Fantasy Football Forecast: Week 3 Edition

By now, I suspect that you have a pretty good idea of how good your team is. If you have a killer team, more power to you but not everyone is so lucky. Some of us need to exploit every advantage to come out ahead. That's where this post comes in. Each week Blogging The Boys is going to help by dispensing a few pearls of wisdom on how you can cash in on some advantageous match-ups, or can avoid some pitfalls. Without further ado, here is the week three fantasy football outlook.

Quarterback

Start

Tom Brady - Of course if you have Brady you are going to start him. It really does not matter whom the anointed one is facing he is going to be your man. That should be even more so than normal this week as the New England Patriots face the lackluster Oakland Raiders secondary. Look for Tom Brady to rebound from two dismal fantasy showings and put up some Tom Brady-like numbers this weekend.

Jay Cutler - When the San Francisco 49ers defense hit Cutler right before halftime last week it seemed that they hit the on switch for the Chicago passer. Even with a depleted corps of receivers, Jay threw for four scores on Sunday night. Facing the New York Jets and their nasty run defense, Cutler will again get the opportunity to lead an aerial onslaught in week three.

Sit

Andy Dalton - The Red Rifle is going to be without his compadre A J Green to catch his passes, so look for the Cincinnati to focus more on their ground game this week. Last week the Bengals ran the ball nearly twice the number of times that they went to the air and there is no reason to expect a major change this week.

Eli Manning - The New York quarterback (and the rest of the Giants offense) is still learning the team's new offensive philosophy. On the other hand, the Houston Texans defense Eli faces this week is having little difficulty in getting their jobs done, especially in the takeaway department. Look for little Manning to help some Houston DB's pad their stats.

Running Backs

Start

Giovani Bernard - Given my statement that the Bengals are going to stay on the ground against the Tennessee Titans I would look to get this guy in my lineup. Bernard will be facing the same Titans D that DeMarco Murray gashed last week.

Ahmad Bradshaw - The Jacksonville defense has been very generous to opposing RB's through two weeks of the season. They have not gotten any better so look for Bradshaw to have a very good game against this beleaguered unit.

Stevan Ridley - The coach in the hoodie knows how to exploit an opponents weakness and the Oakland Raiders are almost as generous as their counterparts in Jacksonville. Brady will be the name of the day, but Ridley will get plenty of shots against the silver and black as well.

Sit

Matt Forte - Yes I would sit Forte and any other back who faces Rex Ryan's defense this season. One thing the Jets do well is stop the run, and Chicago is also dealing with an offensive line that is battered up. You are lucky if you have Forte in your stable but this is a week to scratch him from the lineup.

Frank Gore - Same deal with Gore but just another opponent. The Arizona Cardinals play some stout run D as well. In fact, they are only surrendering about 11 fantasy points per game to opposing backs. Give Frank a break this time around.

Wide Receiver

Start

Reggie Wayne - Did I mention that Jacksonville was generous to opposing running backs? Well their defense does not discriminate. They share the wealth with WR's as well. They are the fourth best match up for receivers (fantasy wise)  in the league and Reggie is poised for a rebound from last weeks down performance.

Mike Wallace - The favorite target for Texas A&M product Ryan Tannehill, Wallace will face a Kansas City secondary that gives up even more fantasy points than the Jags do. Wallace has been very consistent for the Dolphins offense this season. Look for that streak to continue into week three.

Cordarrelle Patterson - Rob Ryan's defense (or lack there of) is becoming a boon for opposing offenses. The Saints are in disarray and their secondary is surrendering fantasy points in bunches. Another gashing should be expected on Sunday.

Sit

Andre Johnson - Right now Arian Foster has the hot hand in Houston and the opposing New York Giants will be without the services of linebacker Jon Beason, so look for the Texans to ride their stallion this weekend. That means Johnson will not get nearly as many looks so it might be a good day for him to ride the pine.

Emmanuel Sanders - With Peyton Manning as QB it is always tempting to cash in on his success by starting one of his targets. A solid strategy to steal some points in most cases but not this week. Resist the urge because the Broncos travel to Seattle to face Richard Sherman and his friends.

Tight End

Start

Jared Cook - The Dallas Cowboys have serious problems with opponent's tight ends. Until the Dallas D can find a way to defend against the position you have to consider who ever they face as being a good prospect to have in your lineup.

Sit

Larry Donnell - Yes he was a waiver wire pick up for the Giants but he has been the bright spot in Ben McAdoo's offense. That ends this week as a nasty Texans defense shuts down that option for Eli Manning. The Texans (as bad as I hate to admit it) are the anti-Dallas when it comes to taking away the tight end option.

There you have it; my tips for the week. Now, as I mentioned in the intro, I am willing to put my money where my mouth is. Last week, after writing my Fantasy Forecast, I went over to the Fan Duel site and signed up. My entire roster was made up of players that I said to start (with the Arizona defense and Split 'em Bailey as my kicker). I got a 250% return on my investment. I will take those type of results any week of the season.

Editor's Note: SB Nation's partner FanDuel is hosting a $350,000 Fantasy Football Contest for Week 3's NFL games. It's only $10 to join and first place wins $30,000. Starts Sunday, September 21st at 1pm ET. Here's the link.