As we like to do, let us take a look at last week’s game before jumping into week 3. Last week, I chose the Packers vs the Bears for a few reasons. On the QB side I wanted to see if Aaron Rodgers would get it together with his receivers and if Fields could keep up the week 1 stats with better field conditions. Rodgers showed up and having his familiarity lifeline out there in Allen Lazard put him more at ease and let him do what Rodgers does best... Throw the ball. Finishing 19 for 25 with 234 yards and 2 touchdowns is a much more Rodgers type stat than week 1. Fields on the other hand went 7 for 11 throwing for 70 yards 0 touchdowns and 1 interception. He was also sacked 3 times for 22 yards. This is exactly what was predicted last week. Rodgers figured it out and the Bears win over the 49ers without Kittle and Elijah Mitchell getting hurt was way to premature to get excited about the Bears this year.
The one shining light for Chicago last week was David Montgomery running for 122 yards showing what they can do on the ground with some good blocking. Outside of that their receiving core didn’t put on any type of show with Equanimous St. Brown leading the team with 2 receptions for 39 yards and Darnell Mooney going 1 reception for -4 yards. Cole Kmet had another bust of a week going 0 for 0, further establishing my comments from last week saying the Bears don’t have many options when it comes to Fantasy right now. They just aren’t putting up good numbers.
The Packers on the other hand saw Sammy Watkins go for 93 yards but only on 3 targets resulting in about a 12–13-point day in PPR leagues. But Lazard was back and looked healthy hauling in one score and though his load was light with only 2 receptions it’s a good sign for people who have him on their bench Green Bay is playing a stout secondary in the Bucs this week however so you may want to watch him another week to see how Green Bay plans to work him back into the gameplan more.
Finally, Aaron Jones was a monster and though AJ Dillon didn’t put up the numbers we would have liked to see his volume was certainly there. Dillon was given 18 carries and ran for 61 yards while Jones had 15 carries but made them count going for 132 and a TD. All in all showing that if you have one of these two guys they will be splitting time mostly but both have huge upside potential.
Now it’s time to jump in to The GOTW – Week 3: Raiders vs Titans
We are looking at two 0-2 teams that on paper have so much potential but just cannot figure out the W column. The Raiders have lost both games by no more than 6 points. The Titans lost week 1 by 1 point to the Giants who successfully converted a 2-point conversion and then a missed 47 yard field goal to lose. Last week they came out and got absolutely demolished by the juggernaut that is the Buffalo Bills 41-7. Both their offense and their secondary looked terrible and had complete breakdowns Monday night.
So here we are at week 3 and this game will give all fantasy players something to enjoy whether one of these players is on your team or you are against them, this is what’s in store and what to look forward to.
QB
For the Raiders Derek Carr has been putting up some good numbers over the past two weeks. With the last two weeks being solid but not stellar I think we have been looking at his floor. If this is the case, then we can expect some bigger numbers to come as the offense really settles in. The Titan’s secondary is currently a mid-level squad right now who were torched in the game this past Monday. If the Raiders and Carr take some notes from the Bills playbook, then they will look to expose this weakness meaning big points for Carr.
On the opposite side Ryan Tannehill has had one solid outing and one terrible one. Last week he went 11 of 20 for 117 yards and threw two interceptions. As he looks to bounce back from that and put it behind him, it would be best to not have him in your lineup even going up against the Raiders secondary who have had their own problems allowing an average of 274.5 passing yards per game this season.
RB
As we move to RB, the only important question on everyone’s mind is what is going on with Derrick Oien Henry? An early pick in almost every draft, Henry coming off last year’s injury was still expected to have big fantasy output. Up to this early point in the season he has been quite the opposite averaging just over 8 points per game. That changes this weekend. Maybe I’m just saying it because he is on one of my teams and I am ready for him to show out, but I really think that this weekend presents a great opportunity to do so. After last week the coaching staff may lean on the run game more coming up against a defensive line that boasts Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones two elite pass rushers. Where they excel on the outside, they lack a little interiorly. They have given up over 100 yards rushing per game and I think it’s an opportunity that the Titans can use to get their star back going this season.
The Raiders starting RB Josh Jacobs has been quiet as well this season. He has been getting the volume that fantasy owners want to see but hasn’t been producing on that volume. The offensive line will have to step up and open some holes for him against a banged-up Titans team that has allowed an average of 189.5 yards per game. Jacobs is a hard rusher and I think he could have a better game than he has had the first two weeks.
WR
Davante Adams has been a favorite of Derek Carr since he joined the team and it's no surprise considering the talent level he has. Of course, it comes as no surprise that you should always start him as a WR1 if you have the chance. The raiders other weapon Hunter Renfrow didn’t practice Wednesday and is still in concussion protocol. After a hard hit and fumble that ended the raiders week 2 matchup. We will continue to watch him to see if he can participate in practice and whether he can go this Sunday. If not, then Adams should see even more targets.
Titans’ receiver Robert Woods has also been a disappointment this season thus far. Though he has been getting some targets he hasn’t been able to produce. Scoring 7.9 points last week and 2.3 week 1 in sleeper he is not a good option to start. As mentioned above, the Raiders secondary isn’t a scary one but based on past performance this year you just can’t take a shot on woods unless you don’t have any other viable options which I find very hard to believe. Treylon Burks who is rostered in about 75% of leagues has been a low steady option averaging around 8.5 fantasy points per game but is dealing with an ankle issue and also a no start in my eyes this week. With the edge rushing power that the Raiders have I don’t foresee a lot of time for plays to develop downfield and wouldn’t count on Titans receivers to have big days for you.
TE
Finally, we come to the big off season question mark – Darren Waller. Waller as we all know had a lot of controversy prior to seasons start due to his contract but was able to get it sorted out and has put together a good start this season. A little slow in game one he came back and caught 6 receptions on 8 targets with a TD and 50 yards to his name. With him starting to get comfortable and a reliable option for Carr I would bet on a solid week for Waller especially with the injury cloud over Hunter Renfrow.
On the Titans side of the ball, Austin Hooper has been less than quiet, he has been near silent. Catching two passes in week 1, and 1 pass in week 2 he has produced much at all. With the pass rush of the Raiders, he may see some short route check downs, but I expect Tennessee to lean on their run game more than passing. If you have him on your team still for some reason, you should leave him sitting on the bench this week.
That is my breakdown for this week’s fantasy game of the week and some information for all team owners out there to chew on. As I do, I will finish with my prediction for fun. I am taking the Raiders this week as I think Josh McDaniels will figure out how to use his offensive fire power to get his first win as the Raiders head coach this week. Though I think Derrick Oien Henry will have a good day it just won’t be enough to match the Raiders need for a win in the AFC west.
