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Inside the Matchup
Week 4
10/1/15; Updated: 10/2/15

By: Sal Marcoccio | Jason Katz | Nick Caron | Kyle Smith



BAL @ PIT | KC @ CIN | OAK @ CHI | CLE @ SD

STL @ ARI | MIN @ DEN | GB @ SF | DET @ SEA

JAX @ IND | CAR @ TB | HOU @ ATL | DAL @ NO

NYJ @ MIA | NYG @ BUF | PHI @ WAS

Ravens at Steelers - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: Joe Flacco and the passing game performed well for the second consecutive week, but the Ravens fell to 0-3 for the first time in franchise history. Flacco has thrown for 863 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions through three games despite playing with an uninspiring cast of skill position players. With the off-season defection of wide receiver Torrey Smith and his supposed replacement rookie Breshad Perriman on the shelf with a leg injury, the Ravens are perilously thin at the pass catcher position. Veteran Steve Smith, who at 36 years of age announced that he will retire at season’s end, is the only proven weapon at Flacco’s disposal. Smith had a remarkable game for a receiver of any age catching 13 passes for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns including a 50-yard highlight reel score. He is off to another fast start, and this time he’s practically the only show in town. Second year tight end Crockett Gillmore qualifies as the second most dependable target in the passing game but left last week’s game with an apparent calf injury giving rookie tight end Maxx Williams the spotlight. Gillmore is expected to miss tonight’s game.

The young Steelers’ secondary has been a little better than advertised through three weeks allowing 255.3 passing yards per game with 6 touchdowns and 1interception, but have only faced one top quarterback in Tom Brady, followed by Colin Kaepernick and Nick Foles in subsequent weeks. They haven’t given up a ton of big plays, but they did allow Tom Brady to pick them apart using a short passing game before holding the subpar Niners and Rams passing offenses in check. This contest could get ugly however, on a short week, against a desperate Ravens team that will come out firing.

Running Game Thoughts: The Ravens running game has been stuck in mud thus far as veteran Justin Forsett has not looked nearly as good as he did during his breakout campaign of 2014. Forsett is averaging a mere 3.2 yards per carry and has not found the endzone. Second year back Lorenzo Taliaferro and rookie Buck Allen are not faring much better averaging 3.4 and 3.6 yards per carry, respectively. Forsett shed his journeyman status last season to become a star runner, but the soon to be 30-year-old was stretched as a workhorse last season and will likely start giving way to the young ball carriers if things don’t pick up for him soon. Ideally, Trestman should find a way to start using Forsett more in the passing game in order to utilize his speed and shiftiness in space, especially in light of the Ravens lack of passing game options.

The Steelers’ run defense has been stout thus far, allowing only 87.3 yards per game, and has not allowed a rushing touchdown. Inside linebacker Ryan Shazier missed last week’s game with a shoulder injury and could miss this important NFC North contest as well. If he should miss the game the Ravens may finally be able to get their running game on track, but it won’t come easy.

Projections:
Joe Flacco: 295 pass yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT 15 rush yds
Justin Forsett: 40 rush yds, 25 rec yds, 1 TD
Lorenzo Taliaferro: 20 rush yds
Kamar Aiken: 60 rec yds
Steve Smith: 95 rec yds, 1 TD
Maxx Williams: 40 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: The Pittsburgh passing game took a tremendous hit when Ben Roethlisberger sprained his MCL during last week’s game in St. Louis. Veteran Michael Vick stepped in and the offense was not effective at all. Vick has never been an accurate passer so it may be difficult for him to take advantage of Antonio Brown’s stellar route running and quickness. Vick looked like a shell of himself last season with the Jets and hasn’t been very good since 2011. At 35 years old, he no longer has the elite speed and his body cannot take the open field hits he’s bound to take when he tries to take off at the first sign of trouble. This presents another issue for the Steelers as their passing offense thrives when Roethlisberger buys time and finds open receivers downfield for big plays. Vick will simply tuck the ball and attempt to run when pressured. The Steelers will need the offensive line to give Vick some time in the pocket to take what the defense gives him.

Baltimore’s pass defense shut down Peyton Manning and the Broncos during Week 1 but were lit up by Derek Carr and Andy Dalton in consecutive weeks since. The loss of Terrell Suggs in Week 1 was a major blow to the Baltimore’s pass rush, and the team’s corners have been stretched as a result. The Ravens are allowing 294.7 passing yards per game and have allowed 6 passing touchdowns. This is a favorable matchup for the Steelers, so if Michael Vick struggles this week, things will not bode well for the team’s immediate future without Big Ben.

Running Game Thoughts: Le’Veon Bell returned to action last week following a two-game suspension to start the season and did not miss a beat rushing for 62 yards and a touchdown while also catching 7 balls for 70 yards. The team will need to rely more on the running attack with Roethlisberger sidelined which could mean that veteran D’Angelo Williams gets mixed back in after performing admirably while Bell was out, but being a nonfactor last week. There will be less running room now that the threat of the pass will be lessened but the volume should increase. Bell is a dynamic back that has quick feet and can make things happen even when the blocking breaks down. The team will need him now more than ever.

The Ravens run defense is still one of the league’s best despite the loss of Haloti Ngata during the offseason. Through three weeks they are allowing only 84 rushing yards per game with two rushing scores. They will need another strong performance from this unit, with the hopes of making the Steelers’ offense reliant on Vick, as he’s been a turnover machine in recent seasons.

Projections:
Michael Vick: 215 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 35 rush yds, 2 ptc
Le’Veon Bell: 65 rush yds, 1 TD, 45 rec yds
DeAngelo Williams: 15 rush yds, 5 rec yds
Antonio Brown: 65 rec yds, 1 TD
Markus Wheaton: 35 rec yds
Heath Miller: 20 rec yds

Prediction: Ravens 20, Steelers 18 ^ Top

Chiefs at Bengals - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: Celebrations were in order for the Chiefs when Jeremy Maclin caught a third quarter touchdown pass from Alex Smith ending one of the more embarrassing streaks in NFL history. It was December 8, 2013, or 659 days ago, the last time a wide receiver caught a ball for a touchdown in a game that meant something for the Chiefs. Unfortunately Alex Smith could not keep pace with the quarterback that was selected 23 spots after him in the 2005 NFL draft. The contrast between Smith and Aaron Rodgers was on full display last Monday night and while Smith played decently, his weak arm and conservative style was made even more evident by Rodgers video game like passing numbers. Smith wasn’t aggressive and wasn’t moving the ball well until garbage time - throwing against a prevent defense during the second half. Travis Kelce continues to be his favorite target and the big tight end is a dangerous weapon down the seams. Running back Jamaal Charles and Kelce see the bulk of Smith’s targets despite the fact that the team paid Maclin big money to reunite with his former coach during the offseason. Until that changes, Maclin will be a low end WR2 at best most weeks.

On the season the Bengals are allowing 256 passing yards per game and have given up 6 passing touchdowns while grabbing 3 interceptions. This aggressive unit has already recorded 6 sacks on the season and could create issues for Alex Smith who was sacked seven times alone last week in Green Bay.

Running Game Thoughts: The Chiefs offense has been and will continue to be built around the running game, and they have one of the best running backs in the league in Jamaal Charles. Charles scored three times last week even though the Chiefs offense was held mostly in check. Charles will continue to fill up the stat sheet week in and week out as he’s used in the passing game and in the redzone and doesn’t spend much time on the sidelines in favor of Knile Davis, who is a capable runner as well.

The Bengals have held their two opponents to an average of 76.7 rushing yards per game and have not allowed a rushing touchdown thus far. The Chiefs will be locked into a battle of strength on strength and must win the line of scrimmage if they wish to avoid a 1-3 start to the season.

Projections:
Alex Smith: 225 pass yds, 1 TD, 20 rush yds
Jamaal Charles: 55 rush yds, 1 TD 25 rec yds
Knile Davis: 15 rush yds
Jeremy Maclin: 45 rec yds
Albert Wilson: 20 rec yds
Travis Kelce: 70 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Andy Dalton is playing well through three weeks, having his full complement of pass catchers healthy. Star wide receiver A.J. Green was all he needed last week however, as Green caught 10 balls for 227 yards and two touchdowns. Marvin Jones who missed the 2014 season also contributed with a 5-94-1 stat-line and is clearly ahead of Mohammad Sanu for the WR2 slot. Tight end Tyler Eifert who also missed nearly all of the 2014 season and who starred for the team during the first two games was held without a catch but did have a potential touchdown reception overturned on a bad call. He has proven to be a valuable weapon to the Red Rifle and shouldn’t see too many catchless games going forward. The Bengals have a lot of options in the passing game making Dalton a QB1 for fantasy purposes against all but the toughest defenses.

The Chiefs’ pass defense was embarrassed on Monday night. While Andy Dalton is no Aaron Rodgers he’ll be facing a banged up unit that is in serious trouble. The Chiefs will welcome back DB Sean Smith this week but lost second-year DB Phillip Gaines to a knee injury. On the season the Chiefs have allowed 861 passing yards and 10 touchdowns through three weeks.

Running Game Thoughts: Jeremy Hill looked like one of the best running backs in the league during the final nine games of his rookie season, but fumbles and game flow have kept him quiet the last two weeks as the team turned to Giovani Bernard to lead the Bengals in backfield touches. The talk from the coaching staff is that Hill should see still a heavy workload with Bernard being used as a change of pace and third down back, but Bernard has proven he can handle a major workload so Hill needs to find a way to hang onto the football in order to keep him relevant in the gameplan. Fantasy owners of Hill will also need to hope that the Bengals do not find themselves trailing as well. Bernard is the preferred choice in the passing game so when the team turns to a hurry-up style offense, Hill is out of the game.
The stout Chiefs’ run defense will present a challenge to either Cincinnati back. Kansas City has not allowed a rushing touchdown on the season and is allowing only 94 yards per game.

