Week 3 Fantasy Football Strategy | Hank’s Bank
With Week 3 of the NFL season upon us, now is a good time for fantasy managers to really take stock of their team. This involves not only looking at your win-loss record, but points scored, roster depth, positions of need, and players who might be worth moving on from. Injuries are also an important part of Fantasy Football strategy and team analysis. After the Week 2 carnage, you are bound to have at least one banged-up contributor.
While there’s a lot that goes into managing a Fantasy Football team to success, finding quality advice doesn’t have to be hard. Hank’s Bank is your one-stop-shop for Fantasy Football strategy. From start/sit decisions to trade market forecasting and weekly streamers, I’ve got you covered. BANK THAT!
Contents
Hank’s Bank Vocabulary Key
Cash: Start
Deposit: Bench
Asset: Trade Target
Transfer: Trade Away
Invest: Free Agent Acquisition
Loan: Weekly Streamer
Week 3 Banking
Cash: Corey Davis | WR | Tennessee Titans
After not practicing all week, lead Titans receiver A.J. Brown figures to miss his second consecutive game with a knee injury. This will once again result in Corey Davis being the top wideout in the Tennessee passing game. Davis has rewarded fantasy owners thus far, averaging 14.9 fantasy points per game over the first two weeks. He ranks as the WR 20 overall in PPR scoring and has the usage rates to back up his statistics. Davis has been on the field for over 80% of Tennessee’s offensive snaps and has seen over 20% of the target share in each of the first two weeks.
With Brown’s absence appearing all but guaranteed, Davis has WR3 value in a matchup against the Minnesota Vikings this week. It seems pretty safe to say that this is not the Vikings defense we are used to. The unit was torched by Aaron Rodgers through the air in week 1 and bullied on the ground by Jonathan Taylor in Week 2. With Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry, the Titans have the ability to do both. The Vikings are allowing the second-most fantasy points to the wide receiver position (36.6). If you have Davis, he belongs at worst in your FLEX spot this week. And if Davis is still available in your league 45.5% ownership in ESPN leagues suggests he very well could be), make a plan to roster him and start him for this juicy Week 3 situation.
Deposit: Stefon Diggs | WR | Buffalo Bills
Hold on a minute. Am I really telling you that benching the WR 4 on the season is a sound Fantasy Football strategy? Well, if you aren’t benching Stefon Diggs this week, you at least have to start him with tempered expectations. This week’s matchup against the Los Angeles Rams will prove to be much more difficult than the one Diggs had last week when he torched Miami Dolphins’ rookie Noah Igbinoghene. 8 catches for 153 yards and a score is simply not happening when you are going to be receiving blanket coverage from Jalen Ramsey. As a team, the Rams are allowing the third-fewest fantasy points to the wide receiver position (15.0).
While I have downgraded Diggs to being on the fringe of the top-30 wide receivers in my Week 3 rankings, I am actually optimistic for another Bills receiver, John Brown. As good as their defense is, Buffalo will have to score points if they are going to top the Rams. With Ramsey shadowing Diggs, Brown could very realistically see a significant uptick in targets. Brown led all Bills receivers in target share in Week 1 and snap percentage in Week 2. His speed could prove critical to Buffalo’s efforts at dissecting the Rams defense. With Aaron Donald and Co. rushing, Josh Allen will need to get the ball out quickly. Diggs may be downgraded, but Brown is an intriguing FLEX start for me this week.
Asset: David Johnson | RB | Houston Texans
We knew coming into the season that the Texans offense likely wouldn’t be what it was without DeAndre Hopkins. This has been very true concerning the passing attack. The wide receiver quartet of Brandin Cooks, Will Fuller, Randall Cobb, and Kenny Stills are yet to make a significant impact. One thing that has been steady through the first two weeks however is David Johnson’s volume. The 28-year old was on the field for over 80% of the team’s snaps in Week 1 and bumped that up to nearly 95% in Week 2 with pass-catching specialist Duke Johnson sidelined.
Unfortunately, negative game script has translated into reduced carries for David Johnson. The Texans trailed throughout their first two contests against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, which led to Johnson carrying the ball just 11 times in each game. With that said, Johnson can get it done as a receiver as well. It’s a big part of why he was able to put together monster fantasy seasons while a member of the Cardinals. Injury history is a reasonable concern here, but assuming good health, buying Johnson at his current ranking of RB 21 is advisable. He should easily surpass at least a handful of those backs currently ahead of him in the weeks to come.
Transfer: Chris Carson | RB | Seattle Seahawks
The rationale for selling Chris Carson is tricky. With Carlos Hyde being his only current competition for touches, Carson would seem to be securely locked in a high usage role. What might surprise you is that Carson was actually only on the field for 45.2% of Seattle’s offensive snaps in Week 1 and 63.5% in Week 2. Despite having just 23 carries and 93 rushing yards over the first two weeks, Carson is the RB 6 in PPR fantasy scoring with 44.4 total points. Oddly enough, Carson’s fantasy production has come mostly in the passing game thus far in 2020. Three of his 9 receptions have been for touchdowns, and it is those receiving scores that have catapulted him into the top-6 Fantasy scorers at the position.
There is clearly a different method to the Seahawks offensive madness this season. Heavily criticized in recent years for holding Russell Wilson back, coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has taken a much more pass-heavy approach. Given the team’s success in the first two weeks, it’s hard to envision a deviation from this. Carson can’t be expected to score receiving touchdowns every week, so now is the time to shop him. You are unlikely to net a greater return for him in a trade at any point this season.
Invest: Drew Sample | TE | Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow loved to throw to tight end Thaddeus Moss in college at LSU. With that said, you’d be hard-pressed to find a fantasy expert who would’ve expected such a heavy involvement of the Bengals tight end position in the passing game. Burrow was joining a team with several talented wideouts including A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd, as well as a do-it-all running back in Joe Mixon and a pass-catching specialist in Giovani Bernard. Yet prior to going down with an Achilles injury in the second half of last week’s game, C.J. Uzomah was balling. Through the first two weeks, he ranks 15th in tight end scoring with an average of 11.4 Fantasy points per game.
Despite serving in a backup role for the majority of the Week 2 contest, Drew Sample finished second in receiving yards among all Bengals for the game. His 7 catches for 45 yards in limited action serve as proof that Burrow will utilize his tight ends regardless of who is on the field. Only rostered in 5.2% of ESPN leagues, Sample is widely available. He also has a matchup against a Philadelphia Eagles team surrendering an NFL-high 16.6 fantasy points per game to tight ends. If you are streaming the position, he should be on your radar for Week 3.
Loan: Justin Herbert | QB | Los Angeles Chargers
Rookie Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert impressed greatly in his first NFL start last week. The start came on short notice at that, as scheduled starter Tyrod Taylor suffered a freak punctured lung injury from a pain injection before the game. While Anthony Lynn was firm throughout the week in saying Taylor would be the starter when healthy, he is not yet ready to return to the field for LA’s Week 3 tilt against the Carolina Panthers.
While the Panthers have been particularly vulnerable defensively against running backs in terms of fantasy points allowed (Joshua Kelley is a very wise play this week as well), there’s no reason to think Herbert won’t get his in this one as well. With a wealth of pass-catchers at his disposal in Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Hunter Henry, the Chargers should simply overwhelm Carolina’s defenses. Herbert has a great chance to exceed his debut performance.
