2014 Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings

Since the Redskins and Ravens both played at 1:00 on Sunday, my wife and I decided to go to Buffalo Wild Wings so we could watch both.  Of course I was also interested in trying to watch every 1:00 game at the same time, so win-win-win.   There were all sorts of fans there, but not nearly enough Redskins fans for our location.  Actually, that's not true.  There were plenty of Redskins fans.  It just seemed like there were more Eagles and Cowboys fans because the few that were there were so...damn...loud.

And if you're an Eagles or Cowboys fan and reading this, no, it wasn't in a good way.  We had a whole family of Eagles fans next to us, and they were yelling and screaming at every play (good or bad for Philly).  I gave them a break because a lot of them were kids.  I mean, they were rooting along with the Browns fans making barking noises on the other side us (albeit a little premature since the game wasn't quite over, guys).  But kids get a pass.  The mom does not.  She got up and celebrated a touchdown with her oldest and ultimately fell down and hurt her knee in the middle of the restaurant.  People were rushing over and she seemed legitimately hurt, but I think she was probably more embarrassed than anything because she seemed fine ten minutes later.  And no, I wasn't happy to see someone get hurt (even an Eagles fan).  But if you saw what I saw, you would have been holding back your laughter too.

And then there were the Dallas fans.  I'd say in the whole place there might have been 8 or 10 of them, but when Tony Romo made any sort of positive play the whole place erupted in screams that would make you think we were watching The Conjuring.  Actually it was more like the people were literally in the situations in that movie, not just watching it in a theater.  Touchdown pass to Dez?  Lose their $&%#.  Four yard completion to Witten?  Lose their $&%#.  I don't get rooting for mediocrity...and I'm a REDSKINS FAN!

But I guess I'll never understand the psyche of certain people when it comes to how they root for their team.  And I don't want to group all Dallas and Philly fans together with those people on Sunday because I have friends who root for both of those teams (and others I won't speak of here).   And you guys aren't that bad...seriously.  :)

So I don't think we'll be going back there on Sundays...

Pettine needs the week off for Storage Wars.

Anyway, let's get to the rankings.  The byes start this week, and in a big way.  There are 6 teams with the week off, so these lists might get a little thin at the bottom.  But with all of the injuries (and now byes), you might be starting someone way down the lists.  Let's see, shall we?

BYES: Arizona, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Seattle, St. Louis