Projections:
Andy Dalton: 305 pass yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 20 rush yds
Jeremy Hill: 45 rush yds, 1 TD, 15 rec yds
Giovani Bernard: 40 rush yds, 45 rec yds
A.J. Green: 105 rec yds, 1 TD
Marvin Jones: 55 rec yds
Tyler Eifert: 65 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Bengals 27, Chiefs 20 ^ Top

Raiders at Bears - (Marcoccio)

Passing Game Thoughts: Little Derek Carr may be growing up before our very eyes. Carr is coming off of his best two games as a professional and has a chance to get Oakland to 3-1 for the first time since….hmmmm….well in a long time. Carr has thrown for 665 yards with 5 touchdowns and 1 interception in upset wins over Baltimore and Cleveland. Rookie Amari Cooper and veteran Michael Crabtree have been terrific outside targets for Carr, especially the rookie, but he has also connected with unheralded slot wide receiver Seth Roberts for scores the last two weeks. Oakland fans have been waiting a long time for a franchise type quarterback and it’s looking like that wait could be over.

The Bears’ defense has been surprisingly stingy in giving up yards through the air allowing only 195.3 yards per game but they haven’t been stingy in allowing teams into their endzone, giving up 8 passing touchdowns through three weeks. The team dealt aging but effective pass rusher Jared Allen to Carolina on Monday and looks to be cleaning house a little in order to clear room for John Fox and Vic Fangio players.

Running Game Thoughts: Latavius Murray has had a very solid start to his first season as a feature back. Murray is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and has 248 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground to go with his 11 receptions for 68 yards. Murray is 6’3” and 230 pounds but surprisingly doesn’t run with a lot of power as he fails to get low and thus loses some leverage on contact. He does have good speed and athleticism for his size, which he showed on a 54-yard run last week. Taiwan Jones who was at one time converted to corner back before being returned to running back has been getting the carries behind Murray but he only has seven carries on the season as Murray has been used as a true workhorse.

The Bears have been one of the league’s worst run defenses in 2015 allowing 135.7 yards per game. Murray could be in for another big game, especially if the Bears’ offense is as bad as it was last week and Oakland looks to control the game clock.

Projections:
Derek Carr: 285 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 25 rush yds
Latavius Murray: 115 rush yds, 1 TD, 15 rec yds
Taiwan Jones: 10 rush yds, 15 rec yds
Amari Cooper: 80 rec yds, 1 TD
Michael Crabtree: 65 rec yds
Mychal Rivera: 35 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: Jimmy Clausen pulled off the impossible last week - he made Bears’ fans look forward to the next time Jay Cutler starts a game. Clausen completed only 9-of-17 passes for 63 yards. Clausen should be under center again this week, as Cutler is expected to miss at least one more week with a hamstring injury. At least Clausen will get his best wide receiver, Alshon Jeffrey, back this week although he’s been limited in practices so it’s not a given. Martellus Bennett was targeted 6 times last week as Clausen made all of his throws underneath and could see heavy targets again. It should also be noted that Oakland has allowed 5 touchdowns to tight ends in only three games this season. Otherwise, this is likely a situation for fantasy owners to avoid.

The level of competition goes way down for Clausen this week, as the Raiders secondary has been lit up for 323 yards per game so far this season.

Running Game Thoughts: Matt Forte continues to put up a workman like effort while playing for a terrible Bears team. He has 276 yards rushing with a touchdown and 9 receptions for 69 yards on the season. Rumors are swirling that at 29 years old and in the last year of his contract, Forte could be one of the next veterans to be traded away as the new regime puts their stamp on the team. While the move would make some sense, the Bears fans could revolt if the team moves one of the few players worth watching on its roster, unless the haul they get back is substantial. As for this week, Forte is still on the team and like last week the gameplan should be to hide Clausen’s “abilities” by running Forte early and often. Rookie Jeremy Langford and veteran Jacquizz Rodgers could be mixed in as well.

The Raiders shouldn’t provide much resistance to the Bears’ ball control plan. During the season’s first two weeks they allowed 236 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground before stepping up to keep the Browns in check during Week 3.

Projections:
Jimmy Clausen: 185 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 25 rush yds
Matt Forte: 75 rush yds, 25 rec yds
Jacquizz Rodgers: 15 rush yds, 5 rec yds
Alshon Jeffery: 65 rec yds
Eddie Royal: 35 rec yds
Martellus Bennettt: 50 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Raiders 20, Bears 13 ^ Top

Browns @ Chargers - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: The surprise rise to fantasy stardom from Travis Benjamin continued in Week 3 as the fourth-year wide receiver caught his fourth touchdown of the season on four receptions for 45 yards against the Raiders. Benjamin is now the No. 4 wide receiver in all of fantasy football in standard scoring leagues and has clearly been one of the breakout stars. While Week 3 was his lowest scoring game thus far, it might have actually been the most interesting of his three contests as Benjamin went from two and four targets in Weeks 1 and 2 to a noticeably higher 10 targets in Week 3. This tells us that not only is Benjamin getting the attention from fantasy owners, but he is now also getting the attention from the Browns coaching staff and quarterback Josh McCown. McCown, who took back the starting role from Johnny Manziel after missing a game due to a concussion, threw for an impressive 341 yards and two touchdowns with one interception in the Raiders’ victory over the Browns which further solidified him as the starting quarterback in Cleveland. Another player who broke out in Week 3 was tight end Gary Barnidge who caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Barnidge had only made four catches for 55 yards in the Browns’ first two games and his breakout performance came against the Raiders who have given up the most fantasy points per game in the league to opposing tight ends so far this season, but it’s still worth noting that Barnidge has clearly established himself as the Browns’ tight end and will almost certainly see more targets going forward.

The Week 4 matchup for Cleveland will be quite a bit tougher for the Browns passing game as they head across the country to face a Chargers defense that is coming off of an impressive game where they held Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to just 121 passing yards and no touchdowns with an interception. To make matters worse for Benjamin owners, the Chargers have allowed just one pass of 40-or-more yards so far this season, so the likelihood of another long touchdown reception might be lower in this game than in his previous three. One positive note, the Chargers have not been getting after the quarterback. Sack numbers alone don’t always tell the story, but the entire Chargers defense combined has just one sack so far this season, which could mean more time in the pocket for McCown to find the open man. Be careful with McCown in daily formats, though, as the leash may be shorter on him than with other quarterbacks. Manziel waits in the wings and could step in at any time if the team is struggling to put points on the board.

Running Game Thoughts: The Cleveland running back job was one of the biggest question marks in fantasy football heading into the 2015 season and while the situation seems to be clearer now after three weeks than it was in the preseason, the production hasn’t exactly been spectacular. Second-year running back Isaiah Crowell has led all Browns ball carriers in each of the teams’ first three games, taking a total of 37 carries to rookie Duke Johnson’s 23. While Crowell’s 3.5 yards per carry average is nothing to be overly excited about, it has actually been quite a bit better than Johnson’s sub-3.0 average. Neither player is exactly running away with this job and while the presumption is that Johnson is a better pass catcher, he has only made six catches to Crowell’s two catches through three games. What was most disappointing regarding this backfield is that this duo combined for just 39 yards on the ground this past week in a fairly competitive game against the Raiders. It’s true that the Browns trailed throughout the entire contest, but a lot of that came because they were simply unable to get a running game going.

If Crowell and Johnson were unable to do much against a porous Oakland defense, it’s hard to believe that they’re suddenly going to light the fantasy world on fire in any other game, but Week 4 may very well be their opportunity to do so. The Chargers have been atrocious against opposing running games so far this season, conceding the second-most fantasy points to the position thus far in standard scoring formats. They’ve now given up back-to-back games of 150-plus rushing yards to the Vikings and Bengals and their run defense appears to be a major problem. If the Browns hope to be competitive in this game, they will need to get their running game established early. Look for Crowell to get the ball plenty in this one with Johnson potentially getting more snaps in the second half if the Browns are down by multiple scores. If they can’t get things going this week, though, it might be time to look elsewhere for your fantasy running back production.

Projections:
Josh McCown: 225 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Isaiah Crowell: 60 rush yds, 1 TD
Duke Johnson: 20 rush yds, 20 rec yds
Brian Hartline: 60 rec yds
Travis Benjamin: 55 rec yds
Andrew Hawkins: 40 rec yds
Gary Barnidge: 25 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Either Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen is fantasy football’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or the Chargers are intentionally messing with us at this point. Allen frustrated many fantasy owners who benched him when he made a whopping 15 receptions for 166 yards in Week 1, only to frustrate us again by dropping a two-catch, 16-yard game (with a fumble) on us in Week 2. Week 3 was back to his “Dr. Jekyll” form when he caught 12 passes for 133 yards and his first two touchdowns of the season. Allen’s 25-point day was the biggest fantasy performance of his young career and went a long way to proving that he is by far the most important player in this San Diego passing game. Allen’s 39 total targets rank him tied for fourth-most in the entire league and he should continue to get enough opportunities to make him an every-week fantasy starter. The other Charger who has been intriguing for fantasy owners has been Stevie Johnson who was a bit quiet this past week against the Vikings when he made just three catches for 46 yards, but he did catch a touchdown in each of the Chargers’ first two contests and has currently sits second on the team in both receptions (14) and receiving yards (173). Johnson should remain an important player in the Chargers’ aerial attack, playing out of the slot, at least for one more week until tight end Antonio Gates returns from his suspension.

The tight end position in San Diego remains one to watch as Ladarius Green missed Week 3 due to a concussion, but he is practicing again and is expected to play this weekend as the Chargers host the Browns. Cleveland has been excellent against opposing tight ends in two of their games, holding the Jets and Raiders tight ends to just one total catch for eight yards in those games. However, neither the Jets or Raiders are particularly talent-rich at the tight end position, so perhaps a more telling number is the Week 2 game when the Browns gave up 10 catches for 139 yards and a touchdown to the Delanie Walker-less Titans. Either way, this is a good matchup for quarterback Philip Rivers as the Browns have given up two touchdown passes to each opposing quarterbackthey’ve faced this season - that list includes the likes of Ryan Fitzpatrick, Marcus Mariota and Derek Carr. With Rivers being by far the most experienced and arguably still the most talented of that bunch, there’s a real opportunity here for Rivers to finish as a QB1 this week.

