Poor Nate Burleson. Just when you think he’s going to be a consistent fantasy producer, he goes and breaks his arm in a car crash. That’s incredibly sad news for him and his fantasy owners, but those of us who have been keeping our fingers crossed for good things from Ryan Broyles have a lot to look forward to. The Bears have not been particularly good covering wide receivers so far this year so look for Broyles to have a great day. Calvin Johnson is, of course, a must start.
Continuing with receivers, Julian Edelman has been a little frustrating for non-PPR fantasy owners after his 21 point week 1 outing, but that should change against Atlanta this week. For Sunday Night Football, Brady is going to want to put on a show, so with Amendola and Gronkowski still on the mend, Edelman is still a solid option and a great flex play this week.
If you’ve been watching Torrey Smith, you know he’s doing quite well for himself, he just hasn’t found the end zone yet. That should change against Buffalo this week who has been one of the worst in covering wide receivers so far this year. Look for Smith to have his best game so far this season with a score and a solid chance for 100+ yards.
On the negative side of things, Marques Colston, Larry Fitzgerald, and Cecil Shorts are all in tough matchups this week. Obviously, all three are typically week-to-week starters so it’s hard to sit them, but if you find yourself with a lot of options, these are three guys that should be in consideration for your bench this week.
Of course, there’s far more to fantasy football than the wide receiver. Look for Trent Richardson to have his first huge day of 2013 against Jacksonville. With a full week of practice under his belt with his new team, Richardson is a weekly must start again from here on out. There aren’t too many better ways to celebrate getting traded to a better team than a couple of touchdowns.
Frank Gore may be in a marital dispute with Jim Harbaugh currently, but those differences should be set aside when Gore goes runs all over the Rams. I imagine he’ll get at least 15 carries for 85 yards and a score this week if not more.
C.J. Spiller, on the other hand, may have another rough day in front of him. Apparently the issue he had with his quad in week 3 is nothing to be concerned with, but the Baltimore Run defense is. David Wilson will have an uphill battle in Kansas City as well. Both of them have so much potential week-to-week so they’re still worthy RB2 starts, but don’t count on them to save your week.
If you’re worried about Reggie Bush this week, don’t be. Although that’s bad news for Joique Bell owners, Bush was apparently ready to go this weekend, but was held out as a precaution. Chicago isn’t the easiest of matchups, but Bush is a dynamic runner who can make people miss so he’s bound to get one or two nice breakaways.
The QB position is a little different. Most weeks, you’re going to see the same 10-12 guys at the top of the list regardless of their matchup, but Terrelle Pryor against Washington and Alex Smith against the Giants are two great matchups to exploit if you’re in a jam. With a few concerns surrounding Michael Vick’s health after he was replaced at the end of last Thursday’s game, both Pryor and Smith would be safer choices.
The same is true for the TE position. The same guys will always be listed at the top because there are less truly talented ones than the other positions, but anyone fed up with Jared Cook may want to consider Heath Miller this week. His snap count was limited last week and he has a cake matchup in Minnesota coming up so if you’re in a jam and you weren’t lucky enough to grab Julius Thomas or Jordan Cameron earlier this season, Miller is a solid start this weekend.
