Arguably, the most frustrating thing in fantasy football is seeing someone in your starting lineup struggle that week. Therefore, the logic behind this article is simple – identify fantasy football lineup landmines.
These are players you’re leaning towards starting this week but could end up being a landmine that blows up and destroys your starting lineup, potentially costing you your matchup.
Brace yourself and take cover.
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Fantasy Football Lineup Landmines: Week 3
Jerome Ford (RB – CLE)
Unfortunately, Nick Chubb‘s season is over, meaning Ford is now the No. 1 running back in Cleveland. While the former Cincinnati Bearcat had a limited role as a rookie, in Week 1, he was outstanding after Chubb got hurt. Ford had 106 rushing attempts, three receptions for 25 receiving yards, and a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers, scoring 22.6 half-point PPR fantasy points. The second-year player would have had a second touchdown if he hadn’t run out of gas after a long run. While Ford has significant upside moving forward, he belongs on the bench this week.
There might not be a more puzzling defense in the NFL than the Tennessee Titans. They have an awful pass defense, surrendering 305 passing yards per game this season. Yet, the Titans have stopped opposing running backs in their tracks, giving up only 49 rushing yards and 6.9 fantasy points per game in 2023. Therefore, expect the Browns to have a pass-heavy game plan this week. Some are worried about Ford’s season-long outlook after the return of Kareem Hunt. However, that’s not the case, as Ford is by far the better running back. The only reason to sit him in Week 3 is the matchup against the Titans.
DeAndre Hopkins (WR – TEN)
Hopkins battled an ankle injury last week, causing the veteran wide receiver to miss practice. Yet, he played in the Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Hopkins led the team in targets and had the second-most routes run, but only saw the ball five times in the game. He finished third on the team in receiving yards (40) and fifth in half-point PPR fantasy points (six). Unfortunately, Hopkins has an awful matchup this week against the Cleveland Browns and their talented cornerback unit.
Last week, George Pickens had 127 receiving yards and 20.7 fantasy points against the Browns. However, he averaged 1.93 yards per route run and only 0.79 fantasy points per target outside of the one-blown coverage play that resulted in a 71-yard touchdown. Denzel Ward is one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL. Meanwhile, Martin Emerson Jr. plays on the other side, surrendering only on reception for six yards on eight targets this year, according to PFF. More importantly, Ryan Tannehill has been pressured on 36.2% of his dropbacks this season. That number will likely be higher this week against Myles Garrett.
DJ Moore (WR – CHI)
After seeing only two targets in Week 1, Moore had seven in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he had fewer targets than Chase Claypool and only one more than Cole Kmet. Furthermore, Moore had to run 13 more routes than Kmet to see one more target in the game. Yet, the former Maryland star had 104 receiving yards and 13.4 half-point PPR fantasy points in the loss. While fantasy players hope last week’s performance is a sign of better things to come, that isn’t the case.
The Bears are massive underdogs against the Kansas City Chiefs this week for good reason. Chicago’s offense has been a disaster over the first two weeks, and now they face an underrated defense. The Chiefs have held their opponents to only one offensive touchdown and 15 points per game this season. More importantly, L’Jarius Sneed and Kansas City did an excellent job shutting down Calvin Ridley in Week 2, holding the star wide receiver to two receptions on eight targets for 32 receiving yards and 4.2 fantasy points. Don’t be surprised if Moore has another Week 1-like performance against the Chiefs.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.