QBs 1.Drew Brees 2.Philip Rivers 3.Aaron Rodgers 4.Jay Cutler 5.Matthew Stafford 6.Matt Ryan 7.Andrew Luck 8.Colin Kaepernick 9.Nick Foles 10.Tony Romo 11.Ben Roethlisberger 12.Kirk Cousins 13.Cam Newton 14.Tom Brady 15.Eli Manning 16.Teddy Bridgewater 17.Ryan Fitzpatrick 18.Alex Smith 19.Joe Flacco 20.Blake Bortles 21.Ryan Tannehill  22.EJ Manuel 23.Geno Smith 24.Mike Glennon 25.Derek Carr So Drew Brees wasn't the top fantasy QB in Week 3 (that was Andrew Luck), but my picks of Foles and Rodgers looked pretty good.  Foles went off against my Redskins and was a top-5 fantasy QB.  Cousins was too, but he was on the losing end (which means nothing in fantasy but meant everything to me in reality).  I also was down on Aaron Rodgers and didn't agree with the consensus top-3 from the ESPN experts.  He struggled against Detroit and finished as one of the worst starting QBs in fantasy for Week 3.  As for this week, I have faith that he'll bounce back this in Chicago, as I'm ranking him just behind Brees and Rivers.  In fact, you'll notice that I have 3 of the 4 NFC North QBs in my top-5, and the other one I kind of like too... I'm high on: Teddy Bridgewater (ESPN #21, ME #16)  It's Teddy Time! If you've been starting someone like Peyton Manning or Russell Wilson (maybe even Andy Dalton), then you're looking for a bye week fill-in already.  If you look at my top-15, you're likely to only be able to pick up Eli...or maybe Cousins if you were quick to the waiver wire like I was!  The next guy on my list is a rookie looking to make a big impression in his first NFL start.  Lucky for Teddy, he gets a home game against the Falcons (one of the worst-looking defenses in the league).  It's a risky start, but I think his running ability gives him top-10 upside, and he could be this year's Terrelle Pryor.  And that's not a knock on Bridgewater because with his wheels, Pryor was a serviceable fantasy QB in 2013.  Time will tell on Teddy. I'm down on: Andrew Luck (ESPN #2, ME #7)  It's déjà vu all over again.  As with Rodgers last week, I don't agree with the consensus top-3 and average ranking of #2 from the ESPN experts (this time for Luck).  The only difference this week is this: I get it.  Andrew Luck at least has been the #1 fantasy QB through 3 weeks, but I think that ends against the Titans on Sunday.  So far, Luck has faced the Broncos, Eagles, and Jags.  Do you know who the bottom 3 pass defenses in the league are right now?  You guessed it: the Broncos, Eagles, and Jags.  Of course Luck had something to do with that, and it's only Week 4...but still.  Now he faces a Tennessee team that ranks only behind the Patriots in pass defense (and fantasy points given up to opposing QBs).  It's the first division game for the Titans (and the second for Indy if you count the Jags...I kind of don't), and I think it'll be physical and potentially lower scoring than people think.  Of course I could be completely wrong here, but I don't think Luck throws for over 250 yards, and it would really surprise me this week if he had more than 2 TDs. RBs 1.DeMarco Murray 2.Le'Veon Bell 3.Matt Forte 4.LeSean McCoy 5.Eddie Lacy 6.Jamaal Charles 7.Lamar Miller 8.Alfred Morris 9.Donald Brown 10.Rashad Jennings 11.Frank Gore 12.CJ Spiller 13.Khiry Robinson 14.Matt Asiata 15.Stevan Ridley 16.Ahmad Bradshaw 17.Fred Jackson  18.Doug Martin 19.Alfred Blue 20.Pierre Thomas 21.Reggie Bush 22.Chris Ivory 23.Shane Vereen 24.Darren Sproles 25.Steven Jackson 26.Joique Bell 27.DeAngelo Williams  28.Toby Gerhart 29.Trent Richardson 30.Darren McFadden 31.Lorenzo Taliaferro 32.Shonn Greene 33.Chris Johnson 34.Bernard Pierce 35.Maurice Jones-Drew 36.Carlos Hyde  37.LeGarrette Blount 38.Branden Oliver 39.Bobby Rainey 40.Bishop Sankey 41.Jacquizz Rodgers 42.Roy Helu 43.James Starks 44.Justin Forsett  45.Andre Williams 46.Daniel Thomas  47.Dexter McCluster 48.Jerick McKinnon  49.Knile Davis 50.Denard Robinson  Don't act surprised, Arian Foster owners... For the 2nd week in a row, one of my top-3 ranked RBs didn't even play.  This time it was Arian Foster, who tested his hammy in pregame warmups only to be a late scratch against the Giants.  This week he'll likely be a game time decision again and I think Alfred Blue gets another start.  But if Foster plays, Blue barely stays in the top-50 and Arian is a must-start in the top-12.  For now, Blue seems to be in the same category as a guy like Matt Asiata.  They're getting the bulk of their team's touches, but they're not doing a ton with it.  Still, with the byes and their matchups, I can't keep them but so low.   On the other hand, Knile Davis looks like the real deal.  I'd imagine he could be a starter on a lot of teams (in real life), and he should be a starter on your fantasy team as long as Jamaal Charles isn't playing.  But Charles has been practicing, and the Chiefs don't play until Monday night in Week 4 so this one could be tricky.  