Running Game Thoughts: Following a monster Week 1 where he touched the ball 16 times for 62 yards and two touchdowns, San Diego running back Danny Woodhead has fallen back into the dreaded territory of being a borderline fantasy starter in non-PPR formats. In PPR leagues, however, Woodhead’s value continues to be solid as he has now made 13 receptions in three games, putting him on pace to approach 70 catches this season. Unfortunately for him, he seems to be behind rookie Melvin Gordon on the running back pecking order as Gordon has now touched the ball 48 times this season to Woodhead’s 37. Of course, it’s worth noting that Woodhead has been on the field more than Gordon in every game so far this season, but that also has a lot to do with the Chargers needing to pass the ball quite a bit thus far. Still, Gordon will likely continue to be the player who actually touches the ball more and for fantasy purposes, that’s what we really care about.

The Chargers backs have a great matchup this week as they will be up against a Cleveland defense that just got abused at home for 156 yards by the Raiders’ running backs after giving up more than 150 on the ground to the Jets in Week 1. Their Browns’ quality performance against the run so far this season came in Week 2 when they held the Titans backs to just 55 yards on 16 carries. However, the Titans haven’t exactly been great at running the ball so far this season, so certainly the Chargers won’t be deterred by that number. Look for San Diego to get the running game going, primarily on the back of Gordon who could see the highest carry total of his young career, particularly if the Chargers get out to an early lead. Woodhead remains a quality option in PPR formats, but this might be a good opportunity to bench him in standard scoring leagues.

Projections:
Philip Rivers: 300 pass yds, 3 TD
Melvin Gordon: 90 rush yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds
Danny Woodhead: 20 rush yds, 35 rec yds
Keenan Allen: 115 rec yds, 1 TD
Steve Johnson: 60 rec yds, 1 TD
Malcom Floyd: 30 rec yds
Ladarius Green: 30 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Chargers 31, Browns 17 ^ Top

Rams @ Cardinals - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: Week 3 should have been a great matchup for Nick Foles and the St. Louis offense, but it didn’t turn out that way. The Rams were home against a struggling Pittsburgh defense that had been torched through the air through the first two weeks of the season, but Foles couldn’t even hit 200 yards in the passing game with no touchdowns and an interception. Foles has regressed in fantasy points in each game so far this season and the St. Louis offense as a whole is looking less and less explosive. Part of that has to be due to the reality that the team doesn’t have any high-quality receiving options. The team’s target leader, Kenny Britt, leads the team with 11 receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown, but backup tight end Lance Kendricks is the only other player who has caught a touchdown so far this season.

If the Rams couldn’t get their passing game working against a weak Pittsburgh defense, it would be extremely surprising if they suddenly turned it around here in Week 4 as they go up against a Cardinals defense that has been excellent against opposing quarterbacks. They did get beat up by Drew Brees in Week 1, but the Cardinals held Jay Cutler and the Bears to just 241 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 before humiliating Colin Kaepernick this past week. Kaepernick had the worst game of his career in Week 3 when the Cardinals intercepted him four times, including two pick-sixes, and held him to just 67 yards through the air. While Kaepernick saved himself from a negative fantasy point day with his legs, don’t look for Foles to do the same. The four-interception day was certainly on the high end of what this defense is capable of, but this is a good matchup for the Arizona defense and one that should make them one of the most highly-owned units in daily formats.

Running Game Thoughts: The highly-anticipated debut of running back Todd Gurley has came and went without much to speak of as the rookie rushed for just nine yards on six carries while adding one reception for five yards. Meanwhile second-year back Tre Mason was equally unimpressive as he rushed for just 16 yards on nine carries with a 15-yard catch. The Pittsburgh defense they faced is certainly better against the run than they are the pass, but this was still a disappointing effort for the Rams’ backs and doesn’t bode well for their chances going forward. Mason was on the field for about 50 percent of the Rams’ snaps while Gurley and Benny Cunningham split the remaining snaps evenly, but the expectations are that Gurley will continue to get more snaps as he becomes more accustomed with the St. Louis offense.

It could be tough for Gurley, Mason or Cunningham to find much room this week, however, as they go up against an Arizona defense that has been great at shutting down the run so far this season. Through three games, the Cardinals have conceded just 194 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown to opposing running backs. One interesting note is that they have actually given up more receiving yards (213) to opposing running backs than they have rushing yards. That likely has a lot to do with game flow as the Cardinals have been dominating their opponents, leading to more passing situations for the opposing offenses. This could bode well for Cunningham, the team’s primary passing downs back, and he may be a decent low-priced sleeper option in daily formats. Gurley and Mason may struggle to get things going, however, and it’s tough to know which one of them will get more touches in this game, which makes both of them a risky option.

Projections:
Nick Foles: 225 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Tre Mason: 40 rush yds
Todd Gurley: 30 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Benny Cunningham: 10 rush yds, 35 rec yds
Kenny Britt: 50 rec yds
Tavon Austin: 10 rush yds, 25 rec yds
Stedman Bailey: 30 rec yds
Jared Cook: 40 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: There may not be a hotter team in the NFL right now than the Arizona Cardinals. Much of that has been because of excellent play by their defense, but there’s no question that the offense, led by veteran quarterback Carson Palmer, has been one of the most explosive in the league. Palmer currently sits fifth in the league in fantasy points at the quarterback position. Along with Palmer, fellow veteran Larry Fitzgerald is also enjoying a career resurgence in 2015. Fitzgerald is second in scoring at the wide receiver position and he has now scored an impressive five touchdowns over just his past two games. While it’s hard to imagine that Fitzgerald will remain quite this dominant, there is nothing on game film that tells us that his early season success has been a fluke. He looks like he’s in his prime again and he may very well finish as a WR1. Meanwhile, second-year receiver John Brown has been a bit disappointing from a fantasy perspective as he has made just 12 catches through his first three games. He does have a touchdown and he has 153 yards on those 12 catches, but that won’t go a long way toward making fantasy owners confident enough to put him in their lineups. The team’s third option, Michael Floyd, remains an afterthought in the offense as he has made just two receptions thus far in 2015 and has been rumored in numerous trade scenarios.

Arizona’s offense has had some great matchups to start the season which does tell us that there may be a natural regression upcoming, but Week 4 should still be a solid opportunity for a nice fantasy day for Palmer and the Cardinals passing game. It’s true that the Rams have conceded the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks so far this season, but their first two opponents – Seattle and Washington – aren’t exactly high-powered passing games, and Pittsburgh lost Ben Roethlisberger midway through their Week 3 game against the Rams. In Week 4, the Rams will have to try to contain an offense that has looked as good as any. Don’t be overly concerned about the St. Louis defense as Arizona should continue to put up plenty of passing yards in this contest.

Running Game Thoughts: When Andre Ellington was knocked out in Week 1, the Cardinals were forced to turn to veteran Chris Johnson and rookie David Johnson to take over their running back duties. The duo struggled through the first two games of the season, but Chris Johnson’s Week 3 performance in a blowout win over the 49ers reminded us that there may still be life left in those legs. Johnson rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns while adding a 40-yard reception. But now that the running game seems to be finding its groove with the Johnsons, Ellington is now getting back on the practice field. Head coach Bruce Arians reported that Ellington is “50-50” to play this Sunday.

If Ellington does play, all three Cardinals running backs become tough to trust. If he sits again, Chris Johnson may make for an interesting play this week against a Rams defense that has been exploited by opposing running games so far this season. The Rams have given up over 500 total yards to opposing running backs, which could mean a solid day from Chris Johnson and even a some opportunities for David Johnson.

Projections:
Carson Palmer: 270 pass yds, 2 TD
Chris Johnson: 70 rush yds, 1 TD, 25 rec yds
David Johnson: 30 rush yds, 25 rec yds
Larry Fitzgerald: 75 rec yds, 1 TD
John Brown: 55 rec yds, 1 TD
Michael Floyd: 25 rec yds

Prediction: Cardinals 24, Rams 13 ^ Top

Vikings @ Broncos - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: Second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was one of the hottest late-round quarterback selections in fantasy drafts this preseason, but he certainly has not done much to justify the hype. Through three games, Bridgewater ranks 27th at his position and he has thrown just one touchdown on the year. With Bridgewater’s struggles, it’s no surprise that both of his top receivers, Mike Wallace and Charles Johnson, have also been relatively quiet. Wallace leads the team with just 12 catches for 150 yards while Johnson has been almost completely irrelevant with just six catches for 46 yards. Neither Wallace nor Johnson is particularly intriguing in fantasy leagues, at least until the offense proves that they can do something through the air.

One would hope that the Vikings are putting together some schemes to give Bridgewater better opportunities, but it might be tough in Week 4 when the Vikings head to Denver to face the Broncos. Denver has been extraordinary on defense and that doesn’t look like it’ll be changing anytime soon. The Broncos have held opposing quarterbacks to an unbelievable 4.3 fantasy points per game on average – by far the fewest in the league – through the first three games of the season. To make matters worse for the Vikings, the Broncos have also already sacked opposing quarterbacks 11 times this season, good for third-most in the league. With Charles Johnson battling a rib injury, the Vikings may need to look toward tight end Kyle Rudolph early and often in this contest. He currently leads the team with 18 targets so far this season and if there has been one position that the Broncos have struggled a bit against, it has been tight ends. They’ve already given up over 200 yards to the position on the year and that could continue to rise this week against Rudolph.

Running Game Thoughts: We saw glimpses of “the old Adrian Peterson” during Weeks 1 and 2, but it wasn’t until a ridiculous, long touchdown run in Week 3 that we really knew that “A.D.” was back. Peterson punished the Chargers to the tune of 126 yards and two scores on the day and he has already compiled an impressive 370 yards from scrimmage through the first three games of the season. Peterson doesn’t look like he’s skipped a beat despite his year away from the game and he is now back to being arguably the top running back in all of fantasy football.

