Week 3 NFL Recap & Week 4 Fantasy Football Prep

We’re a week removed from one of the most absurd weekends of injuries in recent fantasy memory, yet time hasn't actually netted us much pertinent information. Jamaal Charles went from having a surefire lengthy injury to practicing and almost playing only to end up sitting out. Roddy White was expected to play all week leading up to Thursday night, only to miss out on Atlanta’s shellacking of the Buccaneers.

And then there’s the curious case of Arian Foster: we've always had to just deal with the fact that he’s constantly on the injury report, yet despite his recent hammy injury not sounding too serious, he didn't suit up for Houston's matchup with the Giants. Week 3 was a funky one but that’s kind of why we play the game. If it were easy to predict, none of us would even watch.

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Fantasy Football Injury Updates: Week 3 NFL Recap

There were, of course, other injuries to be had in Week 3. The Chargers lost Danny Woodhead to a leg fracture; he'll be out the rest of the season. That’s a serious blow for San Diego, who was already missing Ryan Mathews for at least a month. They’re currently down to just Donald Brown and a couple of guys no one would even fathom were fantasy-relevant a week ago. For now, Brown is the only guy worth rostering, but it’ll be interesting to see if the Chargers end up promoting a member of the practice squad to fill Woodhead’s pass-catching role.

• Ravens tight end Dennis Pitta is due to have hip surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the season. A dislocated hip sounds unbelievably painful, so if it were me, I wouldn't be standing up anytime soon, let alone attempting to play football. Owen Daniels immediately becomes relevant, and he should see an increased role as the only respectable tight end left on the team.
• Speaking of tight ends, Minnesota’s Kyle Rudolph is set to undergo a groin surgery, but the early word is that he should return around six weeks from now. New Offensive Coordinator Norv Turner loves to utilize the tight end position, so it’s a shame Rudolph hasn’t been able to benefit from it. Hopefully he comes back strong once he’s recovered. Until then, I don’t think replacements MarQueis Gray and Rhett Ellison (who?) are worth adding, unless you’re seriously desperate at TE.
• A few other players were dinged up by random little injuries that aren't quite clear just yet. Vincent Jackson is expected to play through a wrist fracture; the Colts expect T.Y. Hilton to play against the Titans in Week 4; completely fantasy-irrelevant Jonathan Stewart might be out a month. None of these injuries should have you running to your waiver wire just yet, but the wise move would be to leave these guys inactive and have a Plan B until more information becomes available.

Fantasy Football Impact Players: Week 3 NFL Recap

Last week was super injury heavy, so it might be a good idea to jump right into some actual games as quickly as possible. Let’s do that, shall we?

Buccaneers @ Falcons

Yowza. This game was a train wreck from the get-go. I think it’s safe to say most people expected the Falcons to win, but the 56-14 margin of victory was kind out of nowhere. Julio Jones is just ridiculous. If he can stay healthy, he’s going to have one of the best seasons for a wide receiver in quite some time. I wrote in the pre-season that I expected the entire Falcons team to bounce back for fantasy purposes, and that appears to be the case thus far… as long as they don’t run the ball. Like, at all. The rushing game looks invisible, and even when they do produce on the ground, it’s almost by committee. I say “almost” because Steven Jackson is still the main guy, but the team clearly likes using multiple backs.

It’s frustrating for fantasy owners, but the good news is their passing game is legit. In a weird schedule quirk, however, the Falcons only play in Atlanta one time between now and Week 12. It might not be a bad idea to sell high on Matt Ryan, but I wouldn’t even think about dealing Julio Jones. As for Tampa Bay, Bobby Rainey came down with a case of fumble-itis in this game, but did manage to put together a decent PPR game. I still think Rainey is the better back on the Buccaneers, so don't let the fumbles get to you. I’m still avoiding Doug Martin at all costs.

It was nice to see Vincent Jackson get into the end zone despite this recent news of a wrist fracture. You should see if you can find a panicking owner in your league and try to buy low on V-Jax. There was a QB change after Josh McCown hurt his hand, but I don’t think that’ll have any impact on fantasy boards.

Vikings @ Saints

The Adrian Peterson case is a sobering topic that doesn’t really have any place in a fantasy article, so I’ll just avoid that one entirely. Matt Cassel left this game with a broken foot, so we were treated to our first glimpse of Teddy Bridgewater. He looked competent out there, completing 12 passes for 150 yards. It’s not a great day by any means, but what do you expect for a rookie who wasn't even supposed to play in this game?

