Good Matchups
Trent Edwards, BUF: Edwards has been a pleasant surprise, completing 67 percent of his passes and averaging 244.3 yards passing per game. Edwards now gets the benefit of two favorable matchups in the Rams and Cardinals. The Rams struggle against the pass, having given up seven touchdowns with no interceptions in three games, so Edwards should be a solid options. The Cardinals are much better against the pass, but they're allowing teams to complete 65 percent of their passes. Edwards' hot start should continue.
Santana Moss, WAS: Moss is off to a great start, and his three best games last season came against the Cowboys and Eagles. Moss had 17 catches for 236 yards and two touchdowns in two games against Dallas and six catches for 89 yards in his only meeting with the Eagles. The Cowboys are 20th in passing yards allowed, while the Eagles are 16th. Both Dallas and Philadelphia are much stronger against the run, so look for the Redskins to get the ball to their best playmaker early and often.
Carson Palmer, CIN: Palmer was considered at worst the sixth-best fantasy quarterback when the season began. But after three games, Palmer has played like the sixth-best quarterback in the Big XII. Palmer is averaging just 171.3 yards passing and has just one touchdown pass. Expect that number to skyrocket with Cleveland and Dallas on the schedule. Palmer torched the Browns for eight touchdowns in two games last season. The Browns are 19th against the pass but allow a more than 70-percent completion rate.
Steve Slaton, HOU: Slaton's name is rarely mentioned with the top rookie running backs, but it should be after last week. Slaton ran for 116 yards against a tough Titans run defense in last week's loss, and now he faces two run defenses that are much friendlier. The Jaguars are not the same against the run since losing DT Marcus Stroud, allowing four rushing touchdowns in three games and 4.2 yards per rush. The Colts have struggled without DB Bob Sanders. Look for Slaton to have his name firmly placed among the top rookie running backs after these two matchups.
Brian Griese, TB: Griese threw more passes last week (67) than his dad would have thrown in half a season for the Dolphins. While Griese threw three interceptions, he also threw for 407 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Griese has favorable matchups against the Packers and Broncos, who struggle against the pass, to keep him fantasy relevant. Griese is far from an every-week fantasy starter, but with the bye weeks coming, he might be good for a couple starts.
Philip Rivers, SD: Who would have thought the Chargers' best fantasy player after three weeks would not be named LaDainian Tomlinson? After three weeks, Rivers is the main man in San Diego. He has thrown three touchdowns in each of his first three games and has averaged more than 280 yards passing per game. Don't expect Rivers to cool off, as the Raiders and Dolphins are next on the slate. Rivers has struggled some against the Raiders, but he is playing at an entirely different level this season and should continue his hot start. The Dolphins rank 25th in yards allowed while surrendering the fourth-highest quarterback rating in the league (114.8). Expect Tomlinson to eventually regain the throne in San Diego, but expect Rivers to be king at least for a few more games.
Bad Matchups
Clinton Portis, WAS: Portis is off to a solid fantasy start with 248 yards and three touchdowns. However, the schedule gets much more difficult in his next two outings against division opponents Dallas and Philadelphia. The Cowboys are ranked seventh against the run, averaging just 84.3 yards per game, while the Eagles are the top-ranked rushing defense, allowing just 45.7 yards per game. Portis has had some success against the Eagles and Cowboys in the past, so he might not totally get shut down. But don't be surprised if he has two below-average performances the next two weeks.
Chris Johnson, TEN: Johnson is one of the league's most exciting rookies, but he faces the third- and fifth-ranked run defenses in the Vikings and Ravens the next two weeks. If the Vikings run defense has an Achilles heel, it's that it has allowed three rushing touchdowns. However, LenDale White has gotten the majority of goal-line carries for the Titans, so he would most likely be the beneficiary. The Ravens have yet to allow a rushing touchdown after two games. Coupled with his lack of goal-line carries, look for his fantasy numbers to suffer in these two games.
Willis McGahee, BAL: McGahee faces the Steelers second-rated run defense on Monday night, followed by a date with the 10th-ranked Titans. The Steelers held the Eagles to just 65 yards rushing last week, and take away a 50-yard carry from Houston's Steve Slaton in Week 1, and they would be surrendering little more than 72 yards a game. McGahee is also coming back from injury, so he may continue to split carries with Le'Ron McClain, which will further limit his production.
Torry Holt, STL: For years, Holt has been considered one of the best and most consistent receivers in the NFL. He has had at least 1,100 yards in each of the last eight seasons. Holt has started slowly this year, though, scoring just one touchdown and posting more than 75 yards once. The Rams are going back to Trent Green against a Buffalo defense ranked fifth against the pass, allowing just 153.7 yards a game. After a bye, the Rams face the Redskins, who have limited opponents to a 71.2 passer rating and less than 200 yards per game.
Matt Jones, JAC: Jones has been the lone bright spot in a struggling Jaguars passing game. He has averaged five catches a game, which is one catch less than the rest of the Jaguars wide receivers combined. Jones might have some trouble continuing his pace as the Jaguars face a favorable matchup with the Texans, who have allowed 146.4 yards per game against the Jaguars in their last five meetings. His next opponent, the Steelers, rank ninth in the NFL against the pass and are second in interceptions with six.
Buccaneers defense: Tampa Bay has been one of the NFL's better defenses for the last decade. However, it faces two strong offenses in the Packers and Broncos that might pile points and yardage. The Packers are fifth in points scored and eighth in total yards, while the Broncos lead the league in scoring and are second in offense.
Kyle Fisher is a fantasy writer for Rotowire.com. For more information, please visit Rotowire.com
