Fantasy Football / NFL
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- Written by David Biggs
Last week threw a wrench into many fantasy owners' plans, but this game that we love has many peaks and valleys along the way to fantasy riches and glory. Staying the course in some cases may be the best situation, but I tend to find that allowing yourself a little bit of flexibility in your lineup choices can make all of the difference. It's not very often these days that conservatively managed and played fantasy teams take home the Gold. With that in mind, don't be afraid to pull out a Trevor Siemian or Jay Cutler start this week - or forgive Jacquizz Rodgers of his poor performance in week 3 and give him a spin. I'm also digging a bounce back game from Ted Ginn and Tyrell Williams. Whatever you do, make sure to be paying attention this week for targets that you can buy low: Le'Veon Bell, LeSean McCoy, Mark Ingram, DeVante Parker, Martavis Bryant, and Travis Kelce are all good candidates. But mostly, make sure to enjoy watching the games - that's what it's all about, after all. :)
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- Written by Jim Hutchins
It's the end of another exciting week of football which means it's time to put your claims in for available free agents in your fantasy league to strengthen your team. I'll be going over who I think are the top five picks for you to target this week so don't miss out on them. Good luck!
Note: %owned is based on Yahoo! leagues at the time of publication.
5) Devin Funchess (CAR) - 20% owned - With Carolina losing Greg Olsen and Kelvin Benjamin most likely sitting out this week that doesn't leave them many passing options. Funchess isn't great, but he should end up seeing double digit targets against the Patriots, making him a viable WR3.
4) Jacksonville DST (MIA) - 43% owned - Jacksonville is the second best fantasy defense through three weeks and they look to stay hot playing against the New York Jets this week. Look for another strong performance.
3) Duke Johnson Jr. (CLE) - 51% owned - Johnson only has value in PPR formats given his primary role playing out of the slot, but if you are in a PPR league and he's available you should go after him. He'll continue to produce enough for FLEX value or to use as an upcoming bye-week replacement.
2) Jamaal Charles (DEN) - 33% owned - Charles is playing second fiddle to C.J. Anderson in the Denver backfield but his production per touch has been amazing, running at 5.1 yards per clip. I expect there to be a more even timeshare of carries as we move further along into the season so you should look to grab Charles now before that happens.
1) Wendell Smallwood (PHI) - 6% owned - Smallwood should be the biggest beneficiary of Darren Sproles' season ending injury by taking on passing down work and splitting early down carries with LeGarrette Blount. He is a must grab this week in all formats but particularly in PPR.
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- Written by Jason Evans
Welcome to Statistically (in)Significant, the place to find great stats that probably only matter at the water cooler (or bar). Each week I'll dig through the stats of the week gone by and deliver you some choice conversation starters.
11/11, 5 TD in the Red Zone
Thursday night's game provided us with tons of big numbers (thank you Gurley, Watkins, Hyde, Garcon) but the most impressive numbers that I saw are Jared Goff's red zone passing stats. Through three games, he's a perfect 11/11 passing in the red zone for 82 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Rams barely eeked out a win in San Francisco, but they're now 2-1 behind impressive performances from lots of young players, not to mention the head coach. Goff has already matched his TD total from last season, but only in 3 games instead of 7. With just one pick on the year, he's looking like one of the most improved rookies from last year, and the Rams are in a good position in a very winnable division.
2 Pick Sixes...in 10 Years!
Aaron Rodgers threw only his second pick six of his career on Sunday (thanks, pro-football reference.com for confirming and being generally awesome). Now in his 10th year of being the starter in Green Bay, Rodgers has always been known for throwing very few interceptions. Let's just put this stat into perspective, shall we? In today's game of lots of passing, Jameis Winston has three to his name. Derek Carr has 4 and Blake Bortles already has 11. All of these guys started playing in 2014 or later, which was 5 years after Rodgers threw his first pick-six. Brees, Palmer, Rivers and Manning all lead the active players with more than 20 each in their career. Of course, the king of the pick six is Rodger's predecessor, who threw 31 in his career.
24 Players Scored More than 20 Points
This was a fantastic weekend for football, and it really felt like big fantasy points were back too. 24 players scored at least 20 points in standard scoring. Granted, there were some outliers like Marcedes Lewis and a bunch of QB's that are owned in less than 10% of Yahoo leagues. I'm talking about guys like Russell Wilson, Brandin Cooks, Jordan Howard and T.Y. Hilton, who were all drafted high and finally delivered with big points this season. This week's 58:30 TD:INT ratio also was a great way to get unstuck from the muck that was Weeks 1 & 2. Even Odell Beckham Jr. got going, and got weird. He could have even joined this group if he had 1 more yard.