There aren’t many running backs who are matchup-proof, but Peterson is certainly one of them. Win, lose or draw, Peterson is the focal point of the Vikings offense and it’s going to be rare for him to not touch the ball at least 20 times per game. The Broncos have been fairly good against opposing running games so far this season as they held the Lions backs to 29 yards on the ground in Week 3 and the Ravens’ backs to just 73 yards back in Week 1. They did, however, struggle when they went up against another elite running back in Jamaal Charles. Charles rushed for 125 yards against the Broncos and could have been the MVP in a win if it weren’t for his late-game fumble that ultimately cost them the game. Peterson has also had trouble holding onto the ball early this season, but like Charles, he should touch the ball enough to have a nice fantasy day even against this very good Broncos defense.

Projections:
Teddy Bridgewater: 215 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 10 rush yds
Adrian Peterson: 100 rush yds, 1 TD, 25 rec yds
Mike Wallace: 50 rec yds
Charles Johnson: 30 rec yds
Jarius Wright: 30 rec yds
Kyle Rudolph: 60 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: He’s a year older and his body certainly isn’t where it once was, but if Week 3 proved anything, it’s that Peyton Manning can still be a valuable fantasy football quarterback. Manning threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, in a nice road win over the Lions. He didn’t throw for a touchdown in Week 1, but he has now thrown for five over his past two games. What’s been nice about the Denver passing game from a fantasy standpoint is that Manning is almost exclusively looking for his top two receivers, Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Thomas (38) and Sanders (35) both have more than double the number of targets of the Broncos’ next most-targeted receiver, Owen Daniels (16). No other Broncos wide receiver or tight end has more than five targets so far this season. With that knowledge, it’s easy to put both Thomas and Sanders in your fantasy lineups with confidence. If the ball continues to come their way at this pace, both players should be reliable fantasy options on a weekly basis.

In Week 4, the Broncos passing game has a nice matchup against a Vikings defense that just gave up a 300-yard, two-touchdown day to Philip Rivers. They also gave up nearly 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Matt Stafford in Week 2. It’s true that they held Colin Kaepernick to just 165 yards and no touchdowns in Week 1, but that was mostly due to their inability to slow down Carlos Hyde. The Broncos will almost certainly try to establish the running game against this bad Minnesota defense, but don’t worry too much – there will be plenty of opportunities for Manning and the passing game.

Running Game Thoughts: Denver running back C.J. Anderson has been one of the most disappointing players in all of fantasy football so far this season. A consensus first round fantasy draft pick, Anderson has been held to just 74 yards on the ground on 32 carries so far this season and has not yet scored a touchdown. To make matters worse, Anderson has been dealing with a toe injury which has limited his playing time. Backup Ronnie Hillman has substantially outplayed Anderson, but has still been a bit disappointing in his own right, rushing for just 88 yards on 28 carries. If there’s one saving grace for Anderson owners, it’s that head coach Gary Kubiak has made no comments regarding Anderson losing his job, so there is still hope that he may turn things around.

If Anderson is going to get back to fantasy relevance, it needs to happen this week against the Vikings. Minnesota showed in Week 1 that they were completely unprepared to take on a team that was committed to running the ball. If Denver can get the ball in Anderson’s hands 20 or more times, it’s very possible that he will be able to approach the 100-yard mark for the first time this season. Better yet, with the passing game looking like it has a great matchup against the Vikings secondary, there could be a handful of red zone carries for Anderson in this game. All it takes is one touchdown to put a smile on fantasy owners’ faces and Anderson remains one of the most likely running backs to get into the end zone on a week-to-week basis, despite the fact that he is yet to do so this season.

Projections:
Peyton Manning: 310 pass yds, 3 TD
C.J. Anderson: 70 rush yds, 1 TD, 15 rec yds
Ronnie Hillman: 20 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Demaryius Thomas: 130 rec yds, 2 TD
Emmanuel Sanders: 90 rec yds, 1 TD
Owen Daniels: 40 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Broncos 31, Vikings 20 ^ Top

Packers @ 49ers - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: With Andrew Luck struggling, it’s becoming increasingly evident that Green Bay quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers was the quarterback who should have been drafted first in fantasy drafts heading this season. Rodgers has been ridiculously good, throwing for 10 touchdowns with zero interceptions and 771 yards. All that without his top receiver from a season ago, Jordy Nelson. With Nelson out, it has been Randall Cobb who has taken over as the Packers’ top pass catcher, making 20 receptions for 245 yards and four touchdowns. But the real story might be veteran receiver James Jones, who returned to the Packers this preseason after being cut by the Raiders and Giants. Jones has now caught 12 passes for 219 yards, but the important part is that four of those 12 catches have gone for touchdowns. That ratio is likely unsustainable and he wasn’t getting targeted enough to be looked at as a consistent fantasy contributor, but an injury to Davante Adams may have given Jones even more value. Adams did avoid the dreaded high ankle sprain, but it sounds likely that he will miss this week’s game against the 49ers, which should lead to more opportunities for Jones and even rookie Ty Montgomery who caught the first touchdown of his career after Adams went out in Week 3.

There isn’t a matchup in the world that should make fantasy owners of Aaron Rodgers worried and the 49ers certainly aren’t one. San Francisco held Teddy Bridgewater in check in Week 1, but has since been exposed in back-to-back games against Ben Roethlisberger and Carson Palmer. Both quarterbacks went over the 300 yards and they combined for five passing touchdowns with only one interception. Rodgers is playing at an all-world level and with San Francisco coming off of back-to-back blowout losses, this could be a recipe for big time fantasy production.

Running Game Thoughts: Eddie Lacy got off to a very slow start to the 2014 season but still managed to finish as one of the premier running backs in all of fantasy football. He may have to do that again here in 2015 as an injury has kept him from being at his best. Lacy suffered an ankle injury in the Packers’ Week 2 win over the Seahawks and was limited in Week 3 due to the same injury, but was actually quite productive with the limited opportunities he was given in that contest. Now listed as a full participant in practice, Lacy appears likely to get his usual workload in Week 4 with James Starks returning to his complementary role.

If Lacy is a full go, as we expect that he will be, he could be in for an excellent bounceback game. The 49ers are in a terrible rut and right now and they’ve been completely humiliated by opposing running backs in back-to-back weeks. They shockingly held Adrian Peterson in check in Week 1, but the 49ers gave up a three-touchdown day to DeAngelo Williams in Week 2 followed up by a 110-yard, two-touchdown day from Chris Johnson. With the Packers’ passing game firing on all cylinders, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Packers jump out to an early lead. If that happens, there could be a lot of Eddie Lacy in the second half.

Projections:
Aaron Rodgers: 275 pass yds, 3 TD, 15 rush yds
Eddie Lacy: 110 rush yds, 2 TD, 15 rec yds
James Starks: 20 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Randall Cobb: 100 rec yds, 1 TD
James Jones: 60 rec yds, 2 TD
Ty Montgomery: 30 rec yds
Richard Rodgers: 40 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: The good news is that it can’t get much worse. The bad news is that fantasy owners who started Kaepernick can’t go back and erase the humiliating performance that he gave them in Week 3. Kaepernick threw a career-most four interceptions and for just 67 yards. At one point during the loss to the Cardinals, Kaepernick had just one more completion (5) than he did interceptions. While Kaepernick did save what would have been a negative fantasy point day by rushing for a touchdown and 46 yards on the ground, it’s hard to imagine his confidence isn’t completely shattered after that awful performance. Obviously his top receivers, Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin, haven’t done much this season. Each player has a touchdown, but neither has even hit the 150 receiving yard mark this season. The 49ers have supposedly “simplified” their playbook, but if what happened in Week 3 is any indication, it might be time to go back to expanding the playbook a bit.

The 49ers passing game needs to redeem itself and with the Packers likely to get out to a fairly substantial lead in this game, there may be an opportunity for some garbage-time points in this game. Kaepernick typically has a high floor because of his rushing totals and if he can avoid throwing multiple interceptions, even a moderate passing yardage game could at least make him a viable fantasy option. It’d be hard to trust him after what he did in Week 3, but this isn’t the worst situation for fantasy production. One player who fantasy owners might want to avoid, though, is tight end Vernon Davis. Davis is a borderline fantasy option to begin with, but the Packers have done a good job of keeping opposing tight ends in check so far this season. Despite playing against Travis Kelce, Jimmy Graham and Martellus Bennett – three of the premiere tight ends in the league – the Packers have conceded a total of just 182 yards and one touchdown to the position so far this season.

Running Game Thoughts: A monster Week 1 saw Carlos Hyde shoot up the fantasy radar as he went off for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, in his past two games – both blowout 49ers losses – Hyde was barely able to even crack half of that yardage total and has not yet made a trip back to the end zone. Nothing on film seems to indicate that Hyde is running the ball worse, but his opportunities have been significantly less with his team so far behind in games. Backup running back Reggie Bush is expected to be back this week as well, which could lead to less playing time for Hyde, particularly if the 49ers fall behind and are forced to rely on their passing game.

Hyde owners will have to hope that the 49ers can stay in this game long enough that their running back can at least touch the ball 15 times because if he doesn’t, this could be another ugly fantasy day. The Packers have held opposing running backs to just 241 rushing yards through their first three games of the season and they’ve played against the likes of Matt Forte, Marshawn Lynch and Jamaal Charles. While Hyde appears to be a solid running back, it’d be hard to foresee a situation where he goes off in this game, especially if the Packers do get out to the lead that many expect them to. Hyde is still a must-start for most fantasy owners, but temper your expectations.

Projections:
Colin Kaepernick: 215 pass yds, 1 TD, 40 rush yds, 1 TD
Carlos Hyde: 75 rush yds, 15 rec yds
Anquan Boldin: 80 rec yds
Torrey Smith: 55 rec yds, 1 TD
Vernon Davis: 40 rec yds

Prediction: Packers 35, 49ers 17 ^ Top

Lions @ Seahawks - (Caron)

Passing Game Thoughts: He’s off to a fine pace in terms of passing yardage at 271 yds/game, but Detroit quarterback Matt Stafford has simply not been efficient with the football. The former No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick has thrown for just five touchdowns with five interceptions. Worst yet for fantasy owners of wide receiver Calvin Johnson is that Stafford simply has not been able to find his top receiver down the field. Johnson has made 20 catches for 199 yards – enough for him to be the No. 26 fantasy wide receiver in standard leagues – but he has only scored one touchdown thus far. Fellow wide receiver Golden Tate has been even more disappointing as he has caught just 15 passes for 161 yards and he has not yet scored a single touchdown.

