Another week down, another round of injuries and disappointing performances to log into the ol' thinker. Let's check to see who's still out there that can make an impact on your roster.
QUARTERBACKS
Gardner Minshew Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Anthony Richardson is excited to be an NFL QB - so much that he forgot to protect himself while playing. Richardson left the game in the 2nd Quarter following concussion protocols, giving Gardner Minshew the green-light. Minshew knows his role on this offense - teacher and placeholder for Richardson. As of Wednesday morning, Minshew is believed to still be the guy as Richardson has not officially been cleared by team doctors. Baltimore is no joke of a defense, but your next best option is...
Jake Browning Cincinnati Bengals vs Los Angeles (N) Joe Burrow, my MVP favorite for the year, is still dealing with his calf injury from the preseason - and it might take him out of his Week 3 Super Bowl rematch against the Rams. If that's the case, Jake Browning is the guy you want. Cincy has a ridiculous amount of talent around the outside of their offense. You could say their approach to offense should be similar to the 49ers - "get it outside and watch them go". Browning went 6/6 for 42Yds and a TD in their preseason game - his only action according to CBS. I wouldn't expect a homerun here, but serviceable beats a goose egg - unless you want to take a chance on Zach Wilson or Desmond Ridder.
RUNNINGBACKS
Rico Dowdle Dallas Cowboys vs Arizona Rico Dowdle stock is rising ahead of his Week 3 Matchup. He's currently in a log-jam behind Tony Pollard, but he's getting reps and he's getting touches. What more can you ask for from a backup? This position is THIN on the waiver wire, you can't expect to pick up an RB1 you like after Week 1... unless you come across an untimely injury.
Elijah Dotson Los Angeles Chargers vs Minnesota Ekeler is still questionable for Week 3, which means the RBC in LAC is going to see a lot of faces. Joshua Kelley is the current lead back, but expect Isaiah Spiller and Elijah Dotson to get some reps too. Both of these backs are explosive, although Spiller seems to be on the outs. Dotson only saw 9 reps last week, but had touches in six of them. Pretty good usage, if I say so myself. The Chargers are scoring lots of points, despite their record. I see more upside while Ekeler is out for Dotson than most - but that's dependent on Kelley.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Nelson Agholor Baltimore Ravens vs Indianapolis Zay Flowers has more or less taken over the "Hollywood Brown" role from last year. And he's pretty good at it - you can expect 10-15 targets to Flowers every week. But they still need someone on the outside who can compete - and their three expected WR's to do that haven't shown up in a game so far (Duvernay, Bateman, OBJ). Agholor went 5/6 for 63Yds and a TD last week - better than most WR's. Granted, it was after he had no touches in Week 1. Medium risk-to-reward play here.
Broncos WR Denver Broncos vs Miami Maybe last week was a fluke, but Russell Wilson's WR's put up some big numbers last week. Marvin Mims and Brandon Johnson combined for 44.9pts - after combining for 6pts in Week 1. Miami had a rough Week 1 against the Chargers (despite the W), and found success against New England in Foxborough. If you'd prefer to look elsewhere - there's a few Giants WR's who are making noise, kudos to Danny Dimes...
TIGHT ENDS
Kylen Granson Indianapolis Colts vs Baltimore Granson is clicking with AR15, but that doesn't change my faith in him following the Richardson Injury. The Colts have always fed their TE's, and this is no different. 7 Catches on 10 targets for 55Yds and a TD on the year - good enough for TE8 so far on the season. Need I say more?
Hayden Hurst Carolina Panthers vs Seattle Sticking with BIG RED here; Hayden Hurst was a great add for this young Panthers team. Bryce Young will need a reliable set of hands to get the ball to, and who better than Big Red. Hurst is up to 8 catches on 10 targets for 61Yds and a TD (sounds familiar, right?) after going 3/3 for 20Yds against a good Saints Defense. He's currently TE3, so that's also a good thing to put stock into.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Seattle Seahawks vs Carolina Seattle had a shaky defensive game against the Lions, but they were able to stand tall when it counted. Now, they're taking on a Carolina Panthers team that has struggled to consistently move the ball downfield. They just picked off a guy who hadn't thrown an INT in nearly 400 attempts, and now they're playing a team that's averaging 3 Turnovers a Game in 2023. SEND IT, BABY.
Cleveland Browns vs Tennessee This isn't a favorable matchup - but this team is a favorable D/ST to have on your squad, so why not pick them up now and manage your Bye later? Cleveland has an above-average defensive unit, and has several favorable matchups after their Week 5 Bye. Keep them on your radar if you don't want to worry about finding a replacement.
KICKERS
Nick Folk Tennessee Titans vs Los Angeles Chargers I'm not gonna change these two kickers, they're reliable and consistent. Folk had 10pts (2/2 FG, 3/3XPA) last week. What more can you ask for from a Kicker?
Brett Maher Los Angeles Rams vs San Francisco You could make the argument for the rookie Dallas Kicker, Brandon Aubrey, or you could go with Maher who has been lights-out for the Rams. Maher went 3/3 on FG's and 2/2 on PATs last week for 13pts. Another above average kicker for your team that needs points!
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