#FantasyFootball Start Sit – Week 3
Jamaal Charles will be running hard for his coach.
Author: Cameron Sparks
Two birds with one stone, a twofer, let’s get a two for one, two in the hand, or something of that effect. Sure this is a start/sit column, but let’s make sure we touch on the news about Trent Richardson. As we all clearly know, clearly, NFL trades never happen during the regular season. The Clinton Portis-Champ Bailey one is the trade everyone remembers and points to and if you don’t remember it, that just goes to show you how rare it is. But it happened! So let’s dive into this a bit. The Colts “want” to be a power running team. Check. The Colts have a franchise quarterback who threatens defenses with his arm on every play. Check. Trent Richardson is an elite talent. Check. Yeah, the match sounds good to me!
Look, a lot of people might point to Richardson’s small YPC behind a solid Browns o-line but let’s be honest; the team around his was less than stellar. If you bring up Adrian Peterson as a comparison please pinch your left arm, roll your ankle, and give yourself a noogy because you deserve a little somethin something for that comment. The Colts offensive line might not be great but the scheme and quarterback will at least allow Trent to achieve his numbers from last year. His touchdowns will go up, and his potential is rekindled in Andrew Luck’s offense. If you are a Richardson owner, you should be happy. I believe the all other Colts offensive owners should be happy as well. Luck will now have a running game to take some pressure off, and Reggie Wayne and especially T.Y. Hilton will enjoy the single coverages that come with the play action pass.
As for the Browns, well…. Jordan Cameron should still be good. So much for those who thought the Browns could be a sleeper.
1st bird done. On to the next one…. Who we got?!?
Start
QB
Andy Dalton vs GB: So far the Packers have given up 400+ to Colin Kaepernick and nearly 400 against a still hobbled RG3. Granted, these two quarterbacks aren’t exactly chumps but they also aren’t going to challenge for 5000 yards passing which is what Green Bay set them on pace for. Andy Dalton has been solid but not spectacular so far this season and has to play against the Bears in Chicago and the Steelers. Not exactly two cake walks for fantasy performances. This week will be the week Dalton hits the 300 yard mark with multiple touchdowns. Start away.
Sam Bradford @DAL: Dallas has been very opportunistic this season and could force the Rams and Bradford into a few turnovers seeing as the game is in Dallas. But they have given up a ton through the air at the same time. So far this season Bradford has thrown for 651 yards and 5 touchdowns and Coach Jeff Fisher said they are considering going no huddle even more frequently. Bradford was primed to breakout with all of his new weapons and the clear coat is drying folks.
Others to feel good about: Michael Vick vs KC, Carson Palmer at NO, Jake Locker vs SD
RB
Arian Foster/Ben Tate at BAL: If you need a flex or struggling second back, Tate could be a great choice this week. Baltimore has struggled to stop the run so far this season. While they may cut into each others carries more so than an Arian Foster owner may like, Foster looks like the wear and tear of the past few years has caught up. Maybe the split will keep him fresh and end up a good thing. Either way, feel free to start them with confidence this weekend.
Frank Gore vs IND: What better way to bounce back after the debacle in Seattle then to get back to the man who brung ya to the point they are. Gore needs to be pounded against a Colts team that is below average against the run. They are also relatively small and should have no real problem with being pushed around by the physical 49ers o line. I think Gore has a big game against Trent and Luck.
Jamaal Charles @PHI: Speed versus speed. Let him loose Andy. Excited to watch this one even if the start is annoyingly obvious.
Lamar Miller vs ATL: I’m still sticking with my guy! He bounced back from an awful week one to a solid week two. The coaches still say the two backs (Miller and Daniel Thomas) will split but that will only last until Lamar runs with this. I believe he is finally starting to. Atlanta has given up the 7th most points to running backs this season so far this season so look for the Dolphins to get their backs involved even more going forward.
Others to feel good about: Chris Johnson vs SD, Bernard Pierce vs HOU, David Wilson @CAR
WR
Dwayne Bowe @PHI: Nothing will please Andy Reid more than sticking it to his old team. His game plan will be solid and if they want to score to keep up with Chip Kelly, they need to get Bowe involved. The Eagles have actually been the worst in the league at defending wide receivers so far this season so Bowe should find plenty of space to rack up catches. Nothin like a little sweet revenge, huh Andy?
Tavon Austin @DAL: I mentioned it with Bradford above, but the Cowboys have been very bend but don’t, ok kinda, break so far this season. Austin’s targets have gone from 7 to 12 over the past two weeks and he scored twice against the Falcons. With teams starting to pay attention to Jared Cook in the middle, Austin will find himself plenty of room to roam. He is perfectly built for the no huddle the Rams are trying to run and he will be a match up nightmare for the less athletic Cowboys.
