Fantasy Football: Three up, three down for Week 3
By Matt Giraldi
Thursday night football allowed us to witness an NFC East matchup, and for Matt Jones owners it was deflating. Kirk Cousins and the Redskins offense looked lost the majority of the night. Meanwhile, Odell Beckham now has has 110 catches, 1,574 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career despite not playing a full 16 games. Simply astounding numbers by the Giants receiver.
Each and every Friday, I will take a long look at three fantasy football players that will be worth the risk to start (with upside for elongated future success). I will also look at the three players that are generating substantial buzz for the week ahead, yet are likely to underwhelm when it counts. Here are the players I have for Week Three.
Three Up
I promise that this will not become a recurring theme involving Marcus Mariota, unless it does. Last week I was very skeptical of Mariota’s chances for success against the Cleveland Browns. But this week Mariota gets the Indianapolis Colts in his home debut.
Last week, the Colts’ secondary was shredded by Ryan Fitzpatrick and the New York Jets. Perhaps more indicative of success this weekend for Mariota were the injuries suffered by the Colts in Monday night’s game. Among the biggest name on the injury report is Vontae Davis. All together, the Colts have three cornerbacks on the injury report, all of whom are listed as questionable for Sunday’s divisional game.
Marshall will be going up against Byron Maxwell. ‘Nuff said.
Ok, I’ll say a bit more. Marshall is one of the few healthy receivers for the Jets. With Eric Decker likely out, along with Chris Owusu, Marshall has a huge opportunity for double digit targets. Rookie wide receiver Devin Smith might play this weekend for the Jets, which could stretch the already suspect Eagles secondary. The Eagles have allowed 270 passing yards per game thus far.
A lot of people are down on Benjamin heading into this week’s game against the Oakland Raiders. The primary reason behind it is the benching of Johnny Manziel. Pro Football Focus graded Josh McCown among the top quarterbacks with deep passes last season.
The Raiders have given up the most big plays (20+ yards) in the passing game this season. While I’m skeptical of Benjamin’s long term viability, this weekend could be another huge weekend for the Brown’s big play threat.
Three Down
I hope that I’m wrong with this pick. I really do. But the New York Jets’ pass rush is legitimate and their secondary is playing excellent football. Opposing quarterbacks have a paltry 63.7 quarterback rating against the Jets.
In the first two games, the Jets have limited opposing quarterbacks to an average of just 11.72 fantasy points per game. Given Sam Bradford’s struggles with consistency, this has the makings of an ugly fantasy performance.
This isn’t all about Jimmy Clausen, and it’s not entirely about the return of Kam Chancellor. It’s also not about the possibility of Alshon Jeffery missing his second game in a row. It’s about each and every one of those things coupled with the fact that the Seahawks have been fairly stout against the run despite missing a key component of the Legion of Boom.
Forte has averaged a robust 5.2 yards per carry this season on 39 rushing attempts. But given Clausen’s glaring weaknesses, the Seahawks are sure to stack the box and force the Notre Dame alumni to beat them.
Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate:
Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. are possibly the best cornerback duo in the NFL. Both rated in the top 15 last season according to Pro Football Focus. The Broncos have not allowed more than 200 passing yards in a game. They have not allowed a receiving touchdown, and have only given up two offensive touchdowns thus far.
Given Matt Stafford’s presence on the injury report with a chest injury, he might be the proverbial lamb to slaughter. Stafford has only been sacked twice this season and hit 12 times. The Lions will need to maintain that status quo or Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, and the rest of the Denver defense will be on their way to their third win of the season.