Saying this weekend in sports was eventful would be an understatement. It featured not only college football’s “Game of the Century,” and the most hyped boxing match in years but also one of the most inexplicable finishes to a football game (spoiler alert: Wisconsin got robbed) this writer has seen.
It would have been easy for you to slack on your fantasy studying this week with all of that happening, but luckily I’m here to assist you and your team. It’s Go Time for Week 3 planning.
Dylan Sinn is a freelance contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSinn or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Getty
Week 3 Who's Up Who's Down
-
Ben Roethlisberger QB - Pittsburgh
The first two weeks of the season have not gone Big Ben’s way and it is unlikely that his play will improve in the near future. His offensive line was shaky even before center and leader Maurkice Pouncey was lost for the season to a torn ACL. Now it’s downright sieve-like.
Roethlisberger leads an offense short on weapons and it has shown through two games. The two-time Super Bowl champion has thrown for just 442 yards combined so far, ranking him 25th in the league. Until the talent around Roethlisberger improves, he won’t be a valuable fantasy quarterback. Try to trade him based on name-recognition value.
Arrow Pointing: DOWN
-
Eddie Royal WR - San Diego
Eddie Royal has two more touchdown receptions through two weeks than any other receiver in football. You didn’t read that wrong. Royal added three more TDs on Sunday after the pair he had in Week 1 and is likely to be an even bigger part of the Charger’s pass-happy attack going forward due to Malcolm Floyd’s questionable availability.
Royal is still only owned in 14.5 percent of ESPN leagues, so this is a golden opportunity to upgrade your team at wide receiver. He obviously won’t catch two or three touchdowns every game, but the former Bronco is a good bet to have a solid Week 3 against a Titans pass defense that just gave up 298 yards and three touchdowns to Houston.
Arrow Pointing: UP
-
Knowshon Moreno RB - Denver
With the focus on another great game by Peyton Manning, Moreno quietly rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants. The former Georgia star seems to be the one emerging from the running back competition in Denver and is in line for an increase in carries going forward, especially considering Montee Ball’s goal line fumble this week.
The running game will always take a backseat to the quarterback’s brilliance in Denver but Manning needs the run to set up his deadly play-action passes. Now that Moreno is the feature back, he should be a threat to go for 100 yards every game, starting in Week 3 against Oakland.
Arrow Pointing: UP
-
Mike Wallace WR - Miami
Remember last week, when Wallace was not happy because he wasn’t being targeted enough? If you do, forget it. The Dolphins made a concerted effort to get their marquee free agent signee involved in Week 2 and it paid off to the tune of 9 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown.
Right, now Wallace’s ceiling as a fantasy player depends largely on how good Ryan Tannehill can be. I believe he’s the real deal and his 65.3 completion percentage (albeit through just two games) supports me. Look for those two to become an elite tandem as the season progresses, making Wallace a valuable fantasy wide receiver.
Arrow Pointing: UP
-
Tom Brady QB - New England
It seems strange to put Brady on this list, but it has to be done. He’s posted a 74.1 passer rating through two games and was visibly frustrated with his young receiving corps against the Jets. After plays like these, it’s not hard to see why.
Brady’s chemistry with his receivers will improve as the season progresses, but that doesn’t help fantasy owners right now. It is hard to see Brady as anything better than a QB2 in a deep league with Danny Amendola out for the foreseeable future and Rob Gronkowski’s status still up in the air. Like Roethlisberger, I would try to trade him based on name value or bench him until his stats show signs of life.
Arrow Pointing: DOWN
