The unpredictability of fantasy football is just amazing from week to week. In just seven short days you never really know who is going to do well, how injuries will impact players, how coaches are doing to delegate rushing attempts or receiving targets, and just how your fantasy team will do as a whole from one week to another.
In Week 2, did anyone see Dak Prescott (QB Cowboys) throwing for 450 passing yards, yet rushing for 3 touchdowns? Did anyone have Julian Edelman (WR Patriots) at the top of the receiving charts with 179 yards in Week 2? Did anyone anticipate Mike Gesicki (TE Dolphins) to have 130 yards and a touchdown in a close game against the Buffalo Bills? Coaches often say it is a week to week league. You just never know what might happen in the NFL and the same goes for fantasy football.
Here is the Fantasy Football Weekly where we give you an overview of Week 3 in both fantasy football and the National Football League.
Lions at Cardinals fantasy focus
The Lions defense is giving up a ton of passing yards and touchdowns once again. Aaron Jones had a field day running the ball against them last week, so start Keyan Drake (RB Cardinals), DeAndre Hopkins (WR Cardinals), Christian Kirk (WR Cardinals), and Dan Arnold (TE Cardinals) this week against the Lions.
In addition to trying to find a way to stop the Cardinals offense, the Lions offense also needs to have a great day offensively in Arizona if they want to have a chance in this game. Kenny Golladay is expected to be back in uniform for the Lions and Matthew Stafford is due for a big game, so this Sunday would be the perfect time to play out of his mind. Put all the Lions skill players in your lineup this week, expect more from D’Andre Swift each week– in the passing game especially — and this looks like a game where seventy-plus points could go up on the scoreboard.
Start/Sit
Start
Gardner Minshew (QB Jaguars)
Austin Ekeler (RB Chargers)
Curtis Samuel (WR Panthers)
Jonnu Smith (TE Titans)
Sit
Sam Darnold (QB Jets)
David Johnson (RB Texans)
Mike Williams (WR Chargers)
Chris Herndon (TE Jets)
Top-3 projected players by position
Quarterbacks
Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Kyler Murray, Cardinals
Russell Wilson, Seahawks
Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
Miles Sanders, Eagles
Dalvin Cook, Vikings
Wide Receivers
DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals
Julio Jones, Falcons
Davante Adams, Packers
Tight Ends
Travis Kelce, Chiefs
Mark Andrews, Ravens
Darren Waller, Raiders
Team Defenses
Steelers
Buccaneers
Browns
Kickers
Justin Tucker, Ravens
Harrison Butker, Chiefs
Will Lutz, Saints
Waiver wire options
Derek Carr (QB Raiders)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB Dolphins)
Jerick McKinnon (RB 49ers)
Mike Davis (RB Panthers)
DeSean Jackson (WR Eagles)
Curtis Samuel (WR Panthers)
Dan Arnold (TE Cardinals)
Jordan Akins (TE Texans)
Intriguing games and players in Week 3
LA Rams at Buffalo, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST
LAR: Cam Akers (RB), Cooper Kupp (WR)
BUF: Stefon Diggs (WR), Zach Moss (RB)
Las Vegas at New England, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST
LVR: Henry Ruggs (WR), Derek Carr (WR)
NE: Sony Michel (RB), K’Neal Harry (WR)
Cincinnati at Philadelphia, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST
CIN: Joe Mixon (RB), Joe Burrow (QB)
PHI: DeSean Jackson (WR), Miles Sanders (RB)
Houston at Pittsburgh, Sunday 1:00 PM, EST
HOU: Will Fuller (WR), Randall Cobb (WR)
PIT: Juju Smith-Schuster (WR), James Connor (RB)
Detroit at Arizona, Sunday 4:25 PM, EST
DET: D’Andre Swift (RB), Adrian Peterson (RB)
AZ: Kenyan Drake (RB), DeAndre Hopkins (WR)
Dallas at Seattle, Sunday 4:25 PM, EST
DAL: CeeDee Lamb (WR), Amari Cooper (WR)
SEA: Chris Carson (RB), D.K. Metcalf (WR)
Green Bay at New Orleans, Sunday 8:20 PM, EST
GB: Aaron Rodgers (QB), Allen Lazard (WR)
NO: Drew Brees (QB), Alvin Kamara (RB)
Kansas City at Baltimore, Monday 8:15 PM, EST
KC: Patrick Mahomes (QB), Mecole Hardman (WR)
BAL: Lamar Jackson (QB), Marquise Brown (WR)
Bottom Line
Being unpredictable is the name of the game when it comes to fantasy football. Last week the NFL saw more injuries than most weeks and some star players were significantly hurt. Check those injury reports, and make sure you have a healthy lineup in before the Thursday game this week.
We will see if the Detroit Lions can rebound, hopefully, if your fantasy team lost last week they will rebound too. The game of football can be a very unpredicatable, competitive, and inconsistent one at times, and that parallels fantasy football as well. These are also the same factors that make it so fun to watch and why we love it so much.