Well, well, well. What a weekend for the non-marquee running backs. Three different rushers scored three touchdowns on Sunday, and none of them were named Le'Veon Bell or Adrian Peterson (although he did score two). Still, there were several high scoring affairs and some big-time players made big-time plays (A.J. Green, anyone?).
But enough blathering. Below are the full recaps for all of Week 3's games.
Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers
Top performers:
» Alex Smith, QB: 290 yards, TD, INT, 32 rush yards 18.80 fantasy points
» Jamaal Charles, RB: 82 total yards, 3 TD, 26.20 fantasy points
» Jeremy Maclin, WR: 141 yards, TD, 21.10 fantasy points
» Travis Kelce, TE: 6 rec, 80 yards, 2-pt conversion, 10.0 fantasy points
» Aaron Rodgers, QB: 333 yards, 5 TD, 16 rush yds, 34.92 fantasy points
» Eddie Lacy, RB: 87 total yards, 8.70 fantasy points
» James Starks, RB: 51 total yards, 5.10 fantasy points
» Randall Cobb, WR: 103 total yards, 3 TD, 28.30 fantasy points
» James Jones, WR: 7 rec, 139 yards, TD, 19.90 fantasy points
There was a lot of offense in this one ... mostly from the Packers. Aaron Rodgers had five touchdown passes, three of which went to Randall Cobb, as the Packers thoroughly out-played the Chiefs in Green Bay. Both Eddie Lacy and James Starks saw a solid amount of work out of the backfield, but neither found the end zone. Lacy looked pretty spry on his injured ankle, spinning and hurdling defenders as well as he a man of his size can. Lacy will likely assume more and more of the workload as his ankle heals more fully. James Jones also proved his value in fantasy with Davante Adams leaving the game after reaggravating his ankle injury (which will need to be monitored closely). Jones went over 100 yards for the first time this season, proving he's not just a touchdown catching machine (although he did snag a touchdown as well). DID YOU HEAR? A Chiefs wide receiver finally caught a touchdown pass! Jeremy Maclin did some work (mostly in garbage time), racking up 141 yards and the one touchdown, ending that silly statistic forever. Travis Kelce was able to chew up some yards (and a 2-point conversion), while Jamaal Charles did Jamaal Charles-like things, scoring three touchdowns on a meager 11 carries -- he was helped out by a few ticky-tack penalties, but who cares in fantasy, right? All told, the Chiefs offense was out-matched for most of this contest pretty much until the fourth quarter. But hey, as we say around these parts, #garbagepointsstillcount.
Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions
Top performers:
»Peyton Manning, QB: 324 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, 1 INT, 18.96 fantasy points
»Demaryius Thomas, WR: 9 rec, 92 rec yards, 1, rec TD, 13.20 fantasy points
»C.J. Anderson, RB: 18 rush yards, 8 rec yards, 2.70 fantasy points
»Ronnie Hillman, RB: 13 rush yards, 3 rec yards, 1 rush TD, 7.60 fantasy points
»Owen Daniels, TE: 28 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 8.80 fantasy points
»Emmanuel Sanders, WR: 6 rec, 87 rec yards, 8.70 fantasy points
»Calvin Johnson, WR: 8 rec, 77 rec yards, 7.77 fantasy points
»Matthew Stafford, QB: 282 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 2 INTs, 1 fumble lost, 8.58 fantasy points
»Joique Bell, QB: 6 rush yards, 1 rush TD, -2 rec yards, 6.40 fantasy points
»Ameer Abdullah, RB: 23 rush yards, 19 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 10.20 fantasy points
»Theo Riddick, RB: 8 rec, 66 rec yards, 6.60 fantasy points
»Eric Ebron, TE: 4 rec, 61 rec yards, 6.10 fantasy points
This Sunday Night Football contest got off to a slow start as both defenses were making plays early. Unfortunately, fantasy owners who started C.J. Anderson were let down when the running back headed into the locker room at the end of the first quarter to be evaluated for a concussion. He eventually returned but it was Ronnie Hillman who scored a rushing touchdown for Denver in the first half while Anderson was on the sideline. Peyton Manning relied on his trusty pair of wideouts all night in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders who both had strong outings in this contest. For the second week in a row, Manning posted over 18 fantasy points which is a sign that maybe, just maybe, he's adjusting to Gary Kubiak's offense. But as far as Denver's ground game is concerned, the team split up just 18 total rush attempts throughout the game. It's time to seriously consider benching Anderson in fantasy leagues until he shows us something more. Denver held Detroit to just 12 points as the only Lions to score were running backs Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah. Bell, who averaged an astoundingly poor 0.6 yards per carry, can be dropped in almost all formats. Abduallah, who scored on a reception, was vastly underused again as he saw just 10 touches the entire game. It's no surprise that Calvin Johnson led Detroit with eight catches for 77 yards, but cleary the Lions offense is not what it used to be which may affect Megatron's fantasy production throughout the season ... especially if Stafford can't correct his turnover issues (he committed three turnovers on Sunday night).
Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys
Top performers:
» Matt Ryan, QB: 285 yards, 2 TD, 23.20 fantasy points
» Devonta Freeman, RB: 193 total yards, 3 TD 37.3 fantasy points
» Julio Jones, WR: 12 catches, 164 yards, 2 TD, 28.4 fantasy points
» Brandon Weeden, QB: 232 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 7.28 fantasy points
» Joseph Randle, RB: 115 total yards, 3 TD, 29.5 fantasy points
» Lance Dunbar, RB: 10 catches, 100 yards, 10 fantasy points
» Jason Witten, TE: 6 rec, 65 rec yards, 6.5 fantasy points
All of the fantasy points came in this game. ALL OF THEM. Both Devonta Freeman and Joseph Randle looked pretty stellar, scoring three touchdowns, although Freeman's play continued into the second halr, whereas the Falcons found a way to stuff Randle after the half. Poor tackling allowed him to get all of the meat on the bone early, as he racked up 85 yards and a touchdown on his first three carries. Matt Ryan looked off to start, with lots of his passes hitting the dirt. He rebounded when he started forcing the ball to Julio Jones (20 targets on the day). Jones responded with a massive 12-catch, 164-yard, two-touchdown day. Weeden set a Cowboys record for consecutive completions (between last week and this week), but fell apart once the team started to need to pass more. Terrance Williams was erased by Desmond Trufant. He had two targets and couldn't haul in either. Lance Dunbar led the way in the passing attack with 10 catches (on 10 targets) for 100 yards. Old man Witten, battling sprained ankles and knees, managed six catches for 65 yards. The real story was the running backs, though. Randle looks to have a strangle-hold on the rushing attempts in his backfield, while Freeman's performance is going to give the coaching staff pause when Tevin Coleman returns from his rib injury.
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Top performers:
» Andrew Luck, QB: 260 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 21 rush yards, 16.50 fantasy points
» Frank Gore, RB: 94 total yards, 2 TD, 21.40 fantasy points
» T.Y. Hilton, WR: 4 rec, 94 yards, 9.40 fantasy points
» Donte Moncrief, WR: 32 yards, TD, 10.30 fantasy points
» Colts D/ST: 3 sack, 2 INT, 12 fantasy points
» Marcus Mariota, QB: 153 yards, 1 TD, 21 rush yards, 1 TD, 18.22 fantasy points
» Antonio Andrews, RB: 61 total yards, 1 TD, 12.10 fantasy points
» Kendall Wright, WR: 95 rec yards, 13 rush yards, 1 rec TD, 16.80 fantasy points
For awhile, it appeared as if the season was coming to a close for the Colts. Aside from Frank Gore, the offense completely sputtered through the first three quarters. That changed in the fourth. Luck found a bit of a groove, hitting Phillip Dorsett and Donte Moncrief for touchdowns, while Gore found paydirt for the second time. The Colts D/ST capitalized on a pass dislodged from Delanie Walker to return it for six (in the first half), while also racking up three sacks and another pick. Kendall Wright is without a doubt this team's top target, catching seven passes on 12 targets for 95 yards and a touchdown. Why the team doesn't deploy Dorial Green-Beckham more outside of the red zone is a mystery to us. The Titans backfield is a mess. Antonio Andrews "led the way" with 12 carries, but this is very much a committee. Week 1 was Bishop Sankey's, Week 2 was Dexter McCluster's, and Week 3 was Andrews' time. Stay away, friends. Stay away. Fun fact: Luck threw eight passes in first half, while Mariota threw 23. Mariota looked pretty good today, and is on the verge of becoming a weekly starter in fantasy. Scoop him up if he's somehow still on the waiver wire in your league.
Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns
Top performers:
» Derek Carr, QB: 314 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 20.46 fantasy points
» Latavius Murray, RB: 149 total yards, 1 TD, 20.90 fantasy points
» Amari Cooper, WR: 134 rec yards, 1 fumble, 11.40 fantasy points
» Michael Crabtree, WR: 11 yards, 1.10 fantasy points
» Josh McCown, QB: 341 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 19.64 fantasy points
» Isaiah Crowell, RB: 36 rush yards, 3.60 fantasy points
» Travis Benjamin, WR: 4 rec, 45 rec yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble, 8.50 fantasy points
» Gary Barnidge, TE: 116 rec yards, 11.60 fantasy points
It was a tough start for Latavius Murray, as he had seven rushes for 1 yard in the first quarter, but he made the most of his matchup later, racking up nearly 150 total yards and a touchdown. Amari Cooper had over 100 yards in the first half, but lost a fumble and wasn't targeted as heavily in the second half when the Raiders were playing clock ball. He could have had a huge day had Andre Holmes and Seth Roberts (double squawk) not gotten the TDs. Derek Carr looked pretty good, too, making relatively smart decisions and pushing the ball down field to the tune of nearly 10 yards per attempt (9.81 ypa). He did benefit from some nice catch-and-run plays from Cooper, though. On the flip side, Josh McCown had a solid fantasy outing, but no one started him so we can move one. Crowell got lost in this one as the Browns only ran the ball 14 times while throwing it 49. It was unfortunate, too, as the Raiders defense had been beaten on the ground recently. Gary Barnidge is further proof that you need to START ALL TIGHT ENDS AGAINST THE RAIDERS. They have allowed 297 yards and five touchdowns to the position in just three weeks.
Pittsburgh Steelers at St. Louis Rams
Top performers:
» Ben Roethlisberger, QB: 192 pass yards, 1 INT, 5.68 fantasy points
» Le'Veon Bell, RB: 7 rec, 70 rec yards, 62 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 19.20 fantasy points
» Antonio Brown, WR: 11 rec, 108 rec yards, 10.80 fantasy points
» Nick Foles, QB: 197 pass yards, 10 rush yards, 1 INT, 6.88 fantasy points
» Todd Gurley, RB: 9 rush yards, 5 rec yards, 1.40 fantasy points
» Kenny Britt, TE: 7 rec, 102 rec yards, 10.20 fantasy points
» Tre Mason, RB: 16 rush yards, 15 rec yards, 3.10 fantasy points
Le'Veon Bell's return to the gridiron was a triumphant one for fantasy owners as he racked up over 130 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown against the Rams. No surprise here but Antonio Brown had another great outing with 108 yards on 11 catches. But bad news hit for Ben Roethlisbeger owners and Steelers fans as the quarterback was carted off in the second half with what looked like a serious leg injury. He did not return. If Big Ben is going to be out for an extended period of time, the Steelers will have to roll with Michael Vick under center, which could put a damper on the value of Brown and Bell going forward. For St. Louis, there isn't much to talk about. Todd Gurley's debut was underwhelming while Nick Foles (a popular DFS play this week) was a let down.
