NFL WEEK 3 STUDS AND DUDS
Each week, the CappersPicks.com staff brings you players you need to be paying attention to: Remember – fantasy football championships are often won by those who live eat and breath fantasy football.
After all of the weekly games are finished be sure to check our waiver wire column, cheatsheets, a who’s hot, and who’s not report plus more in our fantasy football guide. Without wasting any more of your time, here are the Week 3 Fantasy Football Studs & Duds plus key player stats for the NFL games that went on on this week (Week 3).
Week 3 is almost over and it was yet another that saw pre-season darlings finally shine, and others completely flop. Some were steady winners and losers, while others waited for the last minutes to make their way onto the list. Some typical studs were injured, paving the way for backups to shine in their absence, while others crapped the bed and were replaced by backups who weren’t supposed to be factors in this week’s game. What is particularly unusual about this week is that a lot of the Studs on the list amassed amazing performances in losing efforts.
Apologies to Philip Rivers, Vincent Jackson, Kevin Walter and Kevin Smith who did not make it onto the list that demonstrated studliness during Week 3.
Here we go!!!
Stud Of the Week
Maurice Jones-Drew – Jacksonville – Did all that was asked of him this week. 119 yards on the ground and 3 TD’s. combined with 4 catches for 28 yards made Jones-Drew owners very happy this week. Let’s be honest, Maurice is all that Jacksonville has. As long as he’s going, the Jags have a chance to win. Unstoppable in Week 3!
Dud of the Week
Clinton Portis – Washington – How many of you saw the Skins’ Week 3 opponents and thought that the only thing that was going to stop Clinton was a pulled Hammy? Me too!!! Well, 48 combined yards was enough to make us cry. Matchups don’t get much juicer than this for the Redskins – Hell – Detroit hasn’t won since the Carter Administration. The fact that they couldn’t get Portis going is yet another nail in Jim Zorn’s coffin.
More Studs
Peyton Manning – Indianapolis – Perennial Stud does it again, shredding a pretty good Defense , on the road. What a beauty!!! Peyton has taken the MVP race lead for sure.
Kevin Kolb – Philadelphia – Donovan who? Mike who? Kevin is proving to be more than an adequate replacement for McNabb and his Week 3 effort give Andy Reid the confidence to rest Donovan, and not rush him back. 327 yards and 2 TD’s. This week speaks to the chemistry that he has developed with DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek. Going into the game without his all-world RB and his reliable WR Kevin Curtis, many thought that he would be good but not great. Wrong. Kolb was a Stud this week – carrying a banged up team to a convincing victory.
Matt Schaub – Houston – If this team could stop anyone on Defense, they would be formidable. Schaub put up 300 yards and 3 TD’s, and still lost the game. Poor Matt!!
Jason Campbell – Washington – Hard to imagine throwing for 340 yards and 2 TD’s. And losing to the Detroit Lions. He’s a stud based on his #’s this week even if he lost a game that will live in Detroit Lions History.
Brett Favre – Minnesota – The old man still has a little drama left. No way that Tavaris Jackson could have engineered a game-winning drive. That’s exactly what Brett did on Sunday. 301 yards and 2 TD’s. – WHEN THEY COUNTED MOST makes Favre a stud this week. He made The Vikings’ brass look like geniuses.
Steven Jackson – St. Louis – Really carried his team this week. He looks like a Man amongst Boys in Ramsland. With 117 yards rushing and 5 grabs for 46 yards, I’m sure that you would agree that Jackson is Studworthy.
Willis McGahee – Baltimore – This dude is making the absolute most of All his touches this year. 2 more TD’s. this week on 7 CARRIES makes him the league leader in TD’s. Amazing what a little off season negative press can do!!!! Touchdown STUD.
Pierre Thomas – New Orleans – Welcome back Pierre!!! Superb outing in Week 3 with 2 TD’s. Just hope the vultures that your own coaching staff have cultivated don’t steal your thunder. Thomas is proof that the Saints can beat you any way they want to – SCARY!!!!
Santana Moss – Washington – On the list before – but on the Dud side of things. Santana woke up this week and managed 178 yards on 10 catches and a td. On a week that Portis was a non-factor, it’s good to see that someone else on the Skins can step up. Don’t count on his hot streak to continue though – Moss has a habit of disappearing after a good effort.
