With a lot of one-sided matchups in Week 3 of the NFL season, quarterbacks are going to be at a premium. Your quarterback goes off, you win the matchup.
Some of the games this week feature Peyton Manning against the Oakland Raiders, Matt Ryan taking on the Miami Dolphins (who are 2-0 but are 20th in the league in pass defense) and the surprisingly effective Alex Smith against the Philadelphia Eagles who haven’t been able to stop anything through the first two week.
But not all the matchups are favorable, as you’ll want to avoid starting these three quarterbacks if at all possible.
Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
Although most owners were down on Rivers this offseason, and he mainly went as a backup quarterback in most drafts, he has gotten off to a great start, throwing seven touchdowns and only one interception in two games. But this week against the Tennessee Titans, Rivers should have a down week. The Titans are 20th in the league in rush defense, so Ryan Mathews could see some more work than in past weeks. Tennessee is also 11th in the league in pass defense, picking off quarterbacks five times and only allowing four passing touchdowns in two games.
Rivers will also be without Malcom Floyd, who has been targeted 11 times by Rivers this season and has averaged 24.8 yards per catch. Rivers won’t bomb it this weekend, but owners should think about playing the starter they likely drafted before Rivers this week.
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
Luck is on pace to have a much better statistical year than he had in his rookie season, but Week 3 could be a speed bump for owners who have enjoyed Luck’s almost 250 yards per game and four total touchdowns. Not only is Luck facing the best defense the Colts have played this season in the San Francisco 49ers, but he has the luxury of (somehow) having Trent Richardson in his backfield. Having Richardson will take away from his pass attempts, and if Richardson is in to run block he could end up giving up an extra sack or two, since he’ll only have three days or so to learn the blocking scheme. Richardson also isn’t much of a pass-catcher, and Luck is now without Dwayne Allen for the year.
Luck has been able to throw the ball around more, especially in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins when he threw it 43 times. But with Richardson in Indy, expect a similar game to Week 1 against the Raiders when he only threw the ball 23 times for 178 yards.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
A lot of people will be all over Wilson this week, mainly just because he’s playing the Jacksonville Jaguars. While Wilson should have a very effective professional game, his fantasy numbers won’t be very good against the Jags. Jacksonville actually has the second-best pass defense in the NFL, but mainly because teams playing them get up early and then run the ball all game (which would explain why the Jaguars have the second-worst rush defense).
Marshawn Lynch owners can expect a good game, and his backup Robert Turbin has even carried the ball eight times this year for 48 yards. Even without playing Jacksonville, Wilson’s fantasy numbers hasn’t been that great, only throwing two touchdowns and giving up two turnovers, so owners should take a close look at their backup this week if they own Wilson.