Steelers @ Rams

The Steelers' workhorse, Le'Veon Bell, returned from suspension, and he immediately showed his DFS worth. He managed 62 rushing yards on a pretty stout Rams' defense and caught seven balls for 70 yards. He also finished with a touchdown. Antonio Brown went for 108 yards on 11 receptions. The weekly Julio Jones or Brown question leaned heavily in one favor this week. The bigger news was Big Ben leaving the game with an injury that will keep him out 4-6 weeks. Going forward, I am not all that worried about the production of Bell and Brown. I do worry about the secondary options for the Steelers like Heath Miller and the surrounding wideouts. Michael Vick is good enough to keep the main guys afloat for DFS.

The Rams offense struggled for the second week in a row. We saw the debut of Todd Gurley, but as expected, he did not see a full workload. The Rams offense is a mess, but it will generally give us one solid value play a week. Kenny Britt was that guy. He had 102 yards on seven receptions. If Gurley can establish a run game for the Rams in the later weeks, it should open the passing game up a little bit. One week they may catch fire again.

Jaguars @ Patriots

Golden boy, Tom Brady, went for another monster game, throwing for 358 yards and two scores. New England might be the only NFL team where you can stack four-plus players and have it pay off. Dion Lewis opened up the first half with a quick score, and he established himself again in the passing game. We also saw LeGarrette Blount carry the ball in the second half for nearly 80 yards and three scores. Rob Gronkowski did not find the end zone, but him and Julian Edelman were the clear cut targets yet again. As much as I dislike the Patriots, they are a safe bet each week for big time production.

The garbage time Jags grabbed two touchdowns in the second half. One was to Allen Hurns and the other Clay Harbor. Allen Robinson was on everybody's radar, after a monster week but failed to put anything substantial together. He did lead the team in targets, and it was clear they wanted to force him the ball. However, New England knew that and doubled him most of the game. We saw Hurns go for the long bomb, and he is a great swerve from Robinson in tournaments moving forward.

Falcons @ Cowboys

Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones torched the Cowboys' defense this weekend, and Freeman did it at a discount price. He carried the ball 30 times, which I think nobody saw coming, and went for 141 yards rushing and three scores. He also caught all five targets for 52 yards. His price next week is still fairly cheap in a matchup against the Texans. Just stay away from J.J. Watt. The Falcons passing attack was frustrating in the first half of the game, as Matt Ryan looked completely off. Jones had 20 targets and put up a 12-164-2 line. My Falcons worries disappeared.

Joseph Randle was the show for Dallas, as they established the run game early. He had 87 yards on 14 carries for three touchdowns. We also saw Lance Dunbar play a big role in the passing game, with 10 catches for 100 yards. The full point PPR scoring on DraftKings and bonus there made him an excellent value play. The passing game lacked big time once the Falcons took the lead. The dink and dunk passes for Weeden were fun, but they didn't last. We saw zero Terrance Williams this game, who did not even see a target. Next week's matchup against the Saints' secondary could create GPP worthy plays for the receiving core.

Colts @ Titans

The Colts struggled for most of the the game, and the defense were the ones to really step up and win the game, despite allowing 33 points. Andrew Luck is still a turnover machine with two interceptions and a 37.1 QBR. Frank Gore finally gave the Colts some balance rushing for 86 yards and two scores. Frank Gore sits at a soft price tag again next week facing Jacksonville. Donte Moncrief was tied for most targets with T.Y. Hilton, and he caught another touchdown pass. He now has one in each game this season. I still would like to see more targets for him before deploying him across many of my lineups.

Marcus Mariota looked good again throwing for 367 yards and two scores. One of his interceptions was off the hands of Delanie Walker, who should be noted as one of Mariota's go-to guys. He had 10 targets and caught seven for 68 yards. Walker is a perfect complement to Mariota's play calling and can also stretch the field. Kendall Wright put himself on the map as well, catching another touchdown, and he just missed 100 receiving yards. We also saw another somewhat featured back in Tennessee, with Antonio Andrews. Avoid the run game for the Titans.

Eagles @ Jets

DeMarco Murray was announced inactive before the game, and Ryan Matthews took over. He had a much better day than I anticipated with 130 combined yards and a touchdown. He did this going against a defense that has limited points in the first two weeks. Matthews and Sproles were the key contributors for another low scoring Eagles week. This time we were not shocked compared to last week. The line did look improved, which is a plus going forward.

Brandon Marshall was having a laughable game, but he did manage 109 yards on 10 receptions with a score. He dominated the targets for the Jets, but they were chasing the game from the start. Chris Ivory was active, yet did not see the field. Bilal Powell found himself as the featured back, but the game style took away from his value on the ground. He did catch seven balls for 44 yards, which is his real strength anyway. This game had one of the lower totals on the week, and most stayed away.

