We’re already in Week 3! The season is flying by! The chart below highlights the matchups you can expect to see on Sunday, and don’t forget to see my favorite matchups at the bottom. Also, be sure to check out the DFS WR coach for even more of my thoughts!
Oh yeah, follow me on Twitter (@colbyrconway) as well!
Offense | Left WR | Defense | Right CB | Analysis |
| ARI | Jaron Brown | DAL | Chidobe Awuzie | Awuzie exited last week's contest with an injury, but his hamstring shouldn't keep him out of the lineup on Monday Night Football against the Cardinals. Brown doesn't do it for me this week. |
| ATL | Julio Jones | DET | Darius Slay | Slay will likely shadow Jones in this one, because Nevin Lawson and DJ Hayden have struggled in coverage this season. Jones is still a WR1, as he normally is. |
| BAL | Breshad Perriman | JAX | A.J. Bouye | This is a tough matchup for Perriman, going up against Bouye, one of the tougher corners in the league. I'm not high on Perriman this week, and the early morning game doesn't help. |
| BUF | Zay Jones | DEN | Bradley Roby | Jones is averaging is averaging five targets per game, but everyone will remember the ball that he couldn't haul in that would have given Buffalo an excellent chance to beat the Panthers in Week 2. Buffalo's passing offense, at this juncture, isn't enough to keep his fantasy value afloat, especially in shallow leagues. |
| CAR | Kelvin Benjamin | NO | Marshon Lattimore | Marshon Lattimore is the only Saints cornerback graded within the top 85 cornerbacks in the National Football League.* Benjamin's size is tough to guard, and while I do believe Benjamin finds the end zone, I don't believe that he'll be the highest scoring receiver on his team in Week 3. Benjamin is a solid WR2 in this one. |
| CHI | Josh Bellamy | PIT | Artie Burns | Burns has allowed just six receptions this season, but he is the only Pittsburgh corner that has played at least half of the team's snaps to allow a receiving touchdown.* However, Bellamy is a non-factor in any fantasy format. |
| CIN | A.J. Green | GB | Damarious Randall | Andy Dalton has been putrid, but I LOVE A.J. Green this week. Green Bay's secondary is extremely vulnerable, and outside of Kevin King (one game), none of the Green Bay corners grade in the top 80 at the position.* After his post-game comments, expect the new Offensive Coordinator to make a concentrated effort to get the ball in Green's hands. |
| CLE | Rashard Higgins | IND | Rashaan Melvin | Love me some Higgins this week as a cheap DFS play. Cleveland has limited playmakers on the outside and Higgins led Cleveland's wide receivers in targets and snaps in Week 2. I'm playing Higgins this week in daily, and if you want to save some money, you will, too. |
| DAL | Dez Bryant | ARI | Patrick Peterson | Peterson will shadow Bryant and I expect another tough outing for Bryant. In seasonal formats, you're likely starting him, unless you have crazy depth at the wide receiver position. In daily, you're rolling the dice against one of the game's true shutdown corners. |
| DEN | Demaryius Thomas | BUF | E.J. Gaines | Don't buy the Trevor Siemian hype. He's a game manager, not a guy who can throw four touchdowns on a weekly basis. Thomas has a very high floor and that plays in all fantasy formats. |
| DET | Marvin Jones | ATL | Desmond Trufant | Poor Marvin Jones. He's squared off against a top corner just about every week, and now he has to deal with Desmond Trufant. He's a WR3 at best this week. |
| GB | Davante Adams | CIN | Adam Jones | Jones had his work cut out for him in Week 2 against DeAndre Hopkins, the league-leader in targets. He could see a ton of targets his way again, especially if Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb don't play, making Adams the de facto No. 1 wide receiver for the Packers. |
| HOU | DeAndre Hopkins | NE | Stephon Gilmore | Volume will be key for Hopkins against the Patriots, because he's never had much success against them. Being the only threat on the outside for the Texans, he will see tight coverage and likely be bracketed most of the night. For his career, he's averaging just under four receptions per game against New England. |
| IND | Donte Moncrief | CLE | Jamar Taylor | It's a favorable matchup, but it's hard for me to get on board with a touchdown-dependent receiver who has just three receptions for 68 yards on the season. No thanks. |
