Courtesy of: fanshare.com
Coming off of a week 1 tie, I think it’s safe to say both Ross and myself were pretty embarrassed with our efforts. There’s no reason that one of us shouldn’t have been able to mop the floor with the other; we’re better than that. So we shut off the safety valves and went full-on risk mode with our quarterback selections in week 2. For one of us, it panned out. For the other (and by other, I mean Ross), it did not.
So we enter week 3 with Team TSC leading the race; and while I’m sure Ross has every intention of evening the score, I plan on increasing our lead. Alright, enough chit chat, let’s get right to lineups (with a brief explanation for each selection).
Ross (1st pick): QB, Alex Smith (@ PHI): Smith is going up against a terrible Philadelphia defense that has allowed an average of 360.5 passing yards per game. Even Phillip Rivers was able to pick apart this Eagles’ secondary; Smith has a great shot to be a QB1 this week in fantasy.
Jim: QB, Sam Bradford (@ DAL): Bradford is currently leading all QBs in pass attempts through 2 weeks, a bit unexpected I’d say. But it turns out this Rams offense can move up the field with Tavon Austin, Chris Givens, and Jared Cook and Bradford is leading the charge. He’s also completing over 65% of his passes and this week takes on the 28th ranked pass defense in Dallas. Expect a surprisingly productive stat line from Bradford this week.
Jim: RB, Knowshon Moreno (vs. OAK): Going out on a limb? Perhaps. But this feels an awful lot like last year when Willis McGahee went down with an injury and Moreno stepped right in. Here’s the thing, if you can pass protect and catch the ball, Peyton Manning wants you in the game. And with an up tempo, no huddle style offense, once you’re in the game you tend to stay in the game. Moreno showed he can be the main ball carrier in Denver and the near-goal-line fumble by Montee Ball early in last week’s contest helped his cause. I am confident enough in Moreno this week to include him in my “Fantasy 6-pack” as someone who will exceed projections, despite his already lofty expectations.
Ross: RB, Giovani Bernard (vs. GB): It’s safe to say Bernard had his coming out party Monday night against the Steelers. I expect Bernard to continue the upward trend and score at least once against the Packers this Sunday.
Ross: WR, Josh Gordon (@ MIN): Although Brian Hoyer will be throwing him the ball this week, Gordon will have a significant impact on Browns’ offense that’s been stagnant for the most part this year. Gordon provides a deep threat that Cleveland has been lacking. I don’t expect the Browns to score more than 17 points, but Gordon might just be one of them.
Jim: WR, Tavon Austin (@ DAL): I’m going to pair up the QB/WR combo here for two reasons. First, I believe this Cowboys secondary is sub-par to say the least and second, Austin was targeted the most among Rams’ pass catchers last week and I believe that trend continues. Bradford and Austin will hook up again this week for at least 1 score.
Jim: TE, Martellus Bennett (@ PIT): Coming off a big week against the Vikings in week 2, he now faces a reeling Pittsburgh Steelers team who gave up 66 yards to both Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham last week. Bennett is still available in about 13% of leagues and could be a nice pickup if you’re looking for TE help. I think he finds the endzone again this week.
Ross: TE, Owen Daniels (@ BAL): The Texans are facing the Baltimore Ravens this week. Now, I know how much both of these blogs love their Ravens, but the fact of the matter is, their pass defense has struggled against the tight end position through two games. Julius Thomas roasted them in week one, and Jordan Cameron put up 95 yards on five catches last week. The Texans have thrown five touchdown passes to their tight ends this year. Daniels prospects of scoring again are looking pretty damn good to me.
Ross: DEF, Bills (@ NYJ): “Nobody circles the wagons quite like the Buffalo Bills.” Yeah, I’m tired of that statement every Sunday from Chris Berman too, but Buffalo is playing the Geno Smith-led Jets which spells turnovers to me. The Bills have actually played very well against two solid teams this year and their defense is attacking on all fronts. Mario Williams finished with 4.5 sacks against the Panthers. He’s got to be licking his chops waiting to get at Smith.
Jim: DEF, Vikings (vs. CLE): This isn’t the same dominating front we saw as recently as just a few seasons ago, but last week at Chicago, despite giving up 31 points, still managed double digit fantasy points. This week they take on the Brian Hoyer-led Cleveland Browns (without former first round draft pick Trent Richardson) in their home opener and I expect a solid fantasy week once again.
Team TSC Team IHJJR
QB- Sam Bradford QB- Alex Smith
RB- Knowshon Moreno RB- Giovani Bernard
WR- Tavon Austin WR- Josh Gordon
TE- Martellus Bennett TE- Owen Daniels
DEF- Vikings DEF- Bills