Drew Brees had a very Brees-like day with 293 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterbacks as a whole haven’t been putting up monster numbers just yet this season, but Brees is still a top-three option the rest of the way, without question. It appears Brandin Cooks is legit. He had eight receptions for 74 yards in this game, while Jimmy Graham  only had 54 yards-- nothing you can do about that, really.

The TDs went to Marques Colston and Josh Hill (again, who?) Colston will get his every once in a while, and Hill is just another one of those random guys the Saints manage to find every once in a while. Classic case of “nothing to see here, folks.”

Titans @ Bengals 

Alright. Is anyone still actually believing in Bishop Sankey for 2014? I feel like I’m going to be writing this until I’m blue in the face: the Titans have been using and will continue to be using a running back by committee. Shonn Greene ain’t dead yet. Make of that what you will, but he’s usable in all formats, whether you like it or not.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, Delanie Walker is legit. I know he only had 54 yards in this game, but in a league where tight ends are scarce for fantasy purposes, Walker is worth an add if you’re aboard the tight end carousel. Jake Locker injured his wrist in this game and he might miss Week 4.

Locker has been prone to injury over his career, so perhaps we should pump the breaks on his anticipated breakout season. He’s been a trendy candidate as a sneaky QB2, but the injury to his throwing arm should temper expectations. The Bengals dominated this game, and A.J. Green played to the tune of 102 yards after being questionable all week. If he’s active, you’re starting him, and that’s that. Giovani Bernard scored twice for the Bengals, and this Jeremy Hill timeshare business should stop. Bernard got twice as many carries as Hill. Tennessee has a timeshare, Cincinnati does not.

Ravens @ Browns

It turns out the Cleveland Browns aren't as terrible as we’re used to seeing. It was nice to see Jordan Cameron get back on the field, albeit in limited fashion. It’s a step in the right direction, so you can’t really be too upset that he only had one catch here. The Browns are using a committee approach while Ben Tate heals up, yet the team wouldn't commit to Tate as their starter upon his return.

I think this ends up being a three-headed monster with Tate, Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West. Time for me to admit something: I was super wrong about the Torrey Smith/Steve Smith tandem. Well… sorta. I didn’t think the Ravens would suddenly choose not to use Torrey Smith and put Steve Smith as their number one wide receiver, but I did say this offense couldn’t support two relevant fantasy receivers.

Steve Smith is clearly the better fantasy play on this team. In fact, we may be venturing into "Torrey Smith is droppable" territory. It’s been three weeks and he hasn’t done anything. I wouldn’t bail on him completely just yet, but I don’t have an issue with dropping him if you need the roster spot.

Packers @ Lions 

You can add Aaron Rodgers to the buy-low list. It wouldn’t shock me if the Rodgers owner in your league is panicking about his lack of a monster season thus far. He’s still Aaron Rodgers; he’s going to be just fine. I might, however, start thinking about trying to buy low on Eddie Lacy if I could. He's had three tough matchups, and while we may be looking at a case of the dreaded Sophomore Slump, it's more likely he breaks out bigtime vs. weaker defenses in the coming weeks.

As far as the Lions are concerned, Calvin Johnson is still ridiculous. He didn’t get into the end zone in this game, but he was basically double-covered the entire contest, and he still managed to end up with 82 yards in spite of Stafford’s two interceptions. Stafford is a gunslinger, so you just have to accept the bad with the good.

Reggie Bush and Joique Bell had similar usage in terms of carries, but Bush got the bulk of the passing plays. They’re a lot closer than people realize, even though Reggie Bush is the more popular name. I’d say they’re virtually even to me.

Cowboys @ Rams

The Romocoaster was in full force here with his two touchdowns and one interception. That’s just what he does. DeMarco Murray is on pace for a monster season, as he churned out another 100-yard day with a touchdown. The problem with Murray has never been talent-- it’s just his proneness for injury. As long as he can stay healthy, he’s going to end up with a top-five fantasy year at running back. Kind of crazy.

Dez Bryant finally had a good game here as well, which is a good sign. The Rams are inching closer and closer to using Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham equally, which would be the worst possible scenario, but Stacy still has the big edge in rushing attempts (and yards gained with a 67 to 29 advantage), and he caught 5 catches to boot. Stacy is the only usable back now, but Cunningham should be owned by Stacy owners.

