyone and decisions have to be made early. Once the game begins, there is no going back. It is always wise to remember one key strategy when it comes to the Thursday night game, which is never put a player in this game in a flex position. Having said all of that, let’s dive right in and see who are the Thursday night football starts/sits for this week.

Starts

James Robinson, Running Back

Without question, there aren’t many players on the Jacksonville roster worth even a moment of thought of starting in fantasy lineups. However, one of those players is James Robinson. Just like the rest of the team, Robinson was in the dumps the first two games of the season. He turned that around, though, in a big way in week three against Arizona.

Robinson turned in by far his best game in 2021 with 15 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown, In addition, he caught all six of his targets for another 46 yards. The result was 24 fantasy points. Even on a short week, there is no way to justify leaving Robinson on the bench and is certainly a must start. Get him into your fantasy lineups without a second thought, even though he plays in a dumpster fire of an offense.

The Entire Cincinnati Starting Offense

The key here for this decision has as much to do with the Jacksonville defense (such that it is) as the Bengals offensive starters. Simply stated, the Jaguars are a poor team in all phases of the game, offensively and defensively. Cincinnati will spend a lot of time on offense in this game. Thus, their offensive starters are a go across the board, with one word of caution (see below).

Whether it is Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd or Ja’Marr Chase doesn’t matter. If they are on the roster, get them into this game. The notable exception to this rule is there isn’t a tight end on the Bengals that is worthy of a bench spot, let alone a start.

Burrow is completing 70.7% of his passes, Mixon is averaging 4.3 YPC, Chase has four TDs and Boyd scored a TD last week. Get these guys into lineups against Jacksonville. That is the number one piece of advice that can be gained from this Thursday night football starts/sits edition.

A Word of Caution

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

Having said get all of Bengals into the starting lineup, there is one player that must be closely monitored as the game approaches. That player is Tee Higgins. He is listed as questionable as of this writing due to a shoulder injury. He has not practiced yet this week and it seems unlikely he will play. If he does indeed miss this game, that would be truly unfortunate for his fantasy managers.

Cincinnati Defense

As was stated above, Jacksonville is sorry at all phases of the game right now. That being said, it naturally follows that the Cincinnati defense is without doubt start worthy on Thursday night. The Bengals showed what they can do on Sunday against the hated Steelers with two interceptions and four sacks. That performance earned the defense 24 fantasy points. It is not unreasonable to assume that a similar outcome can be expected against Jacksonville. This defense clearly belongs on this Thursday night football starts/sits edition.

Sits

Other than Robinson, all Jaguar Offensive Players

The point can’t be overemphasized. With the exception of Robinson, there isn’t a single Jaguars player worth starting in fantasy right now. It can be argued that they don’t even belong on a roster. Trevor Lawrence is a talented quarterback, but he looks absolutely out of his depth right now. He has seven interceptions through three games.

Wherever one turns, the outlook is bleak for Jacksonville’s players. After scoring 12 points in week one, Laviska Shenault has 10 the past two games. Carlos Hyde has 11 fantasy points this season. Even if he had that in one game, he wouldn’t be start worthy this week. Add it all up and collectively, Jacksonville’s offensive players are the biggest sits imaginable coming in to this Thursday night game. Avoid them at all costs, except for Robinson.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this Thursday night football starts/sits edition! As always, I welcome input and suggestions from all of my readers. Follow me on twitter @kevin62wilsea, and be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports & Picks for all the latest NFL and sports news!

Go play the greatest and latest in sports gambling at https://simbull.app/bellyupfantasy. Wall street meets sports gambling in this innovative app. Simbull brings the fun of being able to play for the long term by purchasing, selling, and trading stocks of your teams. When your teams win you win a payout. When they lose you DON’T! The value of your teams’ share is all that matters and it’s easy to use. Just download the Simbull app on your play store and use the promo code BELLYUPFANTASY for a $10 deposit bonus of at least $10 or more. Join the fun of investing in your team for the long haul where the sportsbook edge is put back into your hands as the player. For the latest and most fun in sports gambling download Simbull and again use the promo code BELLYUPFANTASY for your $10 deposit bonus today! https://simbull.app/bellyupfantasy