Fantasy Football: Kirk Cousins, LeSean McCoy Among Week 3 Studs, Duds

If you want to know the true meaning of “studs” and “duds,” look no further than the first game of NFL’s Week 3.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons entered Thursday night’s game on fairly even footing; that is, until the Falcons stormed out to a 56-0 lead en route to a 56-14 blowout win.

That game set the tone for another wild week in the NFL that featured a nearly amazing comeback in a rematch of last year’s Super Bowl and a dominant performance by the NFC West’s new leaders, the Arizona Cardinals.

The same can be said on the fantasy front, as some of the game’s biggest names struggled to put up numbers, while a few lesser-known players put themselves on the map with big performances. Let’s take a look at the best and the worst from Week 3.

STUDS
Kirk Cousins, Quarterback, Washington Redskins: Cousins must not have liked what we said about him in our Week 3 Sits and Starts. The Redskins’ new starter went off in a heated matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, tossing for a league-high 427 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. This guy is legit.

Rashad Jennings, Running Back, New York Giants: The Giants’ offense finally woke up against the Texans Sunday, and Jennings was the major beneficiary, rushing for 176 yards and a score. He’s been their workhorse in every game this season and could be in for some huge numbers going forward.

Jeremy Maclin, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles have a ton of weapons, but Maclin has been the most reliable. The 26-year-old exploded for 154 receiving yards and a touchdown against the Redskins and has now caught a touchdown pass in each of his team’s first three games. In fantasy football, that’s a good thing.

Atlanta Falcons defense: About that Thursday night game… Atlanta didn’t score all of its 56 points on offense, thanks to Devin Hester’s record-breaking punt return for a touchdown. Oh yeah, the Falcons also recovered four fumbles, registered three sacks and picked off a Josh McCown pass to compile a whopping 29 points in standard-scoring leagues.

Marshawn Lynch, Running Back, Seattle Seahawks: “Beast Mode” owners benefited in a big way from Peyton Manning’s late heroics, as they allowed Lynch to punch in the game-winning touchdown in overtime. That wasn’t the Skittles lover’s only score of the day, as he added 40 receiving yards and a touchdown to earn over 24 points in standard leagues.

DUDS
LeSean McCoy, Running Back, Philadelphia Eagles: It was a scary moment for McCoy owners on Sunday, as the running back left the game after taking a huge blow to the head in the first quarter. McCoy was cleared to return in the second quarter but finished with 22 rushing yards on 19 carries. Let’s hope his injury isn’t serious.

Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback, Green Bay Packers: Everyone expected a shootout at Ford Field on Sunday. Everyone was wrong. The Lions’ D held Green Bay to just seven points, as Rodgers tossed for just 162 yards and a score. Rodgers is still a fantasy stud, but he’s thrown for under 200 yards in two of his first three starts this season.

Demaryius Thomas, Wide Receiver, Denver Broncos: It was a tough day all around for the Broncos’ offense against the Seattle Seahawks, but Thomas was a virtual non-factor. A two-point conversion catch in overtime saved him from laying a complete dud, but four catches for 31 yards certainly isn’t early-round draft pick material.

Antonio Gates, Tight End, San Diego Chargers: All right, maybe there was a reason Gates fell on the draft boards this year. The 34-year-old put up a big goose egg against the Buffalo Bills, while fellow tight end Ladarius Green caught four passes for 64 yards. Gates still shows flashes of brilliance, but his trademark consistency might be a thing of the past.

Sammy Watkins, Wide Receiver, Buffalo Bills: A week after going off for 117 yards and a touchdown, Watkins hauled in just two catches for 19 yards in a loss to the Chargers. Such is the life of a rookie wide receiver. His output will hinge on the production of E.J. Manuel, which is not ideal.

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