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Week 2 was a solid one overall for me, as I came in around .500 with my Nostra-Dom-Us wide receiver plays of the week.
In the elite category, despite his lack of a touchdown, I hit on Odell Beckham – especially in PPR formats – while I swung and missed on A.J. Green. In the affordable section I was sitting pretty with Larry Fitzgerald, while Doug Baldwin was hampered with an injury. I may have whiffed on Tajae Sharpe in my bargain plays section, however I hit another home run with Will Fuller. Considering Week 2 was a week without many spectacular wide receiver performances, I would say that I did pretty well for myself.
Now below, here’s my outlook for Week 3 – a week that I again don’t feel too great about in terms of favorable wide receiver matchups.
| Off | Left WR | Def | Right CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Larry Fitzgerald | BUF | Ronald Darby | Considering what the Cardinals offense did to the Buccaneers and what the Jets offense just did to the Bills defense, I can't imagine Fitz being kept in check here. Start him with confidence. |
| ATL | Julio Jones | NO | Sterling Moore | The Saints are now without their top two corners and are still sporting one of the league's worst defenses. Julio Jones on the other hand is one of the league's best wideouts and is coming off of a great game in Week 2. Considering his historical dominance against the Saints, he should be worth the high priced DFS purchase. |
| BAL | Steve Smith Sr. | JAX | Jalen Ramsey | Ramsey has had a solid start to his NFL career, including zero completions against when facing off with Aaron Rodgers. Steve Smith is no longer a deep threat at this point in his career, so I don't see any reason that the rookie should have problems with the veteran wideout. While Smith is not a dud in my eyes, your lineups can do better this week. |
| BUF | Sammy Watkins | ARI | Brandon Harris | Watkins is doing his best to shake his "soft" persona, as he is playing through chronic foot pain. The reality is though that he is injured, and while he can play through it all he wants, he is just not the same guy right now. Avoid him in this matchup if possible. |
| CAR | Kelvin Benjamin | MIN | Xavier Rhodes/Trae Waynes | Waynes has done a solid job filling in for Rhodes so far this season, however word is that Rhodes may be back in action for Week 3. Either way, Benjamin has emerged as the Panthers no. 1 offensive weapon, so he remains a must start going forward. |
| CHI | Alshon Jeffery | DAL | Morris Claiborne | Over the first two weeks of the season, an unexpected player has emerged as the Cowboys best defensive back, and that would be in the form of former "bust" Morris Claiborne. Mo will have his hands full in Jeffery this week and while he is in good form right now, there is still no reason to aviod this matchup this week. Jeffery is a full go here. |
| CIN | A.J. Green | DEN | Chris Harris | Green went from an unbelieveable performance in Week 1 to an absolute dud in Week 2. His matchup is in fact even harder this week taking on the vaunted Denver defense, and regardless of who he lines up against, he will have himself a tough matchup. The good news is that his talent can go toe-to-toe with any DB in the league, so he remains a must start, but you'd better hope that the Broncos don't scheme around him as actively as the Steelers did last week. |
| CLE | Andrew Hawkins | MIA | Xavien Howard | With the unfortunate injury to Corey Coleman this week, reports are that Andrew Hawkins will step into the left WR spot in this wallowing Browns offense. Considering Cleveland is also on their third quarterback this season, this is a matchup to stay away from because it has no evidence of potential production. |
| DAL | Dez Bryant | CHI | Kyle Fuller | Dez came alive last week taking on mostly Bashaud Breeland, but it was still encouraging considering he was nearly shutout in Week 1. In this matchup – while I like Kyle Fuller – Bryant is still too good of a receiver to not be considered a WR1 week in and week out. |
| DEN | Demaryius Thomas | CIN | Adam Jones | Pacman is still one of the league's best man-up corners, and while Thomas is a talented receiver, I don't trust his quarterback to get him the ball often enough to be fantasy relevant this week. Although he is not overpriced for this matchup ($6,400 in DraftKings), I will repeat, I still don't trust Trevor Siemian. Until he proves otherwise, or Thomas is in a vert favorable matchup, Thomas may be a DFS no-go. |
| DET | Golden Tate | GB | Quinten Rollins | Tate remains a PPR machine candidate, but his slow start to the season and counterpart Marvin Jones' fast one remains concerning to fantasy owners who drafted Tate as a WR1. Rollins is no slouch, but he is still very young and is not yet skilled enough to out-perform Tate when he is at his best. This may be the last week I give Tate the benefit of the doubt. |