It’s true that the Lions were held in check by a tough Denver defense a week ago, but things aren’t going to get any easier as the unit heads to the east coast to challenge the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have long been one of the best secondaries in the league and the “Legion of Boom” was finally reunited a week ago when safety Kam Chancellor ended his holdout. The defense has conceded an average of just 203 passing yards per game so far this season and they’ve only given up three total passing touchdowns, two of which were given up to Aaron Rodgers. This past week, the Seahawks embarrassed the Bears when they held the Chicago passing game to just 63 yards. While the Lions will certainly exceed that total, it would not be surprising to see the Detroit passing game struggle a bit in this game. They haven’t been particularly good in much easier matchups so far this season, so a trip to Seattle won’t likely cure what has been a less-than-stellar passing game. One player to watch out for in this game is tight end Eric Ebron. The Seahawks have struggled to contain opposing tight ends so far this season and Ebron has been quietly productive, particularly in the red zone. Don’t be surprised to see him score again here in Week 4.

Running Game Thoughts: The preseason position battle between running backs Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah was one of the hottest fantasy topics heading into the season as Abdullah shot up draft charts after a few very impressive run. Things only got more interesting in Week 1 when Abdullah had a 94 total yard performance that included an impressive, long touchdown run, but that’s about the last time anyone has heard from the Detroit running game. Sure, Abdullah caught a touchdown pass this past week against the Broncos and yes, Bell rushed for a touchdown in the same game, but the duo combined for just 29 rushing yards in the game. Sadly enough, that was actually an improvement from the disappointing performance they turned in against the Vikings in Week 2 when they combined for a measly 11 rushing yards. Meanwhile, it has been third string running back Theo Riddick who has been the most consistent player in this backfield, particularly in PPR formats. Riddick has registered just one carry on the year, but he has already made 15 receptions on the season. Riddick is a classic example of a player whose value changes drastically depending on your league’s format, but there’s no question that he has carved out a role for himself in this offense while the other two backs battle for the role of “starter” in an unproductive running game.

Detroit’s running game has been ugly over the past two weeks and things won’t be getting any easier as they head to Seattle to play against a Seahawks defense that has conceded the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs so far this season. Seattle is one of just four teams who have not yet allowed a running back to score a touchdown – whether on the ground or through the air – against them so far this season. That doesn’t bode well for Bell, who is currently presumed to own the role as the Lions’ goaline back. With Bell and Abdullah still splitting touches, it’s entirely possible that neither player represents much value in a tough matchup like this. Riddick, on the other hand, could be a great fantasy asset in PPR leagues this week.

Projections:
Matthew Stafford: 260 pass yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Ameer Abdullah: 40 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Joique Bell: 25 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Theo Riddick: 50 rec yds
Calvin Johnson: 65 rec yds, 1 TD
Golden Tate: 40 rec yds
Eric Ebron: 40 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: The fantasy stock of quarterback Russell Wilson certainly went up when the Seahawks made the move to bring in tight end Jimmy Graham this offseason, but through the first two weeks of the season, the duo hadn’t exactly gotten off to a hot start. They had only connected on seven passes and although one went for a touchdown, it was certainly a disappointing start. They seemed to get things going in Week 3, however, against a weak Chicago defense when they connected on seven receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse remain important members of the passing game, but neither player represents much upside in the grand scheme of things, so they are low-end flex or WR3 options at best.

The Seahawks’ passing game should have a good opportunity to produce some fantasy points this week as they host the Lions and their 21st-ranked fantasy defense against opposing QB’s. The Lions did hold Teddy Bridgewater to just 153 passing yards and a touchdown, but were absolutely lit up by both Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers in their other two contests. Rivers and Rodgers combined for a total of 728 passing yards and four touchdowns. While it’s tough to imagine Wilson approaching that kind of passing yardage, it would not be surprising to see him have a nice day through the air to go along with his highly productive rushing numbers. Wilson has rushed for an average of 46 yards per game this season and that’s actually a bit down from what he did in 2014, so there’s no reason to think he can’t do it again.

Running Game Thoughts: Marshawn Lynch has battled through his fair share of injuries throughout his career, but it’s rare that one actually takes him out of a game. That’s what happened in Week 3 when Lynch left the game with a hamstring injury after taking just five carries for 14 yards. It could have been game-related as the Seahawks were expected to blow out the Bears, but Lynch was taken out of the game when it was still a one-score game, so that excuse is a bit weak. With Lynch out, the Seahawks surprisingly turned to rookie Thomas Rawls – not Fred Jackson – to take the bulk of the carries. Rawls did his part, rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown in the blowout win over the Bears. Jackson touched the ball just four times on the day, leading to Rawls becoming one of the hottest commodities on fantasy waiver wires this week.

The Lions have struggled to slow down opposing running games so far this season, having already allowed four rushing touchdowns on the year. They did hold the Broncos backs to just 42 yards, but had previously been beaten up to the tune of nearly 150 rushing yards by Adrian Peterson and the Vikings backs in the game prior. This is a good matchup for the Seahawks who seem to be committed to running the ball no matter who is lining up in the backfield. With Lynch missing practice early in the week and currently being listed as questionable for the Monday night clash with the Lions, there is a real reason for concern for fantasy owners. The Seahawks will almost certainly not make their decision on Lynch until right before game time, so if Lynch does not play, fantasy owners could potentially be left with the dreaded goose egg. If fantasy owners don’t have Rawls handcuffed to Lynch on their rosters, it’d be wise to look elsewhere this weekend.

Projections:
Russell Wilson: 225 pass yds, 1 TD, 50 rush yds, 1 TD
Marshawn Lynch: 75 rush yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds
Thomas Rawls: 40 rush yds
Doug Baldwin: 55 rec yds
Jermaine Kearse: 40 rec yds
Tyler Lockett: 20 rec yds
Jimmy Graham: 75 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Seahawks 27, Lions 20 ^ Top

Jaguars at Colts - (Smith)

Passing Game Thoughts: The Jacksonville passing game has left fantasy owners void of options for a number of years, and though things have improved slightly so far in 2015, there is still little to choose from. Blake Bortles has more touchdowns than interceptions (5-to-3), but has a woeful completion percentage of 53.8 and isn’t much of a fantasy play.

Allen Robinson’s Week 2 outburst has him among the top-20 in fantasy points among wideouts, but due to his inconsistency, he’s little more than a WR3 play this week against Indianapolis. The Colts are 21st in the NFL in pass defense, and though they are in the middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to both quarterbacks and tight ends, the team has given up the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.

Running Game Thoughts: Rookie T.J. Yeldon has a lot of promise, but so far that potential has yielded few results. The second-round pick is averaging just 3.2 YPC and has yet to find the end zone, though he could be a flex play this week in deep leagues due to his match-up with the Colts. Indianapolis is tied for 20th in the league in run defense, tied for 24th in rushing scores permitted, and are tied for ninth-most fantasy points surrendered to running backs.

Projections:
Blake Bortles: 210 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
T.J. Yeldon: 45 rush yds, 1 TD, 15 rec yds
Allen Robinson: 75 rec yds
Allen Hurns: 50 rec yds
Clay Harbor: 35 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Andrew Luck’s struggles (and sore shoulder) have undoubtedly become a real concern for his fantasy owners, but at this point there’s little for them to do but sit back and wait, because trading him at this point when his value is at its lowest is unwise. He’s thrown at least two interceptions in all three of his games this season, a trend that simply will not continue.

Despite Luck’s troubles, T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief have continued to produce. Hilton has yet to snag a touchdown catch, but that will change soon – as in this week against Jacksonville. The Jaguars rank 25th in the league in pass defense and are in the bottom half of the league in fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends.

Running Game Thoughts: Frank Gore did little to give fantasy owners hope in his first two outings, but things changed last week as he rumbled for 86 yards and pair of scores in the Colts’ win over the Titans. He’s a solid play this week against the Jags, who gave up three scores on the ground last week to LeGarrette Blount. Overall, Jacksonville is 12th in the NFL in rush defense but tied for 24th in rushing scores allowed. They have given up more fantasy points to running backs than all but six other teams.

Projections:
Andrew Luck: 255 pass yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Frank Gore: 65 rush yds, 1 TD, 15 rec yds
T.Y. Hilton: 85 rec yds, 1 TD
Donte Moncrief: 75 rec yds
Coby Fleener: 40 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Colts 27, Jaguars 20 ^ Top

Panthers at Buccaneers - (Smith)

Passing Game Thoughts: Cam Newton was huge for fantasy owners last week in his team’s win over the Saints, amassing a rare 300-plus yards through the air with two touchdown throws and a rushing score. Tight end Greg Olsen had a monster game as well, catching both of Newton’s touchdowns and adding 134 receiving yards. That those two players are fantasy starters at their position isn’t a surprise. What is a surprise is the contribution Ted Ginn Jr. is making.
The former first-round pick amassed 93 receiving yards last week and is the team’s top wide receiver. Ginn isn’t WR1 or even quite WR2 material, but he has a spot as a WR3, particularly this week against the Buccaneers. Tampa is ninth in the league in pass defense and tied for 19th in passing touchdowns surrendered. They have allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks and fifth-fewest points to tight ends, but the ninth-most to wideouts.

Running Game Thoughts: Jonathan Stewart continues to underwhelm, with just 52 yards and no touchdowns last week. It was thought by many that he might end the year as a legit RB1, but right now he’s barely a flex play. However, match-ups determine much in fantasy, and Stewart (knee) has a great one this week against Tampa that should ensure his spot in lineups, assuming he gets on the field. The Buccaneers are 30th in the NFL in run defense and tied for 24th in rushing scores permitted. Only three teams have given up more fantasy points to running backs.

