Week 3 Fantasy Football Droppables
Early in the week, the fantasy football community is focused on the waiver wire. Of course, to pick up one player, you must drop another. This column covers the other side of that transaction. Get acquainted with our Week 3 Droppables.
Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Bills
Unless it directly affected the outcome of your Week 2 matchup, Benjamin’s touchdown against the Chargers couldn’t have possibly been more meaningless in the fantasy world. Yeah, he found the end zone. Big deal. He has three catches for 29 yards on the season. The Bills offense is an absolute mess, and while they do deserve a bit of slack for facing the Ravens and Chargers in the first two weeks of the season, there appears to be absolutely no hope for this group. Buffalo is 2018’s fantasy wasteland, with even the typically steady LeSean McCoy being swept under by a truly rudderless offense. Fantasy owners have no reason to hold on to Benjamin. Volume won’t save him.
Rishard Matthews, WR, Titans
This is a tough one because of how quietly productive Matthews has been the last two years, but if you’re in a shallow league you should feel free to let him go. His season got off to an inauspicious start when he hit the PUP list during training camp. He played more than half the team’s snaps in Week 1, but didn’t register a target. In Week 2, he caught two of four targets for eight yards. Taywan Taylor, meanwhile, is potentially emerging as a real threat alongside Corey Davis, catching three of his four targets for 32 yards and a touchdown in Week 2. What’s more, his snap rate jumped from 13% in Week 1 to 41% in Week 2. Owners in deep leagues may want to give Matthews another week or two, especially considering the Titans were without Marcus Mariota last week, but he’s not someone whose roster spot needs to be protected at this point.
C.J. Anderson, RB, Panthers
Anderson has run the ball well when given a chance this season, picking up 6.6 yards per carry. The problem is that he has just 10 carries in Carolina’s first two games. He has played just 15% of the team’s snaps on the season, and his snap rate fell from 18% in Week 1 to 12% last week. Christian McCaffrey may not be a traditional back, but he’s dominating the touch share out of Carolina’s backfield, playing nearly every snap in team team’s Week 2 loss to Atlanta while totaling 18 carries, 24 targets and 20 receptions. With Cam Newton still one of the best goal-line backs in the league, Anderson can’t even count on getting short-yardage touchdowns. Short of an injury to McCaffrey, Anderson will not have much, if any, value this season.
Fantasy Football Week 3 Waiver Wire
Ty Montgomery, RB, Packers
Montgomery was in last week’s Droppables, and he’s back for another run in Week 3. There was some belief that Montgomery could work his way into a bigger role alongside an injured Aaron Rodgers, with the Packers possibly putting a greater emphasis on quick, short passes to get the ball out of their star’s hands sooner and expose him to fewer hits. Instead, Montgomery got six touches, a completely discouraging two targets, and played just 34% of the team’s snaps. Aaron Jones returns from his two-game suspension in Week 3, and with Jamaal Williams playing less-than-inspiring ball in his audition as the starter, it’s entirely possible Jones pushes both of them down the depth chart starting on Sunday. No matter what, though, it appears Montgomery will have scant fantasy value without an injury to Jones or Williams.
Ronald Jones, RB, Buccaneers
Jones was a healthy scratch for the second straight week, and has yet to make his NFL debut after being the 38th overall pick in the draft fewer than five months ago. Peyton Barber hasn’t exactly distinguished himself during the Buccaneers’ 2-0 start to the season, but Jones sits comfortably behind him, Jacquizz Rodgers and Shaun Wilson on the depth chart. It’s tempting to think that Jones could surpass them all and emerge as the go-to back in a surprisingly explosive Tampa Bay offense, but that seems the stuff of fanciful daydreams, not fantasy football.
Notable Omissions
Marlon Mack, RB, Colts
Mack ran for just 34 yards on 10 carries in his season debut, while Jordan Wilkins picked up 61 yards on the same number of totes, playing more snaps despite briefly missing time in the Colts’ win over the Redskins because of an ankle issue. Still, Mack can work his way to the top of the depth chart, and is likely to retain a role that will make him meaningful, at least in deeper leagues. There’s still good reason to hold on for what could be with Mack this year.
D.J. Moore, WR, Panthers
Moore got just two targets in Week 2, but he made them count, catching one for a 51-yard touchdown. He’s not going to be on the start radar in Week 3, but with the Panthers trying to figure out what their passing attack looks like without Greg Olsen, there’s plenty of room and time for the rookie out of Maryland to develop into a fantasy weapon this season.
Week 3 Fantasy Football Training Room
Alfred Morris, RB, 49ers
Matt Breida had the highlight play in Week 2, riding his 66-yard touchdown to a 138-yard day, but Morris got more carries and played more snaps. Breida may be the better player, but Morris will have a role that makes him fantasy-relevant all season.
Nick Chubb, RB, Browns
Chubb has just five carries in his first two games, and that could have some owners ready to cut bait. In shallower leagues, that’s likely an advisable move, but the Browns could turn to the rookie more going forward. Carlos Hyde has been unimpressive, picking up 105 yards on his 38 carries this season. The Browns have had as Browns-y an 0-1-1 start to the season as possible, and Chubb is capable of giving the offense a jolt of life.
