Arizona vs Washington Has the Making of a Potential Shooutout
On paper, this game looks to be a potential fantasy gold mine:
50.5 Over/Under - the highest this week and the 2nd highest opening O/U in 2024
Washington allows the most PPG to QBs; Arizona allows the 9th-most
Washington allows the 10th-most PPG to RBs; Arizona allows the 13th-most
Washington allows the most PPG to WRs; Arizona allows the 17th-most
Kyler Murray and Jayden Daniels enter as top-5 QBs in fantasy points
Brian Robinson and James Conner enter as top-18 RBs in fantasy points
Marvin Harrison enters as a top-12 WR in pts; Terry McLaurin is coming off a 20-pt week
Trey McBride and Zach Ertz enter as top-10 TEs in fantasy points
Nearly every significant player (see above) should be started ahead of what is positioned to be one of the most entertaining games of the season.
Finally, a Fair Shot for Pickens to Show What He Can Do?
No WR in fantasy has had a more difficult stretch in terms of matchups to open up the season than George Pickens, drawing individual matchups against A.J. Terrell in Week 1, Pat Surtain in Week 2, and Asante Samuel Jr. in Week 3 in what cumulatively was the 2nd-hardest SOS to open the season among WRs but was further heightened by those individual matchups.
Even despite the horrific schedule for him to open the year, he has still been serviceable, tallying 13 catches for 171 yards and 10+ points in two of the first three weeks this year.
Week 3 is the perfect opportunity for him to truly break out as the Steelers face the Colts, a team that has been porous to opposing WRs, allowing the 4th-most PPG to the position including three top-13 finishes to WRs (Diggs, Collins, Odunze) plus multiple 9+ point games to Packers' WRs in Week 2 with Malik Willis at QB.
If there's a time for Pickens to show the potential that many had hoped for heading into the 2024 season, this week against the Colts is a perfect opportunity. Fire him up as a low-end WR2/WR3/FLEX option this week.
Can You Still Play Tyreek Hill? It's a Legitimate Question.
After his impressive 12-target, 7-130-1 (WR4) Week 1 performance, everyone thought it was off to the races for another elite season where Hill would push for the single-season receiving yardage record. However, the next two weeks were a disaster, totaling just 6 catches for 64 yards and, most notably, losing QB Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion at the end of Week 2.
In his Dolphins career, he's played six games where Tua has missed over a half due to injury (or sat out entirely), across those games he's averaged a stat-line of 6.3-84.7-0 and has averaged 15.9 points per game. He's finished as a top-24 WR three times (including a top-4 finish twice) but has also finished outside the top-50 in scoring twice. Life without Tua at QB (and especially with Skylar Thompson at QB) has been very hit-or-miss.
The matchup isn't any better for Hill, who faces a Titans' defense that has allowed the 3rd-fewest PPG to opposing WRs this season. This is pretty in line with what Hill has encountered when facing L'Jarius Sneed, who in two games against Hill, has allowed 18 targets while in coverage of the WR but just 1 catch - a screen for 9 yards.
It's yet to be seen if Skylar Thompson (ribs), Tim Boyle, or recently-signed Tyler Huntley will be the starter for the Dolphins on Monday Night. Huntley does offer a bit better of a situation for Hill, but regardless it's a bleak one among each of the QBs. It's unlikely many will have the lineup flexibility to bench a player of Tyreek Hill's draft capital/talent, but if your bench has the quality to let you do so, I would recommend considering it. Hill should be a low-end WR2/WR3/FLEX option at best this week in what will likely be another boom-or-bust performance without Tua Tagovailoa under center.
Mike Gesicki Seems to Have Found a Home in Cincy & Should be Started in Week 3
There seems to be a comfortable fit in Cincinnati for recently-acquired TE Mike Gesicki, opening up the season with three straight games of 3+ catches and 5+ fantasy points, including back-to-back top-12 finishes in Weeks 2 and 3.
In a position that has been awful to say the least for fantasy football this year, Gesicki has been one of the lone sources of consistency and security, ranking 4th in both targets (18) and catches (14) among TEs while placing 3rd in yards (156). It's only a matter of time before he finds the endzone (as he should have multiple times thus far this season).
Gesicki now draws an excellent matchup against the Carolina Panthers, who have allowed the 3rd-most points to opposing TEs this season, despite having faced just one notable TE (Bowers) this year. Carolina has allowed a top-2 finish (14.3 points) to Foster Moreau and a TE7 finish (10.3 points) to Luke Schoonmaker.
Unless you have a definitive top-5 starter, Gesicki looks to be a very favorable play in Week 3, likely getting a significant volume (as he has this season) against an opponent that has been poor (to say the least) against opposing TEs. He's a top-10 option this week at the position.
It is Tough to Justify Starting Either Buccaneers' RB vs Philadelphia
We're well within a definitive RB struggle in Tampa with Rachaad White getting the definitive bulk of the work, drawing 44 opportunities and a minimum of 70% of snaps each week, but Bucky Irving being the more productive and efficient runner (6.2 YPC). White is getting the volume but doesn't have the efficiency. Irving doesn't have the volume but has the efficiency.
Until one of them gets it established (White with a correction in efficiency, Irving with getting more volume), it is very difficult to confidently put either one in a starting spot within your lineup, especially against an Eagles' defense that has allowed the 7th-fewest PPG to opposing RBs, including bottom-half reception totals and 0 TDs (rushing or receiving) to the position. That comes even after Philly has faced three elite RBs (Josh Jacobs, Bijan Robinson, Alvin Kamara) to open the season including two of which (Bijan, Kamara) that rank among the best receiving backs in the NFL.
If you have the lineup flexibility, it's best to let both sit on the bench and allow the situation to play itself out.
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