If you have both Charles and Davis, you can obviously wait until Monday.  If not, you want to make sure you have another option.  As always, just keep an eye on all of the injured players, especially within an hour before kickoff. As for my Week 3 picks, I was spot on with the Cleveland RBs and dead wrong about Reggie Bush.  If you can figure out the Lion RB situation, maybe you could let me know.  I think it must come down to matchups because it's baffling me.  I feel like Joique is the better back, but maybe last week the game plan just fit Bush more.  Anyway, I was right in thinking the Browns would continue to run the ball a lot, as Crowell got 11 carries and West ran it 12 times.  Both scored rushing TDs and both should have value as long as Tate is sidelined. I'm high on: Lorenzo Taliaferro (ESPN #37, ME #31)  All of the ESPN experts have Bernard Pierce ranked higher than Taliaferro this week, and I think that makes the assumption that Pierce gets the start.  While I completely agree with that assumption, I disagree that it means Pierce will end up with more fantasy points.  He didn't look great against the Bengals or Steelers, and he sat out Week 3 with a thigh injury.  Meanwhile, the rookie out of Coastal Carolina stole the show against the Browns and likely has earned more carries in Baltimore's offense.  I think Taliaferro will out-play Pierce (and Forsett for that matter) and end up with either more fantasy points, more touches, or both against Carolina.  I also think he'll end up getting goal line carries, and as much as Baltimore has been in the red zone so far this season, I think that at least translates into a TD for Taliaferro. That being said, I still have him ranked at #31, so you may have better options.  But hey, this also gave me a chance to talk up the guy who I was saying (in the preseason!) could be this year's Zac Stacy... I'm down on: Chris Johnson (ESPN #28, ME #33)  On Tuesday, Rex Ryan suggested that "maybe Chris Ivory will get more time".  Well, he's averaging 5.7 yards/carry versus CJ?K's 3.5.  Seems like a no-brainer to me too, Rex.  This isn't a great matchup against a tough Detroit rushing defense anyway, but now it sounds like Chris Johnson might be giving up touches to Ivory.  I'd much rather start a guy like Shonn Greene or DeAngelo Williams, both of whom are expected to get the majority of their team's touches out of the backfield.  The Jets will definitely continue to run the ball a lot, but Johnson might be the #2 RB in this offense as long as Ivory stays healthy. WRs 1.Calvin Johnson 2.Dez Bryant  3.Julio Jones 4.Antonio Brown 5.Jordy Nelson 6.Brandon Marshall 7.Jeremy Maclin 8.Alshon Jeffery 9.Michael Crabtree 10.Julian Edelman 11.Mike Wallace 12.Victor Cruz 13.Randall Cobb 14.Andre Johnson 15.Pierre Garcon 16.Keenan Allen 17.Brandin Cooks 18.Steve Smith 19.Cordarrelle Patterson 20.Vincent Jackson  21.DeSean Jackson 22.Roddy White 23.Kelvin Benjamin 24.Marques Colston 25.DeAndre Hopkins 26.Reggie Wayne 27.Golden Tate  28.T.Y. Hilton 29.Sammy Watkins 30.Markus Wheaton 31.James Jones 32.Kendall Wright 33.Terrance Williams 34.Cecil Shorts 35.Greg Jennings 36.Eric Decker 37.Anquan Boldin 38.Malcolm Floyd 39.Torrey Smith 40.Allen Robinson 41.Jordan Matthews 42.Eddie Royal 43.Rueben Randle 44.Dwayne Bowe 45.Mike Evans 46.Jeremy Kerley   47.Justin Hunter 48.Allen Hurns 49.Riley Cooper 50.Hakeem Nicks Last week, my pick of T.Y. Hilton (ESPN #32, ME #22) was looking pretty good until he left the game with an ankle injury just before halftime.  In fewer than 2 quarters, Hilton had five catches for 80 yards.  It's too bad he wasn't able to play the whole game and get one of Luck's 4 TD passes (and make my pick look good in the process).  Oh well.  As for the guy I was down on, Michael Floyd actually ended up right around where the ESPN experts predicted (21st).  Now it sounds like Carson Palmer may be back after Arizona's Week 4 bye, so I doubt I'll have Floyd ranked that low moving forward. I'm high on: Brandin Cooks (ESPN #24, ME #17)  People seem to have no problem ranking Steve Smith well above Torrey Smith, but for the most part they are still ranking Colston over Cooks.  Maybe the experts are more comfortable ranking the veteran higher, but Cooks appears to be more of a favorite of Brees these days.  I think New Orleans will score plenty of points in Dallas this weekend, and I like for Cooks to go for over 100 total yards and find the endzone.  With so many targets going to Graham, the rookie is likely to be up and down this year.  But for now, he's getting plenty of targets too.  I'd start him on Sunday night. I'm down on: Justin Hunter (ESPN #39, ME #47)  Not only do the ESPN experts have Justin Hunter at an average ranking of #39, but Matthew Berry has him all the way up at #33!  Maybe he knows something I don't, but I know that Hunter is averaging fewer than 3 catches in each of his first 3 games.  