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The only thing that is for sure is that nothing is for sure! Isn’t the NFL great?

This past week just proved how topsy-turvy the NFL season can be. The Bears ruined the opening of the 49ers new stadium a week after losing at home to the Bills. The Cowboys were humbled at home by the same 49ers in week 1 and went to Nashville to beat the Titans. The Cardinals are first in the NFC West ahead of the champs. The Patriots are sitting behind the Bills in the AFC East. The Raiders – ok, some things have gone as predicted.

It’s time to get back on track now!

Week 3 – HERE WE GO!

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

16 – NEW ENGLAND over Oakland – The Patriots got off to a slow start but took advantage of an odd situation in Minnesota last week. Look for them to take advantage of another extremely odd situation – that being the Oakland Raiders.

15 – ATLANTA over Tampa Bay – The week kicks off in Tampa with a solid divisional match up. I do think this will be a good game, but there is no way Matt Ryan will allow this game to get away from the Falcons.

14 – NEW ORLEANS over Minnesota – The Saints finally come home to the friendly confines of the Superdome after an unexpected 0-2 start. Look for Drew Brees to have his way with the Vikings who, well, will probably have other things on their minds.

13 – CINCINNATI over Tennessee – Tennessee is another one of those teams that has had an up and down start to the season. After winning in Kansas City, the Titans forgot to show up for their home opener against Dallas. It doesn’t get any easier for the Titans as they go up against what I consider to be a dark horse contender for the AFC this year.

12 – PHILADELPHIA over Washington – Possibly the most interesting stat of the week is the fact that the Eagles are 2-0 while taking just six offensive snaps with the lead. It shouldn’t be that difficult this week though as they take on a much depleted Redskins team.

11 – CAROLINA over Pittsburgh – After escaping with a win against the Browns, the Steelers laid an egg in Baltimore. Not exactly the momentum you want to take into a game against a defense like the Panthers.

10 – Indianapolis over JACKSONVILLE – After their collapse Monday against the Eagles, the Colts could really use a week off to recuperate. A game against the Jaguars is the next best thing.

9 – MIAMI over Kansas City – The Chiefs were hit hard by the injury bug in week 1, but nothing as hard as losing Jamaal Charles last week. While Knile Davis picked up the slack last week, it should be too much to overcome in Miami this week.

8 – SEATTLE over Denver – The obvious cliché thing to do would be to mention how this is the Super Bowl rematch. But honestly, that’s not really the case. I mean, the Broncos didn’t show up in that game and I don’t expect them to show up in Seattle this week either.

7 – Baltimore over CLEVELAND – It’s the old Browns vs the new Browns. But even after an upset win last week, don’t be fooled – the new Browns are still the old Browns. (I’ll pause a second to let you get caught up).

6 – Dallas over ST. LOUIS – The Cowboys just love to keep things confusing for everyone. Look for the confusion to continue with a road win this week. The Dallas defense is weak, but the Rams offense appears to be weaker. JJ Watt currently has more receiving touchdowns than the Rams do!

5 – DETROIT over Green Bay – This game could go a long way in deciding who takes the NFC North this season. Right now all four teams are 1-1. The Packers defense has had their share of issues so far this season, which the high-powered Lions offense should be able to feast on.

4 – BUFFALO over San Diego – The Bills are still out to prove their doubters wrong. A win over the Chargers, who are coming off an impressive win against Seattle, should help Buffalo’s case. This week’s BOLD PREDICTION is that with the AFC as wide open as it seems now, THE BILL WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS SEASON.

3 – San Francisco over ARIZONA – It’s going to be fun to watch NFC West games this year. I had the Cardinals winning this one, but Carson Plamer looks like he will be on the shelf again and now the Cardinals have to deal with their own PR issues thanks to Jonathan Dwyer. The 49ers should be able to rebound after last week’s disappointment.

2 – Chicago over NEW YORK JETS – Week 3 ends in Jersey with an intriguing matchup with two teams that are looking to cement their place as legit teams. The Jets are still hurting on defense and if the full Bears’ offense shows up they should be able to squeak out a road win.

1 – NEW YORK GIANTS over Houston – There is no other reason to pick the Giants to win this one other than it’s a home game. Arian Foster should be able to run all over the New York defense but if Eli is able to remember he as the likes of Victor Cruz to throw to, the G-Men should be able to get their first win of the season.