| GB | Jordy Nelson | DET | Nevin Lawson | In his two weeks back from knee surgery, Nelson has improved in each performance. Nevin Lawson is no one to fear, so provided this trend continues, Nelson should emerge as a comfortable start each week. |
| HOU | DeAndre Hopkins | NE | Logan Ryan | Hopkins tore apart a couple of good corners against KC last week, and while Logan Ryan is not a scrub, Hopkins remains one of the league's most dangerous wideouts. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Patriots commit to trying to shut out D-Hop, however that would be a dangerous formula considering the emergence of rookie Will Fuller. Hopkins remians an elite start because of his elite talent and excellent production so far this season. |
| IND | Phillip Dorsett | SD | Jason Verrett | Dorsett is getting the start this week because of the injury to Donte Moncrief. Considering that, prospective fantasy owners should understand the skillset that Dorsett offers: he's an undersized burner with big play potential. This translates to boom or bust production often in the fantasy realm, so combine that with the fact that he is taking on a tough matchup in Jason Verrett, Dorsett should remain a luke warm fantasy option. |
| JAX | Allen Robinson | BAL | Jimmy Smith | Currently Robinson is listed as questionable because of an illness, but with that out of the way now, he will be a full go against Baltimore. So far this season, A-Rob has really struggled. While I am still not sounding the alarm yet, he needs to produce here in this week. His matchup this week doesn't project very well because it will be a jumpball receiver vs. a sizeable CB, however his talent and desperation should trump the matchup. Expect him to get into the end zone this week. |
| KC | Jeremy Maclin | NYJ | Buster Skrine | While Maclin and Alex Smith have not been in the best of snyc just yet to start the season, the Jets secondary has been decimated by the deep ball so far. Sure that is not Smith's forte as a passer, but with his talent combined with that of Maclin's, they should be able to expose a 1v1 or two. He's startable this week, but definitely not someone I'm in love with. |
| LA | Kenny Britt | TB | Alterraun Verner | This Rams offense just isn't very good, and while Britt may be their no. 1 target, that doesn't make him fantasy viable. Stay away from him in fantasy formats until he proves long-term consistency. |
| MIA | DeVante Parker | CLE | Jamar Taylor | Just as I am saying with Britt this week, I said last week in regards to DeVante Parker. Well, against the Pats in Week 2, Parker caught eight balls and went over 100 yards receiving. A few more weeks like this and I will begin to trust the talented wideout, but until then, he is still a shaky start. |
| MIN | Stefon Diggs | CAR | Bene Benwikere | Diggs put on a show last week, and managed to top his impressive Week 1 performance, which leads me to believe that he will be looking to top himself again against another inexperienced corner. Diggs will produce as a WR2 at least in this matchup and likely going forward. |
| NE | Danny Amendola | HOU | Johnathan Joseph | Amendola appeared to have a solid rapport, however his connection with Jacoby Brissett remains to be seen. To stay on the safe side, tread far from Amendola this week. |
| NO | Willie Snead | ATL | Robert Alford | Alford has been a bit too physical so far this season and it has been a hinderance to the Falcons defense, however the recipe for stopping Willie Snead was in fact proven through physicality last week with his matchup against the Giants. Alford should remain true to himeself here, and while he will never shut anyone out, he still has a chance to get the job done for this laboring ATL defense |
| NYG | Odell Beckham | WAS | Josh Norman | Ahh, the matchup of the season! Everyone is wondering what is going to happen during Act II of ODB vs. Norman. In my opinion, Giants coach Ben McAdoo will exploit what the Steelers and Cowboys have already done so far this season – move his star receiver away from Norman's side. This likely would limit Beckham's personal foul penalties and will overall give him better matchups on either the outisde or inside the slot. Contrarily if the Skins were smart, they would move away from their stubborness and line up Norman right over Beckham and attempt to frustrate him all Sunday long like he did last season. |
| NYJ | Brandon Marshall | KC | Steven Nelson | This is a tough one to project because Marshall may not play. He plans on taking it almost to a game-time decision, which doesn’t bode well for fantasy owners. Because of this, I would stay away from Marshall in most formats, however if he does play, he should remain an elite option as always. |
