Already approaching the quarter mark of the NFL season with Week 4, lace up your cleets and tie your chin straps real tight as Tech Times leads your team down field, while also looking back on Week 3. Check out our latest projections and recap.
Claim Him Off Waivers Now: Derek Carr
What's the world coming to if you're trusting an Oakland Raiders quarterback? Listen, Derek Carr's weapons are becoming more evident by the week—whether it's running back Latavius Murray, veteran wide receiver Michael Crabtree or rookie sensation Amari Cooper. Don't believe us? Well, consider this—after putting up a touchdown-less dud against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, Carr has aired it out for 300-plus yards and at least two touchdowns in each of the past two weeks. And his matchup is favorable against the winless Chicago Bears in Week 4. Despite the Bears having a pretty good pass defense, they have given up an average of 35 points per game, including being shut out by the Seattle Seahawks, 26-0, in Week 3. Although there's never a guarantee with a young quarterback, we like his chances to light it up against the Bears in Chicago. If you have shaky QB play or your quarterback has a tough challenge in Week 4—like mine does with Eli Manning facing the Buffalo Bills—seriously consider using Carr Sunday.
Anticipated Letdown: Calvin Johnson
The Legion of Boom has its boom back with safety Kam Chancellor anchoring the Seattle Seahawks defense...and that doesn't doesn't bode well for Calvin Johnson on Monday Night Football. Megatron is coming off an eight-catch, 77-yard performance in a Detroit Lions' loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 3. Like the Broncos, the Seahawks' secondary is as good as it gets out there and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them stifle Johnson with double coverage to limit his productivity. When you have a player like Johnson, you always start him. Just be prepared for a letdown this week.
Sleeper Pick: Karlos Williams
Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan commented that featured running back LeSean McCoy was playing on "one-and-a-half legs" in Week 3. All the more reason to start Karlos Williams in Week 4 against the New York Giants. The bulldozer of a running back is coming off a 110-yard, one-touchdown rushing performance against the Miami Dolphins, yet only started in five percent of CBS Sportsline leagues in Week 3. Don't make that mistake in Week 4, even if McCoy is the starter. Start Williams in all formats, even if it means benching a star with a bigger name against a tougher defense. You won't be sorry. In fact, this might be the last week that we could get away with calling Williams a sleeper. After this week, he's going to be out of here to the point where McCoy might be playing backup to him for the rest of the way through. Wait and see for yourself.
Confusion By Committee: Lions running backs Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah
Week 3 seemed to present a case for some confusion by committee with the Detroit Lions. In a 24-12 loss to the Denver Broncos, featured Lions running back Ameer Abdullah totaled 42 combined rushing and receiving yards with one touchdown reception. Meanwhile, Joique Bell managed to punch the other TD in for the Lions and he did it rushing. While we still prefer Abdullah to Bell because of his explosiveness, fantasy owners can't help but be irked that Bell stole a goal-line TD away from the rookie. One figures that Abdullah will keep piling on more yardage than Bell, but if Bell keeps stealing touchdowns here and there, it will leave owners frustrated with the rookie.
And now, looking back at the best and worst performers of Week 3...
Best Fantasy Performer: Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers is simply the baddest man in the NFL. Doubting that would only signal a reason for the Green Bay Packers' star quarterback to Discount Doublecheck you and prove you wrong yet again. Rodgers aired it out for an absurd 333 yards passing with five touchdowns in the Packers' 38-28 stomping of the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. The ridiculous output, which also had him rushing for 16 yards, earned him 44 fantasy points. Firmly expect Rodgers to be the top fantasy performer for a few more weeks this season, too. The man can make any throw, anywhere on the field.
Surprise, Surprise: Devonta Freeman
If it wasn't for Aaron Rodgers' explosion, Devonta Freeman would have been the top fantasy performer in Week 3. Although injuries in the NFL create opportunities for other players to step in and shine, nobody seen fireworks to the tune of 141 yards rushing and three touchdowns and 52 more receiving yards for 37 fantasy points in non-point per reception leagues for Freeman. Simply put, Freeman ran roughshod all over the Dallas Cowboys, powering the Atlanta Falcons to a 39-28 victory. Nobody would have ever seen this outburst coming.
Biggest Disappointment: Colin Kaepernick
Look—let's say this once and get it over with. Before this season even began, people were predicting the San Francisco 49ers to fall flat this year. A bulk of changes and a mass exodus will do that to you, after all. But did anyone think that Colin Kaepernick was going to fall off this brutally? He's in Robert Griffin III territory, having thrown for 67 yards, zero touchdowns and four interceptions in the 49ers' 47-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. If it wasn't for his 46 yards and one TD rushing, Kaepernick would have finished with negative-two points instead of the four he put up. But good God almighty...Kaepernick has hit rock bottom. Not that he was anyone's starter, but this needed to be said once and for all.
Most Costly Injury: Ben Roethlisberger
We have a Michael Vick sighting...thanks to Ben Roethlisberger spraining the MCL in his left knee Sunday against the St. Louis Rams and being out for four to six weeks. What a bummer that is to the Pittsburgh Steelers' prospects for a bright 2015 season. Big Ben was coming off passing for 369 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2, before being carted off the field with the Week 3 injury. Tough break for the Steelers, who will now have to count on a 35-year-old Vick, beginning in a short week with a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday Night Football. If his stint with the New York Jets last season was any indication, Vick has very little left to offer the game. That being said, he'll be aided by stud running back Le'Veon Bell, who he can hand the ball off to, and the big play capability of Antonio Brown, arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL.
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