Projections:
Cam Newton: 240 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 50 rush yds
Jonathan Stewart: 80 rush yds, 1 TD, 20 rec yds
Ted Ginn Jr.: 75 rec yds, 1 TD
Devin Funchess: 30 rec yds
Greg Olsen: 80 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: It was going to be tough for Jameis Winston last week against the Texans’ defense, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that he ended the game having completed less than half of his throws. Still, he did manage to throw one touchdown and avoid multiple picks, so that’s a positive. Winston is not a fantasy option most weeks, and that includes this one, but it’s safe to say that Mike Evans is.

The second-year pro had 101 yards on seven receptions, but maybe more telling, was targeted a whopping 17 times by Winston. Evans is an every week fantasy starter, even against a tough foe like Carolina. The Panthers rank 15th in pass defense but are tied for second-fewest passing scores allowed. They have given up the eighth-fewest fantasy points to both quarterbacks and wide receivers, and tied for 12th-fewest points allowed to tight ends.

Running Game Thoughts: Pundits had wondered if this was the year Doug Martin made a comeback. It looks increasingly less so each week. He had just 46 yards and no scores last week, hasn’t found the end zone once this year, and is averaging 3.8 YPC. Martin isn’t much except a match-up based flex play, and his match-up with the Panthers isn’t a great one. Carolina is fourth in the league in run defense, tied for 16th in rushing scores surrendered, and have given up the 13th-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs.

Projections:
Jameis Winston: 215 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Doug Martin: 40 rush yds, 15 rec yds
Mike Evans: 75 rec yds, 1 TD
Vincent Jackson: 45 rec yds
Louis Murphy: 40 rec yds
Brandon Myers: 25 rec yds

Prediction: Panthers 20, Buccaneers 13 ^ Top

Texans at Falcons - (Smith)

Passing Game Thoughts: Ryan Mallett hasn’t been superb in his outings, and he certainly isn’t worthy of being on fantasy rosters, but he has done well enough to keep fantasy owners of DeAndre Hopkins happy, which is good enough. Hopkins had eight receptions for 101 yards with one score last week in Houston’s win over Tampa, and he’s now in the top-10 in fantasy scoring at his position.

The third-year pro is now a WR1 regardless of match-up, and should be in all fantasy lineups this week as he takes on the Falcons. Atlanta is 24th in the league in pass defense but tied for fifth-fewest passing scores allowed. They have given up the 10th-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks, the fourth-fewest to wideouts, and are tied for 12th-fewest points permitted to tight ends.

Running Game Thoughts: The running back situation in Houston is a mess, at least for fantasy owners. In Week 2, Alfred Blue got five carries and gained six yards while Chris Polk got most of the action. Last week, Blue picked up 139 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Meanwhile, Arian Foster may or may not play this week. If Foster does go, he should be in all fantasy lineups as a flex play at least versus Atlanta. The Falcons are 15th in the NFL in run defense, but no team has given up more scores on the ground. Subsequently, they have allowed more fantasy points to running backs than any other team in the league.

Projections:
Ryan Mallett: 230 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Alfred Blue: 80 rush yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds
DeAndre Hopkins: 90 rec yds, 1 TD
Nate Washington: 65 rec yds
Cecil Shorts: 40 rec yds
C.J. Fiedorowicz: 15 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: Julio Jones has a remarkable 34 catches, 440 yards, and four touchdowns through three games, having accumulated more fantasy points than any other wide receiver, tight end or running back so far this season. Matt Ryan is a solid QB1 as well, with solid totals that have him among the top-10 fantasy quarterbacks. The only surprise among Falcons players is that Roddy White, with just nine targets all year, has become invisible.

Leonard Hankerson has seemingly taken over as the team’s number two wideout, though his fantasy prospects are limited this week against Houston. The Texans are 12th in the league in pass defense, and though they’ve allowed the 12th-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers, they’ve also given up the sixth-most points to quarterbacks and ninth-most points to tight ends.

Running Game Thoughts: Devonta Freeman lit up the Cowboys last week, rushing 30 times for 141 yards and a trio of scores, not to mention 52 yards on five receptions. He does have a bit of a toe injury which may limit him, but fantasy owners would want to avoid Freeman anyway considering the difficult match-up against the Texans. Houston is 10th in the NFL in rush defense, tied for fifth-fewest running scores permitted while allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs.

Projections:
Matt Ryan: 265 pass yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Devonta Freeman: 60 rush yds, 20 rec yds
Julio Jones: 110 rec yds, 2 TDs
Leonard Hankerson: 55 rec yds
Roddy White: 25 rec yds
Jacob Tamme: 20 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Falcons 21, Texans 17 ^ Top

Cowboys at Saints - (Smith)

Passing Game Thoughts: Brandon Weeden completed all but four of his 26 throws last week in the Cowboys’ loss to the Falcons, but none of them went for touchdowns. Without Dez Bryant, Weeden relied on running back Lance Dunbar (10 catches, 100 yards) and tight end Jason Witten (six catches, 65 yards) more than any wideout. Dunbar and Witten are tied for the team lead in receptions, with Dunbar leading in yards but Witten having more touchdowns.

Dunbar should be a flex option this week, while Witten is starting material against the pliable Saints defense. New Orleans is 22nd in the NFL in pass defense and tied for 19th in passing scores surrendered. They have given up the second-most fantasy points in the league to both quarterbacks and tight ends, but the 10th-fewest to wide receivers.
Running Game Thoughts: Joseph Randle scored his first three touchdowns of the season last week and picked up 87 yards on just 14 carries. Darren McFadden also scored, but had just six carries, and is clearly the second option. Randle is now fourth among running backs in fantasy scoring and a solid RB2 option this week against New Orleans. The Saints rank 26th in the league in run defense and are tied for 16th in rushing scores allowed, but are in the middle of the league in fantasy points given up to running backs.

Projections:
Brandon Weeden: 240 pass yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Joseph Randle: 70 rush yds, 1 TD, 15 rec yds
Lance Dunbar: 10 rush yds, 55 rec yds, 1 TD
Terrance Williams: 60 rec yds
Cole Beasley: 45 rec yds
Jason Witten: 75 rec yds, 1 TD

Passing Game Thoughts: Filling in for Drew Brees last week, Luke McCown completed 31 of his 37 throws for 310 yards but did not have a touchdown and threw one pick. Brees (shoulder) may play this week, but either way, McCown should continue to be out of fantasy lineups. If Brees plays, he’s a fantasy starter, but there aren’t many Saints lighting up fantasy scoreboards, which is odd considering how prolific the team has been in that regard over the years.

Brandin Cooks may become that guy, and he’s due to find the end zone against Dallas. The Cowboys have the league’s 13th-ranked pass defense and are tied for fifth-fewest passing scores allowed. They have permitted the sixth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks and the second-fewest to tight ends, but are in the middle of the league in terms of points allowed to wideouts.

Running Game Thoughts: Mark Ingram continues to plod along with a YPC average of 3.3. His fantasy owners won’t care though, because the former Heisman winner scored for the second time last week and is also putting up points as a pass-catcher. Despite Ingram’s lack of big-play ability (career-long run of 35 yards), he gets the ball enough to do damage and put up points, and should once again be in lineups this week against the Cowboys. Dallas is 10th in the league in run defense, tied for 24th in rushing scores allowed and has surrendered the 12th-most fantasy points in the NFL to opposing running backs.

Projections:
Drew Brees: 290 pass yds, 2 TDs
Mark Ingram: 65 rush yds, 1 TD, 35 rec yds
Khiry Robinson: 30 rush yds, 15 rec yds
C.J. Spiller: 20 rush yds, 25 rec yds
Brandin Cooks: 80 rec yds, 1 TD
Marques Colston: 50 rec yds
Willie Snead: 35 rec yds, 1 TD
Ben Watson: 15 rec yds

Prediction: Saints 27, Cowboys 24 ^ Top

Jets @ Dolphins - (Katz)

Passing Game Thoughts: The Jets and Dolphins are headed across the pond to do battle at Wembley Stadium in London with an early Sunday morning start time (9:30 AM ET) here in the states. Much to the dismay of Jets’ fans around the world, last week we got “bad Ryan Fitzpatrick.” Operating without Chris Ivory and falling behind early, the Jets went into full on “chuck mode” with run-pass splits that would bring a tear to Bill Belichick’s eye. Much like the Week 2 Patriots, the Jets went pass-happy with Fitzpatrick launching 58 passes compared to just 12 handoffs. While the Jets have been passing the ball more this year under Todd Bowles, this was a ridiculous split. To the surprise of no one, Fitzpatrick throwing 58 passes didn’t go so well. He threw 2 TDs, but he also threw the ball to the Eagles three times, bringing his season interception total up to five. Fitzpatrick was operating without Eric Decker (knee injury), which led to 21 targets split about evenly between Quincy Enunwa and Jeremy Kerley, neither of whom were very efficient. Brandon Marshall led the team with 14 targets, catching 10 balls for 109 yards, 1 TD, and 1 of the dumbest plays you’ll ever see – seriously, Marshall even said so himself. Marshall didn’t so much fumble the ball as amidst his refusal to be tackled with the ball, he threw it blindly behind him into the hands of an Eagles defender. Bad judgment.

The Jets are hoping to have Decker back this week, but his status is unclear at this time. If he does return, he and the Jets passing attack will do battle with a Dolphins secondary that just get shredded by Tyrod Taylor and the Bills’ run first offense. The Dolphins looked bad for the second week in a row and if this trend continues, it wouldn’t shock me if it cost Joe Philbin his job. The Dolphins’ defensive season numbers through three games aren’t terrible, but that’s due mainly to Kirk Cousins’ ineptitude Week 1. Over the past two weeks, Blake Bortles and Tyrod Taylor have combined to go 39/62 for 550 yards, 5 TDs, and 0 INTs. Coming off an embarrassing home blowout loss to a defensive team, one would hope the Dolphins come out and play inspired football, but the numbers do not support a sudden turnaround.

