Friday Five, Week 3

We’re on the cusp of another NFL Sunday. Week 1 brought with it the joy of seeing all those games be played. Week 2 brought with it a reminder of why football, and fantasy football, can be so crushing. There were so many injuries. Will it become part of a trend? That’s a question we’ll come closer to answering as we watch Week 3.

As with the previous weeks, the third NFL Sunday brings some excellent matchups. Below are five I’m excited to watch.

Sunday Early Games:

Los Angeles Rams (2-0) at Buffalo Bills (2-0)
The Rams got off to a strong start with a home win over the Cowboys and a big road win over the Eagles. Now they travel to battle the Bills, a team that earned its own two starting wins over division rivals the Jets and Dolphins. Josh Allen has also exploded as a premier passer, throwing for more than 300 yards in each of the first two games of the season, his first 300-plus passing games as a pro. The Rams, meanwhile, have played running back roulette while seeing Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee carry the passing game. One of these teams will move to 3-0, and it should be a good battle with plenty of fireworks.

Las Vegas Raiders (2-0) at New England Patriots (1-1)
The Raiders started strong, beating the Panthers in Week 1 and topping the Saints in their home opener on Monday Night Football. The Patriots, meanwhile, shut down the Dolphins in their first game of the Cam Newton era and came up just a few yards short on Sunday Night Football against the Seahawks. Now the Raiders travel East and will look to remain unbeaten as they clash with the Patriots. Can Newton keep up his hot start and get the Patriots back over .500? This figures to be a good early battle of possible AFC Playoff contenders.

Houston Texans (0-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0)
This is a battle of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Texans were a playoff team in 2019, but they got off to a brutal 0-2 start facing the elite of the AFC in the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers, meanwhile, suffered a rash of injuries and missed the playoffs in 2019. But with Ben Roethlisberger back and the band back together, the Steelers beat the Giants in Week 1 and took out the Broncos last week to start off 2-0. Can the Texans get right against another tough defense? If they can’t, the season is going to start slipping away quickly. Meanwhile the Steelers offense will look to stay strong against a defense that has yielded two straight 30-plus point games.

Sunday Late Games:

Dallas Cowboys (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (2-0)
The Cowboys are one epic comeback away from having started the season 0-2. The offense has looked good at times, but the defense yielded plenty of drives to the Rams in Week 1 and 39 points to Atlanta in Week 2. The Seahawks, meanwhile, got off to a 2-0 start thanks in part to Russell Wilson starting the season on fire. He’s the No. 1 quarterback in fantasy football, having tossed nine touchdown passes in two games. Doubtless Seattle fans are excited to see the team facing a defense that just got shredded by the Falcons. But the Seahawks’ defense has been friendly to opposing offenses, too, allowing three 100-yard receivers in Week 1 and 30 points to the Patriots in Week 2. With Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott and a receiving corps that includes CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Dalton Schultz, the Cowboys have plenty of potential to put up points.

Sunday Night Game

Green Bay Packers (2-0) at New Orleans Saints (1-1)
The Packers have come out on fire offensively but done it in different ways. In Week 1 in Minnesota, it was all about Aaron Rodgers and the passing game. In Week 2, Aaron Jones racked up 168 rushing yards and three touchdowns. The Saints, meanwhile, have struggled to get their passing game going. Michael Thomas was injured, but Drew Brees has struggled to connect with Emmanuel Sanders, Tre’Quan Smith and Jared Cook. Alvin Kamara, however, has been on fire, and that’s kept the team in the hunt as they beat the Buccaneers before coming up just short in Las Vegas Monday night. Can the Saints get on track Sunday night against the Packers, or will it be a 3-0 start for the Aarons? This one figures to offer plenty of drama.

Weekly Picks:

The first week Lindsay blew me away, but last week I was nearly perfect, flipping the tables. Will my hot-and-cold act continue? Will Lindsay surge past me again? Probably….

Matt’s Picks:
Jaguars Over Dolphins
Falcons Over Bears
Bills Over Rams
Eagles Over Bengals
Browns Over Washington
Titans Over Vikings
Patriots Over Raiders
49ers Over Giants
Steelers Over Texans
Colts Over Jets
Chargers Over Panthers
Seahawks Over Cowboys
Broncos Over Buccaneers
Cardinals Over Lions
Saints Over Packers
Ravens Over Chiefs

Last Week: 14-2
Season: 20-12

Lindsay’s Picks:
Jaguars Over Dolphins
Bears Over Falcons
Bills Over Rams
Bengals Over Eagles
Browns Over Washington
Titans Over Vikings
Raiders Over Patriots
49ers Over Giants
Steelers Over Texans
Colts Over Jets
Chargers Over Panthers
Seahawks Over Cowboys
Buccaneers Over Broncos
Cardinals Over Lions
Packers Over Saints
Chiefs Over Ravens

Last Week: 9-7
Season: 19-13

Matt’s Picks Against the Spread:
Jaguars -2.5 Over Dolphins
Falcons -3.5 Over Bears
Bills -2.5 Over Rams
Bengals +6.5 Over Eagles
Browns -6.5 Over Washington
Titans -2.5 Over Vikings
Raiders +6.5 Over Patriots
49ers -4.5 Over Giants
Steelers -3.5 Over Texans
Colts -10.5 Over Jets
Panthers +7.5 Over Chargers
Cowboys +4.5 Over Seahawks
Broncos +5.5 Over Buccaneers
Cardinals -5.5 Over Lions
Packers +3.5 Over Saints
Chiefs +3.5 Over Ravens

Last Week: 9-7
Season: 14-18

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.