| JAX | Marqise Lee | BAL | Jimmy Smith | After a terrible 2015 season, Smith was much better last season, and he's up to par again in 2017. Marqise Lee may be the top receiving option, but unless Jacksonville gets behind early, Lee won't benefit from a super-conservative offense. |
| KC | Tyreek Hill | LAC | Casey Hayward | Hill didn't produce in a dream matchup in Week 2, and he draws a tough matchup here in Week 3. As the team's biggest threat on the outside, he will see Casey Hayward or Jason Verrett (if healthy) on just about all his snaps. Expect the Chargers to do what they can to slow down Hill, Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce, forcing Albert Wilson and Chris Conley to beat them. Hill is a WR3 for me. |
| LAC | Tyrell Williams | KC | Terrance Mitchell | The more time Williams spends on Mitchell the better, because Mitchell has really struggled this season. The guy can't catch a break! He inadvertently broke up a pass intended for Zach Ertz in Week 2, but it popped right up in the air and Ertz nearly took it to the house. Again, the more time Williams spends on Mitchell is excellent for fantasy purposes. |
| LAR | Sammy Watkins | SF | Rashard Robinson | Watkins has just seven targets through the first two games and quite frankly, his fantasy appeal is fading by the minute. Cooper Kupp is the top option in the passing game, followed by Robert Woods, and then probably Todd Gurley, all before Watkins. He's a low-end WR3 in a not so favorable matchup against the 49ers on Thursday Night Football. Yuck. |
| MIA | DeVante Parker | NYJ | Morris Claiborne | The Jets are bad, but the team's corners are even worse. Claiborne is the team's best corner, and he barely ranks in the top 75 in PFF's grading system.* |
| MIN | Laquon Treadwell | TB | Vernon Hargeaves | Treadwell did see six targets last week with Case Keenum under center, but the results were minimal. He's the fourth option in the passing attack, behind the likes of Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen and Kyle Rudolph. He has the potential, but he's not quite there yet. |
| NE | Brandin Cooks | HOU | Kareem Jackson | The injury to Kevin Johnson will force Kareem Jackson to play out wide, where he's had his moments thus far in 2017. He draw a tough matchup with Cooks, but his minimal usage in the New England passing attack is scaring off some owners. Opposing teams can beat Houston deep on double moves, but Brady may not have time if Jadeveon Clowney, J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus can get there quick enough. Cooks is a low-end WR2 against the Texans. |
| NO | Michael Thomas | CAR | Daryl Worley | The stats indicate that Carolina has been tough against receivers this season and that it's not a good matchup for the Saints top receiver. However, through the first two weeks of the season, the Panthers defense has faced Brian Hoyer and the run-heavy Buffalo Bills. This week, against the Saints, we will get a better look at what the Carolina secondary really is. Michael Thomas could expose them and have his first fantasy relevant performance of the season. |
| NYG | Odell Beckham Jr. | PHI | Jalen Mills | If healthy, Beckham will easily put WR1 numbers. He's not completely healthy yet and it showed on Monday night. The offensive line sucks and Eli Manning is even worse, but Beckham's big play ability will keep him fantasy relevant. OBJ just needs to get healthy quick, both for the Giants and fantasy owners. |
| NYJ | Jermaine Kearse | MIA | Xavien Howard | Kearse is the best receiver on the team and he rewarded those bold enough to run with him in Week 2 by finding the end zone not once, but twice. Bobby McCain is Miami's best corner, but he spends most of his time in the slot.* While playing from behind, Kearse will have plenty of opportunities to produce again. |
| OAK | Amari Cooper | WAS | Bashaud Breeland | Josh Norman is a terrific cover corner and team's tend to go away from him. While Cooper will see his fair share of Norman in this one, he should feast against Breeland. Washington's No. 2 corner has allowed a 60 percent catch rate this season.* |
| PHI | Alshon Jeffery | NYG | Janoris Jenkins | Jenkins should be out there on Sunday, which severely limits Jeffery's chances. Jackrabbit Jenkins will likely shadow Philadelphia's top receiver, opening the door for additional targets for Zach Ertz, Nelson Agholor and even Torrey Smith. |
| PIT | Antonio Brown | CHI | Prince Amukamara | Brown's 3.3 yards per route run is the highest in all of football, but Brown will continue to do his damage within five yards of the line as scrimmage as well.* He's a nightmare to cover and even though it's a road game, you can feel confident with AB84. |
