Week 3 Fantasy Football FantasySP Expert Tips: Derek Carr, Carson Steele, Ja'Marr Chase and More

It’s that time again: The end of another week and time to shift into football weekend mode. Get everything done on Saturday and kiss your family goodbye, because another NFL Sunday is nearly upon us.

Each week, the experts here at FantasySP get together to answer a handful of questions in preparation for the upcoming games. It gives you a chance to see what we are thinking in one convenient place rather than in five different articles; it’s good for efficiency’s sake.

Brant Tedeschi, Ted Chmyz, Morgan Rode, Mark Morales-Smith and Daniel Hepner convened to answer five questions related to fantasy Week 3.

Among players who aren’t weekly starters, who is THE guy for fantasy owners to have in their lineups this week?

Mark: I’m personally starting Zack Moss this week against Washington in my most important league. This will be the first time he’ll crack the lineup. That’s the guy for me. 

Ted: Is it a cop-out to say Zach Charbonnet? His efficiency was awful as the Seahawks’ lead back with Kenneth Walker sidelined, but his usage was elite. He should see another solid workload against a Dolphins team starting Skylar Thompson.

Brant: Xavier Worthy. The focus in Kansas City is on the running backs, but I think this will be the first week you will start to see an uptick in Worthy’s involvement in the offense to help offset the loss of Isiah Pacheco.

Morgan: I’ll go with Rashid Shaheed. The Saints’ offense has been humming along, and Shaheed should be in line for a couple big plays against the Eagles this week.

Is there a quarterback you have strong feelings on, for better or worse?

Mark: I like Deshaun Watson this week against the Giants. That team is terrible, and Watson looked decent last week. He should be a solid streaming option. 

Ted: Derek Carr. The Saints’ offensive revolution is legit, and the Eagles’ secondary is very beatable. Carr is easily a top-10 QB play this week. 

Morgan: Sam Darnold. He’s been a decent fantasy starting option so far this season, but I think he and the Vikings’ offense struggle mightily in Week 3 against the Texans.

Daniel: I agree with Mark. The Giants just let rookie Jayden Daniels have a big day, and now a similar player in Watson faces the struggling New York team. Especially with his running, Watson could break into the top 10.

How about a flex player who is going to disappoint owners in Week 3?

Mark: The usage of the Browns' running backs really scares me when it comes to starting Jerome Ford. Which is frustrating because they are playing the Giants. I can’t just ignore the fact that D'Onta Foreman had twice as many carries as him last week and matched him in receptions while also getting the goal line work. 

Ted: He’s already disappointing managers, but I don’t think things get any better for Michael Pittman Jr. this week. He’s simply a terrible fit with Anthony Richardson, and the return of Josh Downs will only decrease his usage. Against a Bears team that has struggled to put up points, the Colts will likely lean on Jonathan Taylor, resulting in another low-volume day for Pittman and the rest of Indianapolis’ passing offense. 

Morgan: I’ll say Carson Steele. I’m not sure how many owners are going to start him, but I’ve been telling people all week about how much I do not like Steele.

Daniel: James Conner is in the top 10 among running backs in both standard and PPR, but he’s going up against maybe the best run defense in the league in Detroit. Conner will get touches and maybe a chance to score, but it’s going to be hard for the veteran to find space; Kyler Murray will likely have more success running than Conner.

Give us a streaming tight end to grab if we are desperate.

Mark: I’m in this situation, and I’m rolling out Luke Schoonmaker, assuming Jake Ferguson sits out another week. I like what I saw last week as far as volume and production. 

Ted: Hunter Henry is somehow still under 20% rostered coming off a 12-target, 100-yard game, so he is the obvious choice. He’s the only tight end in the league to lead his team in routes and targets. If Henry isn’t available, I also like Zach Ertz, another veteran who has seen decent usage in an offense that lacks receiving options.

Morgan: I like Henry too but will offer another option in Mike Gesicki. He’s a bit risky play with Tee Higgins possibly back, but after his showing last week, I wouldn’t mind giving him a start in Week 3.

Daniel: The Seahawks were the team that allowed that huge Week 2 to Henry, and their Week 3 opponent, the Dolphins, just lost their big-armed quarterback for at least the next month. Tight end Jonnu Smith might benefit if the average pass travels a shorter distance with Thompson under center, making another high-volume game a possibility against Seattle.

And finally, who will be the fantasy MVP of Week 3?

Mark: Ja'Marr Chase is going to go nuts against the Commanders' secondary. This is an easy pick for me, especially with almost every other top wideout dealing with some sort of issue or obstacle.

Ted: I think this is the week Chris Olave arrives in the Saints’ new-look offense. His target share numbers have been fine, New Orleans just hasn’t had to pass much while blowing everyone out. He’s still the best receiver in this suddenly elite offense; he could have a huge day against the terrible Eagles' secondary. 

Morgan: I’ll stick with the Saints but go with Alvin Kamara. He’s been great so far and now gets a matchup against the Eagles’ defense that just got shredded by the two Atlanta backs. Kamara could score multiple times to go along with 100+ yards.

Daniel: Joe Burrow could have his full complement of receivers if Higgins takes the field. Washington might have the worst pass defense in the league, so for the same reason that Mark chose Chase, I’ll instead take his quarterback, Burrow.