5 Burning Questions for Week 3

The answers to Week 2’s Burning Questions turned out to be a mixed bag, but with more good calls than bad.

Get Start/Sit & Waiver Advice with My Playbook

Let’s recap:

NOTES: Consecutive subpar weeks (and first-half shutouts) for the Colts offense is officially cause for concern. Luck had four ugly turnovers as he continues to struggle in the face of constant pressure – per Pro Football Focus he is currently 30th among QBs in accuracy percentage (.464) under pressure. … The wait-and-see period is now over for Taylor, who is still available in 60 percent of ESPN leagues. Go ahead and add him if you’re in one of those leagues. … Jones caught 1-of-2 targets for, what else, a 29-yard TD. Until he sees more consistent targets, keep him on your bench. … McCoy surprised with a healthy 5.9 YPC on that gimpy hamstring, although Williams remained involved and found the end zone again. … Garcon caught a TD but managed only 23 yards on six catches. … As predicted at the outset of the season, based on Week 2 Jones looks primed to overtake Morris sooner rather than later.

Now, on to Week 3:

1) What kind of impact can we expect from the handful of banged up QBs this week?

Drew Brees – NO

Brees’ rotator cuff injury is not quite as serious as originally reported, but his status for Week 3 is still very much “up in the air,” according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Head coach Sean Payton said there is a good chance Brees plays against Carolina this week, although it won’t be at 100 percent. Regardless, he is off to a painfully slow start in 2015. Last week against a porous Tampa Bay defense he was sacked four times and threw an ugly interception.

WEEK 3 OUTLOOK
Despite the recent optimism coming out of The Big Easy, Brees is not a recommended fantasy play this week as the No. 14 QB in our expert consensus rankings. Brandin Cooks, dealing with an ankle injury of his own, also gets downgraded a notch from a WR2 to a FLEX play (ECR22) against a solid Panthers secondary.

Jay Cutler – CHI

Cutler left last week’s game late in the first half with a pulled hamstring after being stiff armed during a – wait for it – pick-six. The Bears are playing coy about Cutler’s Week 3 status, but per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he’ll miss “at least” a couple of weeks.

WEEK 3 OUTLOOK
Jimmy Clausen will get the start against Seattle. Alshon Jeffery’s WR38 ECR already underlies the expectation that he’ll likely sit out the contest due to a hamstring injury that has kept him out of practice this week. Outside of Matt Forte, you’re not rolling with any Bears players this week.

Tony Romo – DAL

Romo (broken collarbone) has been placed on injured reserve/designated to return, meaning he’ll be out until at least Week 11. He’s safe to drop in re-draft leagues.

WEEK 3 OUTLOOK
Brandon Weeden gets the nod for the time being, although the team has also kicked the tires on Christian Ponder and traded for Matt Cassel. With Dez Bryant (Jones fracture) also facing an extended absence, the Cowboys passing game takes a significant hit. As such, it’s tough to trust Terrance Williams (WR25) or Jason Witten (TE8, questionable-ankle) for consistent fantasy production, even this week against an Atlanta defense that is yielding an average of 313.5 passing yards through two games. Look for Dallas to lean more heavily on the running game with Joseph Randle (RB15) leading the committee.

Matthew Stafford – DET

Stafford came out of last week’s loss to Minnesota with injuries to his arm, chest and ribs, which is not all that surprising considering he aired it out 53 times and took several big hits. He has practiced in full this week but is obviously not 100 percent.

WEEK 3 OUTLOOK
Stafford is the No. 14 fantasy QB through two weeks, so you likely weren’t starting him anyway. Denver has given up the fewest points to opposing QBs thus far, so it would be wise to also temper expectations for Calvin Johnson (WR10), who figures to draw plenty of attention after seeing 17 targets last week. As for Stafford (QB22), it’s justifiable at this point for those wanting to replace him with an upside dice roll like, say, Marcus Mariota (QB13) as a backup or 2QB option.

2) So, who are replacement options among free-agent QBs?

Tyrod Taylor – BUF
Taylor has been pressured on half of his 64 dropbacks, and he has handled himself well by completing 72.2 percent of those throws, second-best in the league. “T-Mobile,” also averaging seven rushes, 41 yards and 0.5 TDs on the ground, is fantasy’s No. 3 QB after back-to-back weeks of promising play. That pace may not last, but for those streaming, he’s certainly proven roster-worthy in all formats despite being owned in less than 40 percent of leagues at the moment. Ranking fourth among QBs with 8.9 yards per attempt, Taylor is not merely a dink-and-dunk maestro. On tap for Week 3 is a Miami defense that just got lit up by Blake Bortles.

Marcus Mariota – TEN
Mariota is the No. 6 fantasy QB and is still available in 32 percent of ESPN leagues. He is likely somewhere between the Week 1 player who tossed four first-half touchdowns and the Week 2 rookie who was brought back down to Earth with seven sacks and two lost fumbles. He gets the Colts at home this week after a pair of road games to start his NFL career.