| SEA | Paul Richardson | TEN | LeShaun Sims | Tyler Lockett will be the team's No. 2 receiver sooner rather than later, folks. Richardson will still get plenty of snaps, but last week, Lockett received four more targets than Richardson. |
| SF | Marquise Goodwin | LAR | Nickell Robey-Coleman | It's a two-man passing game out in San Fran, with Pierre Garcon and Goodwin being the only two wide receivers with double-digit targets. Trent Taylor is the next closest with five targets. Goodwin is an all-or-nothing receiver, but it's been more of nothing this year. His drops have been detrimental to the anemic San Fran offense. |
| TB | Mike Evans | MIN | Xavier Rhodes | There aren't many shadow situations on the slate, but given Trae Wayne's struggles, I doubt the Vikings want anyone else covering Tampa Bay's top receiver. Rhodes has held some of the game's best to pedestrian outings, but in seasonal formats, you will still run Evans out there. |
| TEN | Eric Decker | SEA | Shaquil Griffin | With Corey Davis being ruled out of action with a bum hamstring, Decker will move outside. The matchup isn't ideal and when Tennessee decides to throw the football, Decker is likely third on the pecking order, behind Rishard Matthews and tight end Delanie Walker. However, Decker is very effective in the red zone, so he remains a WR4 for me. |
| WAS | Josh Doctson | OAK | David Amerson | As long as Doctson is on the outside and doing what he has been doing, he won't be in any of my lineups. Oakland's corners may not get the credit that they deserve, but Doctson is probably the least of their concerns on Sunday Night Football. |
Offense | Right WR | Defense | Left CB | Analysis |
| ARI | J.J. Nelson | DAL | Nolan Carroll | Dallas secondary isn't good, as we saw last week, and Nelson is riding high after a great Week 2. Will he be that successful again? He could be, but I wouldn't expect another 120 yards and a touchdown on just five receptions. He has upside, but he's no more than a flex option. |
| ATL | Taylor Gabriel | DET | Nevin Lawson | Opposing receivers have done pretty well against Lawson and Gabriel has an excellent opportunity to post his first fantasy relevant game of the season. Despite being covered, and potentially shadowed, by Darius Slay, Julio Jones will get his looks, but Gabriel should see more than his average of 3.5 targets per game in this one. |
| BAL | Mike Wallace | JAX | Jalen Ramsey | Wallace hasn't done much this season and now he has to face Ramsey, a tough, physical cornerback. In a run-heavy game plan, Wallace isn't my cup of tea. |
| BUF | Andre Holmes | DEN | Aqib Talib | Holmes is a big bodied receiver, but his fantasy value is much smaller than his frame. |
| CAR | Devin Funchess | NO | P.J. Williams | If you read my DFS WR Coach, you'll know how I feel about Funchess. If you didn't, you need to go read it, but just know that I like Funchess this week against New Orleans' weak secondary. The more P.J. Williams he sees, the more fantasy points he will accrue. |
| CHI | Deonte Thompson | PIT | Joe Haden | Honestly, Haden hasn't been good since 2014. However, Thompson isn't a fantasy relevant receiver. Nothing to see here. |
| CIN | Brandon LaFell | GB | Davon House | Kevin King is the only bright spot in the Green Bay secondary. LaFell has some appeal in large tournaments, but he won't be in any of my lineups. |
| CLE | Kenny Britt | IND | Quincy Wilson | Britt hasn't been good this year and if Cleveland had depth at wide receiver, he may find himself on the bench. However, for the time being, he's in the lineup, but he shouldn't be on your fantasy radar unless you completely punted the wide receiver position. |
| DAL | Terrance Williams | ARI | Justin Bethel | With Patrick Peterson locking down Dez Bryant, Williams could see additional targets. Of course, Jason Witten and Cole Beasley seem to be the main beneficiaries of Bryant's hardships, but Williams is worth a dart in big tournaments. You're rolling the dice, however. |
| DEN | Emmanuel Sanders | BUF | Tre'Davious White | Sanders had an excellent second week of the season, but he draws a matchup against a Buffalo secondary that has been stingy to opposing wide receivers. In fact, only five teams have allowed fewer fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, according to NFL Fantasy. |
