Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff had one of the best seasons of his career in 2022 under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and he has complete command of the offense and the protections heading into his second season working with Johnson. DetroitLions.com's Tim Twentyman writes that "watching him operate at minicamp it's clear he's 100 percent dialed into Johnson's scheme." Not much was expected of Goff when he was traded from the Rams to the Lions, but he exceeded expectations last year by throwing for 4,438 yards, 29 TDs and seven interceptions in 17 starts to earn his third Pro Bowl bid. The 28-year-old finished as the QB10 in fantasy, but that's probably going to be his ceiling. Not having receiver Jameson Williams for a full season won't help. Target him as a strong QB2.
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.
Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson (concussion) has officially been ruled out for the Week 3 game on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens due to a concussion that he sustained in the Week 2 win over the Houston Texans. With Richardson sidelined, veteran Gardner Minshew will make his first start in a Colts uniform on the road in Baltimore. The 21-year-old Richardson had two rushing scores and was well on his way to a big game last week before he became concussed. He remains in the league's concussion protocol and it remains to be seen if he'll be cleared in time to play in Week 4 at home against the Los Angeles Rams. Minshew will be in play as a low-end QB2 option for those in leagues that start two quarterbacks.
Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud (shoulder) is close to being back to 100 percent despite being limited in practice this week. Stroud revealed that he suffered a similar right-shoulder injury in 2021 while at Ohio State. Despite being hurt and hit often in the Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, he managed to go 30-for-47 for 384 yards and two touchdowns, which was the second-most passing yards by a rookie QB in a single game in franchise history. The Texans aren't taking any chances with Stroud's health, and he'll be managed accordingly throughout the week. Through his first two NFL games, Stroud has thrown 91 passes for 626 yards, setting the record for the fourth-most passing yards by a rookie QB in NFL history during that span.
Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders (pectoral) was not listed on the team's final injury report on Friday heading into the Week 3 contest on Sunday on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. Sanders put in a full practice on Friday after being limited on Wednesday and Thursday. He'll be a full-go and could be leaned on more on Sunday with rookie quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) ruled out. Sanders hasn't been very impressive in his first two games for Carolina, averaging just 3.6 yards a carry on 32 rushing attempts for 115 yards while catching seven of 11 targets for 30 additional yards. The 26-year-old will be looking to find the end zone for the first time in 2023 and should be treated as a solid volume-based RB2 in fantasy.
Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young (ankle) has officially been ruled out for the Week 3 game on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, and there's a chance he could also be sidelined next week. Veteran backup Andy Dalton will make his first start for the Panthers in a hostile environment on the road in Seattle, so fantasy managers shouldn't expect much from the offense in this one. At best, Dalton will be on the fantasy radar as a low-end QB2 option for those in superflex leagues. Jake Luton is expected to be called up from the practice squad to serve as Dalton's backup on Sunday. The Panthers could go with a more run-heavy game script with Young not playing, which would be good news for RBs Miles Sanders and Chuba Hubbard.
Miami Dolphins tight end Durham Smythe gave fantasy managers some hope in Week 1 with the amount of targets he saw, but it hasn't turned into much at all. Smythe is better left on the waiver wire, let alone the bench. While wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (concussion) has yet to clear concussion protocols, it doesn't necessarily mean that Smythe will see meaningful volume against the Broncos. Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is going to look for the receivers first and foremost, while running back Raheem Mostert should get going on the ground as well. Until Smythe can put up some sustainable production, he'll remain off the fantasy radar.
Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert looks like a younger version of himself so far this year and has turned into a bellcow back at the age of 31. After running for 121 yards and two touchdowns against the Patriots, he sets his sights on a Broncos defense that allows the sixth-most missed tackles in the league so far. To go a step further, Mostert has played 73% of the team's snaps each week and it doesn't look like anyone will be challenging him for more carries. The Broncos even give up the tenth-most yards after contact. All of that makes for a quality week that could lead Mostert to a low-end RB1.
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