With so many options to choose from, sometimes fielding a fantasy lineup can be quite the headache.

Obvious are the starts akin to Antonio Brown, Brandon Marshall, Matthew Stafford, Adrian Peterson and

the games other bigger names. However, it’s the tougher choices – namely the less obvious starts – that

will end up winning your league.

Here are a few names you might want to consider.

Kirk Cousins QB Washington – My guess is Cousins will be Washington’s quarterback for the rest of

the year. Coach Jay Gruden made it clear he prefers Cousins to start over Robert Griffin III because he

is a better fit in his offense and now his wish has come true, albeit by an ankle injury to RGIII that will

have him sidelined at least the next month. Cousins is the pocket passer that Gruden envisions will

move his offense down the field, maximizing his two stud receivers in Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson

and eventually tightend Jordan Reed. Cousins will go up against a Philadelphia defense that actually

held Indianapolis’ quarterback Andrew Luck in check last week, but this is a divisional rivalry that often

lights the scoreboard up. Should Cousins start the rest of the year, he could end up being a top ten

quarterback. Cousins is a safe start in leagues that start one quarterback but is a great option if you can

use him as your QB2.

Zac Stacy RB St. Louis – Zac Stacy, not Benny Cunningham is the ball carrier in St. Louis – at least for

now. Stacy responded to the runningback controversy that began after Week 1’s subpar performance

with a decent game at Tampa Bay where he ran for 71 yards and added a rushing TD. This week Stacy

goes up against one of the projected worst defenses when St. Louis takes on Dallas at home. Though

Dallas has only given up one rushing TD so far this year, it shouldn’t be much of a concern. Stacy is a

tough runner who should find himself at the goal line via the run more so that the teams’ weak passing

game. St. Louis’ tough defense should keep the Dallas offense in check, keeping a ground game in the

game plan. Look for Stacy to have his best year to date this season and start him as a solid RB2.

Matt Asiata RB Minnesota – Who knows what is in store for Adrian Peterson. That said, while Peterson

finds himself in NFL limbo, Asiata will start in his place in Minnesota’s Week 3 matchup at New Orleans,

a team that struggles mightily against the run. For the time being Asiata should be the man in Minnesota

but look for the team to slowly implement their star-in-waiting runningback, Jerick McKinnon, who

experts believe can overtake the starting role in the next few weeks should Peterson not return. Asiata

should get the bulk of the running load this Sunday and also showed he could be an effective pass

catcher last week, reeling in five balls for 48 yards and a touchdown. While Asiata is still the starter

he can be a worthy start when the matchup is right, and this week the matchup is right. Asiata can be

started as a nice RB2 option this week.

Desean Jackson WR Philadelphia – Revenge games are always nice and you can bet Desean Jackson had

this week’s game against Philadelphia on his calendar for some time. Washington was already working

on improving the deep passing game after Week 1, and you can bet Jackson will be frothing at the bit to

burn the team that kicked him and his bad attitude to the curbside. Jackson makes his living on the long

ball and there is no reason to think a long score or two wouldn’t be in the realm of possibility for him.

Start Jackson as a high end WR2 and you will be glad you did.

Owen Daniels TE Baltimore – Owen Daniels has been cutting into the stats for teammate Dennis Pitta

and really outshined his counterpart last week with 5 catches for 28 yards and two TDs. Though the

receiving yards were not so impressive, he was clearly quarterback Joe Flacco’s favorite new end zone

target. This week should also see a split between Pitta and Daniels but since Flacco loves his tightends,

both can be a decent play. With a very real possibility that Daniels could be targeted in the end zone a

handful of times in Cleveland this week, you may want to think of him as a formidable TE2, especially in

PPR leagues.

Any given Sunday!

Its football – it’s the NFL – anything can happen. Last week was just a microcosm of that fact. The league as a whole was nearly flipped upside-down with upsets galore last week. So much so that the survivor pool that I was in ended! A winner in week 2! Crazy!

It looks like we have more sure-fire match-ups this week though. We should be able to get back on track and get some points back on the overall season total.

Week 3! … HERE WE GO!!!!!!