| OAK | Michael Crabtree | TEN | Jason McCourty | It was disappointing to see Crabtree only haul in four balls for 31 yards, however his touchdown did sort of make up for it. He still remains a plus start each week, provided the Raiders don't begin to isolate Amari Cooper exclusively going forward. |
| PHI | Jordan Matthews | PIT | Ross Cockrell | Despite the drop concerns from Matthews, he still remains a nice fantasy weapon and the Eagles top receiving option. Although Cockrell nearly shutout A.J. Green last week, he had ton's of help from the rest of the Steelers defense. Matthews will be mostly a 1v1 matchup regardless of where he lines up (outside/slot) so I like my chances with his talent. |
| PIT | Antonio Brown | PHI | Nolan Carroll | The Eagles defense has been pretty good this season, but they have yet to face a talent anywhere close to Brown. Considering Carroll's lack of elite status – even if he was elite – you can't convince me not to start Brown with the utmost confidence. Expect him to get back on track this week against Philly. |
| SD | Travis Benjamin | IND | Vontae Davis | Benjamin has himself a tough matchup here, despite the concerns of the Indy secondary. Davis remains a top-15 CB in this league and reports are that he will slide down from the Chargers no. 1 target in favor of Tyrell Williams going forward. Benjamin has done nothing to deserve fantasy hate, but sometimes circumstances superceed production. |
| SF | Torrey Smith | SEA | Jeremy Lane | As usual, never trust Torrey Smith. Despite his touchdown last week, he only caught 3-of-10 targets for 55 yards. |
| SEA | Doug Baldwin | SF | Jimmie Ward | Baldwin is pretty banged up this week, but despite that, he remains the Seattle no. 1 WR option. I may shy away from him slightly this week, however you can't count him out from hauling in a TD. |
| TB | Vincent Jackson | LA | Lamarcus Joyner | A onetime star, Jackson just isn't cutting it so far this season. He should be benched until he and Jameis prove to sport a better rapport. |
| TEN | Rishard Matthews | OAK | Sean Smith | Matthews has not only yet to emerge as a true no. 1, he has yet to emerge as a starter for the Titans this season. Tajae Sharpe remains the target hound, while Andre Johnson is proving to be a much needed veteran presence. Stay away from Matthews going forward. |
| WAS | Pierre Garcon | NYG | Janoris Jenkins | Garçon is beginning to lose snaps to Redskins rookie Josh Doctson, which doesn't bode well for his fantasy prospects. Consider him nearly an unstartable option going forward, especially if Doctson emerges like expected. |
| Off | Right WR | Def | Left CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Michael Floyd | BUF | Stefon Gillmore | Considering what the Jets did to the Bills deep and up the seam last week, Floyd should have a field day this week. He may have started slowly out of the gates this season, but this is a great matchup for him to get back on track. |
| ATL | Mohamed Sanu | NO | De'Vante Harris | Despite his struggles last week, Sanu remains the Falcons no. 2 WR without question. Considering his matchup against the rotten Saints defense and understatedly banged up Saints secondary, Sanu may be a nice flex play this week. |
| BAL | Mike Wallace | JAX | Davon House | Wallace – in spite of my loathsome feelings towards his game – has started fast out of the gates with his new team in the Ravens. While I still don't trust him to maintain production, I can't lie and say that his pairing with a deep-armed QB like Flacco is a bad one. Continue to start him if you like, but keep in mind that once a safety begins to appear over the top of his routes, his production will fade. |
| BUF | Robert Woods | ARI | Patrick Peterson | Next question. |
| CAR | Ted Ginn Jr. | MIN | Terence Newman | As I expected, the return of Kelvin Benjamin has rendered Ginn useless in not only fantasy leagues, but also in the Panthers offense. He has hands made of Slip 'N Slide and can only run the 9-route. Consider him droppable in all formats. |
| CHI | Kevin White | DAL | Brandon Carr | The Bears rocky quarterback situation has made it tough for White to emerge thus far, but he has shown glimpses of talent in 2016 through the first two weeks. As is typical with young players, you should make them prove it first before considering them a fantasy mainstay, and the same remains for White. |
| CIN | Brandon LaFell | DEN | Aqib Talib | LaFell is another player whom I never trust in any fantasy format and so far this season he has done nothing to change my mind. Considering he is matching up with Talib – one of the game's most dangerous corners – consider him a must sit for Week 3. You thought that the Steelers defense frustrated him, wait until he sees the Broncos defense. |
