So you started your season 0-3? Don’t bail on the season yet! You’ve got an extra week this year for your team to catch up. After three weeks you should be seeing the holes in your roster. There are some underperforming players that you shouldn’t quit on yet, but it’s those holes in your roster due to error or injury where you need to stop the bleeding fast. Never fear, I got you. Here are some players that might be good substitutes or long-term answers.
QB’s: Even if you play only one, they still compile the most points of any individual player on your team.
Sam Frickin’ Darnold, Carolina Panthers: Dude isn’t who you thought he was in New York. He’s been good for two TDs and close to 300 yards of offense in every game so far this year. If he’s still on waivers in your league, grab him as your QB2. The Panthers have one of the easiest schedules in the league and Darnold will continue to feast.
Taylor Heinicke, The Football Team: He’s not the best QB in the league, but against the Falcons defense he might look like it. It’s got to be tough to convince the Falcons defensive players to really get after it. I think they’re playing out the string already. Heinicke is capable and the Falcons aren’t likely to put up a fight.
Famous Jameis Winston, New Orleans Saints: Admit it, after the terrible Week 2 Jameis Winston 2019-throwback performance, you thought Sean Payton was going to bench him in favor of Taysom Hill. But he didn’t. Payton went back to Jameis because he has an arm like a rocket launcher while Taysom Hill has more of a paper airplane launcher arm. Admittedly, Jameis Winston is my Brokeback. I just can’t quit him. Fortunately this week he gets the generous Giants and maybe a surprise shoot-out.
Defenses: Don’t sleep on defenses. Getting 10 points from your defense every week might be enough to make a difference.
Cincinnati Bengals: Maybe Trevor Lawrence isn’t who we thought he was. He’s been downright bad and this week he goes on the road to visit the Bengals. Cincinnati averaging 3.3 sacks per game, good for fourth-best in the league. Lawrence has been sacked five times in three games and has 7 (that’s not a typo) interceptions.
New York Giants: The Giants may give up some big plays and long drives to the Saints, but playing the Saints also means Jameis Winston. He’ll throw some great bombs downfield, but he’ll also just throw some bombs that will blow up a promising New Orleans drive. I love the potential Jameis has, but he’s going to throw picks and get sacked.
The Washington Football Team: They get the hapless Falcons this week and although Matt Ryan is trying to keep the ship afloat, he’s thrown three picks (including two pick-sixes) and he’s been sacked seven times. The Washington Football Team was a highly ranked defense heading in the season but hasn’t looked good. This is their get-well game.
Kickers: Unfortunately the kicker in the picture, Manny Higuera, is still in college, but you know as soon as he’s drafted I’m putting him in this column every week.
Rodrigo Blankenship, Indianapolis Colts: The Colts are in the bottom half of the league in both passing and rushing yards. That means that they aren’t going to finish many drives in the endzone. That leaves bespectacled kicker Rodrigo Blankenship to come in and put some points on the board.
Jason Sanders, Miami Dolphins: Like the Colts, the Dolphins offense is iffy and their coach is usually conservative when it comes to fourth-down decisions. That combination led to Sanders leading the league in kicker scoring last year. This weekend the Dolphins face the Colts in what I’m predicting will be a 15-12 Colts win.
Dustin Hopkins: The Washington Football Team: Hopkins and his mates are facing the Atlanta Falcons. With the inconsistent Heinicke at QB, The Football Team should move the ball but also have some drives stopped short, leaving Hopkins to kick in a few three-pointers.
Good luck! See you next week…
