A familiar name is at the top of our 2012 Accuracy Leaderboard. Our current leader, John Paulsen from 4for4.com, was also our top expert in 2010 and our runner up in 2011. If you think fantasy football predictions are all luck, I guess Paulsen is one lucky guy.
We’re running a free Beat the Expert contest and this week’s expert happens to be Mr. Paulsen. All you have to do is beat him to receive $5. You’ll also have a shot at winning a share of our $1,000 prize pool. I have to say, though, that the experts are making it tough to win. Last week’s expert, Muntradamus from Beast Dome, finished in the top 3% of the competition (39th out of 1642 players)! Our Week 1 expert, Mike Clay from Pro Football Focus finished in the top 10%. So far, the Pros are crushing the Joes.
Entering the contest is easy. Just pick a lineup of players without exceeding the $100,000 salary cap. If you’d still like some help, check out Paulsen’s take on the players that present great value in week 3. Think of it as a contest cheat sheet, and if you have any of these guys on your fantasy teams you may want to consider starting them this week.
Week 3 Undervalued Players by John Paulsen
It’s early, but through two games, Smith has scored the 8th-most points amongst QBs after finishing as 2011’s QB14. This week, Smith continues his journey through the secondaries of the NFL North and probably has his best matchup to date. The Vikings have been decent against the pass yardage-wise (218 ypg), but have given up 2.0 pass TDs per game. This is shaping up as another 200-yard, multiple TD game for Smith and that makes him a great bargain at $8K.
BRENT CELEK – TE – PHI
In case you didn’t notice, Celek was a beast in Week 2 against a tough Ravens defense, catching eight passes for 157 yards. In Week 1, he posted 4-65 against the Browns. The Cardinals are pretty solid defensively, but with Jeremy Maclin very iffy to play, Celek should see plenty of targets to be a good value at $6,445.
STEVAN RIDLEY – RB – NE
Don’t be scared off by Ridley’s matchup with the Ravens. Baltimore has struggled against the run this season, yielding 129 yards and 1.5 TD per game on the ground. Shane Vereen is still non-factor, so Ridley is in line for another 20+ touch game as the Patriots continue to use a balanced attack.
C.J. SPILLER – RB – BUF
Even at almost $14K, Spiller is still undervalued considering his recent play (364 total yards in two games) and his matchup against the Browns, who have yielded 115 yards per game on the ground through two weeks. They haven’t given up a rushing touchdown, but that should change on Sunday.
REGGIE WAYNE – WR – IND
Austin Collie may end up playing on Sunday, but his targets are more likely to come out of Donnie Avery’s looks. Wayne has 15 catches for 206 yards and a TD through two games, and has been targeted 25 times already this season. It’s safe to say that Andrew Luck’s arrival has been good for him.
I want to thank John for providing his advice on the undervalued players for Week 3 of the NFL. If you want to see how you stack up to all the experts, be sure to also play our easy Pick Five games. Just make five start/sit decisions and we’ll track your accuracy. There are several games each week and you’re able to win free prizes. First-timers get $20 for getting all five predictions correct. Returning players can go for a free $5 with one game entry a week. In all cases, you can actually put some money down on whether you’ll get at least 3 out of 5 correct (wagering is optional).
Enjoy the Thursday night game and make sure you set your Beat the Expert lineup before Sunday morning!
