HomeSportsWeek 3 Bloom & Fall: Saquon Barkley Saves Eagles (and Fantasy Football...

Week 3 Bloom & Fall: Saquon Barkley Saves Eagles (and Fantasy Football Managers)

It seemed like the safest game on the early list. Eagles vs. Saints, total set at 49.5. Projected yards, expected points. Sit down for three hours and watch them score.

Of course, it’s a snow globe competition. Variance is a problem. Some results are not satisfying and some results are not very logical.

The Eagles escaped with a 15-12 victory on Sunday, and it was a fair result. Philadelphia dominated the game, collecting 460 yards to the Saints’ 219. It’s amazing that this game was in doubt for three hours.

At least the production was sent to most of the major fantasy players. Saquon Barkley scored both of Philly’s touchdowns and rumbled for 147 yards on the ground, making up for his late-game drop Monday against the Falcons. Barkley also had four short receptions and a two-point conversion run.

It’s only an hour and a half’s drive from Giants headquarters to Eagles headquarters, but Barkley lives in a completely different universe in 2024. He was still sitting comfortably as RB1 this week as we went to print.

While Jalen Hurts threw for 311 yards, he fumbled, threw a pick, recorded four sacks and didn’t throw a touchdown. He didn’t run much either, limited to 25 yards. Hurts won’t be a top-12 fantasy QB this week. The Eagles could dust off Dallas Goedert and let him go for a shocking 10-170-0 line (11 targets), but it hurt to lose DeVonta Smith (concussion) in the middle of a productive second-half game. The Philadelphia passing attack isn’t the same without AJ Brown, and there would be bottom-out potential if Brown and Smith missed time together.

Hey, at least the Eagles won the game. The New Orleans offense, the NFL darling after two weeks, collapsed. The Saints managed just 12 first downs and struggled to produce chunk plays.

The Saints have their wagon in Alvin Kamara, giving him 26 carries and three receptions. He didn’t get into the end zone, but 127 total yards make for a credible fantasy game. Keep an eye on New Orleans’ offensive line, which was battered in this loss. Chris Olave secured all six of his targets, for 86 yards and a touchdown. Score one for all of America, because Olave was a universal recommendation in the fantasy world this week.

Rashid Shaheed didn’t catch any of his five targets, though one of them was a near touchdown, a pass that Derek Carr threw slightly too little. It was that kind of day for Carr, who completed just 14 of 25 passes for 142 yards, a paltry 5.7 per attempt. After two weeks of pinball, the Saints came into this matchup tilting.

Both teams could be in line for nice performances in Week 4 — the Saints travel to Atlanta, while the Eagles visit the Buccaneers. Nice matchups on paper, but nothing is ever guaranteed in this numbers-chasing game we’re playing.

See also  Bruins takeaways: What we learned from the first five preseason games

As for some other early blooming and shrinking periods:

Jonathan Taylor was a bit player in the Week 2 loss at Green Bay, but the Colts came out strong on Sunday, with Taylor collecting 23 carries for 110 yards and two touchdowns, carrying the offense on a day when Anthony Richardson struggled mightily (two interceptions, just 24 rushing yards). The Colts threw just 20 passes, and all of their wideouts were fantasy disappointments; none had more than five targets.

Darnold continues redemption story

At the beginning of the year, all we wanted was for Sam Darnold to play well so we could schedule Justin Jefferson and feel good about it. But Darnold is looking like a fantasy star in his own right. Darnold threw four touchdowns and had no turnovers as the Vikings overwhelmed the Texans. Jefferson (6-81-1) had the best of the best, but Aaron Jones, Jalen Nailor and Johnny Mundt also caught scoring tosses.

CJ Stroud managed 6.9 YPA on the other end, but the Houston offense was held back by sacks (four) and interceptions (two). And give it up to Minnesota DC Brian Flores, who knows what he’s doing. At least the Houston passing game kept everything centered on the stars, as Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell combined for 28 targets, 19 catches and 242 yards. Cam Akers didn’t do much as a running back streamer, but did get some deodorant from a short touchdown catch.

Coaching is important, man. Kevin O’Connell is doing a great job with Darnold in Minnesota, and what about Matt LaFleur’s two-week mentoring of Malik Willis? The Packers won easily at Tennessee and Willis was sharp against his former team, completing 13 of 19 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown (that’s 10.6 YPA) and also completing 73 yards and a score.

Willis joined the Packers just before the season. That’s a miracle.

Tony Pollard was held back by the Green Bay defense (29 total yards), but DeAndre Hopkins finally got into the charts in the new season (6-73-1). Will Levis continues to make mistakes consistently, throwing two interceptions and recording eight sacks.

See also  Report: The Ryder Cup is expected to follow the Presidents Cup in awarding stipends to players

• Amari Cooper came into the game with two painful games, a combination of his own drops and several misses by Deshaun Watson. Things straightened out somewhat in Week 3 — Cooper had his two touchdowns, but Watson looked terrible again.

