Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
This game might end up being as much of a mismatch on the field as it currently appears on paper. Atlanta has completely dominated their first three opponents, while the Panthers have been inconsistent at best since the start of the season.
Cam Newton is coming off what is probably the greatest down game of his short NFL career. The 2011 Offensive Rookie of the Year through interceptions in a resounding loss to the New York Giants last Thursday.
Atlanta, on the other hand, is running on all cylinders right now. They have won their first three games by an average of 15 points as both sides of the ball appear to be downright intimidating. Matt Ryan boasts an NFL-best 114 quarterback rating. The dynamic receiving duo of Julio Jones and Roddy White have combined for over 450 yards and four touchdowns.
Meanwhile, the Falcons defense has forced 10 turnovers and sacked opposing quarterbacks a total of seven times in three games. They are playing a stingy style that has come to best represent Mike Nolan-led defenses. You guessed it, this game has the makings of an absolute blowout.
Fantasy Outlook
Don’t start Cam Newton in this one. He has been too inconsistent in the early part of the season to be counted on as a legit QB1 option. More importantly, Carolina is going to be facing a tough defense on the road in a dome. I would, however, recommend that you take a long look at starting DeAngelo Williams here. Atlanta has nearly 400 rushing yards through three games.
As it relates to the Falcons offense, I am pretty sure you can make a case for pretty much every starter. Matt Ryan is currently my No. 1 ranked fantasy quarterback. Both Jones and White are true WR1 options and Tony Gonzalez continues to dominate the seam. The future Hall of Fame tight end has recorded 21 receptions and three touchdowns so far this season.
A case can also be made to start Michael Turner. While he isn’t nearly the fantasy running back we have seen in the past, the former Pro Bowl performer is going up against an average Panthers’ run defense. Opposing offenses are averaging nearly 140 yards per game against Carolina this season.
New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers
Here you have two of the last three Super Bowl Champions going up against one another with one combined win through the first three weeks of the season. Imagine that!
However, it does appear that one team is ready to right the storm while the other has nearly no hope at a postseason spot in 2012. Green Bay is coming off a horrific “defeat” at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks in the Pacific Northwest on Monday night, a game that was literally stolen from them by replacement officials.
Meanwhile, New Orleans has been downright horrendous through the first three games of the season...At least their defense has been. That unit has yielded more points, yards and first downs than any team in the NFC thus far.
It is hard to imagine New Orleans being able to stop a Packers’ offense coming off three subpar games. How long are we going to see Aaron Rodgers and company continue to struggle? The best tonic for these struggles has to be a home game against the worst defense in the NFL.
Fantasy Outlook
A whose, who of potential fantasy studs here, mostly on the Packers side of the leger. First, we should begin with Aaron Rodgers, who has been sacked a whopping 16 times in the first three games of the season. If Green Bay is able to give Rodgers some protection he will be able to eat apart a grossly undermanned Saints’ secondary. Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and even a banged up Greg Jennings will all have major impacts here as well.
That being said, I would caution against starting Drew Brees. He will probably put the ball up 60 times and throw for a ton of yards, but those are not indicators of fantasy success. Brees has been turnover-prone and will probably throw a couple interceptions if the Saints have to play from behind a majority of the game, a likely scenario at this point. I would, however, run with Jimmy Graham at tight end. He is an imposing figure and shouldn’t have a ton of problems going up against a lackluster set of coverage backers’ in Green Bay.
Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Check out new eDraft wrtiter Kwame Fisher-Jones and his preview of NFC East action this weekend to get a full rundown of this matchup.