Running Game Thoughts: The Jets running game without Chris Ivory last week was a lot like the lunar eclipse if you were in the northeast (or at least where I live) – you knew it was there, you just couldn’t see it. Ivory was there and he was active. You just couldn’t see him on the field. Even though Ivory was available to play, he saw a grand total of 0 snaps. This was probably for the best for Ivory fantasy owners (unless you started him) as he did not look good Week 2, but will likely be almost fully healthy this week. He got in a full practice on Thursday, which is very encouraging. Bilal Powell handled the bulk of the carries, which ended up only being 10/12, with the other 2 going to Zac Stacy. Powell did next to nothing with those carries, churning out a measly 31 yards.

Ivory is almost certain to return this week to face this Dolphins run defense that looked a lot more imposing four weeks ago than it looks now. The addition of Ndamukong Suh was supposed to solidify this run defense as an elite unit. Instead, he’s been going rogue and the line has been operating like a New York subway turnstile. The latest beneficiary, Karlos Williams, piled up 110 yards on just 12 carries. The Dolphins are now allowing an average of 145 yards per game on the ground. This defense as a whole has been kind to opposing players. Hopefully, Ivory returns healthy with a full workload and reaps the benefits of this plus matchup.

Projections:
Ryan Fitzpatrick: 230 pass yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Chris Ivory: 70 rush yds, 1 TD, 10 rec yds
Bilal Powell: 25 rush yds, 30 rec yds
Brandon Marshall: 90 rec yds, 1 TD
Eric Decker: 60 rec yds (if he plays)

Passing Game Thoughts: Ryan Tannehill had a solid fantasy day last week, but he was absolutely dreadful in real football terms. He completed 26-of-49 passes for 297 yards, 2 TDs, and 3 INTs, but those 3 picks were bad – very bad – specifically the one Preston Brown caught at the line and brought back for 6. Tannehill looked completely overwhelmed and the complete lack of a running game does not help. He was expected by many to make a leap this year, closer to guys like Luck and Rodgers than he is to guys like Stafford or Bortles. He’s trending in the wrong direction. Lost in the shuffle of Tannehill’s poor performance was the emergence of Rishard Matthews as the No.2 option in this passing game. He outperformed Jarvis Landry in this one, but Landry remains the No.1 option. Matthews saw 10 targets (Landry saw 13) and corralled 6 balls for 113 yards and 2 TDs. Quick aside – the Dolphins traded for Kenny Stills this offseason. I have no idea why. But in case you were wondering, he is completely irrelevant. DeVante Parker saw 7 targets last week as well and is more involved in the offense every week. This offense is not strong enough to support three receivers and the Dolphins did not draft Parker to make him play second fiddle to Rishard Matthews. When the Parker takeover eventually comes, expect it to be at the expense of Matthews, but I don’t think that time is here just yet.

This week’s matchup against the Jets is not a good one. Even though they lost last week, the Jets made Sam Bradford’s life miserable. Yes, it is entirely possible that Bradford just isn’t that good. The Eagles offense looked a little better last week, but Bradford still only managed to complete 50% of his passes for 118 yards and 1 TD. Jordan Matthews was the only WR to catch a pass. I reiterate last week’s sentiment that he is the only non-RB worth starting in this offense. The Jets have allowed just 191.7 yards per game through the air and have more interceptions (4) than TDs allowed (3). This is a less than ideal spot for Tannehill to bounce back from last week’s dismal performance.

Running Game Thoughts: Lamar Miller was clearly not 100% last week, but this is the third week in a row that Miller would have been better off on your bench. For a guy many expected to ascend the ranks to the RB elite in 2015, this is about the worst possible start. Surprisingly enough, Miller was effective when he touched the ball but once again, the decisions of the Dolphins’ coaching staff continue to confound. Miller averaged better than 5 yards per carry and averaged 9 yards per reception but he touched the ball just ten times. Further frustrating matters was the garbage time sequence where the Dolphins had the ball at the 2-yard line and proceeded to throw 4 times with no pass even remotely close to being completed. I have no idea what the Dolphins are doing this year, and quite frankly, I don’t think they do either.

Miller appeared to exit last week’s game no worse for wear and should be good to go this week against this Jets’ run defense that just gave up 108 yards on 25 carries to Ryan Mathews. With Revis & Co patrolling the secondary, it makes sense that teams would try and beat the Jets on the ground. Overall, teams have averaged just 3.5 yards per carry against the Jets, which is exactly what Miller has averaged this season. Ultimately, Miller’s productivity will come down to volume. How much work are the Dolphins actually going to give him? He saw 13 carries in Week 1 against the Redskins and his carry total has dropped by exactly 3 each game since then. I don’t expect that trend to continue (if Miller sees just 4 carries this week and isn’t hurt, you can forget about him for the rest of the season), but it’s certainly not encouraging. Getting out-carried by Jonas Gray is never good. This is an early make or break game for the Dolphins. It would be nice to see something positive out of Miller and the running game this week.

Projections:
Ryan Tannehill: 240 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Lamar Miller: 60 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Jarvis Landry: 70 rec yds
Rishard Matthews: 50 rec yds
Jordan Cameron: 50 rec yds

Prediction: Jets 23, Dolphins 16 ^ Top

Giants @ Bills - (Katz)

Passing Game Thoughts: Through three games, all of Eli Manning’s passes have either been caught by a Giant or hit the ground. He is playing arguably the best football of his career, completing 64.8% of his passes. The 4 TDs are lower than you’d like to see, but as long as Manning isn’t turning the ball over, you have to be pleased. Last week against the Redskins, the Giants finally won a game but it was by no means impressive. Tom Coughlin needs to go. As much as it pains me to say it, this team is loaded with talent, but it’s difficult to overcome a coach that constantly tries to lose games. What Coughlin did in the final four minutes of last week’s game is completely unacceptable. You cannot throw on either of those late 3rd downs at the expense of burning 40 seconds. One mistake ended up benefitting fantasy owners as Rueben Randle lucked his way into a 41-yard score. But even before that massive fluke, Randle was producing – probably because he was angry at me for declaring him “useless” last week. Randle caught all 7 of his targets for 116 yards and the aforementioned lucky score that never should’ve been thrown or caught.

The Giants will have a much tougher time this week as they head upstate to take on a Bills team that just massacred Ryan Tannehill. Outside of a 40-point ravaging by Angry Tom Brady, this Bills defense has been mighty impressive, holding each of their non-Brady opponents to just 14 points. This is shaping up to be the week Manning throws his first pick.

Running Game Thoughts: Tom Coughlin is notoriously stubborn. He has been this way for years. While a team like the Patriots will do whatever is working, Coughlin insists on running because that’s how he coaches. It doesn’t matter how well it’s working. 31 carries for 84 yards in last week’s victory over the Redskins - a stout 2.7 yards per carry. That’s what the Giants’ RB triumvirate accomplished. Yet again, Shane Vereen was clearly the superior option in the backfield. Yet again, Coughlin does not care. Andre Williams led the team in carries with 14 and barely averaged 2 yards per carry. Rashad Jennings took 11 carries and couldn’t get to 3 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Vereen was one yard away from 4 yards per carry, but he only received 6 touches. The Giants also decided that using Vereen out of the backfield wasn’t part of last week’s plan. It’s hard to get a beat on what the Giants are thinking. One thing is clear though. None of these backs can be trusted. Jennings belongs on the waiver wire. Williams is the least talented of the three, but he gets the goal line carries. Vereen is the only guy worth owning, but you’re at the mercy of the Giants’ game plan and game flow.

The Bills sport the No.1 rush defense in the league in terms of yards allowed per game. However, they have allowed 4.3 yards per carry to opposing backs. The problem with both of these numbers is that teams barely run the ball against the Bills. Compared to the Bucs, who see the most opposing rushing attempts at 35 per game, the Bills see an average of less than half that with 17.3 attempts against per game. I do believe the Bills’ run defense is very good and perhaps that has something to do with the low attempts against. It could also have a lot to do with their three opponents. Andrew Luck and Tom Brady love to throw and their coaches cut them loose often. The Dolphins coaches are evidently trying to lose their jobs as they have an aversion to giving the ball to Lamar Miller. I don’t think any of these games are reliable predictors of what this week’s game will look like. I expect the Giants to run the ball 25-plus times whether it works or not.

Projections:
Eli Manning: 270 pass yds, 2 TD, 2 INTs
Rashad Jennings: 30 rush yds
Andre Williams: 20 rush yds
Shane Vereen: 15 rush yds, 30 rec yds
Odell Beckham Jr.: 90 rec yds, 1 TD
Rueben Randle: 50 rec yds
Larry Donnell: 20 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: I was a big Tyrod Taylor enthusiast since the Bills signed him. I thought he would have fantasy value because of his legs and lead a conservative offense but I did not think he would be this good. Through three games, he is completing 74.4% of his passes and has thrown 7 TDs against 3 INTs. The first two games saw Taylor make moves with his legs. Last week against the Dolphins, he barely ran at all; and he didn’t need to. Taylor blasted the Dolphins for 277 yards and 3 TDs - no rushing needed. He is a QB1 until further notice.

Next up – the league’s worst pass defense by yards allowed. The Giants are allowing 335.7 yards per game through the air and a 68.6 completion percentage against. Only their opponents have seen opposing teams throw the ball more against them with 157 compared to the Giants’ 140 passes against. And one of the QBs the Giants have faced is Kirk Cousins. The Giants pass defense is as bad as it gets. Taylor will have no trouble moving the ball through the air. I would be remiss to fail to mention the status of Sammy Watkins. Taylor has proven this season that he does not need Watkins to produce. Nevertheless, it would be nice if he did. That does not appear to be in the cards this week. Watkins left last week’s game early with a calf injury and as we’ve seen with players like Alshon Jeffery and Victor Cruz, the duration of a calf injury can be tricky. Watkins is not going to play this week, leaving Robert Woods, Percy Harvin, and a sprinkle of Chris Hogan to man the receiver positions. Taylor will probably be looking at TE Charles Clay a lot this week. Clay is not a bad option as a bye week or injury replacement in a favorable matchup. As for the rest of the passing game, I would not trust anyone, but Taylor himself.