3 Receiving Touchdowns
Marcedes Lewis, you know, the guy who's been on the Jaguars since George W. Bush was in Office, caught 3 touchdowns Sunday morning (afternoon?) in London. This equals his total since the 2014 season started and is now about 10% of his career total. These aren't metric touchdowns either, they count for 6 points no matter how many meters or yards the touchdown actually is. On the other side, the Ravens #1 expert consensus ranked D/ST did what can only be described as crapping the bed. They managed zero sacks, picks and fumbles on their way to a -4 point fantasy finish. Blake Bortles sends his regards.
2.2 Points Per Touch
Here at drinkfive.com, we think that considering a player's potential starts with just how many points they can score when they touch the ball. A good player approaches 1.0. A great player averages just over than for their career. This season, still young, has Chris Thompson up to 2.2 points per touch. He has 350 yards from scrimmage on 27 total touches with 4 touchdowns. He's also racking up the long plays this year, with a long run of 61 yards and a long reception of 74 yards. I don't expect Thompson's touches to go up astronomically, but he could see an increase to maybe 12 per game, from the 9 he's currently getting. At his pace, that's like him scoring another touchdown. Last week was the time to pick him up in most leagues, but still look to see if he's in yours!
Bonus stat:
61 Yards
I like to pick on kickers from time to time in this column. I also like to give them props, when appropriate (but not as much as I like picking on them). But I digress, congrats to rookie kicker Jake Elliott who kicked two field goals in the last minute of the game, one to tie and one to take the lead. They were from 46 to tie and an incredible 61 yards for the win. Bravo young man, you no longer need to buy drinks in Philly, as long as you don't miss next week.
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- Written by M.J. Nicholas
Are you looking for a vote of confidence when picking spreads, money lines and over/ unders? Let me be that football wizard who has seen the prophecies of victory and has the ability to put your wagering souls at ease. In this weekly column, I'll reveal my visions and picks for every NFL game, as well as pen the occasional article with words of advice and knowledge on sportsbook strategies. But hey, if for some reason any of Nick's Picks let you down, I'm cool with you telling your bookie it was all my fault. Yeah... right.
'WEEK 2 LUCKY CHARMS PROVIDE DIVIDENDS' - Last week I mentioned that the match-ups were going to be tough and to temper expectations. However, I still told you to peel off a couple bills from your bankroll and jump in the wagering fray. Even though the games were tough to pick, most of the outcomes blossomed into winners as they should have. It still makes you wish you had a time machine to flash back and place some more big money tickets, considering there are only a few chances you get every season to pick 12 out of 16 winners as I did this week. I'm a fan of placing several of my weekly wagers on 4-8 game parlays every week, based solely on winners(BTW, this is a favorable routine to make some positive weekly $ with a low dollar risk). Even though mos.t of the wagers I made hit, I would of invested a lot more in terms of number of tickets played and dollar amounts ventured. But still a favorable week nonetheless in the world of sports wagering. Thursday night's game review is listed below so you can get my predictions before the game starts. The rest of the match-ups will be posted later tonight/ early tomorrow. Heyyy, relax. You'll get all that much needed advice soon enough my gambling cronies... I'm busy counting all that cash from last week!
LOS ANGELES RAMS 26 @ SAN FRANCISCO 49ers 20 - This is a game you most likely stay away from in the betting world, unless your wallet likes pain, or cruel and unusual punishment. I really like the Rams' defense and what I've seen from Todd Gurley, but I don't like the inconsistency in the passing game, even though Jared Goff has a decent amount of passing yards on the season and is returning home. I also feel that San Fran can shut down Sammy Watkins and concentrate on new favorite target, Cooper Kupp. However, the 49ers don't have a lot going on except Carlos Hyde, who always seems to start the year off great... until injury. Their defense is on the rise but not there yet. Take the Rams and the -3 along with the 40 over.
BALTIMORE RAVENS @ JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS - BAL -3 1/2 | BAL -200 | OVER 39
NEW YORK GIANTS @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES - PHI -6 | PHI -265 | UNDER 42 1/2
HOUSTON TEXANS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - NE -14 | NE -1200 | UNDER 44
PITTSBURGH STEELERS @ CHICAGO BEARS - PIT -7 1/2 | PIT -370 | UNDER 44
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS @ CAROLINA PANTHERS - NO +6 | CAR -235 | OVER 46
ATLANTA FALCONS @ DETROIT LIONS - ATL -3 | ATL -155 | OVER 51
CLEVELAND BROWNS @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - CLE -1 | CLE -125 | OVER 42
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS - GAME LINES NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO INJURIES.
