Each week there are some obvious starts and sits in fantasy football. Other decisions are not quite so simple. With that in mind, I offer up some not-so-obvious picks with my weekly Studs, Duds & Sleepers. Here are this week’s picks.
STUDS
QB: Kirk Cousins (MN) vs. DET: Cousins is coming off a dud effort from Monday night’s trip to Philly, but is in a nice bounce back spot vs. the Lions. Only three teams have allowed more fantasy points to quarterbacks through the first two weeks of the season and he’s thrown for multiple scores in five of his last seven contests and averaged 296 yards per game in that span vs. his NFC North foes.
RB: David Montgomery (CHI) vs. HOU: Matchup meets opportunity with Montgomery in Week 3 with the Texans’ D on tap. Houston is allowing 24.4 fantasy points per game and no team has ceded more rushing yards (287) through two weeks. Montgomery is tied for seventh in rushing attempts and should continue to see 18-20 touches per game.
WR: Jaylen Waddle (MIA) vs. BUF: I was uncertain how impactful Waddle would be with the addition of Tyreek Hill, but after two weeks I am convinced it is helping Waddle more than hurting him. Only three wide receivers have received for first-look targets through two weeks than the 22 Waddle has already had from Tua Tagovaiola. He’s currently a top 5 wide receiver across all formats and with a high-scoring affair likely on tap with Buffalo the volume should be there again for another big day.
TE: Dallas Goedert (PHI) at WAS: Goedert is stud tight end and with the Eagles clicking on all cylinders he could prove to be a league winner with a steady flow of targets. He’s tough too, 105 of his 142 yards this year have come on yards after the catch. He led all tight ends last year in yards per route run and is already doing the same so far in 2022. In his last three matchups with Washington he has tallied 21 catches for 307 yards and a score.
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DUDS
QB: Matt Ryan (IND) vs. KC: Through his first two games as a Colt he has four turnovers and just one touchdown. Things will get better if Michael Pittman can return, but Ryan’s ceiling has already proven to be very low and until he shows something positive he needs to stay on the waiver wire in 1QB formats and on the bench in superflex leagues where better options are available.
RB: Travis Etienne (JAC) at LAC: Etienne is a great buy low candidate after James Robinson’s fast start, but he needs to remain out of fantasy lineups until some signs of promise emerge. There was an uptick in touches in Week 2, but Robinson’s 37 carries through two games has been surprising given the nature of the injury he’s coming off of.
WR: Allen Lazard (GB) at TB: No Packers’ wide receiver should be looked at as a lineup option at this point, but Lazard should’ve been the only one that should’ve been considered to be one to begin with. He looked far from 100 percent with that ankle injury. Add in a tough matchup vs. a Bucs’ defense and a wait-and-see approach is recommended for Lazard.
TE: Hunter Henry (NE) vs. BAL: Two catches on four targets for 20 yards and no touchdowns through two weeks. Hunter’s statline says it all. There are more attractive options available on most waiver wires right now. The Patriot tight end is very TD dependent and the Ravens have allowed two tight ends to score in as many weeks, but it is TD or bust for Henry.
SLEEPERS
QB: Jared Goff (DET) at MIN: Goff is a top 10 fantasy signal caller through weeks with six TD passes and just one interception. He benefits greatly from the big plays of Amon-Ra St. Brown and DeAndre Swift. In a game with a total eclipsing 50 points the Lions QB should continue to be a viable fantasy option.
RB: Tony Pollard (DAL) at NYG: Another week down and another week Pollard looked like the better play out of the Cowboys’ backfield than Ezekiel Elliott. Pollard averaged 4.8 yards per carry to Zeke’s 3.5 ypc and had seven targets to his two last week vs. the Bengals. The Giants are on tap this week and they rank 30 DVOA vs. RB pass catchers.
WR: Chris Olave (NO) at CAR: Coming off his 13-target day in which he caught five balls for 80 yards, Olave is already showing promise of delivering on some of that mid-summer hype. Jameis Winston clearly is developing some chemistry. Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry are still ahead of him in the pecking order, so could be low. The upside here is worth it for me.
TE: Tyler Conklin (NYJ): He had a 100-percent snap share and nine targets a week ago for the Jets and with CJ Uzomah likely out again look for those opportunities to continue to present themselves with the Bengals making a visit. He looks like he could have some season-long potential based on this volume.
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