Colts @ Jaguars

Surprising no one, the Colts destroyed the Jaguars 44-17 in a game where Andrew Luck threw for four touchdowns. The Colts have to throw a ton when you consider the fact that Trent Richardson isn’t very good. Ahmad Bradshaw looks like the better running back on the team, so ideally they decide to lean on him over Richardson. I can’t even imagine a scenario in which I'd be comfortable starting Richardson anymore.

The Jaguars finally caved and decided to see what they have in Blake Bortles. He threw for two touchdowns and two picks in this game, which is fine for a rookie debut. He looked like he could end up being the best QB in his draft class over the preseason, so he might work out in the long term. The Jaguar wide receivers continue to be a mystery. There’s not a single one I want to own, let alone start, but Shorts and Robinson remain very intriguing and I have a close eye on them.

Raiders @ Patriots

This game was weird. The 2014 New England Patriots are weird. If you can get anything close to draft-day value for Tom Brady, trade him. The offense just doesn’t look like the mighty juggernaut to which we’ve grown accustomed over the years. Rob Gronkowski is still the most usable aspect of this offense, even though he didn’t have a great game here.

I talked up Julian Edelman a bunch in the pre-season as a sneaky PPR play, and that’s looking like the case, with another big 10 receptions for 84 yards. Many expected Stevan Ridley to have a decent game here, but to sum up his day in a word, it was “eh.” 19 rushes for 54 yards is “eh.” At least he got the work, I suppose?

There is nothing redeeming about the Oakland Raider offense. It’s conceivable they are the most fantasy-irrelevant team in the NFL. Maurice Jones-Drew will automatically be the most fantasy-relevant player on the team upon his return.

Chargers @ Bills

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I would rather own Fred Jackson than C.J. Spiller. The two of them are used equally, and Fred Jackson is Buffalo’s preferred passing back, as evidenced by his eight receptions and 78 yards. You can probably get him as a throw-in in a deal.

The Sammy Watkins hype train came to a stall here, but that’s to be expected. He’s a rookie playing on a team that doesn’t typically throw a lot, with a quarterback who is only in his second season. The Chargers gave Donald Brown a whopping 35 touches in this game, which has everything to do with him being the last running back standing on the team. I don’t know about 35 touches a week, but he’s clearly going to get a lot of work with both Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead out.

If you’re worried about Keenan Allen, keep worrying. It doesn’t look like he’s continuing his unlikely rookie run from last season. I’m noticing a trend here, as I suggest a lot of guys to trade away...

Texans @ Giants

Don’t trade away Rashad Jennings. In fact, go out and get him. Last week, I told you the Giants offense was a gigantic mess and to trade everyone away. This week I’m backtracking a bit, but I really think Jennings is the only guy worth holding on to. For whatever reason, he’s the only guy on the team who is managing to produce.

I’m aware that Victor Cruz ended up with 107 yards and a touchdown in this game, but Jennings got the ball 34 times. I’m not buying into the Cruz Comeback just yet, but I am buying me some Rashad Jennings. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw three picks in this game, which is certainly troublesome for Andre Johnson owners. I do still think Johnson will end up as a top 20 receiver, especially in PPR formats, but time is running out.

Fitzpatrick needs to fix himself quick for Andre Johnson’s sake. Arian Foster didn’t play in this game, which left room for Alfred Blue to pick up 78 yards. He’s the Foster handcuff you want, but don’t go crazy trying to get him thinking he’s a threat to Foster’s job.

Redskins @ Eagles

I’m going to go ahead and assume Robert Griffin III isn’t getting his job back upon return. Not only did Kirk Cousins look good in Washington’s late loss to the Eagles, he actually looked better than Griffin. Cousins threw for three touchdowns and totaled a whopping 427 yards. Granted, the Eagles defense is kind of stinky, so it’s easy to rack up yards on them, but that’s a lot of yardage. Cousins is a solid top 15-QB the rest of the way, and I can’t see the Redskins putting RGIII back in there as long as Cousins continues to perform.

The Redskins also managed to completely negate LeSean McCoy’s production even after he returned to the game following a concussion evaluation. It’s unclear if McCoy did indeed suffer a concussion but something clearly took him off his game with just 22 yards on 19 attempts. I’m not worried about him long term at all, it’s just one bad game.

I was hesitant about buying into the Jeremy Maclin bounce back year after his torn ACL but it appears it’s legit at the moment. He’s another guy who doesn’t really have talent concerns but injury ones. Use him while you got him, he might not be in there for long.

