Expectations were high for Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Cam Newton entering the season. During week 2, the three quarterbacks delivered.
Roethlisberger totaled more than 30 points, while Brady and Newton registered the second and third-best showings in fantasy football among quarterbacks. Brady has been unstoppable this season, managing more than 50 points during the first two weeks.
Just a month ago, Brady wasn’t even supposed to play during the first four games. Fantasy football owners who went out on a limb to draft Brady before the suspension was lifted, are reaping the benefits.
Here’s our list for the best starts and sits for fantasy football in week 3.
Daily fantasy start of the week
Cam Newton vs. New Orleans
Newton didn’t dominate through the air against Houston, but he did what he does best. He threw well enough to register a decent amount of points passing, and also totaled enough rushing yards to put him in the top three for quarterbacks last week.
He had three total touchdowns last week to go with 271 total yards.
Expect plenty more of that this week against the Saints, which has been less-than-exciting on offense, and even worse on defense.
The Saints are allowing the second-most yards per pass play in the NFL at 9.7 yards per attempt. The Saints also are in the bottom half of the NFL in total yards allowed. Newton and the Panthers should move the ball consistently against the Saints, and he won’t be as expensive as other quality quarterbacks like Brady and Roethlisberger.
Start
Marcus Mariota vs. Indianapolis
Injuries have decimated the Colts’ secondary. The top three cornerbacks for Indianapolis were out against the New York Jets, and the Jets receivers couldn’t be stopped on Monday night.
It’s likely the Colts will have an edge about them on Sunday, but with that many injuries in the secondary, Mariota should have a quality outlook going into the matchup.
Mariota didn’t have a great game against Cleveland, but he avoided throwing any interceptions. That’s a good sign in which he was punished by Cleveland’s front seven. Expect Mariota to be more comfortable at home and he should have space to throw the ball against the undermanned Colts’ secondary.
Carson Palmer vs. San Francisco
Palmer wasn’t a highly touted fantasy football quarterback in the offseason. Through two weeks, he’s showing he still may have a little left in the tank.
Palmer has totaled more than 20 points in both weeks this season, albeit against New Orleans and Chicago’s defenses. This week won’t be much harder, as San Francisco comes to town, after being obliterated by Pittsburgh. The Steelers knifed through the 49ers secondary last week, and we don’t expect that to change as San Francisco will be forced to play back-to-back road games.
The Cardinals have shown the ability to run and pass the ball well, while also owning one of the best defenses. Palmer should keep the Cardinals rolling again Sunday with a win.
Josh McCown (or Johnny Manziel) vs. Oakland
Call us crazy, but we’re not hopping on the Manziel hype wagon. During his stint against the New York Jets secondary, which showed Monday just how good it was, McCown moved the ball effectively before leaving the game with a concussion.
If McCown gets the start this week, we have confidence that he would be a better option than Manziel, especially for fantasy football owners. But even if Manziel starts, he would be considered for a start, depending on who is your other quarterback.
The main reason this matchup has upside is the Raiders’ defense has been atrocious against the pass and this is the first time Oakland has been away from home. As a young team, that could be disaster. The Raiders have allowed the third-most passing yards in the NFL this season and quarterbacks are completing more than 70 percent of their passes.
Daily fantasy sit of the week
Andrew Luck vs. Tennessee
Don’t give up on Luck in your season-long fantasy team, but for right now, he’s not worth the price tag in the daily fantasy leagues.
Luck was awful in week 2 and wasn’t much better in week 1. It’s still early, but he’s not worth a daily fantasy start in week 3, especially with Tennessee’s defense having some success against the pass. The Titans are third-best in the NFL against the pass this season and have limited quarterbacks to a rating less than 90.
Luck just doesn’t have strong value at this point with the amount you would have to pay for him in the daily fantasy leagues.
Sit
Joe Flacco vs. Cincinnati
Flacco looked like a Hall of Famer against Oakland in week 2. In week 1, though, he looked as if he belonged on the bench.
Flacco’s week 2 performance of 384 yards has far more to do with Oakland than the Ravens. There’s still something missing from that offense and defense, and week 3 against Cincinnati isn’t a good time to find out what’s wrong.
The Bengals have been good on both sides of the ball. Cincinnati stopped the Raiders in week 1, while the Ravens couldn’t do anything against the Raiders. Cincinnati’s defense will be tough on Flacco, so don’t expect anywhere the same production as week 2.
Sam Bradford vs. New York Jets
If you’ve sat Bradford in weeks 1 and 2, then you’re likely smarter than most fantasy football owners. He was the biggest sleeper pick of the offseason, and so far this season, that Eagles offense has been asleep.
The offense can’t get much worse, but Sunday’s game against the New York Jets isn’t a time to ride through the turbulence. Without any semblance of a running game, the Eagles will have difficulty moving the ball against a stingy Jets defense. The secondary is legit, dominating both opponents so far this season, and that should continue against the Eagles.
Don’t give up yet on Bradford and the Eagles, but for this week, it’s an easy decision to sit him.
Derek Carr vs. Cleveland
Carr came back in week 2 and notched three touchdowns against the Ravens while throwing for more than 300 yards. That was against Baltimore’s secondary, which doesn’t seem like it has improved since last year.
The Browns have a competent defense, especially in the secondary. Cleveland is fifth against the pass in total yards, and already has seven sacks.
Expect more of that pressure against Oakland this week. The Raiders will have to go on the road for the first time this season, and this game is ripe for the Browns to stop the Raiders on defense. This matchup just doesn’t bode well for Carr and the Raiders.