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
Top performers:
» Steve Smith Sr., WR: 13 rec, 186 rec yards, 2 rec TDs, 30.60 fantasy points
» Joe Flacco, QB: 362 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, 1 INT, 20.48 fantasy points
» Justin Forsett, RB: 13 rush yards, 16 rec yards, 2.90 fantasy points
» Crockett Gillmore, TE: 3 rec, 40 rec yards, 4.00 fantasy points
» Andy Dalton, QB: 383 pass yards, 3 pass TDs, 1 rush TD, 1 INT, 30.32 fantasy points
» A.J. Green, WR, RB: 10 rec, 227 rec yards, 2 rec TDs, 34.70 fantasy points
» Jeremy Hill, RB: 21 rush yards, 2.10 fantasy points
» Govani Brenard, RB: 3 rec, 34 rec yards, 49 rush yards, 8.30 fantasy points
» Marvin Jones, WR: 5 rec, 94 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 15.40 fantasy points
Whew, where to start? There were a few fantasy explosions in this one. A.J. Green set the stat sheets on fire with a career-best 227 yards and added two touchdowns including a ridiculous 80-yarder. And when Green is having a good day, you know that Andy Dalton probably is too. He finished with four total touchdowns inclding a rushing score. Those who stacked Dalton and Green in DFS play had the right idea. On the Ravens' side, Steve Smith Sr. had his second big week in a row with 186 yards and two scores coming from Joe Flacco. The bad news here starts with the running backs. Jeremy Hill had his second straight dud, while Justin Forsett can't seem to get anything going either. Also, despite all of the scoring, Tyler Eifert laid an egg and Crockett Gillmore managed just 40 yards. It was clearly a day for quarterbacks and wide receivers here.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
Top performers:
» Blake Bortles, QB: 242 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 16.38 fantasy points
» T.J. Yeldon, RB: 13 touches, 42 total yards, 4.2 fantasy points
» Allen Hurns, WR: 2 rec, 70 yards, 1 TD, 13 fantasy points
» Allen Robinson, WR: 4 rec, 68 yards, 6.8 fantasy points
» Clay Harbor, TE: 3 rec, 43 yards, 1 TD, 10.3 fantasy points
» Tom Brady, QB: 358 yards, 2 TDs, 22.72 fantasy points
» Dion Lewis, RB: 13 touches, 76 total yards, 1 TD, 12.7 fantasy points
» LeGarrette Blount, RB: 19 touches, 92 yards, 1 TD, 27.2 fantasy points
» Julian Edelman, WR: 8 rec, 85 yards, 8.5 fantasy points
» Danny Amendola, WR: 5 rec, 39, 1 TD, 9.9 fantasy points
» Rob Gronkowski, TE: 4 rec, 101 yards, 10.1 fantasy points
The Jaguars didn't stand much of a chance playing the Patriots in New England, losing this game 51-17. Almost all of the Jacksonville fantasy numbers came well after the game was decided. Allen Hurns caught a long bomb touchdown, while Clay Harbor snared a red zone score. Fantasy owners who relied on Allen Robinson can feel lucky he came away with a four-catch 68-yard outing, which is solid in PPR. All in all, this was a disastrous game by Jacksonville, where a few players managed to salvage their numbers. The Patriots continue to barnstorm the NFL by dropping a 50-burger on the Jaguars. It's Tom Brady, Gronk and Edelman every week. Rinse, repeat and watch the points pile up. The backfield split was intriguing today. Dion Lewis got almost all of the work in the early part of the game. His role is secure, and is an every week starter in both standard and PPR. LeGarrette Blount still holds value in this offense as the hammer to salt games away. He scored three red zone touchdowns when the Jaguars were well in the rearview mirror. This game went right to script.
