The Fantasy Footballers Starts of the Week for Week 3
Is it just me? I have been in scramble mode since the season started with all these injuries. I keep having to recalibrate my belief in certain players, and of course, I know that journey will be season-long. But the good news is that if I’m working this hard on these teams, it means football is going strong, and that is worth celebrating. If you are also struggling with your rosters and who to put your faith in, you must focus on what Andy, Mike, and Jason tell you on the podcast. They are doing everything they can and putting in tons of work to help you solidify your team and go after that championship! To check out the full episode on YouTube, check the link below.
If you want even more fantasy football glory, you can head over to jointhefoot.com and become a part of the #Footclan. Also, make sure you are being active on our Discord channel. Many like-minded people are on there, and everyone is ready to talk some serious fantasy football. Now, without further ado, here are The Fantasy Footballers Starts of the Week!
Andy’s Starts of the Week
QB- Kirk Cousins vs. LAC
It feels weird to put the QB1 for fantasy in the starts of the week, but he is still a question mark for some people. Do be aware that Mike is playing him for his dynasty team, which has traditionally coincided with down fantasy weeks, but Andy is still confident. The Vikings are throwing the ball at a historic rate, and the matchup is excellent! In two weeks, Cousins has thrown the ball 88 times for over 700 yards. The Vikings are at Home. They will probably give up many points, so Cousins will have to keep his team in the game with the Chargers. He has great weapons. Trust Captain Kirk this week.
RB- Josh Jacobs vs. PIT
The season has not gone well for last year’s rushing champ. Keep in mind that last year was the same story. He started as the RB33 and RB25 in 2022. From Week 3 on, he was the RB2, which is very much on the table for Jacobs. He is still a usage monster, and the matchup is pretty good. The Steelers allow the most rushing yards and fantasy points to running backs through the first two weeks. Jerome Ford just went for 100 yards last week against Pittsburgh. Jacobs has an excellent opportunity to get back on track. Remember, he missed all of training camp and practice matters in the NFL. It is time, and the matchup is ripe!
WR- Jordan Addison vs. LAC
Andy loves making a stack each week; this time, it is Jordan Addison. His snap percentage went up from week one to week two, and in both games, he scored a touchdown. The Vikings are number one in neutral pass rate, and the Chargers secondary has allowed the most passing yards and most fantasy points to WRs per game. He is a solid low-end WR2 or flex option with upside. Also, the game has a high over/under, which is always something to target for fantasy options.
TE- Pat Freiermuth vs. LV
It’s time to get Luth! The Muth has been pretty quiet so far. However, this can be a get-right matchup for him. Last week, the Raiders were blitzkrieged by the Bills TE’s, as they combined for 12 targets, eight receptions, and a touchdown. The Raiders defense might even get Kenny Pickett going. Vegas allows a league-high 82 percent completion rate. Freiermuth runs 29 routes per game and only has pass blocked three times. You might want to abandon him and go to the waiver wire, but don’t do that! The opportunity is here; don’t miss out on what could be a big game.
Jason’s Starts of the Week
QB- Geno Smith vs. CAR
Last week, Geno restored our faith in the Seahawks’ offense. He lost two offensive linemen in week one, but the Seahawks took the week to game plan, and the team was good to go. Geno threw for 328 yards, with a 78 percent completion rate and two passing touchdowns. The Panthers look good on defense but haven’t played anyone like the Seahawks yet. So you don’t need to worry about that. Jason has Geno as a top-ten quarterback this week, and you should feel great about getting him into your lineups.
RB- Miles Sanders vs. SEA
You drafted Miles Sanders to be a volume-based RB2. He has been a volume guy. The results just haven’t been there from the offense as a whole. There is a QB problem with Bryce Young‘s injury. So the offense could be even worse, but against Seattle, the team will rely on Sanders. So far this year, the Seahawks have allowed the 6th most running back fantasy points this season, and four rushing scores. For someone like Sanders, who has yet to find the end zone, Seattle is the perfect medicine to remedy his lack of scoring. He has had 24 and 19 opportunities so far and 11 targets. That is the second most among running backs. So the usage is there, and if he scores, you will be pleased this week with Miles Sanders.
WR- Amari Cooper vs. TEN
We all love hanging out with Mr. Cooper. Who we thought was going to be out on Monday Night Football, and instead, he had seven catches for ninety yards on ten targets. Last year, when the Browns were Home, Cooper was money. He averaged ten targets, six catches, and 85 yards. Remember that the Titans allow the third most fantasy points to the wide receiver position. Passing against Tennessee is excellent making Cooper a must-start this week.
TE- Kyle Pitts vs. DET
Matchups are what matters for the tight-end position. Jason did say you should drop Kyle Pitts for Zach Ertz. So, is he going back on his word? No, this is a matchup-only-based pick. The Falcons want to control the clock and run the ball. That could be difficult against the stout run defense of the Lions. Where is Detroit vulnerable? In the middle of the field, where Kyle Pitts tends to stand, waiting for someone to throw him a catchable ball. Detroit has allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to the tight end position and the most TE receiving yards. That is from players like Noah Gray, Blake Bell, Noah Fant, Colby Parkinson, and Will Dissly. Kyle Pitts is more talented than those guys, and if the Falcons utilize their highly drafted and super-talented TE, then Pitts could have a massive week.
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Mike’s Starts of the Week
QB- Dak Prescott vs. ARI
Quietly, Dak ranks third in expected points per dropback. The defense has been getting all the publicity, but Dak has been a good quarterback. Over the last five years, double-digit favorites average 29 points per game and 376 yards of offense. Even if the Cowboys blow the Cardinals out, how do you think that happens? Dak has to be involved. Arizona allows a first down on 55 percent of their opponents’ completions. That is outrageously bad. To make the matchup even sweeter, since the beginning of 2022, opposing QBs have averaged 19.6 fantasy points per game and two touchdowns against the Cardinals.
RB- Travis Etienne vs. HOU
It’s clear that he is the lead back for this team. He had 80 percent of the snaps and 23 opportunities in week one. In week two, 72 percent of snaps with no touches to Tank Bigsby. Meanwhile, the Texans cannot stop the running attack. They have already allowed six rushing touchdowns. Last year, in the two games against the Texans, Etienne had 114 and 140 total yards. He averaged 9.4 yards per carry in those games. He should smash at Home, and you can enjoy every moment.
WR- Zay Flowers vs. IND
Through two weeks, it has become clear that Zay Flowers is the other guy even when Mark Andrews is on the field. Flowers has seen a target on 34 percent of Baltimore’s “first-read” targets. That’s a higher rate than guys like Ja’Marr Chase, Amon-Ra, or Chris Olave. To go with that, the Colts allow the second most points to the WR position. Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones had a great Week 1, and Nico Collins and Tank Dell blew up in Week 2. Baltimore is a 7.5-point favorite at Home, and Zay Flowers could have a breakout game.
TE- Jake Ferguson vs. ARI
He is completing the Dallas stack with Dak, and Mike is chasing a touchdown and good matchups. Ferguson has had eleven targets through the two weeks and caught a touchdown last week. Now Fergalicious faces a Cardinals defense allowing eight targets per game to the TE position. Ferguson has seen eight red zone targets this season, and Dak has only had 18 passes. That is 45 percent of Dak’s red zone targets going to Jake Ferguson. Dak is looking his way near the goal line, so with a good bet for a touchdown, you can do much worse than Ferguson.
Comments
Go Fergie!