I suppose he has that big play ability, and Indy's pass D would appear susceptible to that.  But he hasn't shown it yet, and Charlie Whitehurst is likely to get the start this week with Locker banged up.  There are just too many guys I'd take a chance on above him to have Hunter anywhere near my top-40.  If he proves me wrong this week, I'll move him slightly back up my rankings.  For now, the preseason sleeper will have to continue his slumber. TEs 1.Jimmy Graham 2.Rob Gronkowski 3.Antonio Gates 4.Greg Olsen 5.Martellus Bennett 6.Delanie Walker 7.Niles Paul  8.Vernon Davis 9.Zach Ertz  10.Travis Kelce 11.Larry Donnell 12.Jason Witten 13.Ladarius Green 14.Owen Daniels 15.Heath Miller After dropping the easy TD, Cook proceeded to shove his QB... A couple of guys who had better fantasy days than even Jimmy Graham in Week 3 were those who I talked up and liked more than the experts: Niles Paul and Jared Cook.  Kirk Cousins continued to look to his tight end quite a bit, and Paul turned 9 targets into 6 catches for 68 yards.  The only other TE to get that many targets was Jared Cook, who actually had 7 catches for 75 yards and nearly a TD. Anyway, I also suggested last week that you consider hot hands like Larry Donnell and Travis Kelce over a guy struggling to get targets like veteran Jason Witten.  Donnell lost a fumble against the Texans, so he only ended up with 2-3 fantasy points, but Kelce had 36 yards and a TD.  Meanwhile, Witten had his best game of the season so far.  However, that was still only 4 catches for 49 yards.  We'll see if he can get a few more looks under the lights against the Saints this week, but Witten could be on the waiver wire in a lot of leagues if he can't get things going. Dennis Pitta injured the same hip that kept him out most of last season, and now he's out again.  Insert Owen Daniels, who now cracks my top-15.  I considered ranking Indy's TEs (both of whom scored TDs last week), but it's hard to rank one or the other and I'm not comfortable ranking both that high.  However, with San Diego's nice home matchup against the Jags, I am ranking both Charger TEs.  If this one is a blowout like everyone thinks, you could see Green getting more 2nd half snaps than Gates. DEF 1.Texans 2.Chargers 3.Patriots 4.Lions 5.Panthers 6.Dolphins 7.Ravens 8.Colts 9.Bills 10.49ers 11.Steelers 12.Redskins 13.Raiders 14.Bears 15.Saints Week 3 was a pretty good week for defenses in general, as more than half of the teams got double-digit points based on my Yahoo league's scoring.  Of course the scoring may be different in your league, but compared to Week 2 it's a lot (only 12 teams with double digit fantasy points in Week 2 compared to 18 last week).  That being said, my picks weren't great because I was high on the Saints (10 points) and down on the Broncos (12 points).  Denver was able to get a lot of their points late into the 4th quarter.  But hey, it still counts.  Meanwhile, the Saints held the Vikings to just three FGs, but they weren't able to get to the QB or force turnovers.  I still think they were good picks, but they just didn't quite work out! I'm high on: Houston Texans (ESPN #5, ME #1)  This week I'm talking up my #1 pick in this category, and no expert seems to like Houston to be the best in Week 4.  Maybe I'm biased because I saw a game there in Week 1, but that crowd is loud at NRG Stadium and I think the Texans have a nice little home field advantage with their own 12 man.  Look, I was as surprised as anyone to see the Bills win at Soldier Field in Week 1, but they looked more like what I was expecting as they were dominated by the Chargers last week.   EJ Manuel hasn't been playing great, and he's on a short leash with the veteran Kyle Orton waiting to take over if needed.  I think the Texans will force a couple of turnovers in this one and keep the score low.  I'm down on: Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN #4, #11)  What is this, the mafia? I realize this is a nice home matchup against a struggling Tampa Bay team, but the Steelers are decimated on the defensive side of the ball.  In the game against Carolina, they lost Ike Taylor and Jarvis Jones for months due to arm injuries, and they've already ruled out Ryan Shazier for this week's game against Tampa Bay.  Speaking of the Bucs, they're coming off an embarrassing loss to the Falcons and will now be led once again by Mike Glennon.  Some may see this as a downgrade, but he looked decent in Atlanta once McCown went out with the injury, and he'll likely be trying to show he can be the starting QB for the rest of the season.  I still like Pittsburgh to win this game, but I think it could be something like 31-27, and I'm not sure the Steelers are able to put up a ton of points as a fantasy defense in this one. That's it for Week 4.  Good luck everyone (except you, Billy). Cheers, Bart