Bengals @ Ravens

Andy Dalton, four touchdowns? Really? Are you sure? The Bengals' quarterback had three in the air and one on the ground. Dalton has been very solid early on, but we expected it to stop this week. After Derek Carr shredded the secondary of Baltimore, I guess we can't be all that surprised. The A.J. Green game finally came, with 227 receiving yards and two scores. Green floats under the radar most weeks, being ranked behind Brown and Jones, but the upside he has is tremendous. The positives were obvious, while Jeremy Hill remained a bust. This was not a week where the Bengals were chasing from behind either. They jumped out to an early lead, and they kept throwing. It was working, so why change it up, right? Hill is going to move off my radar going forward.

Steve Smith Sr. was another one of the wide receivers to put up a massive week. He had a 13-186-2 line and absolutely dominated the targets for Joe Flacco. With news of Breshad Perriman worsening his injury in warmups, Smith could be in line for a ton of volume this season. Baltimore makes it fairly easy on us, because the running game is not there, and Justin Forsett is just not being used the way we thought he would in a Marc Trestman system.

Bucs @ Texans

This was another easy DFS avoid, as this game featured two lesser offenses, and Vegas totals told us to stay away. The Bucs did not have much going for them, but one number I liked was Mike Evans' 17 targets. This was 11 more than the the next wideout. He had seven catches for 101 yards. A big Evans week is in the works. Outside of that, there was not much to take away from this game.

The Texans fed Alfred Blue the entire game, as he rushed for 139 yards on 31 carries. He found the end zone, but with Arian Foster returning shortly, this will be the end for Blue. DeAndre Hopkins has proven to be in contention for a big line each week. He is another big volume wideout, even though the situation is not great. He finished with 8-101-1 on 14 targets. Cecil Shorts III had six catches for 58 yards. He will have a tough time finding the end zone, but on DK, with full point receptions, he can rack fantasy points up.

Chargers @ Vikings

Adrian Peterson paid off this week with 126 yards and two scores. He is the Vikings offense, and the passing volume for the Minnesota offense takes them off the board for most weeks. Teddy Bridgewater only threw the ball 24 times and completed 13 passes. This game plan is successful for Minnesota, ground-and-pound, and play defense. Mike Wallace and Kyle Rudolph's floor look about as low as can be right now.

A defense finally stopped Danny Woodhead, who was limited in the passing game for the first time this season. Instead, Keenan Allen dominated targets with 18, and he found the end zone twice. The week-to-week inconsistency is my one grief with Allen, but if you can nail his big weeks, he is a tournament difference maker. Rivers was banged up this week, but he'll have a chance to bounce back against the Browns.

Raiders @ Browns

Two of the worst teams in the NFL over the last decade, or longer, but they carried some DFS value into this game. Latavius Murray was a popular play this week, and he paid off. Oakland fed him 26 times and he finished with 139 yards and found the end zone once. Amari Cooper dominated Joe Haden, who shadowed him most of the game, or at least tried to. Cooper had eight catches for 134 yards. This is the second week in a row Cooper has put up a big line, and he'll have a shot to continue against the Bears next week.

The Browns decided to start Josh McCown this week, who racked up some garbage time points, but the Browns carry ZERO worth in our fantasy game.

Saints @ Panthers

The Cam Newton upside presented itself this weekend, racking up a rushing touchdown and two more in the air. This Saints secondary is one to be targeting against in most situations, allowing Carson Palmer, Jameis Winston, and Newton to all have their way. Pairing a receiver with Newton for upside was easy, and Greg Olsen delivered a monster game. He went for 8-134-2 and saw 11 targets. Ted Ginn Jr. also had a solid week with four catches for 93 yards. He enters as a bare-minimum value play each week, who has tournament upside.

After Drew Brees was ruled out, the Saints became pretty much irrelevant in week 3. Mark Ingram continues to see carries on the ground, but he's also getting targets in the passing game. He had 99 yards from scrimmage and a score. He has been the most consistent Saints' player so far this season, and he will face the Cowboys next week. Ingram enters week 4 as a cheaper RB or FLEX play.

49ers @ Cardinals

If you went to grab another beer before the late games, the Cardinals were already up 14-0 before you got back. Colin Kaepernick looked atrocious, throwing four picks, and two pick sixes on the first two drives. Being down so quickly killed any chance of Carlos Hyde getting carries, and unlike last week, there were no garbage time points for this offense. This was a beating for the 49ers.

The Cardinals fired on all cylinders yet again, as the Palmer-Fitz combination paid off yet again. Fitz had a 9-134-2 line and grabbed a late touchdown, despite being up by 30 points. Arizona is a scary offense, and even Chris Johnson flashed some numbers like he was back in his prime. He had 110 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals look like the most complete team in the NFC, and they're showing it in our fantasy world as well. The defense scored two touchdowns and forced four turnovers. They get the Rams at home next week.

