Seems like we have escaped week 3 of NFL action with the focus on the play on the field and not the embarrassment taking place off of it. This week in NFL action was highlighted by some rather large upsets, about the best Super Bowl rematch we could have hoped for, and quite the scuffle taking place in Philly (may have been a better one in the stands if you haven't seen the videos...between eagles fans haha). So let's get down to it.
New York Giants - see last week's post. One more week and I think we see this offense start rolling. High on the G-men this week heading into Washington.
Rashad Jennings - It seems like the preseason concerns of Andre Williams eating into Jennings touches this season were unfounded. Currently a top 15 running back, Jennings figures to be one of the most consistent RB's in the league this season on a team that loves to pound the rock inside the ten.
Victor Cruz - Did we witness a coming out party this past Sunday? Will we see the salsa double digit times this season? I should certainly hope so, but let's be realistic. Still a work in progress in New York, Cruz was drafted on the hope he would be a high volume guy but has shown questionable hands and a questionable attitude so far this season.
DeAndre Hopkins - Might slowly be seeing a changing of the guard in Houston. I know Andre Johnson commands attention when on the field, but this kid has talent. May have a top 5 catch of the season when all is said and done, and it didn't even count.
Julio Jones - No Roddy White and Jones is still open all over the field. Guy just looks so smooth playing football, and has unbelievable hand-eye coordination. Over the shoulder catch turning his head completely around with a helmet on his head...unreal. Falcons defense looked really good Thursday against a bad Bucs team but I do not expect that to hold, leaving Ryan to sling it Jones all season. Ryan's production has taken a significant hit when playing away from home (5 of 7 away in the next 7 games), but Julio Jones is looking unguardable so far this season.
Mike Glennon - Stats from last season, 2600 yard, 19 touchdowns, 9 interceptions. In his rookie season, Glennon quietly put up solid numbers. With some shotty quarterback play thus far and McCown looking to be out for the near future, Glennon might be worth a stash. He is the QB of the future in Tampa.
Andy Dalton - Hue Jackson going out and showing he gives zero effs this season. Might have given Marvin Lewis one or two heart attacks while that ball was in the air, but this offense is looking to get creative. With the playmakers they have there, I expect Dalton to be the main beneficiary. And that defense is the real deal, the Bengals will certainly be around come January.
Jake Locker - Someone I expected some big things from to start this season, has struggled mightily the past two weeks, posting single digit fantasy points in each week while the Titans posted a miserable 17 points. Also some rumblings in Tennessee that Ken Whisenhunt is not opposed to a potential change if this continues.
Ravens backfield - flip a coin as to who will get the carries in Baltimore (actually three viable options, so maybe a coin doesn't work). Rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro looked good this past week, averaging over 5 YPC. We have seen Justin Forsett have success this season, and we know what Bernard Pierce can bring. Shaping up to be a RB by committee, stay away from this team. With Pitta going down for the year with a hip, only viable fantasy option on this team right now is Old Man Smith the III.
Browns backfield - On the other side of the field Sunday, Browns RB situation shaping up quite the same. Crowell and West look legitimate, both posting good fantasy numbers so far. Have barely seen the perennially fragile Ben Tate this season, who is poised to see the carries on a team that will likely lean on the run with conservative QB play.
Aaron Rodgers - Like Brees and Brady, Rodgers is off to a slow start this season. He almost looks timid out there (can hardly blame him behind that o-line). Does not take off and run like he used which made him that much more dangerous, I am wondering if maybe the collarbone injury is having lingering effects on his psyche.
Andrew Luck - Best looking QB in the game right now. Almost pitched a perfect game this Sunday, Luck leads the league with 74 fantasy points. Potentially loses a weapon in TY Hilton, lack of a run game and a mediocre defense mean Luck will have to win games with his arm and his legs, a very effective runner.
New England Patriots - Offense looks really, really bad. Brady is not the Brady of old. Gronk still appears to be slightly limited. Vereen not being featured much, and they're simply just not scoring enough to be a viable fantasy option. Julian Edelman commands value in a PPR league, but not much here other than that. Through three weeks thus far, the Pats have taken a tumble.