| DET | Kenny Golladay | ATL | Robert Alford | After a pedestrian outing last week, the hype surrounding Golladay might fade off. However, a matchup in a likely high-scoring affair could get the Golladay hype train back on track. He's a tournament consideration only. |
| GB | Geronimo Allison | CIN | Dre Kirkpatrick | If Jordy Nelson plays, you're starting him, but if not, Allison will see an uptick in his normal usage. He's not useful in seasonal formats, but he could be worth a flier in DFS if Nelson, and even Cobb, were to miss this game against the Cincinnati Bengals. |
| HOU | Braxton Miller | NE | Malcolm Butler | Miller isn't an outside receiver and quite frankly, he hasn't shown the makings to even be a slot receiver. He's not useful in any format, because Houston's offense is very simple. It's a run play for Lamar Miller, D'Onta Foreman, a Deshaun Watson scramble, or a pass to DeAndre Hopkins. Don't play Miller. |
| IND | T.Y. Hilton | CLE | Jason McCourty | It's hard to get excited about Hilton when he doesn't have a good quarterback under center and his usage has been minimal. Through the first two games of the season, 2016's leading receiver has just seven receptions for 106 yards. Cleveland is generous to wide receivers, but Hilton just doesn't do it for me. GPP consideration only and he's a WR3 in seasonal formats. |
| JAX | Allen Hurns | BAL | Brandon Carr | Jimmy Smith may be the team's top corner, but Carr is no slouch earlier. In what I expect to be a run-heavy, sluggish affair, Hurns isn't a startable player, unless you're in a deep format. |
| KC | Chris Conley | LAC | Jason Verrett | Verrett may not play, as he's still battling an injury, but if he does, Conley's already minimal fantasy value diminishes to the size of an amoeba. Not for me and he shouldn't be for you, ladies and gents. |
| LAC | Travis Benjamin | KC | Marcus Peters | Peters is a terrific young corner, while Benjamin is a boom-or-bust receiver. I'm not buying into Benjamin at all this week. |
| LAR | Robert Woods | SF | Dontae Johnson | Woods is actually ahead of Sammy Watkins in terms of the pecking order, but I'm still not trusting him in any format. |
| MIA | Kenny Stills | NYJ | Justin Burris | Devante Parker and Jarvis Landry hogged the targets in Week 2, and it could be much of the same this weekend. If Stills doesn't find the end zone, he isn't going to be fantasy relevant. Nothing more than a flex option in a very deep league. |
| MIN | Stefon Diggs | TB | Brent Grimes | Unless Sam Bradford is under center, I don't want any part of Stefon Diggs in DFS. If you're thin at wide receiver in your seasonal leagues, then you have to play him, but he shouldn't be in any cash game lineups on DFS. |
| NE | Chris Hogan | HOU | Johnathan Joseph | Hogan's 11 targets are tied with Brandin Cooks for third-most on the team, but unlike his teammate, he put together a quality fantasy outing against a porous Saints defense. Houston boasts a tough defense, but Hogan caught all four of his targets for 95 yards in the team's playoff victory last season. |
| NO | Ted Ginn Jr. | CAR | James Bradberry | Ginn is a home run hitter, but he's yet to land the big one yet this year. No, Drew Brees hasn't lost a step or any of those outlandish conclusions. This is the typical season for Ginn. The big one is coming, and it could happen here. Would I bet money on it? Probably not. |
| NYG | Brandon Marshall | PHI | Rasul Douglas | I'd say this is a good matchup for Marshall, but who the hell knows with Eli and Ben Whackadoo. A healthy Odell Beckham Jr. figures to help Marshall, but no one knows what to make of the New York [attempting] football Giants. |
| NYJ | Robby Anderson | MIA | Byron Maxwell | Anderson's fantasy value is at its highest when Bryce Petty is under the center. However, that's not the case. With Austin Seferian-Jenkins back in the fold for targets, I expect little from Anderson. |
| OAK | Michael Crabtree | WAS | Josh Norman | Crabtree won't be shadowed by Josh Norman, so he will have some time away from Norman. However, Crabtree gon' do what Crabtree gon' do. He's an excellent fantasy option. |
| PHI | Torrey Smith | NYG | Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie | Eli Apple could get some work on Smith, but he's prone to biting on double moves. DRC will get the majority of the reps on Smith, while Janoris "Jackrabbit" Jenkins shadows Alshon Jeffery. Smith is nothing more than a tournament dart in Week 3. |
