The last time Matt Ryan scored more than
20 fantasy points against the Panthers was in 2013.
Grab a Helmet
Trevor
Siemian @ TB: What better bye week streamer could there
be than the guy who had his first 300-yard, 4-touchdown game? Answer:
there isn’t! Chances are very good that Siemian is available on
your league’s waiver wire, and that screams value. With rookie darling
Carson Wentz, and suddenly hot veteran Aaron Rodgers on bye weeks,
owners looking for a spot start should look to Siemian. The young
Bronco has improved his yardage total in each of the season’s first
three weeks, and looked comfortable dropping dimes against a Cincinnati
defense that was good enough to get to the playoffs a year ago.
With two elite wideouts, and a threatening running game, Siemian
is a good bet for a few scores against a Bucs defense that is giving
up the 4th worse passer rating in the league (106) and has only
picked off one pass. Tampa can play a little offense, so look for
Siemian to push for 30-plus pass attempts, giving him quality upside
at a bargain price.
Matthew
Stafford @ CHI: Stafford is quietly putting up a solid
fantasy season, and has answered the “how will he fare without Megatron”
questions quite well over the first few weeks. He’s fantasy’s No.3
quarterback just behind Brees and Newton, and has plenty of weapons
to get the ball to. It’s helped that the Lions defense has been
absolutely abused on a weekly basis, and while they may not be tested
by Chicago much on Sunday, the Bears defense is more Koala’s of
the Midway, than Monsters. Marvin Jones has been a tremendous fill-in
for Calvin, and veterans Tate and Boldin give the Lions weapons
at all levels of the defense. If it helps any, Stafford was lights
out (298 yards, 3 TDs) the last time he played a road game in Chicago.
Sam
Bradford v. NYG: Bradford has sprinkled a little bit
of up (Week 2) with a little bit of down (Week 3) in his two week
Vikings career. Despite getting battered and knocked around, Bradford
hasn’t turned the ball over, and has made plays when he’s had to.
He’s willing to press the ball downfield, which fits Norv Turner’s
scheme, and has reliable targets in Diggs and Rudolph. The Giants
secondary could be without three starters this week, and still can’t
generate much of a rush, ranking 21st in the league with only 4
sacks. With time to throw, Bradford could hit a few deep passes
as he continues to develop a comfort level in the offense and with
his teammates. If your passers have underwhelmed, or you need a
bye week replacement, Bradford has some serious upside this week.
Grab a Headset
Eli
Manning @ MIN: I really need this one to work out after
my dreadful calls in Week 2, so I’m hoping the buzz saw that is
the Minnesota Vikings defense can continue to chew up and spit
out quarterbacks when the Giants roll into Minnesota. U.S. Bank
Stadium should be rocking in its first Monday night game, giving
a decided advantage to the Viking pass rushers. Manning’s final
numbers look shaky against a Redskins defense he should have carved
up at home. Outside of Belichick, Head Coach Mike Zimmer is the
league’s best defensive game planner, and the Vikes should have
a scheme to limit the impact of Beckham Jr. This call makes too
much sense to work out, but I’m going for it anyway!
Matt
Ryan v. CAR: Make no mistake, Carolina was outpunched
last week in their loss to the Vikings. Heralded for their physical
play, the 1-2 Panthers will be white hot with anger this week,
and they’ll look to take it out on Ryan and the Falcons. With
the duo of young corners holding their own (only 183 passing yards
a game allowed) Ryan should have a tough go of it. Last year in
Carolina Ryan’s Falcons were embarrassed 38-0, and while I’m not
predicting a repeat, Ryan has struggled against the Panthers in
three out of their last four meetings. With byes looming, and
a blazing start to the season, it isn’t easy to sit Ryan, but
temper your expectations.
Russell
Wilson @ NYJ: Stepping up, into, out of, and around
the pocket is what makes Wilson such a deadly weapon to defend
at the quarterback position. But as witnessed as recently as Week
2, when he was throttled by the Rams fierce rush Wilson struggles
when he isn’t healthy enough to evade pressure. And pressure
is something the Jets bring in spades (7th in the league with
9 sacks). Wilson’s latest injury, a sprained knee will probably
not be enough to keep him out, but like the ankle a few weeks
ago it’s going to limit his upside. He hasn’t surpassed
16 rushing yards in a game this season, and is still looking for
his first touchdown on the ground. Other than a few splash plays,
the Jets defense has held strong, and I expect them to play well
at home.