Teddy Bridgewater - TEDDY TEDDY!! And now begins the Bridgewater era in Minnesota. I would have been a lot more comfortable with Adrian Peterson being a safety valve here, but I am expecting big things from Bridgewater. Jerrick McKinnon is a physical freak and could become the back of the Vikings future, and Bridgewater will be banking on that to right the ship in Minnesota in a tough NFC North division.
Brandin Cooks - Cooks continues to emerge as a favorite target for a struggling Drew Brees. Marques Colston is on his way to an irrelevant season, and from there the Saints depth chart is a crap shoot. In a PPR format, Cooks looks to be a viable flew option.
Kirk Cousins - Finally, we get to see Cousins in action in this new Jay Gruden offense. And boy did he show why some in DC feel pretty strongly he gives the Skins the best chance to win week in and week out. Slung it around for 427 yards and 3 touchdowns this week, we may have seen the last of RGIII in a Redskin uniform (barring any unforeseen action by Dan Snyder, whose management practices are all but sensible).
Nick Foles - Really made me eat my words from earlier this season saying I expected him to come crashing back down to Earth. Took an absolute pounding on Sunday, kept getting up and dropping dimes for touchdowns. Fell victim to a cheap hit in a heated rivalry, Foles comes back and tells Chris Baker to hold his nuts. Made even more impressive considering the Eagles got minimal production out of McCoy and Sproles.
Tony Romo - Don't count the Boys out just yet. Boasting some of the best weapons in the league, this new Scott Linehan offense seems to be centered on ball control and keeping that putrid defense off the field. However, after falling down 21 points this past Sunday, Romo showed he can still toss it when he needs to. A very efficient 217 yards for two touchdowns, the Cowboys also got some surprising play out of their defense down the stretch. In other news, who is Austin Davis? Jeff Fisher says Shaun Hill is still his starter, but Davis hasn't been a slouch, moving the ball pretty effectively with mediocre weapons at his disposal.
Arizona Cardinals - Perhaps the biggest surprise of the season so far, the Cards are 3-0 and first in the NFC West after beating the 49ers at home this weekend. This team isn't surprising for a lack of talent, but for some key injuries thus far this season. Carson Palmer, Darnell Dockett, Andre Ellington is not 100% but this team is winning football games. Drew Stanton has filled in admirably and it appears Floyd is the man in the desert now. Also, John Brown was an intriguing player to watch in the preseason. While I don't expect the touchdown production to continue, this kid has the physical tools to break one every time he touches it.
San Francisco 49ers - There have been rumors that Jim Harbaugh has been losing this locker room, and they appear to have merit based on this past Sunday. There is no discipline on this team, with dumb penalties costing this team two potential wins in back to back weeks. Kap possibly used a racial slur on the field, Boldin headbutts a player, and they lose a veteran presence in Vernon Davis on the field for another week potentially. Time to right the ship in No Cal or this team could find itself competing with St. Louis for the cellar dwellers of the NFC West.
Emmanuel Sanders - I was a Sanders believer going into the year, and he has not disappointed through three weeks. Playing the Eric Decker role with more speed, has looked very good this far. Even with the return of Wes Welker, was targeted 15 times on Sunday. That sort of utilization can only lead to good things. You may be able to argue it was a result of game flow, but with Demaryius Thomas not looking very good so far this year (Dan that's for you), Sanders is primed to have a top 20 WR year with possibly even more upside if he can start finding the end zone.
Pittsburgh Steelers - What happened Sunday night? I went to bed after the first half and wake up to see the Steelers trounced the Panthers in Carolina. Have we all underestimated this team? Against one of the best rush defenses in the league, the Steelers post not one, but two one hundred yard rushers. We know what Big Ben and Antonio Brown bring to the field, and with Markus Wheaton showing playmaking ability, this offense could be formidable. Perhaps the Ravens game was the outlier so far this year. Paid for the win with some key losses on the defensive side of the football, the Steelers will be looking for a lot out of Big Ben and that offense.
Matt Forte - Starting to raise a few eyebrows. Has not reached the end zone yet this season, and has failed to score double digit fantasy points in consecutive weeks in standard scoring. While he has played two of the top defenses in the NFL, his ADP and the weapons around him suggest he should show more resiliency to matchups. Obviously one of the top players in the NFL, just something to monitor at a position we have seen steep, swift declines in the past.
Alright boys, that about wraps up week 3 for me. Leave some in the comment section and let me know what else you guys are seeing out there.
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