NFL Week 3 – Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em
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Week 3 is here. After a smash hit Go For Two recommendation last week in Josh Reynolds, we are back with our best advice.
Start ‘Em
Derek’s Pick
Adam Thielen, WR (CAR)
This one is a bit of a deeper pick, so only go this way if you’re desperate and want to impress an elderly person in your life. Bryce Young is out this week, so Old Man Dalton will be starting under center for the Panthers. At this stage in his career, Dalton is not a risk taker, and just looks to find an open receiver, even if it’s not the best play available. Luckily, Thielen is too old to run all the way down the field, so he will be open in the soft spots of the zone defense on a regular basis, right where Dalton wants him. Add in that the Seattle secondary is well below average and I could see Thielen getting 6+ catches and over 50 yards. The ceiling isn’t there for him, but if you want a decent floor at the back end of your lineup, you could do worse than Thielen
Ryan’s Pick
Joshua Kelley, RB (LAC)
Joshua Kelley’s no show against Tennessee last week burned many who had high hopes for him, and we even recommended him here at Go For Two, but we are going back to the well this week. You may be debating whether to sit him, and understandably so, but we are inclined to believe that this is a bounce back spot. Austin Ekeler has already been ruled out, and Kelley is set up very nicely here. While he was neutralized by a stout Titans run defense in week 2, this Sunday he gets a much more favourable draw in the Vikings and their Swiss Cheese defense. He should have a much easier time finding running lanes this week, and with the Chargers implied team total of 27.5 points, the touchdown upside is most certainly worth chasing. Fire up Kelley as an RB2.
Sit ‘Em
Derek’s Pick
James Conner, RB (ARZ)
James Conner will always be a volume play this season. Arizona is the type of team that doesn’t allow for a running back to see 8 touches and turn it into a usable fantasy week. Unfortunately for Conner, this is going to be a tough week to see volume, and an even tougher week to get a touchdown. Dallas should get out to an early lead, forcing Arizona to pass a ton. Even when Arizona does attempt to run it, there won’t be much room for Conner with that elite defensive line. If Conner doesn’t end up falling into the end zone, I would expect a below average week, with under 80 total yards. I know the running back situation is ugly this week, but if you can avoid starting Conner, do it.
Ryan’s Pick
Garrett Wilson, WR (NYJ)
Disclaimer: I realize many of you may not have the means to bench Garrett Wilson. And I’m not even saying you outright have to. However, I do think it is necessary to A) adjust your expectations, and B) consider other options. There’s no other way to put it: the Aaron Rodgers injury is not good for Wilson’s fantasy outlook. Barring a trade for a veteran such as Kirk Cousins, it will be very difficult for him to pay off at his 2nd round ADP, even if he could still be a viable fantasy asset. This week in particular just screams potential floor game. Zach Wilson vs Bill Belichick is as big of a mismatch as it gets, as this game could easily be a disaster spot for the Jets offense as a whole. With that in mind, Wilson is a freak talent who might only need a play or two to make his presence felt, but just realize his range of outcomes is much wider than it would be with Rodgers at the helm. Again, I am not unequivocally saying to bench Garrett Wilson. I am saying expectations should be tempered. In a very difficult spot this week, I would rank him as more of a risky WR3.
Go For Two Option
Ryan’s Pick
Kadarius Toney, WR (KC)
Last week we recommended Josh Reynolds in this particular segment, and it yielded tremendous results. Let’s run it back this week, baby. It goes without saying that the pecking order in this offense after Travis Kelce remains ambiguous. I (Ryan) remain somewhat of a Kadarius Toney truther myself, lack of best ball shares aside, and despite his disastrous Week 1 performance, the Chiefs did not send him to the doghouse in Week 2, as his 5 targets were tied for 2nd on the team. He always is a candidate for jet sweeps and other manufactured touches, which gives him another out towards fantasy relevance. This week, he draws an extremely leaky Bears defense. As is the case for any game in a Patrick Mahomes offense, this is a potential blow up spot. There are certainly worse “what the heck” type of dart throw options than Toney this week.