Running Game Thoughts: The Bills are still a run first offense and the news that LeSean McCoy will miss Sunday’s game is a blessing in disguise. Whether it’s due to Shady’s diminishing abilities, the change in scenery, or his hamstring, he has been far less productive than expected, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry. Meanwhile, 5th round rookie Karlos (that’s Carlos with a ‘K’) Wiliams has taken 19 fewer carries than McCoy and produced 40 more yards. That comes out to 7.8 yards per carry. While that is obviously unsustainable, it speaks to the talent the rookie possesses and gets his owners very excited at the prospects of a full workload, which is coming for the first time this season. It would not surprise me in the least if he puts in a strong performance this week and assumes a bigger role going forward. This week Williams is a strong RB2 because Shady is out, but I think he will have standalone Flex value going forward regardless of Shady’s health. The Giants still sport a top 5 run defense by numbers, but I still support the notion that this is a mirage. I think this is the week the truth finally reveals itself, courtesy of Karlos Williams.

Projections:
Tyrod Taylor: 240 pass yds, 2 TDs, 30 rush yds
Karlos Williams: 110 rush yds, 1 TD
Robert Woods: 40 rec yds
Percy Harvin: 50 rec yds
Charles Clay: 60 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Bills 30, Giants 20 ^ Top

Eagles @ Redskins - (Katz)

Passing Game Thoughts: The Eagles finally won a game! The offense exploded! Chip Kelly is a genius! Sam Bradford is elite! Super Bowl here they come! Right? Right! – WRONG! The Eagles won this game because of nonsense. They scored three TDs in the 2nd quarter and did a whole lot of nothing the rest of the game. Their first TD was a punt return. Their third TD was a result of a short field because Brandon Marshall forgot how to play football. Then, after taking a 24-7 lead into the half, the Eagles didn’t score the rest of the game and almost allowed the Jets to complete a comeback despite Ryan Fitzpatrick completing three second half passes to the wrong team. Bradford completed 14-of-28 passes for 118 yards and 1 TD. The best thing we can say about Bradford is he didn’t turn the ball over for the first time all season (he threw 2 picks in each of his first two games). Not surprisingly, 118 passing yards does not produce quality numbers for his receivers. Jordan Matthews has the highest floor and ceiling of any Eagles receiver and continues to be the only pass catcher worth starting (I will say this every week until it isn’t true). JMatt caught 6 of his 8 targets for 49 yards and once again missed a TD by 1 yard. Two other receivers, Miles Austin and Nelson Agholor, split another 8 targets evenly between them. They caught the same number of passes as I did last week. Zach Ertz had 2 catches for 30 yards. Bradford’s six other completions went to running backs.

The Eagles offense is not fine. Many people will just look at the end result of last week’s game combined with the Giants beat down of the Redskins, and think the Eagles will run away with this one. They will not. The Redskins’ defense has been a revelation thus far. They have allowed just 202.3 passing yards per game through the first three weeks. Their biggest failure, if you want to call it that, is that they are one of just three teams to not record an interception yet this season (fyi – the other two are the Saints and, surprisingly, the Seahawks). I think that changes this week and this game is more competitive than people expect.

Running Game Thoughts: Oh how the mighty have fallen. Missing Dallas yet, DeMarco? Sorry, minor rant. DeMarco Murray sat out last week’s contest with a bum hamstring, but he got in limited practices on Tuesday and Wednesday before practicing in full on Thursday. I think he ends up playing, but he practiced last week before ultimately shutting it down on Sunday. Be sure to check his status heading into the weekend. Ryan Mathews filled in and was everything Chip Kelly dreamed Murray would be - 25 carries for 108 yards to go along with 2 catches for 20 yards and a score. These are the type of numbers we’re looking for out of the Eagles’ RB1. The question is, what happens if Murray returns this week? Surely, Mathews has earned a role going forward, but to what extent? Plus, there’s still Darren Sproles. He was ineffective as a runner last week, taking 11 carries for just 17 yards. His 4 catches for 19 yards were unspectacular. If not for a one-yard TD plunge (unlikely to happen very often) and a punt return, it would’ve been a very poor day for Sproles. The best thing we can say about Sproles is his role is clearly defined. He is in the game on many passing downs and he returns punts. This gives him consistent, albeit modest, weekly value.

Since you apparently can’t pass on the Redskins, surely the run is more effective. Nope. The Redskins are allowing just 75 yards on the ground per game so far at just 3.6 yards per carry. It is important to note teams run the ball just 20.7 times per game against the Redskins. Is this defense truly elite or have the first three weeks been the product of poor opponent play and randomness? I think this week we find out.

Projections:
Sam Bradford: 230 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
DeMarco Murray: 40 rush yds, 20 rec yds
Ryan Mathews: 30 rush yds, 10 rec yds
Darren Sproles: 15 rush yds, 30 rec yds
Jordan Matthews: 70 rec yds, 1 TD
Zach Ertz: 30 rec yds

Passing Game Thoughts: Kirk Cousins was absolutely dreadful last week. Yes he completed 30-of-49 passes for 316 yards, but he only had 1 TD to 2 INTs and most of those yards came in garbage time. The Giants took an early lead, which forced the Redskins to throw way more than they planned and Cousins was not up to the task. He looked tentative, lacked poise, and was erratic on his throws. Jordan Reed predictably led the way with 6 catches on 9 targets for 96 yards. Most impressively, he is somehow still playing football and we are heading into Week 4. Keep it up, Jordan! Pierre Garcon had a decent game, which could’ve been much bigger had Cousins not missed an open Garcon on multiple occasions. Garcon saw a game high 12 targets, but was only able to reel in five of them for 64 yards. DeSean Jackson had hoped to return this week but was ruled out Friday according to media reports. In his absence, Cousins has reined in the offense and completed nearly 70% of his passes this season, but has thrown more picks than TDs and has not proven capable of moving the offense when the running game isn’t working.

Next up for Cousins is an Eagles defense that hasn’t necessarily been great at preventing opponents from moving the ball, but forces a lot of turnovers. The Eagles won the turnover battle 4-1 last week against the Jets and have now forced opposing QBs to throw the ball to them five times in just three games. The high yardage totals against could also be a product of the fact that the Eagles have seen the 6th most passing attempts against. The Eagles rapid play calling leads to shorter drives in terms of time and more plays for opponents. It is no surprise that the Eagles are tied with (surprisingly) the Bills for most plays against with 215. The volume of Cousins’ workload will depend very much on how effective this Eagles offense is. If they move the ball well and score often, Cousins will have to throw to keep up. If they struggle, the Redskins will continue their plan to control the game on the ground. You’re not starting or even rostering Cousins outside of 2 QB leagues, but if you have any stake in his performance, perhaps the Captain can find a way to sabotage the Eagles’ warp drive.

Running Game Thoughts: After Week 1, all was clear – rumors of Alfred Morris’ demise were greatly exaggerated. He’s the clear lead back and on his way to another 1000-yard campaign. After Week 2, all was clear – rumors of Alfred Morris’ demise were not exaggerated. The Matt Jones takeover was upon us. The hype was real. If for some reason Matt Jones was unowned in your league, you should’ve picked him up and started him as a Flex play at worst with RB1 upside. After Week 3, no one knows anything. Alfred Morris saw just six carries and if you turned on the game late, you probably didn’t even know he was playing. Naturally, Matt Jones completely took over the backfield as everyone expected…to the tune of 11 carries for 38 yards…and no targets in the passing game. What? Chris Thompson, a 5th round pick from the 2013 draft absolutely dominated the Redskins’ backfield? Really? Yes. Alfred Morris and Matt Jones combined to play just 38 snaps last week. Chris Thompson saw the rest. He saw 11 targets and caught 8 of them for 57 yards and a late TD. He only had two carries, but took one of them for 26 yards. Fantasy owners are traditionally very reactionary with a “what have you done for me lately” attitude but I caution everyone invested in this backfield to take a step back and decide what to believe – the Week 1 dominance of Morris, the Week 2 emergence of Jones, or the Week 3 shocker that was Chris Thompson. I’ll offer my thoughts, but I implore you to not treat them as gospel. I think last week is the aberration. Chris Thompson is unlikely to be relevant again. He will have his moments and could spark a big play or two, but he is not a guy to go after. I don’t think Morris will completely disappear, but I think Jones will receive more carries going forward. It remains to be seen what he will do with them and if ball security will be an issue.

This week against the Eagles, expect the Redskins to once again try and establish the run early. They could not get anything going last week against the Giants and working against them is the fact that the Jets couldn’t get anything going against the Eagles last week either. Granted the Jets were operating without Chris Ivory, but this is still an Eagles defense allowing opposing rushers just 3.1 yards per carry, and that’s while seeing a healthy 28 rushes against per game. If possible, I would take a wait and see approach on this backfield for Week 4. Out of all three guys, Jones is the one I’d feel most comfortable starting, but only as a Flex, and only if I had to. Hopefully this week provides a little more clarity.

A final note regarding all players in this game – Hurricane Joaquin looms large over this weekend and it could impact this game. It does not look like the NFL will move this game up in order to play it in front of the storm. They have discussed moving the game to Ford Field in Detroit, which is the same thing the NFL did with the Jets-Bills game last November. However, an equally plausible scenario if the NFL decides the game cannot be played, would be to postpone the game altogether. This information is crucial and will likely be revealed on Saturday. Be prepared to make the necessary moves to replace your Eagles or Redskins should they suddenly find themselves having a bye week.

Projections:
Kirk Cousins: 210 pass yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Alfred Morris: 30 rush yds
Matt Jones: 50 rush yds 1 TD
Pierre Garcon: 50 rec yds
Jordan Reed: 65 rec yds, 1 TD

Prediction: Eagles 19, Redskins 17 ^ Top