Fantasy studs and duds after NFL week three.
Another major injury headlined week three of the National Football League season as Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will miss four to six weeks with a sprained MCL in his knee. This will certainly shake up the fantasy football world, as week four is almost upon us.
A few standouts from week three were:
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay: The 2014 league MVP looked to be in midseason form this Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. Rodgers threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns in a 38-28 victory. This strong performance by Rodgers was good for 34 fantasy points, a high for quarterbacks in week three. Expect Rodgers to have more games like this as he is on a mission to take the Packers to the Super Bowl.
Running back Devonta Freeman – Atlanta: After an injury sidelined starter Tevin Coleman in week three, Freeman got the nod to start Sunday afternoon in Dallas. The second-year back ran for 141 yards on 30 rushing attempts and three touchdowns against the Cowboys. This outburst from Freeman made his fantasy owners pleased, as he racked up 37 fantasy points for the week. Coleman is still suffering from a rib injury and is questionable to play in week four and even if he does play, it will be split time with Freeman.
Wide receiver A.J Green – Cincinnati: Through the first two weeks of the 2015 season, Green had only caught a total of eight passes for 108 yards. This changed on Sunday, as Green went off for 10 receptions for 227 yards and two touchdowns against division rival Baltimore. The Bengals are 3-0 and their passing attack is clicking on all cylinders thus far through 2015. Green is a top tier wide receiver and it can be expected he will be the main target for quarterback Andy Dalton.
Disappointing fantasy performances from week three were:
Quarterback Philip Rivers – San Diego: After a strong performance in week one, where Rivers threw for 404 yards and a pair of touchdowns, he has had two subpar performances in weeks two and three. Rivers only recorded 246 yards passing and just one touchdown pass in a 31-14 loss at Minnesota. The Chargers host Cleveland this Sunday and the Browns have had their fair share of problems this season, so Rivers could get back on track in week four.
Running back Lamar Miller – Miami: Before the season, Miller was projected to be a top 30 pick in most leagues, but so far this season, has been a huge disappointment. Miller has ran for just 105 yards this year and will be facing the New York Jets on Sunday, who have one of the better defenses in the NFL. It is not time to drop Miller from your team, but if you have a better running back then you should consider starting that back over Miller in week four.
Wide receiver Vincent Jackson – Tampa Bay: Jackson has had a quiet season thus far which has come as quite a surprise. This past week Jackson had just two catches for 40 yards in a 19-9 loss at Houston. How well Jackson does will depend on the status of the Buccaneers star receiver Mike Evans. If Evans is healthy then Jackson could see targets come his way. Even though Jackson had underperformed it still is a good idea to keep him on your roster but it will be up to you to determine if he should be in your starting lineup or not.
Here are a few under the radar players that still remain available in several leagues:
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Quarterback Derek Carr – Oakland: The second-year quarterback put up impressive numbers this past week in a 27-20 victory in Cleveland, as Carr passed for 314 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders' win. His favorite target this season is rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper, who caught eight of the 20 completed passes Carr had on Sunday. If you are in need of a quarterback, Carr might be worth it to add to your team and he is only owned in 19.9 percent of leagues on ESPN.
Running back Karlos Williams – Buffalo: Williams carried the ball 12 times for 110 yards and a touchdown in the Bills 41-14 victory against Miami. Williams split carries with LeSean McCoy, as McCoy is still dealing with a hamstring problem. With the Bills committed to running the football, Williams, who is just owned in 24 percent of leagues, would be a excellent pickup for fantasy owners who could use an upgrade at the running back position.
Wide Receiver Marvin Jones – Cincinnati: While A.J. Green stole the show on Sunday with his performance against Baltimore, Jones complemented Green’s strong performance with five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. Jones is owned in just 19.5 percent of leagues and is the Bengals number two wide receiver and is in an offense that is currently playing at a high level.
Note all point totals in the article are based off of the ESPN fantasy football standard scoring.
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