Deandre Hopkins at BAL: Let’s do the math, metaphorically of course. I wouldn’t make you do real math. Anyway. Baltimore is giving up the 6th most point to wide receivers, Andre Johnson is questionable with a concussion, and finally Deandre Hopkins is starting to become the beast many thought he could be. Hopkins brought in 7 catches on his 13 targets for 117 yards and the game winning touchdown. He will never see double coverage, so long as Andre plays, with Owen Daniels and the Texans running game present. I loved Hopkins coming into the season, and its time to unleash him on your opponents.
Others to feel good about: Marlon Brown vs HOU, T.Y. Hilton @SF, Anquan Boldin vs IND
TE
Owen Daniels @BAL: Daniels has been solid to start the 2013 season having scored 3 touchdowns through his two games thus far. Now Daniels gets a Ravens team that is among the last in the league at defending the tight end. Daniels should keep his momentum going on the road this week.
Sit
Tom Brady vs TB: He is human after all folks. All these years of everyone just assuming Brady would make gourmet meals out of crap sandwiches has finally reached its end. Perhaps. Look the kids will get better, they have talent, and Gronk will be back soon (maybe this week). The problem is Brady has played Buffalo and the Jets and really hasn’t performed at all. It’s not to say he can’t (he won’t), because he can (he won’t), it’s just the Tampa Bay is even better on D than those previous teams. The Bucs are 0-2 and hungry and Brady needs as much help as he can get. Having Revis take away half the field isn’t exactly what the chef ordered. (See how I brought that back… I gotcha)
Russell Wilson vs JAX: Russell has clearly started slow for the newly anointed media darling Seattle Seahawks. His QBR in the 4th quarter has been crazy good though, highest in the league at 98. Wait, what’s that? Oh, you don’t care about QBR? Fine, fine, but It was a fun throw in. The Seahawks are going to destroy Jacksonville this week but Wilson might only play a half. The Hawks will run, run, run, run, run, run, and if I wanted to be more repetitive and annoying, run, run, run, and run.
Others to feel nervous about: Philip Rivers @TEN (NO! I don’t buy it), Josh Freeman @NE, Jay Cutler @PIT
RB
Big Name Bust of the Week:
Adrian Peterson vs CLE: Duh, you aren’t going to sit him, but Cleveland’s front seven has been for real this season. 23 carries for 39 yards. That is the combined total for Ray Rice and Lamar Miller the past two weeks. And while I know AP is the biggest freak in the league, sorry Calvin, but if you take away his very first run of the season he’s only averaging 2.6 yards per carry. He hasn’t really hit stride with this Minnesota offense. Put all that together in a pipe and smoke it, you got something even Seattle and Denver fans would put down. (ya know, cuz they legalized…. n/m)
And then we have…
Stevan Ridley vs TB: First the season started and everyone was ready for Ridley to explode. Then his owner’s heads were the only thing to explode when Ridley fumbled his way into the doghouse and behind Shane Vereen. Then, Vereen goes down and Ridley owners jump for joy like a kid who gets one of those really big trampolines for the first time (come on, you know you remember your first time) only to watch Ridley turn that solo show into a 16 carries for 40 yards and no TDs performance in week two. The Bucs were the stingiest against the run last year, and they have been stingy this year.
James Starks @CIN: Hahahahahahaha! Really? How many people blew a huge chunk of their auction dollars or high priority waiver on James Starks? Have you not played fantasy football before? Ever watched him in the past? Do you just assume the Packers will just take the job away from Lacy once he’s cleared to play after spending two draft picks on running backs because they weren’t confident in their starter from a season ago. Who was that guy again? Oh yeah, James Starks…. No thanks.
Others to feel nervous about: Felix Jones vs CHI, Maurice Jones-Drew @SEA, Ahmad Bradshaw @SF
WR
Aaron Dobson/Kenbrell Thompkins vs TB: I don’t know who Revis will cover. I don’t know which one will get the targets. Brady doesn’t know which one he wants to throw to. Dobson and Thompkins don’t know the kid with the black sticky stuff on his hands’ number. Losing all around.
Cecil Shorts @SEA: I could claim the weekly Richard Sherman problem. But let’s be honest, Seattle in Seattle is a problem in general for the Jags.
Pierre Garcon vs DET: You would think that playing in a shootout against Detroit would be a positive thing, and typically it has been. But their defense of wide receivers has been very good this season. Chris Houston has excelled at the corner spot on the outside, and even if you want to degrade the performance on Fitzgerald because of a bummy hammy, the fact remains he was held to 2 catches for 33 yards. Could be a tougher week for Garcon than you thought.
All Seattle receivers vs JAC: If the Seahawks kick a field goal on their first drive, they will already have distanced themselves far enough. Why throw?
Others to feel nervous about: Roddy White at MIA (forever until his ankle is good), Antonio Brown vs CHI, Miles Austin vs STL
TE
Kyle Rudolph vs CLE: Cleveland has been the 3rd stingiest against tight ends so far this season and Kyle Rudolph is typically a touchdown or bust kinda tight end. With the Browns being solid at defending that position, the chances of Rudolph paying off in your line up are small.