| CLE | Terrelle Pryor | MIA | Byron Maxwell | Pryor is just about all that is left for this potentially historically bad Browns offense, and while I like his skillset, I can't imagine much success for him this week. Rather than taking a chance on him as a high-upside default WR1 in the Browns offense, play it with a more conservative and consistent flex option for Week 3. |
| DAL | Terrance Williams | CHI | Tracy Porter | After serving as the goat of the game in Week 1, Williams followed up with a goose egg in Week 2 against the Redskins. His stock is falling quickly as he is losing reps to Brice Butler and targets to Cole Beasley. |
| DEN | Emmanuel Sanders | CIN | Dre Kirkpatrick | As I said with Demaryius Thomas, I don't trust Trevor Siemian. Sanders – a receiver who has proven to be a best friend to a plethora of inexperienced QB's – can't even seem to gel with Siemian. Until the inexperienced QB is benched, Sanders can't be trusted as a starting fantasy option. |
| DET | Marvin Jones | GB | Damarious Randall | Although he has yet to get into the end zone this season, Jones has emerged as the Lions WR1. Considering how bad Randall was torched last week against Stefon Diggs, Jones should be considered a go pick in all formats for Week 2. |
| GB | Randall Cobb | DET | Darius Slay | Taking on Slay this week, Cobb has been reduced to a flex option in most formats. He has yet to score this season, but is still the clear-cut no. 2 WR in this Packers offense. Don't panic about his erratic play or the production of the Packers offense as a whole this season, as they still have A-Rodg and explosive weapons. |
| HOU | Will Fuller | NE | Malcolm Butler | Fuller is really coming out of the gates hot in his rookie season. This is likely due to the fact that he has one of the game's best receivers – DeAndre Hopkins – lined up across from him on a daily basis. This takes the safety shade away from his side, giving him a chance to scorch 1v1 matchups. He has so far and should continue to, provided the Patriots continue to give D-Hop extra attention. |
| IND | T.Y. Hilton | SD | Brandon Flowers | Hilton is paid as an elite WR, yet hasn't produced as one so far this season. Flowers is no pushover, however he is someone who Hilton should be able to beat a few times on Sunday. Expect Hilton to step up in a big way this week after the loss of teammate Donte Moncrief. |
| JAX | Allen Hurns | BAL | Shareece Wright | Hurns has been solid so far this season, however he is still yet to reach the end zone. And while he isn't awful, Shareece Wright is not someone who should be feared. I would start Hurns with confidence this week as flex option, and if he proves successfull again, take it from there. |
| KC | Albert Wilson | NYJ | Darrelle Revis | Despite Revis' fall from grace this season, Wilson is no threat to any opposing CB. Consider him a bench player this week and most weeks going forward. |
| LA | Tavon Austin | TB | Brent Grimes | Austin was all right last week, but he remains a shaky fantasy option due to the nature of his game and of the Rams offense. Grimes should handle him soundly in Week 3. |
| MIA | Kenny Stills | CLE | Joe Haden | Stills may have caught a TD last week, however he still only has three catches on the season. He has shaky hands and remains the third option in this Miami offense. Joe Haden should handle himself in Week 3. |
| MIN | Charles Johnson | CAR | James Bradberry | Johnson will inevitably lose his starting job to Laquon Treadwell, so starting him in any fantasy format is a foolish move. |
| NE | Julian Edelman | HOU | Kareem Jackson | Edelman will actually be serving as the Pats backup QB this week, so I would expect them to take it easy on him somewhat over the middle on Thursday night. Considering this, it is tough to give him a fair projection. I would stay away from him in DFS if possible, but start him in season long formats if you have no better WR1. |
| NO | Brandin Cooks | ATL | Desmond Trufant | Cooks may have been a slight disappointment last week, however he still managed seven catches for 68 yards. He is the Saints unquestioned WR1 and should be started in all formats despite his tough matchup draw in Desmond Trufant. |
| NYG | Sterling Shepard | WAS | Bashaud Breeland | Breeland has been beaten pretty bad in his first two weeks so far, and it is tough to expect anything else in Week 3. For now he is projected to take on the rookie Shepard, however if the Giants take anything from what the Cowboys and Steelers have done, they will line up Beckham on Breeland's side rather than Norman's. |
| NYJ | Eric Decker | KC | Marcus Peters | Decker got veteran treatment this week in practice, while he nursed a slight shoulder ailment. He looked great last week, and should still find his way against Peters in Week 3. |
