Week 3 is officially in the books, folks. As we close the chapter on another exciting week and look ahead to Week 4, here are three exciting prospects just waiting to be plucked from the wire, as well as another star-in-the-making who solidified his role as a fantasy stud this weekend. Read up, then get those claims in before it’s too late!
Lorenzo Taliaferro - Running back, Baltimore Ravens
Scouts and Draft Twitter have been driving the Taliaferro hype-train for a while now, especially since the suspension and subsequent release of Ray Rice. With Bernard Pierce out due to injury and Justin Forsett failing to take full advantage, Taliaferro stepped in and had himself a breakout day, rushing for 91 and a score on 18 carries against a solid Cleveland Browns’ defense. Taliaferro is too talented to not push for more playing time, so this is an interesting situation to keep an eye on. He’s a must-add for me this week while his ownership numbers are still insanely low, especially for Pierce and Forsett owners.
Jordan Matthews - Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
Another darling of the draft community, a great many analysts and fans alike have been waiting for Matthews’ breakout game, which happened this weekend against the Washington Redskins. After hauling in just three passes in his first two games, Matthews had a highly productive day, amassing 59 receiving yards and two touchdowns on eight catches. Matthews is extremely physically gifted and more talented than Riley Cooper in every aspect. He seems to be building a great rapport with quarterback Nick Foles, and is a perfect compliment to Jeremy Maclin. Moving forward Matthews is a great FLEX or WR3 option, and should move into WR2 territory by season’s end, given the Eagles’ high-octane offense that is currently averaging 33.7 points per game (second in the league).
Blake Bortles - Quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Chad Henne era is finally over in Jacksonville. After an abysmal first-half drubbing against the Indianapolis Colts, Gus Bradley and Co. decided it was finally time for the third-overall pick to make his regular season NFL debut. Bortles fared decently well, especially for a rookie on a mediocre offense trying to play catch up - throwing for 223 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 30 yards, but also throwing two interceptions. He finshed the day with 14.92 fantasy points, which was good for 17th best. QB2 in just one half? That’s pretty exciting. The Jaguars will likely be playing from behind a lot this season, which will give Bortles plenty of opportunity to pad his stats in garbagee time. If you’re in need of some help at quarterback, grab Bortles now before you miss out.
Kirk Cousins - Quarterback, Washington Redskins
After relieving an injured Robert Griffin III in Week 2 and having a fantastic day, Cousins should’ve been the most added player in fantasy. Yet for some reason, he’s owned in just 28.6 percent of leagues as of this writing. Cousins had himself a career day on Sunday, throwing three touchdowns on 427 passing yards. He’s efficient, sharp and electric with the ball in his hand, and can get the ball deep to DeSean Jackson with ease. There’s no way that Cousins makes it another week with such low ownership numbers, this has got to be your last shot at adding him to your roster, seriously don’t miss this opportunity.