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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.

Simply put, a confidence pool is a love-hate relationship!

In week 2, well, it was pretty hateful! So many upsets and so many points lost on games that the majority of the country could not have predicted! In week 3, however, the pool saw the error of its ways and gave us a more loving result. After the early Sunday games, we were still rocking a perfect board!

It’s a good thing, too. Now we have bye weeks to deal with. With a solid week 3, that puts us at a good spot as most confidence pools will be losing lines 14, 15 and 16 this week with six teams on a bye. With the number of possible points decreased starting this week, it’s good that we got them when we could!

On to week 4! HERE WE GO!!

(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)

13 – INDIANAPOLIS over Tennessee – The Colts have given me nothing but reasons to have nothing but confidence in them this season – especially when playing a team that seems to be as confused as the Titans. This shouldn’t be close.

12 – SAN DIEGO over Jacksonville – After being down 30-0 at halftime, the Jaguars turned to their future and brought Blake Bortles into the game. While it’s a great move for the future, their present is still pretty bleak.

11 – PITTSBURGH over Tampa Bay – The Steelers run game exploded last week against one of the top defenses in the league. The Bucs, well they imploded in Atlanta. A switch back to Mike Glennon at quarterback might help, but the Steelers are just too much to leave much doubt that they’ll lose this game.

10 – WASHINGTON over New York Giants – The Redskins lost a shootout last week. Lucky for them they now have an offense that can produce a shootout every week. The Giants on the other hand cannot. Kirk Cousins has seemingly lit a fire in the nation’s capital so much so that this week’s BOLD PREDICTION is that Kirk Cousins will be a starting quarterback in week 1 of 2015 … and that will be with the Redskins.

9 – Miami over OAKLAND – Yes the Raiders are the “home” team this week, but this home team has to travel across the country…and THEN across the pond to London. The Dolphins would be higher if they knew what they were doing at quarterback but either way they should be able to handle the Raiders.

8 – KANSAS CITY over New England – The Patriots were only able to put the ball in the end zone ONCE against the Raiders at home last week and just squeaked out the win. The Chiefs on the other hand finally found their offense groove last week. It’s hard to see the Pats stopping the Chiefs on a Monday night in Arrowhead this week.

7 – SAN FRANCISCO over Philadelphia – I’m still not throwing the towel in on the 9ers. They have started with a tough schedule with games against an undefeated Cardinals team (in Glendale) and games against the Bears and Cowboys. The Eagles rely heavily on their high-powered offense which San Fran should be able to contain.

6 – Detroit over NEW YORK JETS – Detroit looked pretty bad last week in beating the Packers, but I believe that was just a bad game. I’m confident that the Lions will bounce back for a road win, just not too confident.

5 – CHICAGO over Green Bay – The league’s fiercest rivalry is renewed in Soldier Field this week. The Bears’ injury questions leave me questioning them a bit, but the Packers haven’t seemed to find their groove yet this year so Chicago should be able to take this one. I have a feeling that the home team will be winning both games this season.

4 – HOUSTON over Buffalo – This game depends on the health of Arian Foster. If he plays, then keep the Texans here. If not, then slide them down a bit – maybe even put the Bills on the 1-2 line.

3 – Carolina over BALTIMORE – After last week's debacle, the Panthers will have a big point to prove. I’m not confident on a road team in Baltimore, but the Carolina D will look to return to form and shut down the Ravens.

2 – Atlanta over MINNESOTA – A new era has begun in Minnesota with Teddy Bridgewater now under center. Couple that with the fact that the game is being played in Minnesota and that gives me SOME reason to question the outcome, but the Vikings just have too many injury and legal issues to keep up with the Falcons.

1 – DALLAS over New Orleans – Sunday Night’s matchup is a good one. The fact that the game is in Jerry’s house makes it a toss-up. I think the ‘Boys will use the momentum from their comeback in St. Louis last week to propel them to a big win.

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, LeSean McCoy and the game's other big 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. And let's not forget about all the teams on byes this week!

Blake Bortles QB Jacksonville – For those of you in two QB leagues, Bortles can be an enticing choice for Week 4. Though San Diego improved their pass defense in the off season, it still remains to be seen how much of an improvement was made. Bortles has some young talented receiving targets including Allen Hurns, Cecil Shorts and Allen Robinson and seemed to have no problem spreading the ball around. Bortles also threw a 63-yard touchdown pass to Hurns, but that play was really all about yards after the catch. Still, it looked good on the stat sheet for Bortles. This week Bortles makes his first start on the road in San Diego and, though there is a good chance we could see a few mistakes, there is also a good chance that he can find success with his many young and quick targets. Don’t be afraid to start Bortles as your number two QB this week since he should perform at least on a pedestrian level while his speedy receivers can make big plays at any moment, possibly giving their QB a nice fantasy day.

Darren McFadden RB Oakland – McFadden is only averaging just over 3 yards per carry but he now faces a Miami defense that just gave up 174 rushing yards last week at home to Kansas City. Granted, Knile Davis is the more talented runner these days but McFadden still has shown he is capable of an occasional speed burst from time to time. Fellow Oakland runningback Maurice Jones Drew figures to play this weekend, but that shouldn’t scare an owner from giving McFadden a shot considering Jones-Drew looks to have nothing left in the tank. This should be more of a ground matchup and McFadden will get his chances. McFadden is a good bye week replacement and maybe then some as a lower tier RB2 with the potential to surprise.

Steven Jackson RB Atlanta – Looking for another bye week replacement RB for Week 4? After all, six teams are on byes this week and pickin’s could be slim. As most probably look at Steven Jackson as an afterthought these days, he has quietly put up…well, non-relevant fantasy numbers. But you might be hurting for a runningback and Jackson has a great shot at finding the endzone this week. Minnesota has allowed 258 yards over the past two games and are not the stout run defense we have been used to seeing in recent years. I fully expect Jackson to get his endzone shots and put off up and comer Davonte Freeman for a couple more games. Look for Jackson to find paydirt the first time this season and start him as a low-end bye week replacement RB2.

Anquan Boldin WR San Francisco – While Michael Crabtree tears up the Philadelphia defense, Boldin should also be a big factor. Boldin started out the season with a nice performance against a bad Dallas defense but hasn’t made much noise since. This is the week he should reemerge as San Francisco should not have much of a problem exploiting a porous Philadelphia pass defense. Boldin does have 16 catches in his first three games and should be in store for lots of looks this week with Crabtree stretching the defense like he can. Boldin is certainly a good PPR league play and can be looked at a high-end WR3 that would not surprise in putting up WR2 numbers.  

Brandon Myers TE Tampa Bay – If you are looking for a tight end off the waiver wire because you are hit with bye week issues this week, you might want to take a chance on Brandon Myers who goes up against one of the worst defenses against the tight end position so far this year in Pittsburgh. Myers has shown he is a strong pass catcher over the past few years and will have QB Mike Glennon filling in for injured Josh McCown who could be looking quite often for his safety net. Myers has yet to surpass 41 yards in a game this season but he catches balls and always seems to have confidence from his quarterbacks thanks to his good hands and ability to get open in the middle. Start his as a TE2. He’ll get the catches.