Fantasy Football as Described by Hollywood - Week 3

    Hello everyone, I am back again after taking a week off due to an illness. If this is your first time reading then allow me to fill you in. Each week I will select quotes from one popular movie that best describes what happened the week prior. This is just a fun little exercise to help digest everything that happened in the week and provide some levity before deep diving into next weeks match-ups. This weeks movie is Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. This movie is full of awesome quotes that I believe perfectly describe what went on in Week 3. I will preface this with saying there are a few Yoda quotes in here, because he has some of the best and most relevant lines. 

Leia: "I love you"

Han Solo: "I know"

In this scene, Darth Vader is mere moments away from freezing the beloved protagonist Han Solo in carbonite. Right before he does this Leia professes her love to him. To me this perfectly describes what transpired in week 3 with Christian McCaffrey and Dalvin Cook. "I love you" is all fantasy football managers can say to these two RB1's because there is nothing they can do to help them as they progress through their ailments. However, much like Han Solo in episode VI, these running backs are expected to return, so not all is lost. 

C-3PO: "Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!"

I strongly believe that if C-3PO was on the Ravens sideline on Sunday he would have been yelling this into John Harbaugh's ear as he sent Justin Tucker out onto the field to attempt an NFL record 66 yard field goal. On Sunday, the Ravens were bailed out after a pretty lackluster offensive performance. The Ravens are the number one rushing offense in football and got embarrassed against a team that is ranked 31st against the run. If it wasn't for Tucker, the Ravens would have been the headline on every sports show and podcast this week. Instead, the game will be remembered for one reason, and that is that Justin Tucker made his mark as one of the best kickers of all time. For the fantasy owners that drafted him a little early, I am sure you feel very vindicated now. 

Luke Skywalker: "I won't fail you. I'm not afraid."

Yoda: "You will be. You... will... be."

This exchange excludes all of the Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, and Cooper Kupp owners. Now, before the week started I am sure you felt confident going into a match-up against one of these three players.  Saying things like "my team is better overall" or "they can't keep this up". Well I am sorry, but it seems like these might be the top players for the rest of the season, and here is why. Brady is in his second year in the Arians system. A system that has produced top 5 quarterbacks year in and year out, especially in year two. Mahomes is gonna Mahomes with Kelce and Hill, and he just acquired the legend Josh Gordon. Kupp is the last fearsome foe. If you've watched any Rams games it sure feels like Kupp is being thrown to on every play. It could be because he has breakfast with Stafford everyday, or it could be that Kupp is just an elite receiver whenever he is healthy. 

Yoda: "Your weapons, you will not need them"

Through three weeks Daniel Jones is the 10th overall quarterback in fantasy. He is doing this without any fantasy players in the top 20 at their position. Jones has far surpassed his draft ADP of QB30, by making mountains out of molehills. Jones has been backed into a corner for almost the entirety of his career with bad play-calling and a lack of play-makers outside of Barkley and has still been a high-end streamer. If you waited on quarterback this year, now is the time to add him. 

Leia: "You have your moments. Not many of them, but you have them." 

For all those that started Desean Jackson or Kirk Cousins this week... great job! These guys aren't known for putting up big games on any consistent basis, but when they do, they really do. Cousins was the QB6 on the week and Jackson finished as the WR8. While I believe this will be their biggest performance of the year, just know they are always due for a big game here or there. The only problem is you never know when it will happen.  

Darth Vader: "I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further."

This isn't so much a take from the games in week three. This has more to deal with trading players in fantasy football. Trades can be very difficult to pull off in fantasy, especially with a landscape that changes on a weekly basis. The only tip I can give towards trading, is that if you think you have a solid deal in front of you... take it. You never know what will happen the following week, your highly valued player could have a bad game and kill his value leaving you with nothing. So while you may think you could get a better deal in one week, just know the deal could always be altered in the blink of an eye. 

Yoda: "You must unlearn what you have learned."

I have one more non week 3 related quote. The draft is over and ADPs don't matter anymore. If someone drafted in the 11th round is the number two player at his postition then you have to value him that way. The same can be said going the other way. Just because a guy was drafted highly it does not mean he still holds that same value. You need to be able to adapt with the current years landscape relying on past production or future production can be detrimental to your team.