MIAMI DOLPHINS @ NEW YORK JETS - MIA -6 1/2 | MIA -270 | UNDER 43
DENVER BRONCOS @ BUFFALO BILLS - DEN -3 1/2 | DEN -170 | OVER 39
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS @ TENNESSEE TITANS - TEN -3 | TEN -135 | UNDER 42
CINCINNATI BENGALS @ GREEN BAY PACKERS - GB -9 | GB -450 | UNDER 46
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS @ LOS ANGELES CHARGERS - LAC +3 1/2 | LAC +155 | OVER 47 1/2
OAKLAND RAIDERS @ WASHINGTON REDSKINS - OAK -3 1/2 | OAK -170 | UNDER 55
DALLAS COWBOYS @ ARIZONA CARDINALS - DAL -3 1/2 | DAL -165 | OVER 46 1/2
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS:
SPREAD 8-8
MONEYLINE 12-4
TOTAL U/O 6-10
YTD RESULTS:
SPREAD 15-16
MONEYLINE 21-10
TOTAL U/O 12-19
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- Written by Shawn Foss
Welcome back to the Rookie Report! We’ve got another week of data on this rookie crop, so we’re starting to get a better idea of who these guys are. Hopefully all of your teams are off to 2-0 starts, but obviously not everyone’s is. The key if you’ve started 0-2 is not to panic (unless you’re the Bengals). Be patient with your stud players. I’m looking at you owners of OBJ, Le’Veon Bell, Isaiah Crowell, Kirk Cousins, Doug Baldwin, and Tyler Eifert. Speaking of Tyler Eifert & the Bengals, they did in fact panic after an 0-2 start, and have replaced their offensive coordinator with former Dolphins’ OC Bill Lazor. Hopefully this can jump-start the offense and help Eifert and Joe Mixon get going. Of course Mixon needs to get on the field more for that to happen. Let’s dive in and take a look at what to expect in week 3…
Rookies to Start:
RB Kareem Hunt, KC (Wk. 3: @LAC): You have to play Kareem Hunt. He’s the number one scoring running back so far by a wide margin, and this week he faces a defense that just allowed 122 yards rushing to Jay Ajayi last weekend. Hunt is decidedly a different style runner than Ajayi, but he should have success running in this matchup. TD regression is coming at some point for Hunt, but he should be a locked in RB1 in your lineups right now.
RB Christian McCaffrey, CAR (Wk. 3: vs. NO): McCaffrey hasn’t gotten off to the start that most fantasy owners had hoped he would, ranking as the RB27 in PPR leagues so far. His usage has been strong, but he hasn’t made any of the spectacular plays we were used to from him at Stanford. Things should get better this week. New Orleans hasn’t shown they can cover anyone. They’ve allowed 92.5 receiving yards per game to opposing RBs, and CMC should see extra passing game targets with Greg Olsen out. This game is a real opportunity for McCaffrey to blow up. He should be at least a solid RB2 with week-winning upside if things go his way.
RB Dalvin Cook, MIN (Wk. 3: vs. TB): Cook managed a surprisingly solid 5.3 yards per carry against a normally stout Steelers front despite having Case Keenum under center. The Steelers were without Stephon Tuitt on their defensive line, but it was impressive from Cook nonetheless. His fantasy totals weren’t inspiring since he saw just 12 carries in a lopsided loss and he was vultured at the goal line by CJ Ham, but his performance showed that he can succeed against good defenses. Tampa isn’t quite as stingy as Pittsburgh typically is, and it sounds like there is a good chance that Sam Bradford will return in this one. Even if Bradford is out, Cook should put up RB2 numbers.
RB Leonard Fournette, JAX (Wk. 3: vs. Bal.): Fournette faces a tough matchup this week, so he’s more of a volume RB2, but with a score each week so far he should be in your lineup. The Ravens allowed the 6th-fewest RB fantasy points last year, and the 11th-fewest so far in 2017, but Fournette has seen 40 carries and 8 targets already. As long as the volume keeps up, and it should, Leonard should be able to post a respectable line again.
Borderline Rookies:
QB DeShone Kizer, CLE (Wk. 3: @Ind.): Kizer is a borderline option in 2-QB leagues this week, and is an interesting DFS tournament play with a meager $5,000 cost on DraftKings. The Colts have allowed over 300 passing yards in each of their first two games with top corner Vontae Davis sidelined, to Jared Goff and Carson Palmer. If Davis is out again, Kizer makes for an interesting play now that he has found a trusted possession receiver in Rashard Higgins. The Colts have stifled the running game, allowing just 2.73 yards per carry and have forced teams to throw instead. The throwing has worked out pretty well for those teams. I don’t know that I’d expect 300 passing yards out of Kizer, but I think he’ll post his best yardage total to date, and his rushing skill gives him an added boost. He’s worth considering if you are struggling for a second QB this week.
