Injuries were the theme last week with big names going down. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo's season is over after tearing his ACL, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green left the game with a hamstring injury and New York Giants tight end Evan Engram is out four to six weeks.
The Buffalo Bills shocked the league beating the Minnesota Vikings and shut down all but Adam Thielen in fantasy production. New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara excelled again in the pass game with 15 receptions and the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes continued his dominant start to the season with three touchdowns.
The team of the week will be based on DraftKings.com’s $50,000 team budget and utilize its player pricing. Start players are for weekly picks, to trade for or maybe even grab off the waiver wire this week.
Position Player Price:
Quarterback Baker Mayfield, @ OAK $5,300
Running back Kerryon Johnson, @ DAL $4,400
Running back Kenyan Drake, @ NE $5,200
Wide receiver Tyler Boyd, @ ATL $4,600
Wide receiver Will Fuller, @ IND $6,800
Wide receiver Kenny Golladay, @ DAL $6,500
Tight end Zach Ertz, @ TEN $6,200
Flex Ezekiel Elliott, vs DET $7,700
Defense/special teams Philadelphia, @ TEN $3,300
Start ‘em
Quarterback: Baker Mayfield, @ OAK
If you didn't watch last week’s Cleveland game you might scoff, but Mayfield barely played more than a half. Mayfield led the Browns to the team’s first win in 635 days. When Mayfield came in for a struggling Tyrod Taylor and he energized the team. The Browns drove down the field with confidence and proved why Mayfield was the number one overall pick in the draft.
Mayfield and the Browns are taking on a 0-3 Raiders team that has struggled to rush the passer and create pressure since trading Khalil Mack. Ride the hype train that is Mayfield and the Browns this week, as they face a team that looks like it has already given up on its coach.
Running Back: Kerryon Johnson, @ DAL
Last Week Stats: 16 Att, 101 yards, 2 Rec
A Detroit Lions running back finally ran for over 100 yards. It may not seem like a big deal but the last time it was done was Thanksgiving in 2013. Johnson saw an increased workload last week and brought a new element to the Lions offense.
Next week Johnson and the Lions will go against the Dallas Cowboys who just lost the core of its defense in Sean Lee. Without Sean Lee, the Dallas defense has been historically bad. Expect the Lions to jump out to a lead in the passing game and then burn clock with Johnson getting 15-20 touches.
Wide Receiver: Tyler Boyd, @ ATL
Tyler Boyd of the Bengals continues to impress in his third season and had a great week against the Carolina Panthers. Boyd took advantage of his targets, hauling in all but one. Boyd could have had more if not for Andy Dalton throwing four interceptions. Boyd is the newest partner to A.J. Green. He fills in the shoes of Marvin Jones Jr. and has taken advantage of the targets with above average run after catch.
Going up against the Atlanta Falcons this week without Green, Boyd should see a lot of targets. The Falcons have lost three of their best defensive players in Deion Jones and both safeties, so the secondary will be vulnerable to wide receivers.
Sit ‘em
Quarterback: Dak Prescott, vs DET
Prescott has looked woeful to start the season and still hasn't broken the 500-yard mark through three games. Prescott’s receiving options are limited. Cole Beasley is the Cowboys’ number one receiver after losing Jason Witten and Dez Bryant. Last week, Detroit held Tom Brady to only 133-yards and forced a turnover. If you have Prescott, look for streaming options. He is a hard sit.
Running Back: Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry, vs PHI
Last week both Henry and Lewis got stuffed and neither could get the ground game going for the Tennessee Titans. They did go against one of the best defenses in the league with the Jacksonville Jaguars but next week it’s another tough opponent in the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles have all the momentum with Carson Wentz coming back from injury and their defense looking strong. Both of these backs are a no go this week for me.
Wide Receiver: Amari Cooper, vs OAK
This is an easy call as Derek Carr and Cooper of the Oakland Raiders seem to be operating at different wavelengths. Jordy Nelson resurrected himself to have a monster day as the highly drafted Cooper saw only 5 targets and was an afterthought. Sit Cooper. If someone in your league loves Cooper trade him for anything. It is time to bail.
Andrew Rasimas is a staff writer and can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