San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings
Top performers:
» Keenan Allen, WR: 133 rec yards, 2 TD, 25.30 fantasy points
» Philip Rivers: 246 pass yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumble, 9.84 fantasy points
» Malcom Floyd, WR: 63 rec yards, 6.30 fantay points
» Adrian Peterson, RB: 126 rush yards, 2 TD, 24.60 fantasy points
» Vikings D/ST: 4 sacks, 1 INT, 1 fumble rec, 1 TD 15.00
» Mike Wallace, WR: 49 rec yards, 4.90 fantasy points
It wasn't a very good day for the Chargers offense. Philip Rivers was constantly under pressure and failed to ever find a consistent rhythm. The only bright spot was Keenan Allen, who seems to show up every other week. In every other respect, it was a frustrating fantasy day for the Bolts. Neither Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead nor Steve Johnson did anything of note. BREAKING: Adrian Peterson is still a very good football player. He might be coming off the field more often on third down, but it doesn't matter when you're rushing for 120-plus yards and two touchdowns. That also helped obscure an awful day by Teddy Bridgewater (maybe we were a little premature on the Teddy B. hype) and a pretty sad day by everyone else in purple. Okay, not everyone ... the Vikings defense put up a nice stat line thanks to four sacks and a pick six.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets
Top performers:
» Ryan Mathews, RB: 108 rush yards, 20 rec yards, 1 TD, 16.80 fantasy points
» Eagles D/ST: 1 sack, 3 INT, 1 fumble rec, 1 TD, 16.00 fantasy points
» Sam Bradford: 118 pass yards, 1 TD, -2 rush yards 8.52 fantasy points
» Brandon Marshall: 109 rec yards, 1 TD, 1 fumble, 14.90 fantay points
» Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: 283 pass yards, 2 TD, 3 INT, 13 rush yards, 14.62 fantasy points
» Jeremy Kerley, WR: 33 rec yards, 1 TD, 9.30 fantasy points
The Eagles offense wasn't exactly high-octane, but it was more cohesive than we've seen all season. Ryan Mathews picked up the slack for an injured DeMarco Murray with 128 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. We still need to see more from the passing game as Sam Bradford and all of his pass-catchers are still posting lackluster stat lines. In other news, the Eagles defense was very opportunistic and posted a solid number. Thank goodness for garbage time. With the Eagles having run out to a big lead, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brandon Marshall ended up posting respectable stat lines. Fortunately you don't lose fantasy points for boneheaded plays, because Brandon Marshall would have had a negative point total. As for Chris Ivory ... he was active in name only. The rushing work was handled primarily by Bilal Powell (10 carries, 31 yards). You never would have imagined that Eric Decker would be missed so much, but that appears to be the case.
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Top performers:
» Luke McCown, QB: 310 yards, 1 INT, 10.4 fantasy points
» Mark Ingram, RB: 19 touches, 99 yards, 1 TD, 15.9 fantasy points
» Brandin Cooks, WR: 7 catches, 79 yards, 7.9 fantasy points
» Marques Colston, WR: 4 catches, 47 yards, 4.7 fantasy points
» Cam Newton, QB: 315 yards, 2 TDs, 33 yards, 1 TD, 29.9 fantasy points
» Jonathan Stewart, RB: 14 touches, 52 yards, 5.2 fantasy points
» Ted Ginn, WR: 4 catches, 93 yards, 9.3 fantasy points
» Greg Olsen, TE: 8 catches, 134 yards, 2 TDs, 25.4 fantasy points
The Saints offense held in valiantly without Drew Brees in the fold. Luke McCown, predictably, didn't do much for fantasy, but the Saints were in this game throughout and he made a few throws to move the offense. Mark Ingram was the catalyst today, playing a big role in the run and pass game. He almost totaled 100 yards on the ground and through the air. He'll continue to navigate this offense through any further Brees absences, and will remain in our fantasy lineups. C.J. Spiller didn't play much of a role (three touches), and Khiry Robinson got the second rushing touchdown. The wide receivers stat line actually looked at near the level we've seen from them even with Brees in the lineup this season. Brandin Cooks even had his best fantasy day so far, mostly catching short passes to total 79 yards. The Panthers offense remains on the back of one Cam Newton. The Panthers quarterback is enjoying a monstrous start, and went over 300 passing yards and scored three total touchdowns. Even with this scattershot wide receiving corps, Newton is a QB1 until further notice. Greg Olsen had the type of game many expected from him after Kelvin Benjamin's season-ending injury. That's encouraging for anyone panicking over a somewhat slow start.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans
Top performers:
» Jameis Winston, QB: 261 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 12.44 fantasy points
» Doug Martin, RB: 14 touches, 46 yards, 4.6 fantasy points
» Charles Sims, RB: 8 touches, 52 yards, 1 TD, 11.2 fantasy points
» Mike Evans, WR: 7 catches, 101 yards, 10.1 fantasy points
» Louis Murphy, WR: 4 catches, 61 yards, 6.1 fantasy points
» Vincent Jackson, WR: 2 catches, 40 yards, 4 fantasy points
» Ryan Mallett, QB: 228 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 11.02 fantasy points
» Alfred Blue, RB: 31 touches, 139 yards, 1 TD, 19.9 fantasy points
» DeAndre Hopkins, WR: 8 catches, 101 yards, 1 TD, 16.1 fantasy points
Not much in the way of scoring in this one; a combined 28 points didn't exactly set the fantasy world on fire. Jameis Winston had a respectable fantasy streaming day, although he took a dig at his own numbers with a bad interception. This was overall a positive showing for his outlook, as he hung in under the shadow of the Texans' front. Charles Sims took a long screen pass for a touchdown, although Doug Martin toted nearly all of the rushing load. This is probably a backfield to avoid going forward. Mike Evans made his first true appearance of the seasons, and did not disappoint. He shouldered most of the passing load, and watching the game it was clear there was more left on the table. This was an encouraging performance for Evans' fantasy owners. Ryan Mallett still looked unworthy of a starting quarterback designation, but did enough to get DeAndre Hopkins the ball. For the third week in a row, the Texans No. 1 receiver was peppered with targets. He came in with a big week, going over 100 yards with a red-zone touchdown. Alfred Blue was the surprise of the day. After the Texans sliced their backfield up in three near equal parts for the first two weeks, Blue saw 31 carries today. For fantasy, just ignore this Blue stat line and remember the massive workload Arian Foster is close to stepping back into.
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
Top performers:
» Tyrod Taylor, QB: 277 yards, 3 TDs, 24.28 fantasy points
» LeSean McCoy, RB: 12 touches, 26 total yards, 1 TD, 8.6 fantasy points
» Karlos Williams, RB: 12 touches, 110 yards, 1 TD, 17 fantasy points
» Percy Harvin, WR: 7 catches, 66 yards, 8.2 fantasy points
» Charles Clay, TE: 5 catches, 82 yards, 1 TD, 14.2 fantasy points
» Ryan Tannehill, QB: 297 yards, 2 TD, 3 INTS, 15.78 fantasy points
» Lamar Miller, RB: 10 touches, 65 yards, 6.5 fantasy points
» Jarvis Landry, WR: 8 catches, 67 yards, 8.6 fantasy points
» Rishard Matthews, WR: 6 catches, 113 yards, 2 TDs, 23.3 fantasy points
» Jordan Cameron, TE: 3 catches, 13 yards, 1.6 fantasy points
In a public undressing in front of their home crowd, the Dolphins fell victim to a beat down by the Buffalo Bills. Tyrod Taylor once again stole the show in this offense. He posted a 20-plus point fantasy day for the second week in a row. Taylor accomplished this all through the air, as he only had 12 rushing yards on the day. It's now fair to question whether Taylor has graduated from the ranks of the streaming quarterback, to every week starter. The running back split was even down the middle in terms of touches, although LeSean McCoy did spend a ton of time on the sideline with injuries. Karlos Williams clearly offers a dimension of downhill running to this offense that McCoy does not, and he'll continue to take reps. All in all, we need to start bumping these players up in fantasy leagues. The Dolphins offense was nothing short of a disaster today. Almost all of their production came when the game was already decided. Miami refuses to run the ball, even when games are close, and Lamar Miller is suffering for it. 10 touches for a back of his talent is, frankly, inexcusable. Considering their passing offense was inefficient, and simply meandered in short areas, it's coaching malpractice. As long as this offense continues to be so poorly managed, and displaying nothing that looks like a killer instinct, the majority of these players are best left on your fantasy bench. Jarvis Landry might be the exception, simply because he has a safe target floor (especially in PPR). Rishard Matthews posted another tremendous stat line, and is leaving all other competitors for the No. 2 receiver job behind. He deserves to be on fantasy rosters, at least. After three weeks, we can officially adjust expectations for this Dolphins offense.
Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks
Top performers:
» Martellus Bennett, TE: 15 rec yards, 1.50 fantasy points
» Matt Forte, RB: 74 rush yards, 7.40 fantasy points
» Jimmy Clausen, QB: 63 pass yards, 13 rush yards, 3.82 fantasy points
» Russell Wilson, QB: 235 pass yards, 28 rush yards, 1 pass TD, 16.20 fantasy points
» Marshawn Lynch, RB: 14 rush yards, 9 rec yards, 2.30 fantasy points
» Thomas Rawls, RB: 104 rush yards, 10.40 fantasy points
» Jimmy Graham, TE: 7 rec, 83 rec yards, TD 14.30 fantasy points
This one was hard to watch. The big story here is that Marshawn Lynch left the game early with a hamstring injury and did not return. In his stead, Thomas Rawls received 16 carries and broke the 100-yard rushing mark, helping exactly zero fantasy owners. But if Lynch has to miss more time going forward, Rawls could be an interesting waiver-wire option and might be worth a handcuff pickup for Lynch owners anyway. Seahawks tight end Jimmy Graham returned to form after making headlines for being virtually ignored a week ago. Russell Wilson also had a serviceable fantasy day. On the Bears side of the ball, it was ugly to say the least. The only fantasy-relevant takeaway here is the fact that Matt Forte managed 74 yards on 20 carries against Seattles's defense. We didn't really expect Forte to have a huge game, but at least those who started him eeked seven points out of what was otherwise an abysmal performance from Chicago. As long as Jimmy Clausen is under center, the Bears offense is bound to be anemic.
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals
Top performers:
» Carlos Hyde, RB: 51 rush yards, 10 rec yards, 6.10fantasy points
» Colin Kaepernick, QB: 67 pass yards, 4 INT, 46 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 5.28 fantasy points
» 49ers D/ST: 1 sack, 1 INT, 2.00 fantasy points
» Cardinals D/ST: 2 sacks, 4 INT, 1 safety, 2 TD, 28.00 fantasy points
» Chris Johnson, RB: 110 rush yards, 2 rush TD, 40 rec yards, 27.00 fantasy points
» Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 134 rec yards, 2 TD, 25.40 fantasy points
» Carson Palmer, QB: 311 pass yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 1 rush yard, 18.54 fantasy points
File this under #analysis: Colin Kaepernick was #ungood. The 49ers quarterback threw for 67 yards and four interceptions -- including two that were returned for touchdowns. The only thing that put him in positive numbers were the 46 rushing yards and a touchdown. Only one 49er had more fantasy points and that was Carlos Hyde with 6.10 total points. Move along, nothing else to see here.
Considering how quickly this game got out of hand, Carson Palmer still put up pretty good numbers. And for the second straight week, Larry Fitzgerald was a major contributor. Looks like the old guys are sticking together. In the backfield battle of the Johnsons, it was Chris -- not David -- who had the big numbers today. What this means for the future ... who knows? But one thing is for sure, start any defense against the 49ers this season.