RB Chris Carson, SEA (Wk. 3: @Ten.): Carson put the Seahawks on his back in week 2, and may have earned the starting RB job in the process. The Titans’ run defense isn’t an easy matchup this week. They allowed the 2nd-fewest RB points in the league last year, and although they are off to a slower start in 2017 they held the Jacksonville running backs to 3.3 yards per carry. In addition to the tough matchup, there is always the chance that Rawls plays more as he gets healthier, and Carson was barely used in the passing game with Prosise around to handle 3rd down work. I see Carson as a risky flex play this week, but one with big upside if the game script is in Seattle’s favor.
RB Tarik Cohen, CHI (Wk. 3: vs. Pit.): As I mentioned with Dalvin Cook above, the Steelers’ defense has been pretty stout against opposing runners, but they have been susceptible to receiving yards out of the backfield. Pittsburgh allowed the 4th-most RB receiving yardage and the 13th-most receptions to the position a year ago. This is a matchup that already favors Cohen over his backfield mate Jordan Howard, and Howard is battling a shoulder injury that had him in a sling after their last game. The rookie’s usage has been outstanding through 2 weeks, with 12 rush attempts and 16 catches on 21 targets. He should be a strong PPR flex option once again.
WR Cooper Kupp, LAR (Wk. 3: @SF): Kupp saw the same 6 targets in week 2 that he did in week 1, but he did quite a bit less with them. I got ahead of myself by calling him a ‘Rookie to Start’ last week. He gets another solid matchup this week, but I won’t make the mistake of going all in on him this time. The 49ers have been improved against WRs so far compared to 2016, but they’ve still been in the bottom half of the league against the position. Kupp should see another 6-7 targets, which puts him firmly on the flex radar again, especially in PPR leagues. Give him a slight bump up if both 49ers safties are out.
WR Kenny Golladay, DET (Wk. 3: vs. Atl.): Golladay is going to remain a boom-or-bust option for the time being, and he’s shown both extremes through 2 weeks. Atlanta has a talented secondary and has allowed just 4 completions of 20+ yards so far this season, but they did struggle to contain Green Bay’s wide receivers late in their win over the Packers. What you do with Golladay depends on what your other options are, but he’s a volatile flex play for deeper leagues.
TE Evan Engram, NYG (Wk. 3: @Phi.): He’s in the concussion protocol at the moment, so there’s a chance he doesn’t play this week, but most updates I’ve seen are suggesting he’ll be able to go. He’ll likely need a TD to return real value as a streaming TE, and the Eagles had allowed just 4 TE touchdowns in their last 17 games before being shredded by Zeus last Sunday. Engram has some appeal as a streamer in deeper PPR leagues, as 4-40 seems like something he can keep putting up, especially if Brandon Marshall continues to struggle. The Giants’ protection issues are making it hard for Eli to throw anything down the field, so Engram will continue to make his living on shorter catches. Engram is a borderline top-15 option this week.
Rookies to Sit:
QB Deshaun Watson, HOU (Wk. 3: @NE): Even against New England’s defense, which has allowed 362 passing yards per game so far, Watson would be a shaky QB2 option. He salvaged his fantasy day last week with a 50-yard TD run, but plays like that are pretty fluky, and Bill Belichick knows how to gamplan for rookie QBs. In the last 10 games the Patriots have played against a rookie QB, New England is 9-1 and has allowed just 8 total TDs to those rookie signal callers.
RB Joe Mixon, CIN (Wk. 3: @GB): While it was nice to see Mixon actually outperform Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard in week 2, the timeshare continues to hamper his upside. He could be worth a dart throw in GPP daily tournaments after seeing what Atlanta’s backs did to Green Bay (145 scrimmage yards and 3 TDs), but the Cincy offense hasn’t been anywhere near as effective as Atlanta’s. The Bengals did swap offensive coordinators this week, promoting QB coach Bill Lazor to the OC position. Hopefully Lazor will start to get Mixon more involved, but in his initial media session after getting the promotion, he didn’t really clarify what his plans were for the RB position. He said that he hadn’t done a 3-back committee before, “but that’s where we’ve been so far.” I’ll need to see Lazor actually increase Mixon’s role in a game before I trust him in season-long leagues.
RB D’Onta Foreman, HOU (Wk. 3: @NE): Foreman saw a decent workload last week, but week 3 may be a different story. Houston was able to pound the ball on the ground thanks to the stagnant Bengals’ offense keeping the game close. The Texans are likely to be playing from much further behind this week going to New England. If Houston is in catch-up mode, it should be mostly Lamar Miller and a little Tyler Ervin sprinkled in. Foreman offers nothing in the passing game. If you play D’Onta, you’re counting on a TD that is unlikely to come.
