Studs and Duds: Fantasy Football Week 3

Jan 5, 2014; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovanni Bernard (25) is tackled by San Diego Chargers cornerback Shareece Wright (29) and safety Eric Weddle (32) during the 2013 AFC wild card playoff football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As the season gets hotter and the weather gets cooler here we are heading into week three in the National Football League. The fantasy season has been a tough one so far with big names out to injury, suspension, and other ailments and issues. We have also seen a few big names have resurgence and others fall back into the pit. This week features many tough match ups that will be hard to predict for fantasy outcomes.  Take caution on this week studs and duds as it may be hard to predict!

Stud: Jay Cutler vs New York Jets Defense

Call me crazy but Jay Cutler has a great chance to put up some points this week. Last week he took on a stout San Francisco 49er defense, and while he struggled at first he came roaring back with a four touchdown performance in a comeback victory. This week he takes on another strong front seven in New York but a young, limited secondary that isn’t loaded with talent. With his arsenal of weapons all over the field, Cutler should be able to put up close to a three hundred yard, three touchdown performance against this Jets squad.

Prediction: Cutler torches the Jets secondary; 18-20 points this week

Dud: Tony Romo vs St. Louis Rams Defense

Sticking with the quarterback trend, Romo is in for a tough match up this week. The biggest reason to sit Romo is reports of lingering back issues from his off season surgery. If there is a chance he could be seriously maimed, the team will likely pull him immediately to save him from more issues. The Cowboys are also taking on one of the most talented front sevens in the league despite the loss of Chris Long. Robert Quinn and company will  be trying to lay a beat down on Tony Romo this week which means the ‘Boys will likely lean on the ground game heavily in this one.

Prediction: Romo gets beat up in a win, but struggles to stay upright; 8-12 points this week

Stud: Giovanni Bernard vs Tennessee Titans Defense

Gio is one of the best up and coming all around backs in the NFL. He is incredibly elusive with great hands, a true dual threat out of the backfield who has been playing incredible thus far. Last week he torched Atlanta and this week he takes on the Titans who were gashed by the Cowboys’ Demarco Murray last week.  Gio provides the ultimate attack for Cincinnati  who may be without several key weapons this week. The stars are aligned for Gio to go off this week and perhaps even outperform the last week.

Prediction: Gio destroys the Titans;18-22 points

Dud: Le’Veon Bell vs Carolina Panthers Defense 

Le’Veon has had a strong start to the season but that comes to a halt in this contest. The Panthers are one of best defensive units in football and only give up 86.0 yards per game on the ground according to nfl.com. With the Panthers stout run stuffing defense looking to make Pittsburgh one-dimensional, it could be a slow day for Le’Veon up against Luke Kuechly. May want to start an alternate option or at least move Le’Veon to a flex position if possible.

Prediction: Bell gets some tough earned yards, but not enough to notch you a win; 6-9 points this week.

Stud: T.Y. Hilton vs Jacksonville Jaguars Defense

The Colts are 0-2 for the first time behind Andrew Luck and are undoubtedly not pleased about it. This week they take on a very inconsistent football team in the Jaguars. The Jags have started games well but have been absolutely steamrolled by their first two opponents. Luck will certainly be pushing his team to the limit this week to prevent an 0-3 start which means if he’s smart he will be attacking these weak corners in Jacksonville. Not to take love away from Reggie Wayne, but Hilton is the home run threat for this team and will be looking to do some damage.

Prediction: Hilton torches the Lions defense on the way to a win;12-14 points (16-20 in a ppr league)

Dud: Michael Floyd (Az) vs San Francisco 49er Defense

Floyd isn’t dinged up or even playing a great secondary this week. However he is playing with his backup quarterback who showed him little to no love last week where he wound up with less than 2 fantasy points. Larry Fitzgerald will likely be the main target, coupled with a heavy dose of the run game as the Cardinals look to keep mistakes to a minimum in this contest. Even if Drew Stanton does his best Cutler impression, Floyd isn’t likely to be the main benefactor in this contest.

Prediction: Tough contest to call but the Cardinal offense is limited; 4-7 points

Joe Kleine is also co-host of the finsradio.com show The Direct Snap, alongside fellow host Tyler McMullen.  Please check our Facebook and Twitter pages! Our free to listen show about the NFL is on Saturday September 20th at 8:30 PM Eastern time! Check out our show here, give us a call, or e-mail us at officialdirectsnap@gmail.com! Also be sure to check out OntheFinside, another great finsradio program!