Colin Kaepernick – SF
Kaepernick is currently ninth among QBs in fantasy points and is owned in less than 60 percent of leagues, started in less than 20 percent. In addition to his improved passing numbers, Kaepernick has also rushed for at least 40 yards in each game. In five career games against Arizona, he has thrown nine touchdown passes against just one interception (257.4 YPG) and has run for 33 yards per tilt.

Andy Dalton – CIN
Dalton remains available in more than 60 percent of leagues despite ranking seventh among QBs in fantasy points. Also keep in mind he is just two years removed from finishing as fantasy’s No. 3 QB, back when Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard were still rookies. Dalton is worth an add, but his last two trips to Baltimore has yielded seven interceptions.

NO LONGER BENCHING

Ryan Tannehill – MIA
Tannehill, fantasy’s No. 11 QB, was started in only 41 percent of leagues in Week 2, and that number has dipped to 36 percent this week. Miami faces a Bills defense that is 30th in fantasy points to opposing QBs after getting carved up by Tom Brady for 466 yards and three TDs.

Carson Palmer – ARZ
Palmer was started in only 36 percent of leagues last week, and he’s still being started in only half of leagues this week despite his current standing as a top-3 QB in fantasy points. Palmer has a league-best seven TD passes and now faces a San Francisco defense that has struggled in pass coverage.

Cam Newton – CAR
Newton was in only 27 percent of lineups last week, and then he went out and ran for 76 yards with three total TDs against Houston. Still riding the pine in half of leagues, Newton faces a Saints defense that is 28th against opposing QBs.

3) What the heck is going on in Philadelphia?

Well now, this isn’t quite what anybody expected from the Eagles offense this season. Chip Kelly’s team ranks 25th in total yards (312.5) and 28th in scoring (17.0). Theories abound as to what, exactly, has happened to an offense that has been among the NFL’s most productive units since Kelly’s arrival, albeit one that has undergone quite a bit of roster turnover. Eagles’ reporter Tim McManus had an interesting piece this week delving into the offense’s tendencies and, ultimately, predictability.

As I cautioned last week in this space, the season is still too young to draw any definitive conclusions. Adjustments will be made, but certainly, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned in Philly. This week, the Eagles hit the road to face a 2-0 Jets team that leads the NFL in scoring defense (8.5) and just registered five takeaways while dismantling Andrew Luck and the Colts. The Eagles may eventually right the ship, but it’s tough to see that happening this week.

DeMarco Murray left Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury and is averaging about a foot and a half per carry. That’s not a typo. Chances are, if you used a top-15 pick on Murray, you don’t have many options other than to hope Kelly scraps the outside zone runs and gets him going downhill. Sam Bradford’s 1.0 QBR on vertical throws (11 yards or more) is dead-last among starters, as defenders simply don’t fear any Eagles receiver beating them deep. Jordan Matthews is 15th among fantasy WRs but has struggled with drops, while rookie Nelson Agholor has looked like, well, a rookie.

WEEK 3 OUTLOOK
Outside of Matthews, none of those players are recommended options this week.

4) Is David Johnson FLEX-worthy?

Johnson, one of the impact rookies I profiled several months ago, sure does appear to have gotten past the hamstring injury that plagued him this summer. Checking in at No. 8 among fantasy RBs through two weeks, Johnson’s role will grow “each week,” according to coach Bruce Arians, who had previously said the rookie needed to earn his keep. Well, he’s earned it, so hopefully you are in one of the 37 percent of leagues in which he is still available.

According to our expert panel, he is the No. 32 RB for Week 3 against San Francisco, and that’s about right considering to this point he has averaged all of 3.5 offensive touches per game and was on the field for only 16 snaps against Chicago last week. Granted, he has turned those limited touches into 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns, plus a 108-yard return TD on last week’s opening kickoff.

WEEK 3 OUTLOOK
Andre Ellington is expected back in the fold in the next week or two to join David and Chris Johnson, which could blur the backfield picture. It’s tempting to start the rookie based on his recent performance, but until he begins to see double-digit touches he should remain a bench stash. You simply can’t expect continued elite fantasy production from a handful of snaps.

5) Sell Jeremy Hill now or keep the faith?

This is a tough one, considering Hill was a top-10 fantasy RB as a rookie in 2014 and is now averaging just 3.5 yards per tote so far this season. But whereas a couple of touchdowns salvaged his Week 1 outing, last week against San Diego Hill put the ball on the ground twice and subsequently was out-snapped by Giovani Bernard, who turned 20 carries into 123 yards. ESPN Bengals reporter Coley Harvey believes Hill will remain starter despite the benching, but the situation is a bit more fluid than Hill owners would like.

WEEK 3 OUTLOOK
Obviously, if Hill is on your roster, you’re starting him this week in Baltimore. Just know that he underwhelmed in two games against the Ravens last season with 3.1 YPC and zero touchdowns. I like Hill’s chances to reclaim RB1 status this season, but this week, a RB2 return seems more likely.

Import your team for free to get lineup advice

Mike Castiglione is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, you can view his archive or follow him @RickDancin