Cooper executives are eager to see what someone else can do with this offense (hell, Joe Flacco was the hero last year), but Watson’s contract and a massive acquisition fee (not a proud sight for one of the NFL’s “Moneyball” franchises) block the revolving door. Watson shouldn’t be unbankable, but Cleveland seems to think so.

• Every time I turn on the Tampa Bay tape, Bucky Irving is making a splash play and Rachaad White is running through the mud. Perhaps there’s more reason to give Irving a bigger role now that Tampa Bay has finally lost a game. Winning teams are less likely to be proactive with personnel changes, even if the usage is fundamentally flawed.

• There’s not much to see in the Denver backfield, with three runners sharing the workload, not to mention the presence of mobile quarterback Bo Nix. But at least Nix showed improvement after being underpowered in his first two starts. We’d like to see Courtland Sutton keep his head above water.

• Many, if not most, teams have struggled with starting backup quarterbacks, but Miami hit rock bottom with Skylar Thompson (and later Tim Boyle) on the job with Seattle. The Dolphins were so hopeless that Seattle’s fantasy fortunes plummeted as a result — when the Seahawks led 17-3 in the first quarter, the hosts were able to essentially play a conversational offense the rest of the way.

With Tua Tagovailoa out indefinitely, Miami will have to make some calls this week. Maybe Ryan Tannehill is an option. Maybe there’s a potential trade worth exploring.

• If D’Andre Swift couldn’t do it against the Colts, when will he? Chicago’s offensive line hasn’t done him any favors, but perhaps Roschon Johnson is a better fit for the Bears’ current scheme. Johnson was certainly the better player in Week 3.

• Malik Nabers crushed Washington’s secondary last week, but everyone does that to Washington. Running amok against a strong Cleveland defense is another. For all the accolades heaped on Marvin Harrison Jr., Nabers perhaps should have been the first wideout drafted from this (likely) historic class.

• The Steelers coached Justin Fields, at least in real life. It stifles Fields’ fantasy value, but all this team wants is a quarterback who can protect the ball and avoid sacks. Fields has been dropped 99 times in his last 28 games against Chicago. He has just two sacks in each of the first three weeks, all wins. Pittsburgh doesn’t need to fix what ain’t broken; Russell Wilson should be benched indefinitely.

See also  Why Shaq Loves Steph, Says He Looks 'Like a Normal Office Guy'

• For the second week in a row, the Lions didn’t give us the pinball we expected, and maybe that’s more of a trend than a fluke. After all, Detroit has two dynamic running backs and the best offensive line in the league.

The flow of last week’s game forced Jared Goff to throw 55 passes, but the wins over the Rams and Cardinals (when Goff threw 28 and 23 passes, respectively) probably represent the type of football Dan Campbell would most like to play. Detroit choked LA in the season opener, and the Cardinals had no answer to this power running game either.

• Rashee Rice’s late-season run last year was the genie let out of the bottle. After Sunday’s 12-110-1 detonation, he’s now on track for a 136-1689-11 season. That’s an unrealistic projection for most receivers, but in judging Kansas City’s passing game, we have to accept that Rice is now the starter, and everyone else is just an appetizer.

• Of course, the Panthers gave Bryce Young a vote of confidence on Sunday morning, because what else are they going to say? And then Andy Dalton played a clean slate for three hours in an undoubtedly surprising win over the Raiders, lifting Diontae Johnson, Chuba Hubbard and even Adam Thielen (before his unfortunate injury) in the process.

Dave Canales has an obligation to his locker room; when a player is clearly that much better than the supposed starter, the right guy should start. Sure, at some point the Panthers will probably have to throw Young back in the fire, purely for observational purposes. But as long as Dalton stays healthy and his play is somewhere between competent and better, Carolina should respect the roster and put the best guy in.

• Lamar Jackson only had 17 dropbacks, so there weren’t many routes available, but Mark Andrews running just six is ​​alarming. Isaiah Likely had a modest 11; both players drew one target.

Obviously, the Ravens absolutely crushed Dallas and there was no reason to deviate, but it’s never surprising when a big-name receiver (you can add Zay Flowers to that mix) has a quiet game for the Ravens. Baltimore is always a top contender in the AFC, but it’s a knuckleball offense nonetheless.

• I’m still reeling from the Rams’ electrifying comeback against the Niners. Man, Sean McVay coached his tail off, and fumbled without about half of his regular offense. And my god, Jauan Jennings was incredible. Imagine having a talent like Jennings and only letting him shine when injuries force you to. I thought I was watching Terrell Owens peak for three hours. The NFL is full of super talented players just waiting for their chance to shine.

- Advertisement -
RELATED ARTICLES

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Most Popular

Recent Comments