NFL Soup|Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Fantasy Football Risk vs. Reward | Week 3 

Fantasy football in week two was exciting, as usual. In week two’s version of High Risk vs. High Reward we targeted plays such as Maurice Jones-Drew, Reggie Wayne, and DeAngelo Williams.

All three of those guys struggled on Sunday and justified why they deserved to be featured in the article.

In week three we’ll highlight more players that could really boom or bust:

Brandon Marshall, WR, Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland

Marshall has been excellent thus far, and I’m still trying to figured out why he was drafted so low in most leagues.

But the match up against Joe Haden won’t be easy for Marshall, and the Browns overall pass defense has been somewhat impressive. The Browns have also done a decent job of getting pressure on the quarterback.

Hakeem Nicks, WR, New York Giants @ Philadelphia

The good news for Nicks owners is that he’s likely to see more targets if Mario Manningham’s concussion causes him to sit.

The bad news it that he faces a solid secondary, and he will be double covered for much of the game in order to keep him contained.

Cedric Benson, RB, Cincinnati Bengals vs. San Francisco

Benson struggled some in week two against a poor run defense, and his match up against San Francisco doesn’t bode well.

The 49ers run defense has been stout in their first two weeks, so Benson owners should be cautious when starting him.

Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay

The issue with Cutler is that he’s inconsistent. He can strike gold one week and get nothing for fantasy owners the next.

But Green Bay is without Nick Collins, and while Tramon Williams likely comes back, the Bears have receivers that can catch, contrary to popular opinion.

Darren McFadden, RB, Oakland Raiders vs. New York Jets

I’m still starting McFadden because he’s legit. But the Jets run defense has been stingy, and he likely won’t have as big a performance as his first two weeks.

Look for McFadden to get into the end zone, but the yardage may not pile up.

Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis Rams vs. Baltimore

Bradford is making his receivers look good with his spot on passes, and while he’s not an elite fantasy QB, he’s shown that he can score.

Baltimore’s secondary isn’t anything to write home about after Ed Reed. But the Ravens can put a lot of pressure on QB’s.

Anquan Boldin, WR, Baltimore Ravens @ St. Louis

The match up is favorable for Boldin against inconsistent St. Louis cornerbacks.

But if Lee Evans (ankle) sits for a week to rest, then Boldin could see a lot of double teams and struggle a bit.

His red zone ability is there, but it’s scary to think that he’ll likely be double covered for much of the game.

Beanie Wells, RB, Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle

Wells is starting to look like the running back that the Cardinals drafted in the first round in 2009.

But the Seahawks run defense is stingy. While you can do just about whatever you want to the rest of it, they don’t give up much on the ground.

Wells may disappoint fantasy owners this week.

Tim Hightower, RB, Washington Redskins @ Dallas

Hightower is going to make plays on the ground and in the air. However, Roy Helu’s break out in week two could steal a bit of thunder.

Add in the Dallas run defense that hasn’t gave up much ground against the run, and you have a potentially dangerous fantasy start.

Kyle Orton, QB, Denver Broncos @ Tennessee

Orton has been above average in his first two weeks, but he’s throwing to injured receivers and may not have a legit running game this week against a decent Tennessee run defense.

Add in the fact that Tennessee has given up just one touchdown in the air in two games as well as 172 passing yards a game and you have a potential recipe for disappointment.

About the author: Keet Bailey

Keet Bailey heads the NFL Draft division of NFL Soup. Bailey’s 2012 NFL Mock Draft scored 12th overall among 112 participants according to The Huddle Report’s Annual Mock Draft scoring contest. An avid Cleveland Browns fan, Keet hails from and resides in Ohio. Follow Keet on Twitter @NFLSoupKeet

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