20 Fantasy Football Studs and Duds | Week 3

20 Fantasy Football Studs and Duds for Week 3

September 23, 2008 

What a week in the NFL and Fantasy Football.  Some new names, surprising names, make the Team Stud and Team Dud list on both the offensive and Individual Defensive Player (IDP) side of the ball…

Team Stud

QB: Brian Griese, Bucs

From out of nowhere Brian Griese puts up more than 400 passing yards on the Bears.  Who saw that one coming?  Ironically he has not done that since he was a Chicago Bear playing against the Bucs.  Don’t jump the gun by making him your starting fantasy QB.  He is a bye week filler, possible replacement for your injured QB’s.

RB: Ronnie Brown, Dolphins

If you are a Brown owner you likely didn’t know what to do with Brown this week, did you.  You may have heard he was getting the start over Ricky Williams against the Patriots…not that comforting still. 

Something you will see from here on out is Brown owners getting giddy when he lines up in the QB position in the shotgun.  This is where his five total TD’s came from on Sunday.  You will also see defenses have an answer to this soon so soak it up while you can.

RB: Reggie Bush, Saints

Reggie Bush is playing right now like the fantasy football stud that he was supposed to be.  The leading RB in scoring formats with PPR, Bush made for a great second rounder or later for you.  If he was a first rounder you had balls but look brilliant now…so far. 

If you say anything about his performance last weekend it is that Bush is balanced.  The yards in the air are almost exact to those on the ground (75,73) with a TD from both attack points.  The Saints keep losing weapons ( Shockey now out) and they are going to have to lean on Bush more in coming weeks.

WR: TJ Houshmandzadeh, Bengals

Heee’s back.  The Bengals finally looked like the fantasy team that they should be this last weekend, and TJ played like the high fantasy pick he is.  Housh may have been riding a lot of fantasy wood if owners had other options. 

This week the Bengals get the Browns in their attempt to bounce back in the AFC North.  After this week you have to have TJ in your lineup and just hope that the Bengals don’t regress.

WR: Brandon Marshall, Broncos

Two weeks in a row for Brandon Marshall.  As of right now Jay Cutler to Brandon Marshall is looking like a premier hookup in the NFL.  Marshall should be a consistent points earner for you and he was likely a great pick up where you got him. 

Because of the suspension he fell in many fantasy football drafts.  If you made it out of Week One without him you could have some smooth sailing now for a while at WR. If you got him later on and have good WR’s in front of him too your good.

TE: Jeremy Stevens, Bucs

From the “Where the hell did that come from” files of the week.    It has been quite a while since Stevens has been considered a fantasy start and if anyone did this week it was likely out of desperation.  It paid off.  You will see him come off the waiver wire this week but it will really be rolling the dice to use him as a starting option.

DT/ST: Eagles

This just may be the defensive performance of the season.  The Eagles were TOUGH and threw Big Ben around like a Big Rag Doll.  Few likely expected it after the game against the Cowboys and the Steelers offense is usually not too shabby.  Way to go Iggles.

LB: DJ Williams, Broncos

Many IDP drafters took Williams based on last years numbers as a MLB.  It paid off this week when he got MLB numbers from the weakside.  We can look for the tackles to keep stacking up for Williams but scores like this likely won’t be an every week occurrence.  He scored more this week than the first two weeks combined.

DL: Juqua Parker, Eagles

If your buddy is bragging up starting Parker this week and talking of his vision he had, he is likely lying.  This came from out of nowhere in a strong defensive play against the Steelers.  You can watch him fly off the waiver wire this week in deep leagues.

DB: Antonio Cromartie, Chargers

Cromartie had one of those games that made fantasy owners draft him this offseason.  Four passes defensed, two INT’s and a TD tacked on to seven tackles could have took many IDP owners in to the winners circle late Monday night when they thought they had lost their game bu 20 points.

Team Dud

QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers

Sacked eight friggen times!  Big Ben already had a sore shoulder leading up to the game, now an injured right hand.  Most people were expecting the game to be a shootout and this one had to hurt many owners.  Not only because he was not lighting it up but because he ended up leaving the game.  That never feels good for us, does it?

RB:Brian Westbrook, Eagles

We knew it was going to come.  It was just too good to be true and it always seems you will have to fill his spot because of injury sometime over the season, whether he goes or you just don’t know because of last minute decisions. He is saying now he is going to try and play Sunday with the high ankle sprain.

RB: Willie Parker, Steelers

Just as Parker smacked all the doubters in the face after busting out coming back from a leg injury and the first round draft pick being used on a RB this year, Parker puts up a whopping 20 yards for us this week.  He will should still outplay his fantasy draft spot he was likely taken at but it hurts.

WR: Terrell Owens, Cowboys

T.O. only got you two catches.  He had four games like that last season, hopefully we won’t see too many more this year as Owens was a high second rounder in most leagues.

WR: Roy Williams, Lions

Calvin Johnson has officially took the “Go to Guy” title from Roy Williams.  Most thought there would be enough balls to go around against the Niners to make him a decent fantasy option this week.  Boy, were we mistaken.  For the record, Williams is blaming it on not enough four WR sets being used.

TE: Vernon Davis, Niners

It is officially time to hang it up on Vernon Davis.  If not let him go, at least send him to the bench.  The Bust label is getting really sticky here.  Unacceptable to have a total of four catches going into week four.

DT/ST: Bears

This was not supposed to happen.  The Bucs were not supposed to put up that many yards, points, or win the game.  The Bears are still a team you have to look at starting every week.

LB: Jonathan Vilma, Saints

Two assists and one tackle is not what IDP owners hoped for after a 10 tackle game a week before.  Especially an IDP owner who is a Saints fan…(hanging my head).

DL: Patrick Kerney, Seahawks

Kerney came off a great week for an IDP defensive lineman in Week Two.  Just as an owner was comfortable starting him, he logs one assist.  Despite the big game they may limit his time on the field working in some younger guys.

DB: Terrence McGee, Bills

McGee came into the season as a great defensive back prospect.  The first two weeks went well but only one tackle this week.

***Tune in to the Football Jabber Radio Show on Wednesday Night at 8pm Central (or the playback if you can’t be there live) as we discuss tease guys and some of your fantasy options for week four.