Man, another tough outing for the B-Team in Week 2. We did best our Week 1 performance by about eight points, but we’re still over 30 points shy of our 100 point goal. It’s tough when one of our runningbacks, tight end and flex combine for 1.7 points. That’s on me for trusting that Jamison Crowder would play. On the bright side, our quarterback and defense combined for 41.22 points. Let’s move onto Week 3 and put these first two poor performances behind us.
This is a series where I construct a hypothetical fantasy football lineup using players that are owned in less than 40-percent of Yahoo and/or ESPN leagues. The goal of the series is to top 100 PPR fantasy points using the make-shift team. The premise is to show that there is readily available value at all times across most waiver wires. You can find last week’s results below.
Teddy Bridgewater had a second 20-plus point performance with his 21.22 points against the Jaguars. The Saints’ runningbacks were game scripted out almost immediately in that embarrassing loss to the Panthers. Keneth Gainwell was involved in the Eagles’ game with the 49ers, converting a two-point conversion. Tim Patrick was our top skill player with his 12.7 points on 37 yard and one touchdown performance. Bryan Edwards had seven points as Cole Kmet had one single point. Jamison Crowder did not play and the Bears’ defense put on a clinic against the Bengals with a 20 point performance.
Week 2 Results
Teddy Bridgewater (Denver Broncos) - 21.22 points
Tony Jones Jr. (New Orleans Saints) - 0.7 points
Kenneth Gainwell (Philadelphia Eagles) - 7.2 points
Tim Patrick (Denver Broncos) - 12.7 points
Bryan Edwards (Las Vegas Raiders) - 7 points
Cole Kmet (Chicago Bears) - 1 points
Jameison Crowder (New York Jets) - 0 points
Chicago Bears - 20 points
Total: 69.82 points
Week 3 Lineup
Quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater (Denver Broncos) - Owned in 28% of Yahoo and 26.8% of ESPN leagues
Week 3 Matchup: vs. NYJ
Let’s run it back with Teddy Bridgewater. He’s gone over 20 fantasy points in each of his first two games as the Broncos’ quarterback. Those first two games were on the road and now he’ll get the chance to lead the Broncos to a 3-0 start in the team’s home opener. It just so happens that the team gets the Jets, who have actually been decent against the pass to start the season. However, Bridgewater has been taking care of the ball and is being very efficient with his passing. He’s completed 77-percent of his passes for 592 yards and four touchdowns. Expect more of this out of Bridgewater this week and we can hope for another 20-plus fantasy point performance.
Runningbacks
Trenton Cannon (San Francisco 49ers) - Owned in 1% of Yahoo and 0.9% of ESPN leagues
Week 3 Matchup: vs. GB
The 49ers simply don't have faith in Trey Sermon. The third round pick in the 2021 NFL draft is in Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse as he was a healthy scratch in Week 1 and then got one carry in Week 2, which he fumbled. The 49ers claimed Cannon off waivers as their backfield continues to be plagued by injury with the likes of Raheem Mostert, Elijah Mitchell and JaMychal Hasty all out. Cannon should see double digit opportunities against the Packers on Sunday Night Football. This is obviously a gamble but to hit on a runningback in the B-Team, we have to gamble.
Peyton Barber (Las Vegas Raiders) - Owned in 5% of Yahoo and 4.3% of ESPN leagues
Week 3 Matchup: vs. MIA
Josh Jacobs is set to miss a second straight game. Peyton Barber out carried Kenyan Drake 13-to-seven last week, although Drake had six targets in the passing game. As Barber could see double-digit carries for a second straight week against a Dolphins’ team that has allowed the seventh most fantasy points to opposing runningbacks thus far this season, he has to be a B-Team play. The opportunities will be there, let’s hope he uses one of them to stumble into the endzone.
Wide Receivers
Sammy Watkins (Baltimore Ravens) - Owned in 22% of Yahoo and 31.4% of ESPN leagues
Week 3 Matchup: @DET
Due to the unfortunate injuries that the Ravens’ backfield suffered prior to the season, they’ve been relying on the arm, and legs, of Lamar Jackson. Jackson has come out of the gate slinging. He had a fantastic Week 2 performance in a win over the Kansas City Chiefs. In that game, Watkins saw seven targets, following his Week 1 eight target game. Anyone getting this many targets can’t be ignored. He’s yet to find the endzone this season but has 140 yards through the first two games. Maybe this is the week against the Lions that he finds paydirt.
Emmanuel Sanders (Buffalo Bills) - Owned in 24% of Yahoo and 23% of ESPN leagues
Week 3 Matchup: vs. WAS
I’m not going to get cute with this Week 3 lineup as we need to get a ‘W’ here in the B-Team. Sanders, like Watkins, has seen some good volume to begin the season. He’s seen 14 targets through the Bills’ first two outings. Like Watkins, he too has yet to find the endzone, but gets a plus matchup this week with the Washington Football Team who has allowed the seventh most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Imagine a world where both Watkins and Sanders score this week. That would be ideal!
Tight End
Evan Engram (New York Giants) - Owned in 37% of Yahoo and 32.8% of ESPN leagues
Week 3 Matchup: vs. ATL
Evan Engram is slated to make his season debut just in time. In his return to the Giants, he gets the Atlanta Falcons, who have allowed three touchdowns to tight ends to start the season; allowing the second most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. Daniel Jones has had a decent start to the season, so if the Giants are able to add the element of Engram to their offense, they could open up many other avenues of success. Let’s hope Engram continues the trend of tight ends scoring against the Falcons.
Flex
Hunter Renfrow (Las Vegas Raiders) - Owned in 10% of Yahoo and 10.5% of ESPN Leagues
Week 3 Matchup: vs. MIA
Going along with the topic of volume and opportunities, Renfrow has seen 16 targets through the first two weeks of the season. The matchup is not ideal this week as the Dolphins’ secondary is quality, but as the slot receiver for Derek Carr and the Raiders, he’s destined to get his fair share of targets. Again, like our other two suggestions, he’s yet to score this season, so let’s hope he can join Watkins and Sanders in opening their 2021 scoring campaigns. I’ll take the guaranteed PPR points out of Renfrow this week.
Defense
Las Vegas Raiders - Owned in 43% of Yahoo and 27.4% of ESPN league
Week 3 Matchup: Vs. MIA
I guess I’m all in on the Raiders this week. Joining Barber and Renfrow will be the Raiders’ defense. Of course, Tua Tagovailoa has hit the IR, so they’ll be getting Jacoby Brissett this week. The Raiders’ defense has lowkey been decent to start the season with five sacks, an interception and two fumble recoveries. There’s no doubt they’ll get to Brissett this week and they could very well force a turnover in the process.
Week 1 Results
Week 1 Results
Sam Darnold (Carolina Panthers) - 19.06 points
Kenneth Gainwell (Philadelphia Eagles) - 12.3 points
Ty Johnson (New York Jets) - 3.6 points
Terrace Marshall Jr. (Carolina Panthers) - 5.6 points
Tyrell Williams (Detroit Lions) - 3.4 points
Tyler Conklin (Minnesota Vikings) - 8.1 points
Bryan Edwards (Las Vegas Raiders) - 12.1 points
Jacksonville Jaguars - -3 points
Total: 61.16 points
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