We’re only two weeks into the NFL season, and things are absolutely topsy-turvy! Ryan Fitzpatrick is lighting the league on fire with two gargantuan wins, and Pat Mahomes just went Super Saiyan against the Steelers throwing for six freaking touchdowns. Quarterbacks have come to roost, and the pass catchers are feasting. Jesse James & Will Dissly are the top two tight ends in fantasy just as everyone predicted. It’s an exciting time to be a lover of football and fantasy. Here’s to hoping the third week of the season will shine a little more light on the fantasy landscape as a whole, and help us to make sense of all this madness.

QUARTERBACKS:

Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – FD: $7,500 | DK: $6,000

The swag man cannot be stopped! Fitzmagic did it again this week against the defending Super Bowl completing 27-of-33 passes for 402 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Just monster numbers from the 35 year old Harvard man. I’m disappointed I didn’t list him last week. I thought his week 1 numbers were a fluke. I was wrong. He’ll now face off against the 0-1-1 Pittsburgh Steelers at home. The Steelers’ defense just allowed Patrick Mahomes to throw for SIX TOUCHDOWNS against them. They’re nothing to worry about, and that works for Fitzpatrick who clearly fears nothing these days on the field. There are eleven more expensive quarterbacks in both Fanduel & DraftKings this week, which makes Fitzpatrick, the highest scoring fantasy player through two weeks, a must start value.

Mitchell Trubisky @ Arizona Cardinals – FD: $6,500 | DK: $5,500

Trubisky is coming off a Prime Time win against the Seattle Seahawks where he had some highlights & some low lights. Trubisky showed a lot more poise in Monday’s game than he did against Green Bay two Sundays ago, throwing for two touchdowns, but gave up two interceptions. A little bit of yin, and a little bit of yang. Fortunately for Trubisky, he gets to play against the Arizona Cardinals in an afternoon game this coming Sunday. The Cardinals are bad, guys. They gave up 24 points to the Skins in Week 1, and then got completely plastered by Jared Goff & the Rams on Sunday. Things don’t look good for the red birds in Phoenix, which bodes well for Trubisky. He obviously needs to cut down on the interceptions to have be useful for DFS purposes, but his weapons should be able to do work on the road this coming Sunday. If he can avoid Patrick Peterson, Turbisky will have a good game.

Matthew Stafford vs. New England Patriots – FD: $7,400 | DK: $5,900

Despite the loss Stafford had a good day on Sunday. He threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers. What I’m focusing on, though, is his pass attempts. He tried 53 times on Sunday, and something tells me he’ll be throwing again this week. The Patriots are looking to bounce back from a rough loss against the Jaguars, and you can bet Bill Belichick will take advantage of the weak Lions defense. The Patriots’ defense isn’t exactly elite either. Blake Bortles just put up 377 passing yards and four touchdowns against them on Sunday. This game has the makings of a shootout. Give me Stafford at home in a desperate win situation.

Blake Bortles vs. Tennessee Titans – FD: $6,700 | DK: $5,600

As stated directly above, Bortles just threw for 377 yards and four touchdowns against the Pats. In short, Bortles balled out. Aside from the one interception, he was flawless. He was confident in the pocket, and making smart, accurate throws on the run. It was the best game I’ve seen from him. There’s a good chance he has a repeat or similar performance this week against the Titans. The Titans defense isn’t bad but it isn’t great. They just allowed Deshaun Watson to throw for 310 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The Jags will be looking to make a statement within the division this Sunday. If Fournette remains out for Week 3, Bortles will be slinging the ball around and staying aggressive.

Tyrod Taylor vs. New York Jets – FD: $6,600 | DK: $5,700

It’s only a matter of time until the Browns win a game. They took the Steelers to OT in Week 1, and then lost to the Saints in a nail biter on the road. That’s two 2017 playoff teams they’ve nearly beat so far. Obviously “nearly” won’t get you anywhere in the NFL, but it’s indicative of a team that’s close to putting things together. I think tonight’s game has the makings of being a high-scoring affair, and that Tyrod will have a strong game. The Jets are playing their third game in just eleven days. That’s a tired defense coming off a bad loss at home going on the road against a team that they should beat. Tyrod shouldn’t have much of a problem finding his playmakers, and his ability to scramble gives him that valued built-in floor.

Andy Dalton @ Carolina Panthers – FD: $7,200 | DK: $5,700

Well, I didn’t trust Andy Dalton to put up much of a performance against the Ravens on Thursday night, and I was dead wrong. Dalton connected with AJ Green for three touchdowns, and threw a fourth to Tyler Boyd. Things might be turning around for the Cincinnati Bengals. Losing Joe Mixon for a few weeks obviously has a negative impact for their running game, but it will put the ball in Dalton’s hand more often. Even with Gio in the backfield. He’s a pass catching RB. Dalton will be throwing early and often against the Panthers DST who just allowed 31 points to the Falcons.