RB Samaje Perine, WAS (Wk. 3: vs. Oak.): This outlook could change if Rob Kelly has a setback or winds up missing the game Sunday, but if Kelley plays you’d have to expect ‘Fat Rob’ to start. The Raiders are vulnerable against the run, so Perine becomes a flex play option if Kelley sits. He’s a worse option in PPR leagues than in standard, since he offers little in the passing game. Oakland allowed the 9th-most RB points last season, and the 6th-most rushing yards, and they just allowed the lowly Jets’ running backs to post 95 yards on 21 carries (4.5 ypc). If Kelley is a go, Perine likely won’t see enough work to be started.
RB Marlon Mack, IND (Wk. 3: vs. Cle.): The Browns may look like a good matchup on paper, but Mack is still working well behind Frank Gore, and a Brissett-led offense is unlikely to make this game a blowout win where he’ll get garbage time run. Gore out-touched Mack 14-7 last week and out-gained him 46-8. Outside of a 24-yard carry in week one, Mack has a total of 15 carries for negative-3 yards.
RB Elijah McGuire, NYJ (Wk. 3: vs. Mia.): You probably don’t need me to tell you this, but even though the Jets have claimed that this will be a 3-man committee going forward, Elijah McGuire is not someone you should be considering for your fantasy lineup. The offense is a mess for the Jets so far, and a 6th-round rookie RB isn’t going to be the guy to jump start it.
WR Corey Davis, TEN (Wk. 3: vs. Sea.): This is an easy decision now that Davis has been ruled out with a hamstring issue. I likely would have recommended you to sit him against the Legion of Boom even if he were going to play.
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT (Wk. 3: @Chi.): JJSS played 51% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps in week 2, but saw just 4 targets and gained only 16 yards. The TD was nice, but it’s not something to expect every week based on his usage up to this point. He has received 2-of-8 red zone targets that Ben has dished out so far, so he may find some stray TDs here or there, but the weekly chances aren’t great and he won’t put up enough yardage to buoy his point totals whether it’s in a season-long league or DFS. The Steelers are also likely to lean on the run game in this one as a 7.5-point road favorite. Steer clear.
WR John Ross, CIN (Wk. 3: @GB): Ross finally got on the field last week, but was given just one touch, a rushing attempt. Green Bay’s secondary is beatable, allowing the most WR points in the NFL a year ago, but Cincinnati’s offense just hasn’t gotten anything going on offense to make you think they’ll take full advantage here. Ross hasn’t been involved enough so far to use anywhere. Hopefully Lazor gets him more involved, but you should avoid Ross for now.
WR Zay Jones, BUF (Wk. 3: vs. Den.): The last thing Zay Jones needed after opening the season with a 3-39 line on 10 targets in the first two weeks was a meeting with Denver’s corners. That’s exactly what he’ll get this week. There’s no reason to use Zay in any format against the best CB group in the league.
TE David Njoku, CLE (Wk. 3: @Ind.): The Colts have allowed 60+ yards per week to TEs so far, but have also allowed just 3 receptions per week to them. Njoku is still only playing about half of the offensive snaps and is splitting work with Seth DeValve, who seems the more likely Browns’ TE to get hit with a deep ball after posting a 49-yard catch last week. Njoku is a TD dart throw this week, and there are better options available. He won’t see enough volume to be a punt play in DFS tournaments either.
TE OJ Howard, TB (Wk. 3: @Min.): Howard ran just 11 pass routes last week despite playing more snaps than Cameron Brate, who ran 22 pass routes. He played more because the game script called for a lot of running, and Howard is the superior blocker. The volume simply isn’t going to be there for Howard early on this year if they are going to use him as blocker this much.
TE Gerald Everett, LAR (Wk. 3: @SF): Everett has made a big impact every time the ball is thrown his way, posting 4 catches for 134 yards on just 4 targets so far, but he’s still being more than doubled in snap count by teammate Tyler Higbee, and he’s battling through a thigh injury. To make matters worse for him, the 49ers have been much improved so far against tight ends this year, holding Greg Olsen to 2-18 and Jimmy Graham to 1-1. That’s right…3 catches for 19 yards between two of the best tight ends in the game. There will be better spots to take a shot on Everett.
TE George Kittle, SF (Wk. 3: vs. LAR): Kittle rarely leaves the field, but he’s seen just 8 targets through 2 games and is dealing with a couple of injuries. He also faces a Rams’ defense that ranked 6th against tight ends last year, and hasn’t allowed a TD to the position yet this year. There’s not enough upside to try him in DFS, and too much downside to try him in season-long leagues.
