Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. was sidelined his entire rookie year with a foot injury, but he made up for lost time in 2022 with his versatile skill set out of the backfield. He finished with 1,125 rushing yards (5.1 yards per carry) and five touchdowns while adding another 316 yards through the air. Etienne was one of the most explosive ball-carriers last year, mainly because of his ability to hit full speed with the ball in his hands. He tied for the second-most runs at 20-plus mph among qualified runners with six, trailing only Justin Fields. The 24-year-old also had 13 gains of 10-plus yards over expected. There's a chance that Etienne sees a bit of reduced workload in 2023, but even with that possibility, his playmaking abilities put him on the RB1/2 borderline in fantasy.
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said that wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (concussion) is good to go to play in the Week 3 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the team's home opener on Sunday Night Football. Meyers was able to clear the league's concussion protocol and returned to a full practice on Thursday, setting the stage for him to return after missing the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The 26-year-old made a nice impression in his debut for the Raiders in the season opener, catching nine of his 10 targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns before suffering a concussion. He'll return to the No. 2 role behind Davante Adams against Pittsburgh and is back on the fantasy radar as a WR4/flex option for managers this weekend.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook excited fantasy managers with a huge 159-yard showing in Week 2's dismantling of the Las Vegas Raiders. The 23-year-old next challenges the Washington Commanders, who have held James Conner and Javonte Williams to scoreless 14/62 and 12/44 rushing lines respectively in the opening two games. Washington's defense has proven to be slightly more vulnerable in the backend, if anything, with their ravenous defensive line, so Cook will likely need to break away for some explosive runs on the outside to penetrate this unit. Buffalo has constantly utilized him on counter plays, so expect that usage to persist in an effort to get the dynamic Cook to the second level of the field. Due to zero red-zone touches on the young season, however, the 2022 second-rounder is stuck as a high-floor RB2 in Week 3 and until further notice.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Boston Scott (head) has cleared the league's concussion protocol and returned to practice on Friday after being limited on Thursday. Kenneth Gainwell (ribs) is also practicing for the second straight day this week after he missed last Thursday's win over the Minnesota Vikings. Scott suffered a concussion early in the Week 2 game but has benefitted from the extra time off and should be ready to go on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers unless he suffers a setback on Saturday. With Gainwell looking likely to play as well this week, the 28-year-old Scott will most likely have a limited role in Philly's backfield and won't be a viable flex play in fantasy. In the season opener when the backfield was fully healthy, he had just one carry for three yards and caught one pass for seven yards.
Wide receiver Gabe Davis asserted himself as a legitimate No. 2 option alongside Stefon Diggs by leading the Buffalo Bills with 92 receiving yards and a touchdown in Week 2's vanquishing of the Las Vegas Raiders. The 24-year-old is likely to square off frequently with top Washington defensive back Kendall Fuller, who helped lock down the Arizona Cardinals in the season opener, but gave way a bit for a 3/69/1 receiving line against him in Week 2 versus the Denver Broncos. There's not much else to be said about Davis on a weekly basis; his every-down role in a pass-heavy offense keeps him in the WR3 conversation. But the deep threat is of the boom-or-bust variety in Week 3, and Davis may not find breathing room as easily against the Commanders as it came last time out versus the inferior Raiders secondary.
Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson (concussion) will miss the Week 3 game against the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday as he remains in the league's concussion protocol. However, a source said that Richardson is optimistic about playing in Week 4 against the Los Angeles Rams, assuming he passes through the protocols next week. The Colts and Richardson have been cautious this week in their discussions about his return. Veteran Gardner Minshew entered for the concussed Richardson in last week's win over the Houston Texans and threw for 171 yards on 19-for-23 passing with a touchdown and no interceptions. Minshew will make the start this weekend for the first time since Week 17 last season while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel (illness) missed practice on Friday due to an illness and is now questionable to play in Week 3 on Sunday at home against the visiting Buffalo Bills. We would be surprised if Samuel doesn't end up suiting up this weekend, but those that were planning on starting him in a flex spot against the Bills in deeper leagues will need to pay close attention to his final status on Sunday morning. Samuel has a low fantasy ceiling and floor as the No. 3 receiver in Washington, and he has eight catches on eight targets for 73 yards in the first two weeks of the season. If the veteran is out or limited in Week 3, Dyami Brown could have a decent role, especially with tight end Logan Thomas (concussion) already being ruled out.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs played second fiddle to teammate Gabe Davis' 92 yards and a score with 66 scoreless yards in Week 2's triumph over the Las Vegas Raiders. The 29-year-old next does battle with the Washington Commanders secondary, who just saw rookie Marvin Mims Jr. dust them up for 113 yards and a touchdown on two targets last Sunday. Diggs likely draws the more favorable matchup between himself and Davis in Week 3, as he looks to pick on first-round rookie Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in this one, while Davis perhaps deals more regularly with top Commanders corner Kendall Fuller. Having caught 17-of-20 targets for 168 yards to start the campaign after a rocky offseason, Diggs has relieved any fear that his harmony with quarterback Josh Allen would be compromised in 2023. The three-time Pro Bowler rates as a high-floor WR1 in this one with four red-zone targets thus far.
Washington Commanders tight end Logan Thomas (concussion) did not clear the league's concussion protocol and will not play in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The oft-injured Thomas made it just two games before picking up another injury, and he'll miss his first game of the 2023 campaign. The 32-year-old will need to clear the concussion protocol next week in order to have a shot at returning in a Week 4 contest on the road in Philadelphia against the Eagles. With Thomas out this Sunday against Buffalo, expect both John Bates and Cole Turner to see expanded roles in the passing game, but neither of them should warrant serious consideration as streaming options at the tight end position.
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that newly signed running back Kareem Hunt is "going to play" in his season debut in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans. However, how much Hunt actually plays on Sunday will be determined. The 28-year-old was a popular waiver-wire pickup this week after Nick Chubb went down with a gruesome season-ending knee injury on Monday night. It's unknown what kind of shape Hunt is actually in, but all signs point to the Browns leaning on Jerome Ford as their lead back moving forward. If anything, Hunt will merely be a thorn in Ford's side as he steals valuable touches away, mainly in obvious passing situations on third downs. We wouldn't recommend using Hunt right away as a flex option in PPR leagues in his first game in 2023.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen returned to form with a three-touchdown effort in Week 2's beatdown of the Las Vegas Raiders. The 27-year-old next takes on the Washington Commanders, who just allowed fantasy's overall QB3 finish out of Russell Wilson last Sunday after teeing off on journeyman backup Joshua Dobbs in the season opener for Week 1's lowest score among starting QBs. Washington's fierce defensive line has already turned in 10 sacks, which is tied only with the Dallas Cowboys. The Commanders lost Wilson for 56 rushing yards in Week 2, so expect Allen to use his legs more than he had to a week ago after logging just seven rush yards in that one. With an NFL-high 10 red-zone completions, the two-time Pro Bowler ranks as a top-tier QB1 in Week 3. Allen's DFS rostership could offer leverage while in arguably the most imposing matchup of his elite QB1 peers.
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