It’s Wednesday, Sept. 17, and we are officially 11% of the way through the NFL season. Fantasy monarchs are starting to establish their rule while the jesters of the league are taking to their caps and bells. If you find yourself in either role or stuck in the middle watching, allow this week’s Fantasy Forecast to ensure that you outscore your next foe. In other words, like NASA did on this day 48 years ago with the Enterprise, let’s unveil something that will take you to new heights.
Start, sit or trade ‘em
It’s no secret that Drake Maye has become New England’s poster child. The second-year Patriot is turning heads across the country as he continues to display a strong performance week in and week out despite a lack of talent surrounding him. Fantasy owners should be pleased to know that starting Maye is a great option heading into Week 3. Coming off a dazzling 26-point performance in Miami, number 10 made a hefty splash against the Dolphins in a 33-27 victory. Maye threw for 230 yards, completing 19 of 23 passes, two of which found the endzone. Draco (as some teammates refer to him) crushed his projection for Week 2, meaning something is clicking and he’s starting to get hot. It certainly doesn’t look like Maye will cool down as the Patriots look to go 2-1 next week against a struggling Steeler defense. The Men of Steel have let up 63 points in two weeks to quarterbacks outside Fantasy’s Top 20. To further the damage, they’ve allowed an average of 394.5 total yards in each game they take the field. In short, Maye is a desirable quarterback to have starting in Week 3 as his hot streak looks to burn a defense in shambles. Boston’s field general will defend Foxboro this Sunday against Pittsburgh’s army of Black and Gold at 1 p.m.
If you cross over the Golden Gate Bridge in Week 3, you’ll find Levi’s Stadium and perhaps a struggling Kyler Murray. The Arizona Cardinals quarterback will face the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday in a battle for the West. Murray is coming off a bland 14-point fantasy performance against a low-ranking Carolina defense. K1 threw for an underwhelming 220 yards against the Panthers and split touchdowns with interceptions at one a piece. Murray showed promise in the opening week of the season as he racked in a bit over 18 points, but the show he put on this past Sunday garnered no applause. The roadrunner will have to go up against a stacked defense at 4:25 p.m. in Week 3, with stars such as Fred Warner and Nick Bosa looking to stop him in his tracks. If you have the sixth-year quarterback on your roster, it’s best to sit him this week and look for an alternative.
To cap off our list, we finish with 40-year-old Joe Flacco, who is trying to pave over the potholes in Cleveland’s road to glory — but it looks as if they’re just too deep. There’s not much to say about Flacco, as his shallow fantasy performance speaks for itself. The veteran has found himself on five different teams in 19 seasons and has yet to put up more than 13 points these past two weeks. A meek quarterback rating of 30.2 last week against the division rival Baltimore Ravens just further cements Flacco’s mid-reputation. The possibility of a Flacco comeback on the fantasy charts is grim as the 0-2 Browns will have to face an undefeated Green Bay defense. While 12 years ago he was a Super Bowl MVP, Flacco is now just a backup to a backup for most fantasy users. If he is sitting on your bench collecting dust, try and scour the league to see if anyone is desperate enough to trade for a QB3.
As always, best of luck, Huskies.