2014 Fantasy Football Week 3 Rankings

The fantasy football landscape was a blood bath in Week 2.  I don't think we've ever seen that many key players injured in one week, and here are just some of the guys that will now miss significant time (relatively in order of fantasy value):
Jamaal Charles, Knowshon Moreno, Ryan Mathews, Mark Ingram, and RGIII.....*sigh*.

It's time for Plan B for Washington and many fantasy owners.

Likely to a lesser extent with what appear to be minor injuries are guys like AJ Green,  Roddy White, Eric Decker.Vernon Davis, DeSean Jackson, Lamar Miller, Dexter McCluster, and Allen Hurns.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention Tavon Austin, Rod Streater, and Marcedes Lewis.  I mean, they're not huge fantasy superstars, but each could be playable given the right circumstances and bye week.  Not right now they're not though.  And I didn't even mention all of the defensive players (because they're not fantasy-relevant), but Week 2 also claimed guys like Eric Berry and Gerald McCoy.  Like I said, it was a crazy week.

All of these players I've listed could be missing games, and it's time to work the waiver wire.  Actually, yesterday was the time to work the waiver wire.  If you've waited until today, it's likely too late to pick up guys like Knile Davis, Donald Brown, or Khiry Robinson.  If you're desperate, maybe you can still pick up someone like Mohamed Sanu or Kirk Cousins, but I'm guessing the RBs are already claimed off your waiver wire.  Hopefully you're paying attention (and reading other fantasy football articles) if you want some advice earlier in the week on who to pick up off the wire.  Like I said, I'm sticking to just the Thursday rankings this year.

Last week I had some hits and plenty of misses on who I liked and didn't like versus the ESPN experts.  I'll explain those in each section and hopefully hit more than I miss here in Week 3.

