Shane Foley
Connector Editor
Fantasy football week three can best be described as awkward. You may not know if you like your team; if players don’t perform you want to cut them, and if players do perform, you wonder if they can be consistent throughout the season. Main thing to remember here is to relax. Breathe! If you finish the season 11-2, nobody is going to remember you were 0-2 to start the season. Move around these guys to get that W in week three.
Start:
Larry Fitzgerald: Arizona plays San Francisco on Sunday, which puts Carson Palmer in the un-enviable situation of trying to score against the 49er defense. While San Francisco’s defense is formidable, it is not really known for a shut-down corner, but instead for amazing schemes, pass rush and the smartest linebackers in the world. That being said, Palmer may be looking to Fitzgerald in pressure situations, and he is going to be in a lot of pressure situations.
Desean Jackson: This one is kind of personal. Former Eagle, now Redskin, Jackson may be gritting his teeth at the possibility of lighting up his former team. Also, Robert Griffin III has heard nothing all offseason about how the Eagles will win the division with ease. I’m sure he would like to put a ton of balls in the air, and those balls will probably be landing in Jackson’s hands, since Allen Hurns burned that defense for 110 yards and two touchdowns recently.
Doug Baldwin: Not the name you may hear tossed around a lot. However, Denver spent a lot of money to get Aqib Talib on the squad, who will be sure to be watching Percy Harvin like a hawk. Look for Baldwin to be open and score.
Stephen Jackson: We were all amazed at Matt Ryan’s 448 yards against the Saints in a thrill. My guess, though, is that he won’t need to do that against Tampa Bay. Jackson should get a lot of touches, and he is looking to re-enter the elite of running backs in the NFL.
Phillip Rivers: San Diego vs Buffalo has all the trappings of a good shootout. EJ Manuel wants to prove he is a starting quarterback and Rivers wants to prove he is one of the best starting quarterbacks. Both teams also have good pass-catching running backs. The Chargers may win this one in a close one, so Rivers will be good to start.
Sit:
Giovanni Bernard: I love me some Bernard, but he is going up against a defense that shut down Jamaal Charles. If Cincinnati wins, they’re doing it through the air.
Eric Decker: Chicago’s defense will not want to have Geno Smith running all over the place on Monday Night. What does this have to do with Decker? The Bears have a very physical linebacker core, which will most likely be rushing the quarterback to ensure that Smith doesn’t get to know life past the line of scrimmage. Look for Chicago to stick corner Charles Tillman on Decker, and some safety help on third down situations. The point being that Smith has to look for other options while avoiding pressure.
Tom Brady: Writing down this man’s name hurt me inside. However, I have been convinced that the Patriots’ offensive line cannot protect Brady after the Miami debacle, and they have to block Justin Tuck and LaMarr Woodly.
Peyton Manning: I know, shocking. However, Seattle’s defense had Manning’s number in the Superbowl last year, and now they don’t have to cover Eric Decker or Wes Welker.
Torrey Smith: I know I said to start him last week. I didn’t realize he was only going to get the ball once. However, he is being covered by Joe Haden next week, and Flacco has other options now.
