Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III provided the team with a reliable, powerful option in the backfield in 2022 in his rookie season, and he finished third in NFL.com's Nick Shook's explosive score thanks to a big-play resume. He led all rushers in top speed reached with the ball in his hands at 22.09 mph, tied for third in gains of 10-plus yards over expected (15) and hit 20 mph on four carries on the year (tied for fourth). Walker averaged 4.6 yards per carry and topped 1,000 yards rushing while scoring nine rushing TDs in his first NFL season. The addition of rookie Zach Charbonnet to Seattle's backfield this year could take some work away from Walker, mainly in the passing game, but the 22-year-old should still be their lead back after his performance last year. Consider Walker a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 in fantasy.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (hamstring) has drawn a questionable tag for the Week 3 game on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Watson has been held out of the first two games of the year, but he practiced on Wednesday and Friday this week while being rested on Thursday. The 24-year-old second-year pass-catcher could end up being a game-time decision, so fantasy managers will need to check back on Sunday morning before deciding whether to plug him into their lineups. Watson is expected to be quarterback Jordan Love's top target this year when healthy, but he'll be a risky flex play for fantasy managers if he makes his debut on Sunday because of the fact that he could be eased into the offense with a hamstring injury that has been bothering him since late in training camp.
Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (hamstring) is being listed as questionable to play in Week 3 on Sunday at home against the visiting New Orleans Saints. Jones didn't practice all of last week and was inactive in the Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He missed practice on Wednesday but was able to return to a limited session on Thursday, which gives him a chance to play this weekend. The 28-year-old could be a true game-time decision, so fantasy managers will need to check back Sunday morning before finalizing their weekly lineups. Jones is trending as a shaky RB3/flex in Week 3 because of his hammy injury, but if he's active, it's hard to recommend sitting him after he went for 41 yards and a touchdown on nine carries on the ground while adding two catches for 86 yards and another score through the air in the season opener. If he sits again, AJ Dillon will get another crack as the lead back.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said it's too soon for running back Cam Akers to make his team debut in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday after the team just acquired him in a trade from the Los Angeles Rams earlier this week. Akers will likely be inactive with an eye toward playing in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers. Akers' fantasy value could be salvaged this year as a complement to Alexander Mattison after wearing out his welcome with the Rams, but fantasy managers must remember that the 24-year-old now has to learn a completely new offense in short order. Mattison will continue to operate as Minnesota's clear lead back this Sunday, with Ty Chandler serving as a change-of-pace option in the backfield.
Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw (ankle) returned to practice this week and was removed from the final injury report on Friday, meaning he will return to play against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3 on Sunday. Darrisaw suffered an ankle injury in the season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was forced to sit out in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on a short week last Thursday night. The 24-year-old wasn't officially inactive last Thursday, but the Vikings chose not to put him in the game, even after fill-in left tackle Olisaemeka Udoh was injured in the game. Darrisaw's return will be great news for quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Vikings offense as they seek their first win of 2023.
Miami Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders is on the lower end of the top-12 kicking options heading into Week 3 against the Denver Broncos. He posted a great game in Week 1 during the shootout against the Chargers but only made one of his three field goal attempts in Week 2 against the Patriots. Sanders seems to be more relevant in streaming situations when the Dolphins are in for a high-scoring affair. The Broncos don't have a great defense but kickers have only averaged seven fantasy points per game against them so far. There are better options out there, but Sanders isn't the worst play this week.
The Miami Dolphins defense/special teams has seen extreme lows and moderate highs after the first two weeks of the season. They have the talent to force some turnovers and wrack up the sacks, but they've also shown some massive holes that offenses can exploit. On the brighter side, the Broncos offense is very inconsistent and has one of the lowest-ranked receiving and backfield groups in the league according to PFF. If Jaelan Phillips plays in this contest, it will improve the entire unit and they become a bit better of a play. For managers desperate for some defensive output, the Dolphins are a gamble, but have some solid upside.
Running back Damien Harris managed to find the end zone amid Week 2's smackdown of the Las Vegas Raiders for the first touchdown of his Buffalo Bills career. The 26-year-old finds himself in an intimidating matchup on deck against the Washington Commanders' stud nose-tackle combination of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Harris has played behind Latavius Murray for scraps behind lead back James Cook in the opening two weeks, so fantasy managers would really be grasping at straws by inserting Harris into Week 3 lineups. Murray has siphoned five of Buffalo's nine red-zone touches among the three RBs. The power back, Harris, is at least a better bet to hit paydirt than Cook after out-touching him in the red zone 4-0 to this point. Harris probably needs Sunday's meeting to get out of hand in favor of Buffalo to return value as a TD-or-bust RB4/FLEX.
Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox (back) was upgraded to a full practice on Friday and was removed from the final injury report for Week 3 against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Knox missed practices on both Wednesday and Thursday, so it was looking like he'd at least be questionable to play this weekend. It's bad news for those hoping for a big game from rookie Dalton Kincaid in the potential absence of Knox, but it looks like Knox will be active after all. Through two games, Knox has six catches on his nine targets for 35 yards and a touchdown. He has played more offensive snaps than Kincaid to this point, but Kincaid has outproduced him (minus the TD) with nine catches for 69 yards early in the year.
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.
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