Deep League Sleepers and Cheap DFS Options:
RB Alvin Kamara, NO (Wk. 3: @Car.): Kamara is probably a better option for DFS tournaments than for season-long leagues this week. The Panthers ranked 7th last year in limiting RB fantasy points, and 5th so far this year, but they allowed the 3rd-most RB catches in ’16 and are tied for 4th-most allowed so far this year. Kamara is the best receiving back the Saints have, and they are a 5.5-point underdog on the road. I’d expect Alvin to get a lot of run, and likely catch 6+ passes. He’s been targeted 13 times in the first 2 weeks.
WR Taywan Taylor, TEN (Wk. 3: vs. Sea.): With Corey Davis sidelined by a hamstring issue, I’d expect Taywan Taylor to be the guy who benefits the most in terms of playing time. In week 2, it was Jonnu Smith who benefitted from Davis’s injury, playing 37 offensive snaps and scoring his first career TD, but the Titans were playing from ahead all day. I’d expect Taywan to play a bunch this week. Some are speculating that it will be Eric Decker in the slot and Taywan outside since Decker played there a lot in New York, but Taywan spent more time in the slot in camp while Davis was out. The reason this matters is because the Seahawks’ weak link in the secondary is slot corner Jeremy Lane. Whoever gets to face off with him will be the best matchup the Titans have in the passing game. If that guy is Taywan, he would be in line for a strong day. He’s a sneaky DFS tournament punt play.
WR Curtis Samuel, CAR (Wk. 3: vs. NO): Samuel saw his first targets of the year in week 2, and with Olsen hurt, it’s likely he becomes a bigger part of the offense. The Saints’ pass defense has been abysmal, and Samuel has a trait that Funchess and Kelvin Benjamin lack…speed. There’s a real chance he gets behind the defense for a big play or two. With just 3 targets on the year, he’s probably not to be trusted as anything more than a DFS punt play, but he costs just the minimum in DraftKings and has some nice upside.
TE Jonnu Smith, TEN (Wk. 3: vs. Sea.): As spelled out in the Taywan Taylor description above, I’m not really on Jonnu for this week. Sure, he could find another TD, but Seattle is stingy to tight ends. I list him here because I think he’s a great dynasty league stash at this point. Delanie Walker is 33 years old, and has just one more year left on his contract. Jonnu is quickly earning the coaching staff’s trust with offensive snap percentages of 38% and 54% in the first two weeks. He’s also looked every bit the part of Walker’s heir apparent. I think he has a chance to be a really good player, and is in an ascending offense with Mariota, Derrick Henry, Corey Davis and Taywan Taylor around. Stash him if you can.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you with some of your tougher lineup decisions. Make sure to keep an eye on the injury report all week and check back before kickoffs to see if there are any surprise inactives. If you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything included above, feel free to hit me up on twitter (@Shawn_Foss). As always: Good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It’s just a game.
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- Written by Matt Cochrane
Could be a tough week for the confidence pool, but fortunately, this looks like an easy week for the survivor pool. That's the thought I'm left with while making this week's picks. Last week we got both of our picks through when the Ravens and the Raiders both booked easy wins at home.
Wk1 Pit Buf
Wk2 Bal Oak
The New England Patriots opened as 13.5 point favorites as hosts to the Houston Texans. This is a no-brainer pick. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are just too smart to give this game away to the Texans defense. No way that rookie Deshaun Watson has what it takes to outscore the Pats and until he proves otherwise I will assume they need their defense to win games for them a la the 2001 Ravens.
My second pick was a little harder to decide on, so many good options. Broncos, Packers, Steelers, Dolphins, even the Ravens in London. But after much soul surfing*, my lack of faith in the Chicago Bears was just too strong. I think this could be the game that Le'Veon Bell gets right fantasy wise, after his last two weeks of training camp. It is just a matter of weeks before Bears fans will get to see the much-anticipated Mitch Trubisky. Hopefully, it's not an omen that spell check suggests Trubisky gets corrected to Rubbishy.
The Packers were just behind the Steelers for me this week facing what will ultimately be a better opponent in the Cincinnati Bengals. I haven't been impressed yet by Green Bay this season. I expect them to win this game at home but maybe this new offensive coordinator gets the Bengals scoring some points and makes this game competitive.
Also, would like to mention I have seen the Broncos at -2.5 at the Bills. I'll take that all day after watching what they did to the Cowboys last week.
Good Luck this week!
Drink five
*Note: I mistyped soul searching as soul surfing and kinda liked it. #soulsurfing
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- Written by Tad Bukowski
Welcome back!