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

16 – SEATTLE over Chicago – This might have been the 16-point game before Jay Cutler got hurt and Kam Chancellor decided to come back. Seattle is hungry for their first win of the season – hard to think they won’t get it this week.

15 – NEW ENGLAND over Jacksonville – The Pats should have to play with an actually fully deflated ball to keep this one close.

14 – ARIZONA over San Francisco – The Cardinals tore up a depleted defense last week. I expect more of the same this week.

13 – GREEN BAY over Kansas City – Green Bay got hit hard by the injury bug last week. Thing about that is they have been dealing with the injury bug for the last few years yet they still find ways to win.

12 – Pittsburgh over ST. LOUIS – The offense of the Steelers has been almost unstoppable. Now they get Le’Veon Bell back. The black and gold could be a force to keep an eye on the rest of the year.

11 – CAROLINA over New Orleans – The Saints are spiraling downward faster than we could have thought. With Drew Brees not at 100% it’s hard to see them getting a divisional road win.

10 – NEW YORK GIANTS over Washington – Countless injuries in Dallas and a lackluster Eagles’ squad means that the NFC East is wide open this year. New York has the needed experience to get the job done on Thursday Night.

9 – NEW YORK JETS over Philadelphia – Are the Jets for real? A Monday Night win in Indy last week certainly was a large step in the right direction. With game-manager extraordinaire Ryan Fitzpatrick under center I’ll say that my BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that THE JETS WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS THIS SEASON.

8 – MINNESOTA over San Diego – Not really too much to say about this game – going to brush off an old gem and give the Vikes the win is a “because they are the home team” situation.

7 – Indianapolis over TENNESSEE – OK, this is a game against the Titans…the Colts SURELY can win this one … right?

6 – MIAMI over Buffalo – Remember when everyone was thinking the Dolphins would surpass the Pats this year? The Fins will need this one to hang on to post-season hope.

5 – Denver over DETROIT – Denver was literally handed the win in Kansas City last week. They sit at 2-0 but still seem to have a lot to prove to the league. Look for a statement in Detroit.

4 – Atlanta over DALLAS – Raise your hand if you are able to play offense for the Cowboys this week! Not too fast though, you’ll probably hurt yourself!

3 – Cincinnati over BALTIMORE – The Ravens are two minutes away from being 2-0…instead they sit at 0-2. This could end up being the game of the week. Look for this to go down to the wire…which hasn’t worked out to well for Baltimore so far this year.

2 – Oakland over CLEVELAND – Neither one of these teams are in last place in their respective divisions. Yes, I’m fully aware that it’s week 3, but would you ever think that this early season match up COULD have an effect on the playoffs down the stretch?

1 – HOUSTON over Tampa Bay – The Texans will pull this one out because the coin I just flipped came up tails.

Week 2 was full of successes and missteps, as it always is. It was also a week that included tons of unexpected wins or losses for teams with different expectations (here's looking at you, Eagles). It's important to remember that the first few weeks of every NFL season are filled with turmoil, and should be treated as such. Don't make any rash moves by dropping under-performing players just yet, but absolutely scoop up and stash a few of our weekly waiver picks while they are still available. The trick is to get these guys while the getting is good. Good luck!

Tyrod Taylor, BUF – (owned in 15% of leagues) Taylor impressed in week 1 and was included in our initial waiver wire picks. Week 2 only brought more production from the rookie QB as he ended the day with 3 passing TDs and ran one in himself as well. There are downsides still, though, and Taylor did have 3 INTs in week 2. As he gains experience those mistakes should be tempered but the upside is what we're looking for here. Taylor likely won't be available in most leagues after this week.

Andy Dalton, CIN – (owned in 30% of leagues) Dalton is the line by which we generally measure all of the other QBs in the NFL. The 'Andy Dalton Line' determines whether a QB is above or below average. This year may change that, though, as Dalton has thrown 5 TD passes and no INTs over 2 games and the Bengals' passing offense looks to be running on all cylinders in 2015. Barring injuries to guys like Green, Kelce, Jones and Bernard, Dalton could make a case to be started on a week-to-week basis going forward.

Other players to consider are Blake Bortles (owned in 9%) who has developed great chemistry with Allen Robinson and Julius Thomas's impending return to the field will also add value. Derek Carr (owned in 14%) will likely be throwing passes from behind for most of the season and that generally bodes well for some garbage time touchdowns. Amari Cooper is also coming into his own on the Raiders.

