- Start Stafford: Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford is set up for all kinds of success this week against an Arizona Cardinals defense that hasn’t slowed down anybody this season.
- Miami impressing early: It’s tough not to be impressed with both Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as well as QB Tua Tagovailoa.
- Allen maintains top ranking: Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen keeps the top spot as Ian’s No. 1 ranked quarterback.
Estimated reading time: 14 minutes
Week 3 is here, so it’s truly a great day to be great. Today’s goal is to break down the week’s key fantasy football questions facing the quarterback position before producing the group’s specific rankings. Updated weekly rankings from myself and the rest of the PFF Fantasy crew can be accessed with PFF+.
Matchup to take advantage of: Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford at Arizona Cardinals
Stafford followed up a disappointing three-interception Week 1 performance against the Bills with 272 yards and three scores against the Falcons. The elbow injury doesn’t seem to be limiting the ex-Lions quarterback’s ability to make some truly wild throws. Through two weeks, the reigning Super Bowl champion is on pace to throw 36 touchdowns and 43 interceptions. Are you not entertained?
Up next is a Cardinals defense that has struggled to open the season:
- Yards per attempted allowed: 7.85 (No. 26)
- Explosive pass-play rate allowed: 20.7% (No. 32)
- Pass touchdown rate allowed: 9% (No. 31)
- QB rating allowed: 130 (No. 31)
Only Lions-Vikings (52.5) and Bills-Dolphins (52) have higher game totals than Rams-Cardinals (50.5), so Stafford and company are set up for a shootout against a defense that has allowed the most points in football through two weeks of action. Giddyup.
Matchup to be cautious of: Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rodgers and company were firing on all cylinders against the Bears in Week 2 after their porous showing against the Vikings in Week 1. Getting a starting offensive tackle and theoretical No. 1 WR Allen Lazard back can do that for an offense.
And yet, mastering Week 3’s road test against the Buccaneers is essential in proving that the 2022 edition of this Packers offense isn’t poised to take a step back. Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean have made life rather miserable for Dak Prescott and Jameis Winston this season, leading a secondary that has managed to contest 25.3% of their opponent’s pass attempts – the single-highest mark in the league. Nobody has allowed a lower QB rating (56.6) or explosive pass-play rate (5.4%) than the Buccaneers through two weeks.
The Buccaneers’ ever-relentless front seven could make life on the ground more difficult than normal for an offense that could still be without stud LT David Bakhtiari (knee) for at least another week. Vegas certainly isn’t expecting too much: Green Bay is one of just five teams implied to score fewer than 20 points in Week 3.
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