If you have been following along and using my picks, there’s a good chance you may have won your week! So congrats on listening to me!
We are looking to keep that momentum going. This looks to be a week that can separate the pack a bit. A lot of games should go down to the wire. DRAMA!
Week 3 – HERE WE GO!!!!
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
16 – NEW ENGLAND over Houston – Did anyone really think that a week 1 loss would mean the immediate demise of the Patriots dynasty? Unfortunately, that’s obviously not the case as the Texans will see firsthand this Sunday.
15 – GREEN BAY over Cincinnati – If not for severe backup offensive linemen issues, the Packers could have won in Atlanta last week. Instead, they get to take out their aggression on a Bengals team that looks like they are just aimlessly wandering through the desert.
14 – PHILADELPHIA over New York Giants – I can’t be the only one amazed at how much of a difference there seems to be between these two teams. Carson Wentz is making the Eagles look smart for trading up to get him and the Giants…well…they’ve shown up BOTH weeks so far!
13 – Pittsburgh over CHICAGO – After an apparently unexpected 0-2, Bears fans are clamoring for the reigns to be handed over to Mitchell Trubiski. My BOLD PREDICTION for the week is that TRUBISKI WILL NOT PLAY THIS SEASON.
12 – CAROLINA over New Orleans – The Panthers may be the most underwhelming 2-0 in recent history. A game against the joke that is the Saints is just what Cam and the boys need.
11 – Miami over NEW YORK JETS – The Jets put up a fight for a bit in Oakland last week. But then they remembered they were the Jets. They’re just not a good football team. If they win a game this year, this won’t be it.
10 – Denver over BUFFALO – Did you see what the Broncos defense against Dallas? What chance do you think a group led by Tyrod Taylor have?
9 – Oakland over WASHINGTON – This could be the biggest shootout of the week. Just like week 1, the Raiders need to show that they can handle a tough road game, this time with the entire country looking in. Nothing has made it seem like they can’t handle it yet.
8 – TENNESSEE over Seattle – Last week’s blowout in Jacksonville was just a start to getting the Titans back on the contender radar. A win against a solid team like Seattle will go a long way for them.
7 – Dallas over ARIZONA – The Cowboys have a lot of spare offense to use seeing as though they didn’t really use any last week. Lucky for them the Cardinals have been hit hard with the injury bug which won’t allow them to keep up.
6 – Baltimore over JACKSONVILLE – The Sunday slate starts early with the first game across the pond this season. This would have been closer if it were an ACTUAL home game for the Jags.
5 – SAN FRANCISCO over Los Angeles Rams – Our Thursday Night game will be a barn-burner! Two division rivals battling it out to get a leg up on the chance to not finish in last place. The 9ers are at home so they get to win this one.
4 – Atlanta over DETROIT – Who knew this would look like a potential Game of the Week? Both teams have gotten off to solid starts but the experience of the Falcons should be enough to pull this one out.
3 – MINNESOTA over Tampa Bay – This game is based on Sam Bradford’s availability. If he is still out, keep this game on the 3 line, but switch it to a Bucs win.
2 – LOS ANGELES CHARGERS over Kansas City – This is nothing more than a hunch. Home field advantage doesn’t seem to be a thing for the Chargers in their new home yet. I just don’t know, I am confidently not confident about this confidence pick…think about THAT for a while!
1 – INDIANAPOLIS over Cleveland – Oh boy! Welp, if the Colts are going to win a game before Andrew Luck gets back it will be against the Browns…and shouldn’t be higher than the 1-point line.
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- Written by David Biggs
Another bunch of crucial injuries to fantasy mainstays like Greg Olsen, Jordan Reed, and Jordy Nelson this week have fantasy managers throwing their hands up in the air. Hopefully these rankings for week 3 can help you to sort out any difficult personnel changes that you may need to make before kickoff this week. My predictions? Le'Veon Bell finally has his first big game of the season against the hapless Chicago Bears, Ty Montgomery continues to be a menace to opposing fantasy teams, Terrelle Pryor continues to be disappointing at his draft ADP, Jason Witten keeps up his late-career heroics, and both the Ravens and the Jaguars score defensive touchdowns. Good luck, and remember that the aforementioned game is going to be played at 8:30am CT this Sunday. No rest for the wicked!
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- Written by Mike Mocerino
We're 2 weeks into the year and already have a laundry list of injured players to discuss. Just when we thought it could not get much worse, some more big players go down this week. Don’t throw in that towel! Stay active on the waiver wire and pucker your butthole for a long year of misfortune!