| PIT | Martavis Bryant | CHI | Marcus Cooper | Boom-or-bust is the name of Bryant's game and he was on the right side of that equation in Week 2, hauling in three passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. Albeit a favorable matchup, I have some trepidations with Bryant this week. Of his 15 career touchdowns, only three have come on the road, and his yards per reception is nearly five yards less away from home. Not my cup of tea this week, but if you're a sucker for big upside, I understand your desire to play him. |
| SEA | Tyler Lockett | TEN | Adoree' Jackson | Despite all of Seattle's offensive woes this season, this is an excellent "get right" game for every Seahawk on the offensive side of the ball. He caught six passes for 64 yards last week and I really, really like this matchup for the 24-year-old. |
| SF | Pierre Garcon | LAR | Trumaine Johnson | Only four teams have allowed fewer receiving yards to opposing wide receivers than the Rams. In fact, Trumaine Johnson and the Rams are tied for the fewest amount of receptions to opposing wide outs. Garcon is a target machine, but it might be another week where he doesn't get much going in the passing game. Damn you, Brian Hoyer. |
| TB | DeSean Jackson | MIN | Trae Waynes | Waynes has struggled this season and Martavis Bryant had a productive outing last week against Minnesota's young corner. With Xavier Rhodes draped all over Evans, this could be the speedy veteran's time to shine. Jackson has an excellent opportunity to fall on the right side of boom-or-bust. |
| TEN | Rishard Matthews | SEA | Richard Sherman | Believe it or not, Sherman is actually the lowest graded cornerback in the Seattle secondary.* |
| WAS | Terrelle Pryor | OAK | Sean Smith | This is an excellent opportunity for Pryor to get on track, seeing as the Raiders have allowed 26 receptions to opposing wide receivers through the first two games of the season. Pryor and quarterback Kirk Cousins have not been effective thus far, but it's bound to change. I like a new trend to start right here. |
Elite
A.J. Green vs. Damarious Randall
I’m picking against Randall again, and not just Randall, but the entire Green Bay secondary. Well, minus rookie Kevin King, who looked excellent last week. Could Green see some action on King this Sunday? Sure, it’s possible. However, as a whole, I’m not impressed by Randall or the Green Bay secondary and after Green made some comments after a loss to the Houston Texans, I expect Andy Dalton and new OC Bill Lazor to force feed Green. In DFS, Green is nearly criminally underpriced on FanDuel and he is a must-play for me in Week 3. In seasonal formats, roll Green out there with minimal concern. Forget about the past! Green will put you in the green.
Affordable
DeSean Jackson vs. Trae Waynes
Jackson is the clear-cut No. 2 wide receiver in this offense and he saw just two less targets than teammate Mike Evans. With Evans being shadowed by Xavier Rhodes, Jackson will square off against Trae Waynes, and it’s a favorable matchup to say the least. Through two games this season, Waynes has allowed 150 receiving yards and one touchdown, not to mention a perfect 10 receptions on as many targets.* There is some volatility here, given Jackson’s all-or-nothing style, but I’m willing to bet on Jackson this week. Start him.
Tyler Lockett vs. Adoree’ Jackson
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not completely sold on this matchup, but Lockett saw as many targets as Doug Baldwin in Week 2 and Tennessee’s secondary is beatable, to say the least. Only the Jets have allowed more receiving touchdowns to wide receivers than the Titans and while Jackson is an athletic, young corner, I believe Lockett shakes loose for a big gainer. After seeing just 53 percent of the offensive snaps in the season opener, that number skyrocketed to 74 percent in Week 2, per Football Outsiders. A similar workload in a favorable matchup bodes well for Jackson.
Bargain Bin
Devin Funchess vs. P.J. Williams
If everyone wants to play Kelvin Benjamin, let them. I’ll have some exposure to him, but Marshon Lattimore is a far superior corner than P.J. Williams. The Saints have allowed the most receiving yards to opposing wide receivers this season, and within that New Orleans secondary, Williams has allowed 182 receiving yards and a 77 percent catch rate.* In shallower leagues, I get that you won’t need to risk it, but in DFS, Funchess offers plenty of upside at a discounted rate from his Carolina counterpart.
*Information gathered from research done at Pro Football Focus.