Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore is developing a sound working relationship with his new quarterback, Justin Fields. Safety Jaquan Brisker said the duo "looked like they had been teammates for years" during OTAs before adding, "they got that chemistry going very fast." Moore spent his entire career in Carolina, totaling 364 catches for 5,201 yards and 21 touchdowns in 80 regular season appearances. He also had 616 targets and averaged 14.3 yards per catch, giving him appeal in all fantasy setups. That said, the 26-year-old, who was traded to Chicago this offseason, will have plenty of competition for looks from Fields during the 2023-24 campaign. But Moore is still the favorite to be the Bears' top offensive option on the receiving end.
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.
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.
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