After Week 2 Chris Towers and I were discussing how so much of Week 2 contradicted what happened in Week 1. With that in mind, Week 3 may have looked a little bit like a tiebreaker coming in. In many cases what we got was a brand new set of riddles to solve. Outside of the Cardinals and Patriots I'm not sure what we can really believe in. Well, besides Andy Dalton.
You can trust Andy Dalton as your QB1.
Through three weeks Dalton is second highest scoring quarterback. Now it's nothing new for Dalton to have a hot streak that runs for three weeks and these aren't exactly great secondaries that Dalton has torched the first three weeks of the season. That being said, he got over a big hump this week in a division game on the road and the QB1 pool has been thinned considerably since the start of the season.
Dalton already has one top-5 season on his resume. You shouldn't be surprised at all if he posts another one in 2015.
Verdict: Believe it. Dalton has always had the ability to take advantage of good matchups and he has plenty left. After a pair of tough games against the Bills and Steelers six of his last ten games will be against favorable matchups.
Maybe more important for Dalton is that all of his weapons are finally healthy. This is the first time in his career he's had A.J. Green, Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert, and Giovani Bernard healthy. As long as those guys stay upright Dalton should produce as a top ten fantasy quarterback.
Joseph Randle is a RB1 behind this Cowboys line.
Randle exploded in Week 3 for more than 100 total yards and three touchdowns against a Falcons defense that had looked fairly formidable against the run in 2015. Randle is now the third-ranked running back in standard scoring leagues.
While we may still have doubts about his skill level, the Cowboys offensive line and his opportunity make those concerns a moot point. Randle won't be the third best running back by the end of the year but if he stays healthy he should be a reliable RB1.
Verdict: Don't believe it. Randle had 2 yards on his final 11 carries! With Tony Romo out the Cowboys are going to be paying from behind and that's going to mean a lot more Lance Dunbar. If you can trade Randle for someone you would consider to be a solid RB2 now is the time to make that move.
Devonta Freeman ended the Falcons RB competition on Sunday.
On the opposite side of the field Freeman was putting on quite a performance himself. The difference was that Freeman maintained his success throughout the game and finished with 193 total yards. He looked decisive in his cuts and had a bounce in his step that we hadn't previously seen.
With Julio Jones keeping defenses honest a good running back has a chance to have a great season. If Freeman's 30 touches in Week 3 are any indication, he could very well be that back.
Verdict: Don't believe it. I believe more in Freeman's talent than I do Randle and he'll be in a better offense than Randle until Romo and Bryant come back. Still, when Tevin Coleman comes back this is going to be a time share. The only way that is not true is if Freeman makes this type of performance the rule and not the exception.
I would project Freeman as a solid RB2 until Coleman comes back. After that he'll be a RB3/flex with around 60 percent of the workload.
Thomas Rawls is a must-add for Marshawn Lynch owners.
The first surprise of Sunday's Seahawks game came when Marshawn Lynch did not take the field for the start of the game. The second surprise was that Rawls received a majority of the carries and not Fred Jackson. Rawls did his best Lynch performance in Week 3 with a bevy of broken tackles on his way to 104 yards on 16 carries.
Rawls, and not Fred Jackson, looks to be the handcuff for Lynch and he looked very effective when given the chance. If you own Jackson, drop him for Rawls. In deeper leagues I'd consider the rookie even if I don't own Lynch.
Verdict: Believe it. Lynch is a 29 year old back that has received treatment for his back, calf, and hamstring in the past ten days. I'm not saying Lynch is breaking down, or even that he'll miss a game. But if he does this is an elite situation and Rawls looks up to the task.