HAIL MARY QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK:

Derek Carr @ Miami Dolphins – FD: $6,800 | DK: $5,400

I’m not completely sold on Carr and the Raiders, but they looked far more efficient and effective against the Broncos this week than they did against the Rams in Week 1. If the trend continues in that direction, then Carr could be due for a big day against the Dolphins, who just allowed rookie Sam Darnold to throw for 334 yards against them. Yes, there were interceptions, but those were the growing pains of a rookie quarterback. Mistakes I don’t expect Carr to make against a defense he can exploit. Jon Gruden & the Raiders are still on their quest for a win, and will fight tooth and nail to avoid going 0-3 on Sunday. I expect Carr to have a good outing against a defense that has struggled against quarterbacks.

TIGHT END:

OJ Howard vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – FD: $5,600 | DK: $3,300

Well it’s official. Cameron Brate is useless without Jameis Winston under center. Fitzpatrick prefers to target his wide receivers. This is fortunate for OJ Howard as he’s essentially a very large wide receiver. In Sunday’s contest against the Eagles, OJ Howard was 3-for-4 with 96 yards and a touchdown. He stands to be far more successful against the Steelers’ defense which is in shambles. The Steelers just allowed Travis Kelce seven receptions on 10 targets for 109 yards and two touchdowns. It stands to reason that Howard will be able to exploit Steelers’ weakness against the tight end position, and have a TE1 performance this Sunday.

George Kittle @ Kansas City Chiefs – FD: $5,800 | DK: $4,500

Kittle was extremely disappointing last week against the Lions catching just two of four targets for only 22 yards. This is one of those moments where you’re playing the matchup, and hoping the the best. The Chiefs are no good against the tight end. Jesse James had a behemoth of a day against them catching all five targets for 138 yards and a touchdown. Kittle has all the potential and athleticism necessary to have a similar kind of day, but he needs to be able to take advantage of this favorable matchup.

Eric Ebron @ Philadelphia Eagles – FD: $5,500 | DK: $3,400

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the ‘Ebron’ in the room. He’s now had a receiving touchdown in back-to-back games, and is the 6th ranked TE (0.5 PPR) on the season. Granted, the season is still young, but Ebron is getting looks in the red zone. All it takes for most tight ends to have a productive week is one touchdown, and Ebron is proving to be Luck’s primary target within the 20 yard line. The Eagles defense is looking to bounce back and make a statement this Sunday, but Luck will still manage to move the ball. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ebron with another touchdown this week as the Colts’ receiving roster is depleted of any big body wide receivers who are capable of being physical in the red zone.

Jesse James @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – FD: $4,600 | DK: $3,400

This one is rather simple, though shocking it may be. Jesse James is the TE #1 (0.5 PPR) in fantasy. Are these words I anticipated writing? No. But that’s the nature of the beast. You gotta go with the flow, and right now the flow says James is worth playing. Through two games he has 8 receptions for 198 yards and a touchdown. The matchup against the Bucs is a favorable one, too. Last week Ertz had 11 receptions on 13 targets for 94 yards against them. James can do work in this game. He’s a great play in DFS & season long formats.

HAIL MARY TIGHT END OF THE WEEK

Austin Seferian-Jenkins vs. Tennessee Titans – FD: $4,600 | DK: $3,300

Bortles was spreading the ball around against the Pats last week, and connected with ASJ 3 times for 25 yards and a touchdown. I understand these aren’t stats that will blow your socks off. Playing ASJ this week is a game of faith. Having faith that the rapport and connection between ASJ & Bortles will continue to grow, and having faith that the Titans aren’t as good against the tight end position as it would seem on paper. The Titans have only played against Mike Gesicki & the Texans tight ends so far. Gesicki did nothing, and Deshaun has alway favored his wide receivers. ASJ could be a sneaky play this week in DFS. He comes at a value, and the untested defense he’s going up against will scare off players from owning him.

QB/TE COMBO OF THE WEEK

This should come at no surprise to anyone. The stack I’m targeting this week is Ryan Fitzpatrick & OJ Howard. As I stated above, the Steelers’ defense is in a state of disarray, and Fitz will be looking to make his final case to remain as the starter for the Bucs when Winston returns from suspension. Fitzmagic will connect with his favored TE, OJ Howard, since the Steelers’ D looks to be pretty weak against the tight end position. This game has all the makings of being a spectacular shootout. You’re gonna want to have stock in this contest.

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