No Week 3 spread is bigger than the one in the Oakland Raiders-New England Patriots matchup, and with good reason. The Patriots are at home, coming off a big get-right Week 2 win. The Raiders, meanwhile, have scuffled along to an 0-2 record and travel across the country for a 1 p.m. ET Sunday game. It's more than enough to explain the spread of more than two scores, depending on the betting service.
Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 3: Raiders vs. Patriots
This game certainly seems like a mismatch, both in real football and in fantasy-relevant players.
Brian Bahr
Just like the matchup as a whole, most of the fantasy intrigue lies with the home team:
Raiders
Start in every league: ...
Start if you're desperate: James Jones
Bench: Derek Carr, Maurice Jones-Drew, Darren McFadden, Latavius Murray, Rod Streater, Denarius Moore, Mychael Rivera, Sebastian Janikowski, Defense/special teams
Well this was sad. Jones is the only Radier even worthy of fantasy consideration, with 146 yards through two games. He’s clearly the team’s best option.
And that’s it. Carr has actually surprised me so far, but he’s still outside of even QB2 talk as yet. ... News on Jones-Drew has been improving, and he might play Sunday, but you can’t use him, McFadden or Murray at all. ... Jones establishing himself means Streater, Moore and Rivera are afterthoughts. You know, moreso than they already were. ... Janikowski has only four fantasy points (and no field-goal attempts) through two games. ... And Janikowski’s four total fantasy points is matched exactly by the Raiders’ defense.
Patriots
Start in every league: Tom Brady, Shane Vereen, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Stephen Gostkowski, Defense/special teams
Start if you're desperate: Stevan Ridley
Bench: Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson
I mentioned this in this week’s Ticker, but I’m not holding Brady’s nine-point showing in Week 2 against him. He’s still fine. ... Vereen obviously has more value in a PPR league, but even in standard, I think he’s a fine RB2. ... Edelman is so far ahead of his wide-receiver teammates, it’s not even close. ... Gronkowski hasn’t looked super-great so far, but still, if he’s on the field, you use him. ... Gostkowski is still fantasy’s top kicker. That’ll change someday. I don’t know when. ... I rank the Patriots’ defense as the week’s top unit.
It looks like the Patriots are settling into a “Ridley when ahead, Vereen when close or behind” plan, and I expect them to be ahead Sunday. Still, I’d rather see one more week before going all-in.
Amendola and Dobson (and Kenbrell Thompkins, and Brandon LaFell, etc.) have barely been afterthoughts in the New England offense. Stay away.
