During the first BBR Fantasy Football Freeroll tournament on FantasyDraft last week, the top-50 finishers won $10.
Kudos to the top-3 scorers:
- Kushgordon - 173.80 points
- jaball1984 - 171.96 points
- alfitz5 - 162.10 points
Because we filled up the 100 spots last week, we're increasing the limit to 150. Just like last week, 50 percent of the entries will split $750 in prizes. CLICK HERE or on the logo below to enter this week's FREE tournament.
Now, some tips for this weekend:
Saints at Panthers
SuperCam Still SuperPriced
As predicted last week, Panthers QB Cam Newton ended up becoming a decent value play in most daily leagues. On FantasyDraft in particular, Newton outplayed his 9th-ranked salary, finishing 6th among QBs in scoring.
This week, it’s no different. Newton dropped in price, from $14,000 to $13,500, yet is still the 9th-most expensive QB.
Now the Panthers face the shaky Saints' pass defense, meaning Newton could be in line for a very nice day. Through two weeks, the Saints defense has allowed 250 yards and two touchdowns by opposing quarterbacks.
Newton is 29th in passing yards and 11th in touchdowns, but his legs have contained his fantasy value so far. He's the top-ranked rushing QB in the league, rushing for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Expect SuperCam to return to super form this week. He’s a solid QB1 in all leagues.
Olsen Hasn’t Played Up to His Fantasy Salary
Panthers TE Greg Olsen has been a major disappointment for fantasy owners so far this season.
He's ranked 24th among TEs in scoring in most standard leagues, yet he’s the fourth-most expensive TE on FantasyDraft. Fantasy owners are no doubt frustrated with Olsen’s numbers and better times might be right around the corner. But maybe not this week.
The Saints DST is allowing only 31.2 actual passing yards (adjusted for pass interference penalties) per game to opposing TEs - good for 6th in the entire NFL. Cardinals TE Daniel Fells did go for four receptions and 82 yards with a touchdown in Week 1, but the Saints held Bucs TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins to a measly two catches for 29 yards.
It’s a toss-up whether or not Olsen will perform up to standard this week, but keep in mind Newton doesn’t have the red-zone receiving options that Bucs QB Jameis Winston has.
Panthers' Sleeper of the Week?
Your guess is as good as ours. Ted Ginn [$6,900], Philly Brown [$7,200] and Devin Funchess [$6,200] are all cheap compared to Antonio Brown’s $17,200 salary. There's a decent chance one of them will outplay their salary and may even rank in the top 20 of WRs. We just aren’t quite sure which one.
The Saints DST is particularly weak against “other” receivers (slot and No. 4 receivers), allowing 73 yards per game. The problem is Carolina’s receiving situation is so nebulous that every receiver gets in “other” snaps.
Carolina Defense
From a fantasy perspective, the Panthers DST underperformed last week. On the field, however, holding a team to under 20 points and walking out with a W is always a good thing.
Even though he has a bruised rotator cuff, Saints QB Drew Brees said there is a “reasonable possibility” he’ll be on the field Sunday. If Brees can’t go, Saints will start backup Luke McCown.
Regardless of Brees’ status, the Panthers DST is a safe play this week. In Week 2, the Bucs DST sacked Brees four times, recovered two fumbles and picked off a pass. If Brees plays, he likely won’t be the same guy who averaged 343 yards per game a few years ago. If McCown plays, the Panthers should have a field day.
Saints Offense
There wasn't a single Saints offensive player that finished in the top-20 for their respective positions last week. Expect the same result this week against a stout Carolina DST.
Around the League
High-Salary Matchups
Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles is a little pricey on FantasyDraft ($14,300), but the Chiefs are facing the 32nd-ranked Packers rush defense.
Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch has been a bit of a letdown this season, averaging just nine fantasy points in most standard leagues. But the Seahawks are facing the 28th-ranked Bears run defense this week. That could provide Lynch with the spark needed to ignite a fantasy hot streak.
Similar to a lot of successful college programs, New England utilizes short passes almost as a replacement running game. A majority of those targets go to WR Julian Edelman. While not a No. 1 WR in the traditional sense, Edelman is clearly the Patriots top receiving option, and he’ll likely draw significant coverage attention. Still, the Jacksonville DST allows nearly 100 yards per game to opposing No. 1 WRs, so Edelman should have another strong performance.
4 Sleepers to Target
- Patriots RB Dion Lewis
He may be here to stay. Many chalked up his Week 1 performance to the RB LeGarrette Blount's suspension. But last week, with Blount active, Lewis was on the field for 70 offensive snaps, rushing for 40 yards while adding 98 receiving yards and a touchdown. Lewis is going for $8,300 on FantasyDraft and is worth considering in most standard and all PPR leagues.
- Dolphins WR Rishard Matthews
Miami QB Ryan Tannehill found his groove in Week 2, passing for 359 yards and sparking the Dolphins passing offense. While that receiving corps is quite crowded with Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry and Greg Jennings, unheralded Matthews has carved himself out a nice little niche. He's the 18th-ranked WR so far this season, and is averaging about 10 fantasy points per game in most standard scoring leagues (12.6 in PPR leagues). Currently valued at $7,900 on FantasyDraft, Matthews is set to outplay his salary, especially considering the Bills DST have given up the 6th most points to opposing WRs.
- Raiders WR Michael Crabtree
Seemingly on the same page as QB David Carr, Crabtree is averaging 74 yards a game, and last week he found the end zone. He has the capability to put up huge numbers, and against the Browns this week, he may be a sleeper at a fairly low salary of $9,000.
- Redskins RB Matt Jones
If you are playing a Thursday-Sunday Contest or in a traditional league, you may want to pick up Redskins RB Matt Jones. He burst onto the scene last week, rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, while hauling in another 23 receiving yards. Jones finished the game with more carries than starting RB Alfred Morris. That isn't yet an indication of a role reversal in Washington, but it should be enough to make Jones a high-priority target if he’s still available. He's a steal on FantasyDraft with a salary of $8,600, which makes him cheaper than players like Rams RB Todd Gurley, Titans RB Bishop Sankey and Lions RB Ameer Abdullah.
NOTE: The BBR Weekly Fantasy Football Tournament is for Sunday-Monday games, so Jones won't be an option.