Running Backs

Matt Jones, WAS – (owned in 23% of leagues) Jones was drafted to be the passing down complement to Alfred Morris's early down role, but his current trajectory has him on course to eclipse Morris's touches eventually. In week 2, Jones was just a few touches shy of Morris and he continues to impress not only in 3rd down situations but also in early down use, spelling Morris. A pickup on the waiver wire now may be the only time that Jones is available for the rest of the season.

David Johnson, ARI – (owned in 34% of leagues) Johnson was billed as the bigger, faster version of Andre Ellington and he has certainly proved to be a valuable commodity on the Cardinals so far this season. Johnson has the highest points per touch in the NFL so far this year and the only issue is how much production Bruce Arians will allow him to have on a weekly basis. If there is any time to play him, though, it's now - when Johnson needs to prove his worth while Ellington is out.

Other players to consider are James Starks (owned in 11%) because Eddie Lacy exited the game in week 2 with an ankle injury and is not a lock to play in week 3. If Lacy should be inactive this week, Starks is immediately a RB2. Ronnie Hillman (owned in 36%) could take over the lead back role in Denver if C.J. Anderson continues to struggle after his week 1 injury. He's worth a pickup because whoever ends up with that job will get enough work to be an every week starter.

Wide Receivers

Travis Benjamin, CLE – (owned in 14% of leagues) Benjamin has scored 3 TDs on only 6 receptions over the past two weeks. His stats are gaudy and he is worthy of a pickup in every league, but you must be wary with this sort of situation: not only does Benjamin seem like a boom or bust player, but the Cleveland offense is very much not locked in to any kind of rhythm. Still, even if you're not starting Benjamin you need to put in a claim for him if you are needy at wide receiver.

Michael Crabtree, OAK – (owned in 23% of leagues) As I mentioned earlier, Derek Carr is definitely an up and coming QB in the league and his main weapons (Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree) will enjoy a high amount of targets in most games this season. Crabtree is a talented receiver with a good pedigree who only really broke out in 2012 while playing for the 49ers. He has the opportunity in 2015 to become fantasy relevant once more, now that he is playing across from the newly drafted Amari Cooper, who should draw the coverage away.

Marvin Jones, CIN – Jones had more snaps than Mohamed Sanu this past week, and things look good for Jones to finally make an impact. Remember, Jones was playing out of his mind in 2013 and scored 10 TDs before being lost for the entire 2014 season due to the same kind of injury that Dez Bryant suffered in week 1. With all of the weapons that Dalton has, Jones should have the opportunity to get free downfield on a regular basis and turn that into fantasy points.

Other players to keep an eye on are Dorial Green-Beckham (owned in 19%) who has monster size, speed and potential, and Rishard Matthews (owned in 2%) who is becoming a favorite of Ryan Tannehill's when he can't find Landry downfield.

Tight Ends

Crockett Gillmore, BAL – (owned in 4% of leagues) Gillmore is a big target that didn't get much of an opportunity to produce last year, but is being leaned on big time in 2015 with Breshad Perriman sidelined until next month. Here is a guy that could solve your TE woes, at least until the Ravens get Perriman back from injury. I'm betting that Gillmore will still have a fantasy impact as a high end TE2 even afterwards, though.

Other players to look for are Richard Rodgers (owned in 8%). The appeal of "Rodgers to Rodgers" is just too seductive. But seriously, Rodgers impressed me with his physicality in his week 2 start against Seattle.

Kickers

Josh Brown, NYG – (owned in 25% of leagues) Brown performed well last week, and the Giants will be facing the Redskins in week 3 who have a fairly formidable rushing and passing defense so far in 2015. This translates to more field goal opportunities for a Giants team that can move the football downfield but may have trouble getting it into the end zone this week.

Josh Lambo, SD – (owned in 3% of leagues)

Defense/Special Teams

Cincinnati Bengals – (owned in 13% of leagues) The Bengals are among the top 10 defensive units in fantasy right now but are only owned by 13% of teams. This week, they play the Baltimore Ravens, who have provided a ton of fantasy points to defenses so far in 2015.