Quarterbacks
Sam Bradford (Knee) - There is so much scar tissue in Bradford’s knees, the team is unsure what is going on in there. The Vikings are calling it a bone bruise. He went through warm-ups before the game and threw a few balls before declaring himself out. Keep an eye out for an update on Wednesday. The whole offense takes a major dip if he is not on the field.
Other –
DeShone Kizer (Head/Migraine) - took some painkillers and returned to the game in the third quarter.
Running Backs
Fat Rob Kelley (Chest) – Fat Rob was having a respectable game before getting knocked out with a rib injury. The Redskins feared this was a fracture but that does not appear to be the case. He is currently Day to Day and we will have a better idea of his status later in the week
Jordan Howard (Shoulder) – Howard was spotted after the game in a sling. He was dealing with a shoulder injury going into this week and was just shy of a first down worth of rushing for the day. (9 rushes – 7 yards) Also worth noting that Cohen out-touched him 15-9 in a blowout game. We should know more tomorrow but John Fox is notorious for keeping injury information to himself.
DeMarco Murray (Hamstring) – Murray is day to day with a tight hamstring. He struggled against the Jags and Henry looked like the better RB on the field. I expect to see more and more of a split in that backfield. Get whatever value is left out of Murray while you can.
Rex Burkhead (Rib) – Burkhead caught a nice 19-yard touchdown on Sunday but was unable to finish the game. He went to the locker room in the fourth quarter and mum's the word since his exit. Gives a nice boost to James White if he is out but look at the injury report on Wednesday for an update.
Wide Receivers
Jordy Nelson (Quad) – Nelson left the game in the first quarter vs the Falcons after getting a knee to the thigh. He was seen riding an exercise bike during the game. This leads me to believe he got a good Charlie Horse and should be good to go this week. The current update is 50-50 for this week. Keep an eye on the situation and have a backup plan just in case.
Corey Coleman (Hand) – 2nd year Browns' receiver Corey Coleman is now 2 for 2 on seasons with broken hands. This time around it does require surgery so he is expected to land on IR. Shame to see after building some chemistry with DeMigraine Kizer. Not worth a hold unless you have an IR spot available.
Other Notable injuries:
Corey Davis (Hamstring) - Returned to game
Phillip Dorsett (Knee) - More patriot WR’s hurt. Not too fantasy relevant
Kendall Wright (Arm) - AVOID BEARS PLAYERS
Jeremy Maclin (Shoulder) - Returned to the game
Tight Ends
Greg Olsen (Foot) – Greg underwent surgery on his broken right foot today and has been placed on IR. Thankfully they did not have to remove it! The Panthers believe he will be back this season but he will not be eligible to practice for 6 weeks. Dickson will take over TE duties for the Panthers. You should have better options available on the waivers.
Jordan Reed (Chest) – Reed left in the third quarter of the game with a chest injury and did not return. Today, they are calling this a bruised chest which is a new one for me. Doesn’t seem like an issue and he should suit up week 3. The toe remains a concern.
Rob Gronkowski (Groin) – Gronk left the game and did not return after tweaking his groin. Gronk looked great before exiting the game and is expected to be good to go this weekend. Thankfully the injury is to a part of his body that sees the most exercise in the offseason so I expect a quick recovery.
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- Written by Jim Hutchins
It's the end of another exciting week of football which means it's time to put your claims in for available free agents in your fantasy league to strengthen your team. I'll be going over who I think are the top five picks for you to target this week so don't miss out on them. Good luck!
Note: %owned is based on Yahoo! leagues at the time of publication.
5) Rashard Higgins (CLE) - 3% owned - Higgins was signed off the Browns practice squad last week and made an immediate impact catching 7 of 11 targets for 95 yards. It was recently announced that Corey Coleman has a broken hand which means Higgins should continue to see opportunities going forward making him worth a flier.
4) Miami DST (MIA) - 5% owned - Miami will travel to play against the lowly New York Jets this week which means there is a good chance they won't get scored on much and should come away with a turnover or two. The Jets have already turned the ball over 4 times to start this season.
3) Marqise Lee (JAX) - 34% owned - Lee is the beneficiary of Allen Robinson's season-ending ACL injury and he should see a healthy amount of targets as the Jaguars primary receiver.
2) Allen Hurns (JAX) - 26% owned - Despite being the number two option in Jacksonville I like Hurns a notch above Marqise Lee due to his big-play ability although in PPR formats they are closer in value.
1) Chris Thompson (WAS) - 30% owned - Thompson has been on a tear to start the season rushing 6 times for 81 yards and 2 TDs and adding 7 catches on 12 targets for another 81 yards and a score. He is a must grab in PPR formats and is looking to have value in standard if given additional touches going forward.