Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 24th, 1:00 PM ET
Location: FedEx Field, Prince George’s County, Maryland
Betting Odds: BUF -6.5, 44.5 total via PFF.com
Network: CBS
Writer: Matthew Cava (@cavaM_ on Twitter/X)
Buffalo Bills
Quarterback
Josh Allen (Start, QB1)
Week 2 brought out the Josh Allen we have grown to know. After a four-turnover season debut against the Jets, Allen bounced back against the Raiders to the tune of three passing touchdowns and no interceptions, completing 31 of 37 attempts for 274 yards in the process. It’s worth highlighting the fact that through two weeks, his rushing stats have been minuscule, totaling 43 yards through two games. In Week 3, he’s set to face a Commanders defense that ranks 11th on fantasy points allowed to QBs to start the season. Washington just allowed Russell Wilson to throw for 308 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in their thrilling Week 2 win.
Running Backs
James Cook (Start, RB2), Latavius Murray (Sit), Damien Harris (Sit)
It was a career day for James Cook against Las Vegas, as he eclipsed his first 100-yard performance on the ground in his NFL career. He turned 17 carries into 123 yards, and also caught all four targets for 36 yards. The only blemish on the day was the fact that he couldn’t find the end zone, partly in large with the fact that Latavius Murray and Damien Harris were called upon more in the end zone. Per FantasyData, Murray logged three rushes inside the 5, Harris had three, and Cook had zero. We all know bigger ‘backs are going to get the call near the goal line, but Cook is the best of the three, and you would hope he would see these opportunities more. You can still deploy Cook as an RB2 this week, but brace for touches to be stolen from Murray, who could play himself into a touchdown-dependent FLEX in due time if history has anything to say about it.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Stefon Diggs (Start, WR1), Gabe Davis (Start, FLEX), Khalil Shakir (Sit), Dalton Kincaid (Start, TE2), Dawson Knox (Sit)
In a game in which Allen threw for three touchdowns, none went to Stefon Diggs, and thus Diggs turned in a middling fantasy output this week; in full-PPR formats, he was good for 13.6 points, catching all seven of his targets for 66 scoreless yards. Both Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir caught a touchdown, with for the latter, it was his only target on the day. Davis was targeted seven times, and he caught six of those looks for 92 yards. You could have worse options at FLEX than Davis, but he’ll likely remain a boom-bust player, whereas Shakir doesn’t offer consistent fantasy value.
Dawson Knox was the TE to catch a touchdown from Allen, though otherwise, his day was quiet. He caught three of five targets for just 10 yards. Rookie Dalton Kincaid had one more target than Knox (6) and he caught five of those looks for 43 yards. Through two games, Kincaid is the tight end to run more routes as a receiver, compared to Knox. If you had to choose one Buffalo TE, roll with Kincaid and hope he starts to find the end zone.
Washington Commanders
Quarterback
Sam Howell (Sit)
Week 2 was a thriller, to say the least for Sam Howell and the Commanders. Down 21-3 at one point, Howell led the charge for a comeback win 35-33. He completed 27 of 39 attempts for 299 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Howell ranks as the 11th fantasy QB through the first two weeks, having posted 36.44 points. He is finding success, but it’ll be hard to rely on starting him in a single-QB league against Buffalo this week.
Running Backs
Brian Robinson (Start, RB2), Antonio Gibson (Sit)
Have a day Brian Robinson. He was a major player in the comeback win against Denver, turning 18 carries into 87 yards and two touchdowns, as well as catching two of three targets for 42 yards; and don’t forget his successful 2-PT conversion. Robinson has been the alpha back for the Commanders, whereas Antonio Gibson has five total carries on the season so far, and only 18 rushing yards. He’s fine to have on your bench for the time being, but certainly not in your lineup.
Wide Receivers/Tight End
Terry McLaurin (Start, WR2), Jahan Dotson (Start, FLEX), Curtis Samuel (Sit), Logan Thomas (Sit), John Bates (Sit)
Terry McLaurin was on the receiving end of one of Howell’s touchdowns, catching five of six targets for 54 yards and the score. McLaurin will remain a WR2, and Jahan Dotson a FLEX; although if you are a Dotson manager, one would bet you are waiting on him to breakout the way he did last season, but that may not happen just yet. Doston is coming off a quiet Week 2 in which he caught three of five targets for only 22 yards.
Tight end Logan Thomas caught Howell’s other touchdown before he exited the game due to a helmet-to-helmet clash with Broncos safety Kareem Jackson. At the time of writing, it’s unclear if Thomas will be out of the concussion protocol, and if that’s the case, John Bates and Cole Turner are the next men up, both of whom aren’t recommended starts against the Bills; especially considering the fact that through two games, the Bills are tied for the second best ranking for points allowed to TE’s.
Great piece, but needs some clean-up. You have Thielen initially listed as a WR1 (he will never be a WR1 again), then go on to say he’s a WR2. Then you list Kenneth Walker as a Flex, then go on to say he is a RB1.
Thank you for the feedback! The writer’s rationale for being high on Thielen is largely based on his matchup against one of the three worst corners in the league (per PFF). The write-up was cleaned up for clarity after the opportunity to do so was first brought to our attention. Thanks for reading!
and why are Pollard and CeeDee listed as both a 1 and a 2?
I’m sick of fighting the google ads on the right side of the screen that cover the content?
I won’t be back….
Agreed. The ads are BRUTAL
We apologize for your experience. We tested a few different browser and operating system combinations but were unable to recreate an issue in which ads on the right side of the screen cover up content. If you’re willing and able to share 1) which particular article(s) you viewed, and 2) what browser/operating system combination you were using, we’d very much appreciate it. Please email that information to drew at picherlist.com. We very much want our readers to enjoy their experience when viewing our content. Thanks for reading!
What ever happened to the cheat sheet rankings?
There are live links to real-time QB List Staff Rankings on FantasyPros on our website. Visit the menu bar at the top, then choose “Rankings” to access the cheat sheets you need. Thanks for reading!