| OAK | Amari Cooper | TEN | Perrish Cox | Cooper has played well in both games so far this season, but unfortunately had a long touchdown called back last week. He's an elite WR talent and is still so young. Perish Cox is not a player who fantasy owners should be concerned with, so don't over think this one. Start Cooper with confidence. |
| PHI | Nelson Agholor | PIT | William Gay | Despite a couple of frustrating drops so far, Agholor looks like a pick that will pan out going forward. He isn't a guy who I'm totally confident in each week going forward, but he will have certain matchups where he will be a nice value play. Against a Steelers secondary that just frustrated the Bengals aerial attack, this will be one of the weeks that I tell you to stay away from the second year receiver. |
| PIT | Markus Wheaton | PHI | Leodis McKelvin | Wheaton again is on track to play this week, but so was said last week. He is an unreliable start considering his ailment, but even if that wasn't the case, I'm not in love with his game. Skip him this week and going forward until he proves healthy. |
| SD | Dontrelle Inman | IND | Patrick Robinson | While listed as a starter, Inman is not really in the mix for targets. Better suited here and more likely to produce is Tyrell Williams, who looked good in Keenan Allen's stead. Robinson has been mediocre at best so far in his career, so consider Williams the guy to start here, despite Inman's "starting" title. |
| SF | Aaron Burbridge | SEA | Richard Sherman | Next question. |
| SEA | Jermaine Kearse | SF | Tramaine Brock | With Russell Wilson not really looking like himself so far this season, it is tough to show confidence in any Seattle receiver outside of Doug Baldwin. Avoid Kearse here. |
| TB | Mike Evans | LA | Trumaine Johnson | Evans is a monster and a must start each week from here on out. |
| TEN | Tajae Sharpe | OAK | David Amerson | Sharpe remains a starting option in PPR formats, however outside of that he is a risky play because of his lack of proven ability in the red zone. |
| WAS | DeSean Jackson | NYG | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | The Giants secondary has been fantastic so far this season. Combine that with Jackson, who's career has been based off of up and down, inconsistent production, and you now have a matchup that I fear. He may score on Sunday, however it is not production that you can take to the bank. |
Nostra-Dom-Us Predicts
With a myriad of quarterback and wide receiver injuries all ready, it is getting tougher to expect huge performances out of many wide receivers. In this week, I will look to find matchups that aren’t necessarily boom or bust, but rather ones that seem the most reliable.
ELITE PLAYS
Julio Jones ($9,500 on DraftKings) vs. Sterling Moore
I like Jones here because he is too good not to put up elite numbers against this sorry Saints defense and banged up secondary. He is pricy, but should ball out on Monday with an in-form looking Matt Ryan.
Odell Beckham ($9,100 on DraftKings) vs. Josh Norman
I like this play because I believe that Beckham will be more amped up than ever to face Norman again. I also like this matchup even more because I think that the Giants will be smart and iso Beckham on the other side of the field (Bashaud Breeland) like the Steelers and Cowboys have done vs. the Redskins before them. He should have no problem with Breeland.
AFFORDABLE PLAYS
Mike Evans ($7,000 on DraftKings) vs. Trumaine Johnson
While the Rams secondary has been good so far this season, they have taken on two opponents who’s offenses are either not clicking right now or are nowhere near the level of the Buccaneers. Despite the Tampa Bay struggles last week against the Cardinals, Evans still got his numbers and should do so once again. He’s an elite wideout with a mere $7,000 price tag… Talk about affordable.
BARGAIN PLAYS
Stefon Diggs ($5,100 on DraftKings) vs. Bene Benwikere
Despite the exceptional start to his 2016, Diggs is somehow only being valued at $5,100 on DraftKings. I know it’s still early, but despite quarterback issues to start the season, Diggs has appeared to be one of the most dangerous receivers in the league thus far. While he may cool off from last week’s nine catches and 182 yards, he should still be a nightmare in PPR formats at the worst. This may be the best value play of the week.
Tyrell Williams ($4,300 on DraftKings) vs. Patrick Robinson
Williams has emerged as the replacement for the injured Keenan Allen. While he may not have the same experience or volume of targets that Travis Benjamin has, Williams may still be the best deep threat and red zone target that the Chargers have now – outside of Antonio Gates. At only $4,300 on DK, Williams is priced much lower than he should be coming off a game in which he scored a touchdown and going into one against the Colts.