Week 3 is in the books and so far, we have seen at least three stream-able quarterbacks finish in the top 12 each week. However, this is the first week where none of my suggestions made the board. Let’s take a look at the leader-board and then we’ll talk about what went wrong:
| Quarterback | Week 2 Opponent | Fantasy Points | Percentage Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Wilson | vs. Saints | 41.3 | 98% |
| Daniel Jones | at Buccaneers | 34.2 | 17% |
| Patrick Mahomes | vs. Ravens | 27.9 | 100% |
| Deshaun Watson | at Chargers | 25.8 | 100% |
| Jameis Winston | vs. Giants | 25.5 | 69% |
| Kyle Allen | at Cardinals | 24.3 | 3% |
| Dak Prescott | vs. Dolphins | 22.5 | 97% |
| Matt Ryan | at Colts | 22.5 | 98% |
| Carson Wentz | vs. Lions | 21.7 | 98% |
| Lamar Jackson | at Chiefs | 21.3 | 99% |
| Jacoby Brissett | vs. Falcons | 20.8 | 20% |
| Tom Brady | vs. Jets | 20.1 | 98% |
“Stream of the Week”, Matthew Stafford fell well short of my expectations, finishing with 12.1 fantasy points, placing him at QB26. So what went wrong? I started my analysis by pointing out the Eagles major flaw, their secondary. Like a selfish partner though, I didn’t think about what the Lions wanted to do. Not once did I think about what would happen if the Lions had a lead, which is exactly what happened following an Eagles field goal when Jamal Agnew returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. From there the Lions only trailed for one series the rest of the game and Stafford didn’t have to chuck the ball all over the field.
Josh Allen was solid and finished as QB15 by putting up 18.3 fantasy points. Allen ran for 46 yards, using his legs to provide a decent floor. Unfortunately for us, Allen is now owned in 71% of leagues, so his days of being a streamer are numbered. Finally, my “Hail Mary” pick of Teddy Bridgewater put up 16.3 fantasy points and finished as QB18. Both Bridgewater and Allen were decent, but missing out on Kyle Allen and Daniel Jones are tough. We’ll try and do better moving forward.
Andy Dalton (32% Owned)
You ever make a decision and then have to come back to it and go, “Eh.” That’s how I feel about having to write about Andy Dalton. The Bengals have passed at the third-highest rate this year, 72.92%. Most of that is due to the Bengals being awful and constantly playing from behind. The Steelers defense has allowed the second-most passing yards per game this year, so they’re willing to allow Dalton to be a top 12 quarterback this week.
My main concern is just how bad the Steelers offense looked with Mason Rudolph at the helm. Vegas has the Steelers bouncing back as 4.5-point favorites currently and, to be fair, in Week 3 the Steelers faced the 49ers defense that has been quite stout for three consecutive weeks. Here’s to hoping the Steelers take the lead and Dalton is forced to throw as much as he has in the first three weeks of the season.
Daniel Jones (17% Owned; Pick of the Week)
In one start Daniel Jones went from epic draft reach to favorite for offensive rookie of the year. The game script against the Buccaneers was perfect for Jones to sling the rock. Jones was cool under pressure and not just the pressure of the comeback. The Buccaneers pressured Jones on 47% of his dropbacks and of those he completed 80% of his passes for 233 yards and two scores.
Despite losing Saquan Barkley, Jones didn’t skip a beat and looked to Evan Engram and Sterling Sheppard to get the job done. Jones and the Giants take on the Redskins, who just allowed 173 yards and three touchdowns to Mitch Trubisky….in the first half. The Bears opened the second half with a 28-3 lead and never led by less than two scores the rest of the game, so they only had to pass a handful of times. This should be a really nice spot for “Danny Dimes” part Deux.
Case Keenum (16% Owned)
Keep an eye on Washington’s starter, because after this performance against the Bears, there’s a legit chance we get Dwayne Haskins this week. Case Keenum turned the ball over four times on Monday night, twice through the air and twice by putting the ball on the ground. However, he also threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns. This is all about just how bad the Giants defense has been and spoiler alert, they’re not on the same planet as the Bears.
Over the first three weeks, the Giants have allowed the most pass yards per game and are 30 yards per game clear of the next closest team. With Case Keenum, our main concern is ball protection, and the Giants have forced just one turnover in their first three games. Good luck this week!
(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)