QBs 1.Drew Brees 2.Matthew Stafford 3.Andrew Luck 4.Nick Foles 5.Matt Ryan 6.Aaron Rodgers 7.Peyton Manning 8.Russell Wilson 9.Jay Cutler 10.Cam Newton 11.Tom Brady 12.Tony Romo 13.Philip Rivers 14.Colin Kaepernick 15.Kirk Cousins 16.Ryan Tannehill 17.Andy Dalton 18.Joe Flacco 19.Geno Smith 20.Josh McCown  21.Ben Roethlisberger 22.Eli Manning 23.EJ Manuel 24.Alex Smith 25.Jake Locker Matt Ryan was the top QB in Week 1, but I had him nearly outside of my top-10 in Week 2 as he traveled to Cincinnati.  He actually finished outside of the top-25 (yikes!).  You know who else finished outside of the top-25?  The guy I liked last week, Jake Locker.  But to the point that I made, I liked him over guys like Ryan and Brady.  Neither really did any better, and Locker was a late TD (that was called back on a close review) away from being a top-15 QB for the week.  Oh well.  Meanwhile, I was down on Russell Wilson and he continued to prove he's a top-10 fantasy QB.  Strike one (and two).  Aaron Rodgers (who struggled at Seattle in the opener) did much better against the Jets.  He finished in a virtual tie with Jay Cutler for the top fantasy QB in Week 2, and I still pulled off a "W" in my league despite Rodgers and his huge fantasy day.  (Thank you, Jordy!) Brees WILL be the #1 fantasy QB this week. As for this week, I'm playing against Drew Brees in my matchup.  That makes me very sad.  If an expert doesn't have Drew Brees as their #1 fantasy QB this week, I don't know that I can ever trust their rankings ever again (sorry, Chris Harris).  This is the perfect storm for a huge fantasy day for Brees.  The Saints are 0-2 and now playing their home opener against the Vikings defense that was one of the worst in the league against the pass in 2013.  Sure, they've looked OK in their first two games this year.  But last week the Pats just ran the ball most of the game, and Week 1 was against multiple backup QBs for the Rams.  Brees will make a statement in Week 3, and I just hope my fantasy squad can overcome it. I'm high on: Nick Foles (ESPN #9, ME #5)  On paper, Washington's defense is looking pretty good through two games.  But let's keep in mind we played the Texans and Jags, who start QBs Ryan Fitzpatrick and Chad Henne.  Nick Foles didn't exactly light up the Redskins in Philly last year, as they did a lot of damage on the ground (all 3 TDs were rushing).  Fast forward to this year, and he has already thrown for over 300 yards in each of his first two games, but he hasn't cracked the top-10 fantasy QBs yet.  I think he'll do that finally as he racks up 300+ passing yards and at least 2 TDs.  If he can get back to limiting his turnovers like he did last year, that should make him a top-5 play this week.  Of course, as a Redskins fan, I hope that I'm wrong... I'm down on: Aaron Rodgers (ESPN #2, ME #6)  It feels strange ranking Rodgers and Manning at #6 & 7, but that's where I have them this week.  Peyton is playing at Seattle, and we all know how that ended up the last time these two teams faced each other (on a NEUTRAL field).  As for Aaron, I don't get the consensus top-3 from the ESPN experts this week (and an average ranking of #2).  Sure, he had a big week against the Jets, but he also stunk it up in Week 1 at Seattle.  He hasn't put up huge numbers against the Lions in recent memory, and this one is in Detroit.  Of course, like with Julio Jones last week, I still have Aaron Rodgers ranked very high.  And if you own him, you're starting him.  I just think Eddie Lacy gets back on track this week and Rodgers finishes outside the top-5. Will the workouts pay off and help Rodgers against Detroit? RBs 1.LeSean McCoy 2.DeMarco Murray 3.Arian Foster 4.Marshawn Lynch 5.Giovani Bernard 6.Alfred Morris 7.Le'Veon Bell 8.Eddie Lacy 9.Matt Forte 10.Knile Davis 11.Zac Stacy 12.Montee Ball 13.Joique Bell 14.CJ Spiller 15.Rashad Jennings 16.Andre Ellington 17.Stevan Ridley 18.Darren Sproles 19.Lamar Miller 20.Pierre Thomas 21.Frank Gore 22.Ahmad Bradshaw 23.Bernard Pierce 24.Shane Vereen 25.Donald Brown 26.Terrance West 27.Chris Johnson 28.Bobby Rainey 29.Khiry Robinson 30.Matt Asiata 31.Chris Ivory 32.Toby Gerhart 33.Steven Jackson 34.Reggie Bush 35.Doug Martin 36.Danny Woodhead 37.Jeremy Hill 38.Darren McFadden 39.Fred Jackson  40.Isaiah Crowell 41.Shonn Greene 42.Jonathan Stewart 43.Trent Richardson 44.Justin Forsett 45.Jerick McKinnon 46.Benny Cunningham 47.DeAngelo Williams 48.Stepfan Taylor 49.Carlos Hyde  50.Robert Turbin With all of the injuries I mentioned above, there's a lot of movement on the RB list.  Last week I had Adrian Peterson as my #1 fantasy running back, but of course we found out before Sunday that he was deactivated for being indicted on child abuse charges.  Sorry, forgot to take that into account.  Now he's out indefinitely, so Matt Asiata becomes fantasy-relevant for who knows how long. Anyway, Fred Jackson only managed about 5 fantasy points and Chris Ivory got his standard 4 yard TD run to hit double digit fantasy points last week (although barely).  So my RB picks in Week 2 weren't much better than my QBs.  Last week, I put a few injured guys in parentheses, but that makes things complicated.  If you own a guy who is banged up, just pay attention.  If I keep him off the list, it means I don't think he's playing (based on the information I have as of today).  