Randy Moss – New England – The real Randy showed up this week and grabbed 10 balls for 116 yards. Whenever Brady needed to move the chains, he looked to his Stud, Moss, who was happy to oblige. Although the TD’s. aren’t there, fear not – they will come.
DeSean Jackson – Philadelphia – Questionable coming into that game but no question he’s a Stud after the game. Jackson rolled up 149 yards and a TD on a banged up team this week – imagine when Donovan comes back!!!
Derrick Mason – Baltimore – Reliable possession receiver who had a great week – 118 yards and a TD. – ya – he’s a stud!
Vernon Davis – San Francisco – Maybe the only time we see him on this list this year, but his performance Sunday makes him worthy. 7 catches, 96 yards and 2 TD’s. in a losing effort gives Vernon the unflattering title of “Unforeseen Stud”.
Brent Celek – Philadelphia – Lots of Eagles on the list this week – partly because of their convincing win without their #1 WR and QB, but mostly because they put up HUGE numbers. Celek is the real deal – destined to be a Top 5 TE by year’s end.
More Duds
Drew Brees – New Orleans – Told you he’d be in this column every week!!! Just didn’t expect it would be in the Dud section. 172 yards and ZERO TD’s. makes his per game average 3 TD’s. – still above average – make sense of that!!!!!
Jamarcus Russell – Oakland – Wouldn’t even be good in the arena league. Jeff George – are you out there? Almost too easy isn’t it?
Byron Leftwich – Tampa Bay – 7/16 for 22 yards and an interception – nuff said!!!!
Brady Quinn – Cleveland – 34 yards and an interception paved the way for Derek Anderson to come in and throw 3 more picks. Not much expected coming into the game but COME ON!!!!
Thomas Jones – NY Jets – 22 combined yards is not a misprint and YES FOLKS – he played the whole game. We all know about the Tennessee Defense, but Jones simply didn’t show up today. You gotta help your rookie QB out!!! Let’s see if this poor performance translates into a diminished role in the Jets’ Offense for Jones
Larry Johnson – KC – 19 carries, 38 yards – The decline continues. Hard to believe that he ran for 2000 yards only a few years ago. Jamal Charles is nipping at his heels and you can bet that LJ won’t be THE man in KC for long.
Darren Sproles – San Diego – I blame Norv Turner -no reason except I hate him. 41 yards rushing in Week 3 from a guy who was to be “The Next One” in the Fantasy world. How are the Chargers 2-1?
Terrell Owens – Buffalo – Bubkik – You heard me – ZERO catches. Lucky Portis had such a bad game against the woeful Lions, otherwise TO is your Dud of the Week. Consider him DuD 1B.
Darren McFadden – Oakland – 45 yards against the hated Broncos. Hope you had an escort to your car in Oakland Darren – oh ya – he couldn’t hold on to the ball either.
Bucs RB’s – 10 rushing attempts for a total of 28 yards for the WHOLE TEAM!!!!!! Ugh. – that’s all I can say!!
Roddy White – Atlanta – 4 catches for 24 yards for Roddy in Week 3 was underachieving to say the least. Didn’t look like the same team at all. Considering that they were trailing the whole game, the Falcons should have found a way to get White the ball.
Tony Gonzalez – Atlanta – Ditto – no wonder they lost.
Top Performers Week 3
Quarterbacks
P. Manning, IND 379 yds, 4 TD, 1 Int
A. Rodgers, GNB 269 yds, 3 TD, 0 Int
K. Kolb, PHI 327 yds, 3 TD, 0 Int
M. Schaub, HOU 300 yds, 3 TD, 1 Int
J. Campbell, WAS 340 yds, 2 TD, 1 Int
Running Backs
M. Jones-Drew, JAC 147 yds, 3 TD
P. Thomas, NOR 126 yds, 2 TD
J. Jones, SEA 136 yds, 1 TD
W. Parker, PIT 129 yds, 1 TD
F. Taylor, NWE 109 yds, 1 TD
W. McGahee, BAL 67 yds, 2 TD
Wide Receivers
S. Moss, WAS 178 yds, 1 TD
D. Jackson, PHI 149 yds, 1 TD
R. Wayne, IND 126 yds, 1 TD
D. Mason, BAL 118 yds, 1 TD
D. Driver, GNB 108 yds, 1 TD
K. Walter, HOU 107 yds, 1 TD
J. Cotchery, NYJ 108 yds, 1 TD
Tight Ends
V. Davis, SFO 96 yds, 2 TD
B. Celek, PHI 104 yds, 1 TD
