The injury bug hit hard in Week 2 of the NFL season, as some big stars went down with season-altering injuries. Those injuries will have major impact on their respective teams – fantasy teams, that is. But don’t fret, beleaguered fantasy owners. There are still some decent players available in that free agency pool capable of contributing to your fantasy team. Here are five of the best for Week 3.
Don’t forget to see our preview of the mouth-watering Super Bowl rematch between the Broncos and Seahawks here, read on about these great fantasy finds.
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Five High-Value Fantasy Football Pick-Ups for NFL Week 3
1. Bobby Rainey (RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
[sc:NFL240banner ]After getting the start in place of the injured Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bobby Rainey did very bad things to the St. Louis Rams’ defense. He rushed for 144 yards and caught for 30 more on his way to collecting 17 fantasy points (all points reference ESPN Standard League settings) last Sunday.
Whether or not Martin returns in time for the Bucs’ trip to Atlanta, the diminutive Rainey’s impressive performance will earn him his fair share of touches against the Falcons defense he torched for 163 rushing yards last season.
2. Kirk Cousins (QB, Washington Redskins)
So RG3 is hurt again. It sucks, but it’s true. Luckily, his replacement, Kirk Cousins, looked pretty good in his first game in relief. How good? Try 18 points, more than consensus top 3 quarterback Drew Brees has managed in either of his first two games.
Granted, he put those 18 points up against a lowly Jacksonville team in Washington. But with QB options looking pretty scarce – other likely alternatives include Jake Locker (inconsistent), Derek Carr (rookie) and Brian Hoyer (Brian Hoyer) – Cousins is worth a gamble, at least next week against Philly, which doesn’t exactly have a lockdown defense.
3. Niles Paul (TE, Washington Redskins)
If you want to include Niles Paul as a package deal along with Cousins, go right ahead. The Redskins tight end is owned in barely half a percent in ESPN leagues, but that won’t be the case for long.
Paul got the start once again in place of the injured Jordan Reed, and for the second-straight week led the Redskins in receiving yards. Paul gained 15 fantasy points against the Jags, and with DeSean Jackson also going down with an injury, Paul could get even more balls thrown his way against the Eagles.
4. Owen Daniels (TE, Baltimore Ravens)
Another tight end worth looking at is the Baltimore Ravens’ Owen Daniels. Dennis Pitta was supposed to be the breakout star in Gary Kubiak’s offense, but judging from the Ravens’ win against the Steelers last Thursday, Daniels – Kubiak’s tight end in Houston – looks like he’ll still be a productive player in his old coach’s offense.
Daniels caught five balls, two of which for touchdowns. Putting into consideration their past relationship, Daniels could emerge as the favored red zone target for the Ravens against the Browns next Sunday and in future weeks.
5. Mohamed Sanu (WR, Cincinnati Bengals)
If A.J. Green’s injury is worse than expected, two things will likely occur: 1) Gio Bernard will get even more touches for the Bengals on offense and 2) Mohamed Sanu becomes the team’s de facto No. 1 receiver.
Sanu’s 15 fantasy points were a little misleading because of the 50-yard bomb he threw on a trick play, but does have big play ability, as shown by his 76-yard touchdown catch. Andy Dalton will have to throw to someone against the Browns, and that someone could be Sanu.
