As a dramatic season with plenty of surprise victories leads into conference play, underdogs such as Texas Tech, Rutgers, and Stanford are in position to add more stunners to the list.
Have opponents found Aaron Rodgers' weakness? And was it sitting on their desk the whole time? Walkthrough goes deep on the two-deep looks defenses are using against the Packers. Plus: the Chargers' red zone woes, the malfunctioning Bears, the stubborn Vikings, and your weekly dose of Carson Wentz slander.
Scott Spratt hosts the FO Fantasy Show on Twitch this week with he is joined by John Daigle of NBC Sports and NBC Sports Edge Football. Scott and John broke down the Week 3 matchups from a fantasy and DFS prospective.
Led by the efforts of JC Tretter, Wyatt Teller, and Jack Conklin, the Cleveland Browns dominated the Houston Texans 31-21 in a Week 2 matchup. Offensive line expert Ben Muth shows how effective they played as a unit and as individuals.
This week: Aaron Jones leaves it on the field—literally; Matt Nagy plays coy when discussing quarterback plans; Jared Goff is loving Detroit; Tom Brady talks about a changing league landscape; and Daniel Carlson trades a real-life victory for a loss in his fantasy league.
| 1 | 22.2% | |
| 2 | 12.9% | |
| 3 | 7.4% | |
| 4 | 7.2% | |
| 5 | 6.4% |
| 1 | 92.7% | |
| 2 | 79.9% | |
| 3 | 76.5% | |
| 4 | 75.7% | |
| 5 | 74.7% |
| 1 | 21.1% | |
| 2 | 17.9% | |
| 3 | 17.9% | |
| 4 | 12.9% | |
| 5 | 5.7% |
Through Week 3
| 1 | CAR | 47.5% | |
| 2 | LAR | 43.0% | |
| 3 | TB | 41.1% | |
| 4 | DEN | 38.9% | |
| 5 | ARI | 32.3% |
| 1 | CLE | 40.1% | |
| 2 | KC | 36.1% | |
| 3 | SEA | 33.0% | |
| 4 | DEN | 32.9% | |
| 5 | LAR | 32.0% |
| 1 | CAR | -52.0% | |
| 2 | BUF | -37.1% | |
| 3 | NE | -24.0% | |
| 4 | LAR | -19.9% | |
| 5 | NO | -19.7% |
Defense-adjusted Value Over Average
Measures a team's efficiency by comparing success on every single play to a league average based on situation and opponent.
Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement
Compares the performance of each player, in terms of DVOA, to a replacement-level baseline rather than the league average for that position.
DVOA Adjusted for Volatility Early
Used early in the year with the goal of getting the best idea of how good a team will be over the entire season without jumping to conclusions based on one or two good or bad early games.
Week 3 kicks off with Sam Darnold and the Panthers looking to stay undefeated against Davis Mills and the 1-1 Texans on Thursday night.
Sometimes, fantasy football is simple. The Seattle Seahawks—including Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, and DK Metcalf—are good. The Vikings secondary is bad, and even a home game may not benefit them since they play in a dome, which makes life easier for quarterbacks and wideouts. Scott Spratt breaks down the other good (and bad) matchups of Week 3.
Through two games, Tony Pollard is averaging nearly twice as many yards per carry as his more highly paid teammate. Derrik Klassen shows the strengths and weaknesses of each of the Cowboys' running backs and explains why this committee is a good thing for Dallas.
Odell Beckham and Will Fuller are slated to return to Browns and Dolphins teams that desperately need them. But didn't we say that last week? And will Curtis Samuel's hamstring ever heal? Walkthrough hopes some of the NFL's dynamic receivers will be worth the wait. Plus: Derrick Henry's purgatory, Sony Michel's opportunity, and a guide to betting against Davis Mills.
Schatz & Tanier on Football Outsiders Live! is hosted by Aaron Schatz with Mike Tanier. This week Aaron and Mike are joined by Football Outsiders staff writer Bryan Knowles. The group discussed the biggest matchups of the weekend providing some bets and picks to make for this weekend.
Now that you can set your Loser League lineup every week, you have a decision to make—go for the floundering rookie, or find a devastating defensive matchup? We look at the historical numbers to see which strategy works better. Plus, we announce our veteran Week 2 winner and make picks for the biggest losers of Week 3.
Calvin Austin III's wacky punt return touchdown was one of the biggest plays in Memphis' upset of Mississippi State. Brian Fremeau looks back at other schools that pulled off upsets last week, including Western Michigan, San Diego State, Fresno State, and BYU.
There are seven 0-2 teams in the league as we enter Week 2. Bryan and Andrew sort through the wreckage of so many seasons, to try and separate the truly dead from the mostly dead.
Lamar Jackson threw for over 200 yards, rushed for over 100 yards, and scored three total touchdowns on Sunday night. Walkthrough investigates just how many other QBs have done that in NFL history. Plus: a look at why Mac Jones is the best bet to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, some QB injury updates, and a dive into the New York Giants' alternate reality.
Football Outsiders Live! takes your questions for another Ask Me Anything (AMA). Aaron Schatz and Mike Tanier hosted this week's AMA with special guest Derrik Klassen.
The surprising Carolina Panthers are No. 1 in DVOA for the first time in history! Let's look at some similar teams to see how likely it is that they will be able to keep up their early success, especially on defense. Plus, why the Raiders may not be as good as the other 2-0 teams, and can the Chiefs survive despite awful defense?
The Carolina Panthers opened a can of beatdown on the New Orleans Saints defensively on Sunday. The defensive line was especially brilliant, but can they keep up the pace?
