Fantasy Football Mailbag Column: Week 3 Season-Long and DFS

After a litany of injuries across the NFL in Week 2, you might be scrambling to put forth what has the potential to be a winning lineup in you season-long fantasy football leagues. Also, injuries could open up some unique opportunities in DFS. I took to Twitter once again for your questions and here’s what I was asked heading into Week 3. If you have a question, reach out to me @rotomikebarner and it could be answered in next week’s column.

Fantasy Football Mailbag Column: Week 3 Season-Long and DFS

I need to start three. Options are Michael Gallup, A.J. Green, Chris Godwin, Odell Beckham Jr. and Marquise Brown. – @GeierBrandon

Right off the bat, starting Godwin is a must. He’s been cleared from the concussion protocol and has one of the highest upsides of any receiver in the league when he’s healthy. I’d also start Beckham, who rebounded last week to catch four of six targets for 74 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals. The Washington Football Team does have an improved defense up front, but their secondary is still suspect.

I’m worried about Gallup, so I’d avoid him this week. He’s only received 10 total targets across two games, which is really glaring when you consider tight end Dalton Shultz received 10 targets just in Week 2. That brings it down to Green and Brown. I’d lean towards starting Brown in what could be a shutout at home against the Chiefs. Despite their poor record, the Eagles have been excellent at defending the pass by allowing the fifth-fewest passing yards per game, so Green doesn’t exactly have a great matchup. Things could really get ugly for him if he’s shadowed by star cornerback Darius Slay.

Start Anthony Miller or Darius Slayton? – @70sBusch

At first glance, Miller might seem like the top choice here based on his matchup against the putrid Falcons’ defense. However, I’d go with Slayton. He’s developed a great relationship with Daniel Jones, often being his top receiver last season. The Giants will have to throw more now that Saquon Barkley (knee) has been lost for the season and they aren’t as deep at wide receiver anymore, either, with Sterling Shepard (toe) on IR. The 49ers’ defense has been decimated by injuries, so Slayton could thrive in this matchup.

Start Logan Thomas or Jared Cook? – @jojascully

This is a close one. Cook can be hit-or-miss, but the Saints need him to step up with Michael Thomas (ankle) out. Still, he only had five targets in Week 2, catching just two of them for 13 yards. The saving grace was that he scored a touchdown, which marked the second-straight week that he received a red zone target. Thomas does have upside, but the tiebreaker for me is that the Saints have a much more potent offense, which could afford Cook with more opportunities to find his way into the end zone. He’s the safer option for most fantasy football players this week.

Do you think Joshua Kelley would be a good GPP play over Austin Ekeler this weekend? – @nbyx1983

For this answer, let’s go to the DFS-legend himself, Alex Baker.

I expect Ekeler to rarely get more than 20 touches in a game because he doesn’t have the size necessary to be a workhorse back. I think Kelley got lucky that in Week 2 they rushed the ball 45 times. In a normal week, I don’t expect Kelley to be a huge fantasy asset. – Alex

Should I start Kenny Golladay, Will Fuller, Michael Gallup or John Brown? @Dewick911

I already discussed my concerns for Gallup and Fuller is too much of a boom-or-bust option for me after failing to receive a single target last week. Normally, I’d say to go with Golladay, and he’s still an appealing option if he’s cleared to return. However, if you want to play it safe, Brown is the guy to start among these options. The addition of Stefon Diggs hasn’t hurt his production considering he has caught 10 of 16 targets for 152 yards and two touchdowns. If anything, Diggs presents another problem for opposing defenses to have to focus on. Josh Allen has also shown improved play in the passing game, throwing for over 300 yards in both of their first two games. Of note, Brown was added to the injury report Thursday with a foot issue, but he missed a day of practice last week with a foot issue, as well, and still managed to play without limitations.

Should I trade away David Johnson and T.Y. Hilton for Derrick Henry and A.J. Green in a PPR league? – jtory79

I couldn’t accept this trade fast enough. Hilton may have slightly more value than Green in the fantasy football world, but I think those two are more or less a wash. So basically, this comes down to trading Johnson for Henry. Yes, Johnson has been busy with the Texans, but his upside isn’t anywhere near that of Henry’s. Make the trade and enjoy your haul.

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Author

Mike Barner

I’ve been covering fantasy sports since 2007. Along my journey, I’ve contributed to companies including SportsLine, RotoWire, Sports Illustrated and DraftKings. My passion for fantasy sports began by playing in traditional season-long leagues and has expanded into DFS and sports handicapping. In 2018, I was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. You can contact me by e-mailing [email protected].