If he's on the list and has a "questionable" tag or something like that?  Just make sure you check on him before kickoff.  I'll likely rank him if that's the case, but I might have him a little lower than usual.  Personally, I'll be doing that with Doug Martin.  It sounds like Rainey will get the start, but if Martin is active then he'll be in the mix.  I'm hoping he's a no-go, which would have me boosting Bobby up into a top-15 play against Atlanta (and into my starting lineup).  But we'll see what happens... Both Cleveland RBs should get plenty of work in Week 3. I'm high on: Terrance West (ESPN #32, ME #26) and Isaiah Crowell (ESPN #46, ME #40)  This struck me as interesting because I have both Brown RBs exactly 6 spots higher than the ESPN experts.  I suppose a lot of this has to do with the fact that Baltimore's rushing D has looked pretty solid through two games.  Well, I think that's a little misleading.  While the Ravens have only given up 89 rushing yards per game (and no rushing TDs), that has also only come from an average of 15 rushing attempts from the RBs in those two games.  Meanwhile, the Browns have nearly averaged double that amount of rushing attempts in their contests (29/game), and I don't think they'll stop that trend this week against Baltimore.  I think they'll continue to stick to the ground game, and I like both Cleveland RBs more than the ESPN experts do. I'm down on: Reggie Bush (ESPN #27, ME #34)  I had Joique Bell higher than Reggie in my preseason rankings, and it's looking more and more like Bell is the lead back for the Lions now.  Bush has been more of that "change of pace" back in their first two games, and I think that trend is here to stay.  The two RBs had about the same amount of touches in Week 1, but last week in Carolina, Bell had 16 touches to Bush's 8.  This could be a high-scoring affair against Green Bay this week, so I can see both RBs having value.  But I really like Joique to start pulling away from Reggie, and I think the signs are already there that it has begun. WRs 1.Calvin Johnson 2.Dez Bryant  3.Jordy Nelson 4.Brandon Marshall 5.Julio Jones 6.DeMaryius Thomas 7.Randall Cobb 8.Antonio Brown 9.AJ Green 10.Julian Edelman 11.Vincent Jackson 12.Alshon Jeffery 13.Andre Johnson 14.Mike Wallace 15.Percy Harvin  16.Jeremy Maclin 17.Cordarrelle Patterson 18.Keenan Allen  19.Pierre Garcon 20.Roddy White 21.DeSean Jackson 22.T.Y. Hilton 23.Marques Colston 24.Reggie Wayne 25.Sammy Watkins 26.Michael Crabtree  27.Emmanuel Sanders  28.Eric Decker 29.Golden Tate 30.Kelvin Benjamin 31.Larry Fitzgerald 32.Steve Smith  33.Michael Floyd 34.Victor Cruz 35.Brandin Cooks 36.Kendall Wright 37.Wes Welker  38.DeAndre Hopkins   39.Brian Quick 40.Torrey Smith 41.Mohamed Sanu 42.Terrance Williams 43.Greg Jennings 44.Anquan Boldin 45.James Jones 46.Mike Evans 47.Andrew Hawkins 48.Cecil Shorts 49.Markus Wheaton 50.Dwayne Bowe Kelvin Benjamin and Brandin Cooks came back down to earth in Week 2, but Sammy Watkins broke out in a big way.  We're still waiting to see if Mike Evans has that breakout game, but I think that could come tonight in Atlanta.  My pick of Torrey Smith versus the ESPN experts hurt me big time (because I started him), and I still don't understand how little Joe is throwing to him through 2 games.  I'm most likely benching this week at Cleveland, so feel free to start him as he'll probably go off (finally).  If you recall who I was "down" on last week, that would be Julio Jones (ESPN #4, ME #9) because I didn't think Matt Ryan would reproduce big numbers against the Bengals.  And while he didn't, he did get Julio the ball a little bit (including a score).   But if you recall, here is what I said about Jones:  Look, I still have him as a top-10 WR, and if you have him then you're starting him.  I'm just saying that I like for guys like Brandon Marshall and both top Green Bay WRs to have better fantasy production this week. Finally I was right about something! Not only did Julio Jones finish EXACTLY 9th among WRs, but the top-3 producers for the week were, you guessed it, Brandon Marshall and both top Green Bay WRs.  Redemption!!! As I mentioned with the RBs, I'm not doing the names in parentheses thing this week.  I'm assuming guys like AJ Green, DeSean Jackson, Eric Decker, and Roddy White all suit up.  I don't care if Green is a decoy and only gets a few looks against the Titans because a couple of those looks will probably be in the end zone and he'll likely get double-digit fantasy points.  I did rank Mohamed Sanu a little higher than usual though, as I think he could be more involved in the game plan.  Like I said, I have Eric Decker in my rankings, but it might be tough to wait on him until Monday night.  I'd pick up Jeremy Kerley if you plan on doing that, who would be a decent fill-in if Decker is a late scratch. I'm looking forward to the byes starting next week because it's actually pretty tough to only rank 50 WRs with all 32 teams playing.  Here are just a few of the names left off my list this week who you might see in Week 4 and beyond: Justin Hunter, Riley Cooper, Hakeem Nicks, Aaron Dobson, Rueben Randle, Kenny Stills, Davante Adams, and Allen Hurns.   