After a slow two weeks to start the NFL season, teams are starting to get going on offense. Tom Brady threw five touchdowns. Devonta Freeman and Jordan Howard looked like first round fantasy draft picks. Odell Beckham finally scored a touchdown, and then added another for good measure.
With that being said, a few teams and players fell flat in Week 3. These players and teams disappointed fans and fantasy owners alike, falling well short of expectations for the weekend. Here are the biggest busts from Week 3 of the NFL season.
Quarterback – Cam Newton
167 Passing Yards, 3 Interceptions, 16 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing TDs
There were a couple of possible candidates for this position, but because Newton had the privilege of playing at home and against the Saints defense, he takes the top spot. Newton had not done much coming into Week 3, but he had only turned the ball over once, which helped mitigate his poor performances. Week 3 was not the same story for Newton. Newton failed to throw a touchdown but managed to toss three interceptions and fail to throw for over 175 yards for the second time in three games. Newton did score his first rushing touchdown of the season, but the interception nullified the six points it provided. It is getting harder to justify starting Cam Newton this season, after three below average games.
Running Back – Marshawn Lynch
18 Rushing Yards, 1 Reception, 8 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
Nothing went well for the Oakland Raiders’ offense on Sunday night, and Marshawn Lynch’s stat line is evidence of that. Lynch had one of his worst games of his career, and his lowest rushing total since Week 3 of the 2015 season against the Chicago Bears. Lynch had just seven touches on Sunday night, as the Washington Redskins held the ball for nearly 40 minutes and the Raiders needed to play catch-up almost all night. Lynch has a tough schedule ahead, but it is hard to see the team and Lynch having as bad of a game as they did in Week 3.
Wide Receiver – Amari Cooper
1 Reception, 6 Receiving Yards, 0 TDs
Both Oakland wide receivers deserve this spot, but because Michael Crabtree had a single yard more than Cooper, Cooper gets the spot on the list this week. Cooper was targeted five times in Week 3 but only managed to catch a single pass for six yards, the third-lowest yardage total of his career. The season overall has been disappointing for Cooper. Cooper is continuing to drop too many passes, which is limiting his touchdown potential. Cooper gets the Denver Broncos next week, a team he only averages 35 yards receiving against in four career games.
Tight End– Travis Kelce
1 Reception, 1 Receiving Yard, 0 TDs
It has been a volatile start to the season for Travis Kelce. After catching 100 yards in Week 2, Kelce was quiet on Sunday afternoon, catching a single pass for a yard. Kelce was only targeted a single time, and overall the Chiefs did not need much passing offense to thwart the Chargers. In three of his last five games against the Chargers, Kelce has failed to crack 20 yards receiving, so you should not be too surprised by the result and should remain positive going forward that Kelce will still be one of the top tight ends in fantasy. Expect a better day, next week versus the Washington Redskins
Defense
44 Points Allowed, 410 Yards Allowed, 0 Sacks, 0 Turnovers,
After generating ten turnovers and eight sacks in the first two games of the season, the Baltimore Ravens were completely outclassed by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in London. The Ravens could not stop the Jaguars rushing or passing game, which lead them to give up the most points since giving up 49 in Week 1 of the 2013 NFL season. The Ravens get Pittsburgh at home next week, where they have historically played much better. Expect the Ravens’ defense to balance out over the season and finish as a top-12 unit in fantasy.
Kicker – Justin Tucker
1 PAT
Justin Tucker did not get a chance to kick anything besides a single extra point. However, Tucker is considered one of the best kickers in fantasy, so a single point is disappointing. This is just the third time in 83 regular season games that Tucker scored just a single point. He has rebounded nicely after such weak performances to average 8.5 points per game. Don’t expect Flacco to be held to just 25 yards passing next week, meaning Tucker will get the chance to put more points on the board.
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