Bills @ Dolphins

TyGOD or TyGOAT Taylor was up to it again. He went 21-for-29 for 277 yards and three scores. Maybe we have been mistaken about this Dolphins defense, that was supposed to be among the league's best. The Bills offense enters as one of the lower priced in the industry, yet they are producing points among the league's elite. Taylor is still very cheap and faces a poor Giants defense at home next week. Sammy Watkins left with a calf injury, which would give a bump to the surrounding players if he is out any longer. Charles Clay paid off his revenge game narrative with five catches for 82 yards and a score. If you did not believe LeSean McCoy is washed up before, do you now? Hamstring issue or not, he is not producing.

The Bills defense presents no good matchups against them, unless you are the Patriots. Miami threw the ball almost 50 times, but then again were down 27-0 at the end of the half. Rishard Matthews and Jarvis Landry dominated the targets for Ryan Tannehill, and he found Matthews twice in the end zone. In a deep receiving core, Matthews and Landry have established themselves as the top threats. In a better matchup, both have excellent value moving forward. That just was not the case this week.

Bears @ Seahawks

The Seahawks defense were talked about the most leading up to this game as the popular play. This was not surprising given the fact they trotted out one of the worst offenses in the league with Jimmy Claussen at quarterback and Alshon Jeffery out. The Seahawks only scored one offensive touchdown this game, and that was to Jimmy Graham. He went for 83 yards and a score. Like I said last week, this could be his new ceiling now. Marshawn Lynch was a game-time call this week and suited up. He hurt himself in a separate injury, leaving the game with a hamstring issue. If you rolled the dice on Lynch, he was a sad bust this week. Thomas Rawls took advantage of touches, going for 104 yards on 16 carries.

Zero points for the Bears offense that was led by Jimmy Clausen. Are any of you surprised? They fed Matt Forte for as long as they could on the ground, but did not get him involved in the passing game. With much of us having no hope for them this week, they will face the Raiders at home.

Broncos @ Lions

The Lions have big time playmakers on this team, but the coaching staff does not know how to use them. Denver's defense is solid, but play calling was a mystery yet again for Detroit. For the love of god, stop using Joique Bell! Ameer Abdullah has had limited touches since going off in week 1, while Bell gets some work on the ground, and Theo Riddick works the passing game. The chemistry of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson seems lost, and the creativity of broken down plays is no longer there. The Lions draw a very rough schedule, potentially putting their stars in the backseat for DFS.

Denver's offense keeps floating along, but the passing game did look better. This game featured two top defenses, so points were going to be limited. Demaryius Thomas was the lead wideout, as expected, and Emmanuel Sanders had himself a game too. If you missed the Sanders catch late in the fourth quarter, go do a video search. C.J. Anderson failed to get anything going again, and neither back was featured much in the passing game.





Comments
joshshep50
How bad is Kap? My goodness.
JasonG4s
I had a share of him on my best lineup this week, one of my f*** it plays to try and be different. He really ruined it. Lol. I was hoping for garbage time Kap again.
zachsgotmoxy
Lynch killed me yesterday and there was no way to make up for it as high scoring as yesterday was. Scores that would have won the Milly Maker the first two weeks were barely cashing in some GPPs.
bigitaly42
The cash/GPP line were both huge (and fairly similar, as Jason pointed out when he and I were talking) this week. If you missed on more than 1 position, you were in big trouble. Lots of players posting monster scores, including some less-talented players like Freeman. I wasn't surprised that he produced, but that workload was stunning to me, especially since he has blown it in similar spots before.
FantasyTony
Jaw dropped at some of the performances this week... Randle and freeman with that rb production IN THE SAME GAME is the equivelent of a pig flying... Was stunned... Looking back at their situations with cowboys leaning on their oline n run game the next 2 months n falcons having no other options without tev i can see the workloads... But 6tds combined and that yardage is insane! On another note the cash line in everything was sky high... My cash lineups were all money and tournys mostly flopped besides a few cashes... But thats why we play right? Continue to make smart educated plays based on projections, vegas, gameflow, and ownership... ALL IT TAKES IS ONE LINEUP! Love the columns by all you guys and the breakdowns... Keep it up guys! Jason did you end up taking some Davante shares for tonight?
ArtVandelay10
The Colin Kaep experiment should be over by now, he's a train wreck - Cash lineups have stunk recently, might try playing more h2h instead on 50/50 and double ups
JasonG4s
@FantasyTony The usage and production in that game was crazy, I did not see that coming at all. It was by far the highest scoring week I have seen. I did not, luckily. I paid down at running back, and ended up with Cobb shares, which shot me up there last night. Completely agree Ryan, he has been so bad. It's weird you say that, I told my dad to do the same thing. He posted solid scores in week 1 and 2, but barely missed cash, yet hit GPP's. This week he took his action to H2H, and swept them all.
FantasyTony
@jason i had a ton of rodgers/cobb shares last night that did me we well for the monday night hammer... I did indeed risk it and take davante in a few gpp's and from the looks of the first drive w/ 2 targets n montgomery getting the td adams would have had a day... On to week 4 where cobb should prob be the staple in many cash lineups especially at his DK price and adams prob missing time... Thanks again Jason for a great writeup