Anyway, let's get to my picks versus the ESPN experts... I'm high on: T.Y. Hilton (ESPN #32, ME #22)  This is dangerous territory, as I was high on Torrey Smith last week (ESPN #33, ME #25).  In a similar spot this week, I'm big on Hilton, but there are two main differences here: 1. Hilton is playing the Jags (Torrey Smith was facing the Steelers). 2. Hilton has 11 targets in each of his first two games (Torrey Smith saw 7 targets in Week 1, and I was assuming something more for Week 2.  We all know how that worked out.) While he has only turned those 22 targets into 106 yards in his first two games, I like T.Y.'s chances of making a big play in Jacksonville this week.   I think we'll see T.Y. acting out his initials in the endzone in Week 3.. I'm down on: Michael Floyd (ESPN #23, ME #33)  The ESPN experts must have a lot of faith in Drew Stanton, but I sure don't.  Floyd looked like Carson Palmer's favorite target in Week 1, but now we're not sure when we'll see him again for the Cardinals.  And in Week 2, Stanton connected with Fitzgerald much more frequently.  I don't like either too much until we see Palmer again, but I've lowered Michael Floyd a lot more than the ESPN guys have. TEs 1.Jimmy Graham 2.Julius Thomas 3.Rob Gronkowski 4.Greg Olsen 5.Antonio Gates 6.Zach Ertz 7.Dennis Pitta 8.Kyle Rudolph 9.Martellus Bennett 10.Niles Paul  11.Delanie Walker 12.Jason Witten 13.Larry Donnell 14.Travis Kelce 15.Jared Cook Jimmy Graham would have been the #1 fantasy TE in Week 2 if it weren't for another 3 TD performance for the second straight week by someone at his position.  This time it was old man Antonio Gates who did his best Orange Julius impression, and I must say it was a good one (albeit unexpected).  Gates has to crack my top-15 after such a solid start to the 2014 campaign, and I can't help but rank him in the top-5 for Week 3.  Everyone was talking Ladarius Green in the preseason, but Gates doesn't look like he's ready to hang em up just yet! As for Julius Thomas, he did have a TD in his game and finished as a top-10 fantasy TE.  Delanie Walker had a huge game in a losing effort against Dallas, and it's the second week in a row that the Cowboys have given up a lot of points at the position (remember Vernon Davis in Week 1?).  There were also some lesser known names near the top like my man Niles Paul.  He could have value while Jordan Reed is out, especially now that Cousins is at the helm in Washington.   Speaking of Paul, I have him as a top-10 fantasy TE this week, and the ESPN experts have him at 15.  I'm not really down on any tight ends versus the experts this week, but I am high on a couple, so let me give you one more.   With Jared Cook facing the Cowboys this week, I like him as a top-15 play and potentially a fill-in if you have someone injured at the position (ESPN ranks him #20). I'm leaving Davis and Cameron off the list this week because I think they may sit (or be hampered) due to their injuries.  If they practice and look ready to go, both fit in the top-10 somewhere and you'll likely play them, but this also gives me a chance to give you some other names to consider.  For instance, I'm rolling with hot hands like Larry Donnell and Travis Kelce near the bottom of my list this week.  At this point, I think I'd insert one of them in my lineup over a guy struggling to get targets like veteran Jason Witten.  DEF 1.Patriots 2.Texans 3.Panthers 4.Bengals 5.Saints 6.49ers 7.Cardinals 8.Ravens 9.Seahawks 10.Dolphins 11.Colts 12.Bills 13.Browns 14.Bears  15.Titans   Well, I was wrong about the defenses too.  I had Green Bay ranked much higher than the experts (ESPN #13, ME #8), but they finished very middle of the road (right around 15th).  I also was down on Carolina (ESPN #4, ME #10), but they went from a top-10 fantasy defense in Week 1 to a top-5 fantasy defense in Week 2.  Luckily for at least my own fantasy team, the Patriots crushed it in Minnesota against a Peterson-less Viking squad.  They finished as the #1 fantasy defense, and I'm hoping they repeat that performance as they face Oakland this week in their home opener.   I'm high on: New Orleans Saints (ESPN #13, ME #5)  After starting off the season with two road games (both losses), the Saints finally come home in Week 3 and there's no way they lose this one and go 0-3.  NO WAY.  As I mentioned above, a big part of that will likely be Drew Brees.  But I think the defense will finally show up in this one too.  With the home crowd behind them and facing a Minnesota team that turned it over a ton last week, I like New Orleans to step it up.  I think this one is going to be something like 44-14 in the fourth quarter, and we might even see Teddy Bridgewater at that point.  But whoever the QB is for Minnesota, I'm confident they'll cough up the football. I'm down on: Denver Broncos (ESPN #9, ME not ranked)  I wonder how many fantasy points this defense had in the Super Bowl last year.  Negative, maybe?  I realize this is a bit of a different squad and it's a new year, but this game is also IN Seattle.  Russell Wilson hasn't turned the ball over at all in two games, and neither has Marshawn Lynch.  Not only do I think the Seahawks will score plenty of points, but I don't think they'll give the ball up either.  I just can't see ranking Denver as a top-10 fantasy defense this week. That's it for Week 3.  Good luck everyone (except you, Andrew). Cheers, Bart