49ers @ Cardinals

The Cardinals are for real. Carson Palmer was out for the second consecutive week, but that didn’t slow down the offense one bit. Drew Stanton was able to lead Arizona to a win on top of Michael Floyd’s 114 yards and Andre Ellington’s 62. They’re not the most explosive offense in the league, but they have some serious weapons.

On the other side of the ball, the Frank Gore/Carlos Hyde pairing just isn’t working out. Hyde doesn’t look very good on the field in spite of his touchdown in this game, and Gore just might finally be slowing down.  I’ve been a fan of his all summer and I do still think he’s a solid RB2, but it might be time to lower expectations for the season. Vernon Davis missed this game but it doesn’t sound like he’ll be out for a prolonged period of time. Keep an eye on the situation and grab one of the emerging tight ends if you’re struggling at the position.

Broncos @ Seahawks

This was by far the most entertaining game of the week, and it was the matchup we all expected and hoped for when the two teams met in February. The Seahawks won this game on a Marshawn Lynch touchdown in overtime. Lynch is still beast-moding and is clearly unaffected by the other backs on the team.

We haven’t seen Christine Michael yet, but it’s looking like that’s not going to make any kind of difference. Chances are if you own Peyton Manning you didn’t bother benching him out of fear of the Legion of Boom. If that was the case, you made the right non-move. Peyton had a great game, especially here considering the matchup he was facing. This is a classic case of don’t get too cute with your lineup. Start your studs unless you have a phenomenal bench.

Montee Ball is clearly the workhorse back the Broncos want. He’s not having an amazing season thus far by any means, but he’s getting the entirety of the touches out of the backfield. A Peyton Manning offense is notorious for not rotating backs within drives, so as long as Ball cuts out this fumbling business, he’s going to get a lot of looks throughout the year. This game wasn’t all that crazy for fantasy purposes, but in real life it was pretty spectacular.

Chiefs @ Dolphins

I think it’s safe to assume that Knile Davis was the number one pickup last week, and he proved his value with 32 rushes for 132 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. It’s unclear how much longer Jamaal Charles will be inactive, but until then, Knile Davis is easily a top-15 running back.  It just goes to show you that sometimes opportunity is more important than talent. Davis is easily one of the most talented backups in the league, and he could probably start for a few teams if given the chance. Davis is one of those pickups that could win you your whole week. I can’t imagine him still being available, but if he is grab him immediately.

On the Miami side of things, Mike Wallace is heating up. He was an unpopular pick over the pre-season and appears to be on track for a pretty good year. He’s another guy you could probably still buy low on before he blows up too big. Lamar Miller should be wearing a t-shirt that says, “Better late than never, right?” 2013 was the year to obsess over grabbing Miller as a trendy sleeper, and he even got a lot of rub over this summer. (I know that because I was part of this. My bad?) He had 108 yards in this game, due largely to Moreno being out. No one really knows how long Moreno will be out for at this point, but Miller is clearly going to get a lot of work on this team. The Dolphins ended up losing 34-15, so Miller’s day would have been even bigger had they not had to throw so much to catch up.

Steelers @ Panthers

This was a game that many expected to be close, but it wasn’t. The first half was tight, with the Steelers up 9-3 after having a Markus Wheaton touchdown overturned. But once the third quarter started, it was all Steelers, and they ended up crushing Carolina 37-19. Antonio Brown is going to end up with another monstrous season, as evidenced by his 10 catches, 90 yards and two touchdowns here.  For whatever reason, the guy is defense-proof.  Le’Veon Bell is also shaping up to be the best of 2013’s rookie running back class. Apparently, he spent the offseason working on his weight, and it’s showing.

We can conclude this week’s recap with two more buy-low candidates in Cam Newton and Kelvin Benjamin. Newton had a rough game here, but you can’t really hold that against him going forward. He’s too good to hit the panic button this early. The Newton owner in your league might already be worried though, so he’s another guy you can probably get on the cheap.  As for Benjamin, he is living proof that the Panthers don’t care who their number one receiver is. Once Cam finds a guy he can trust, he hones in him. Same goes for Greg Olsen; Olsen will end up leading the Panthers in targets and managed to get into the end zone here. And finally, I sincerely hope you were wise enough not to draft any Carolina running backs. None of them is worth owning, let alone starting.

Monday night’s game ended up being a pretty aggressive game with the Bears potent offense and secondary, and the Jets weak secondary and very strong defensive line. If your matchup hinged on Brandon Marshall or Alshon Jeffery, you’re probably in good shape even with their recent injuries. Hope you’re all 3-0 at this point.