So far this season, Thursday Night Football hasn’t been a disappointment. For fantasy football, we got some big games and fantasy performances, like in Week 2 with the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. Josh Allen went plum crazy against the Bills, going nuclear for five total touchdowns and a QB1 finish. Allen gave fantasy managers a 40-point lead to start the week, forcing opponents to fight uphill to get the win. Jared Goff wasn’t far behind, finishing QB2 (tying with Dak Prescott) in Week 2 with 29.8 fantasy points. We also got solid fantasy points from players fantasy managers invested in, like Amon-Ra St. Brown (35.2), James Cook (20.9), Jahmyr Gibbs (23.3), and Dalton Kincaid (22.5). Now it’s time to get back at it, setting lineups for Week 3’s game as the Atlanta Falcons take on the Green Bay Packers.
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Thursday Night Football Fantasy Preview
As always, the heavy hitters in this matchup, we won’t cover. That means you, Bijan Robinson. Robinson should be in your lineup regardless of the matchup, as he is a linchpin for your fantasy team if you have him. His versatility makes him dangerous as a fantasy asset, so even if he faces off against a Packers run defense allowing nearly 23 fantasy points per game to opposing running backs (13th-most), you will want him to be in your lineup for this contest.
Atlanta Falcons
The “Cooper Rush experience” has run its course, and it nearly caused Falcons wide receiver Drake London to crash out on the sidelines. Now Michael Penix, not Tua Tagovailoa, is back as the starting quarterback for the team in Week 3. This is Penix’s first game back after returning from another torn ACL, so there may be some rust to shake off. The Packers have given up 17.7 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, so Penix might be worth playing if you are missing a quarterback like Jayden Daniels or Jaxson Dart. Penix’s return also brings fantasy value back to Drake London, who is averaging 7.2 FPPG. Basically, London and the rest of the Falcons’ pass catchers have been unplayable with Rush.
The Packers have allowed nearly 36 fantasy points per game (12th-most) to opposing wide receivers over the first two weeks of the season. The Falcons also have Jahan Dotson and Zachariah Branch at the wide receiver position. But I can’t recommend giving them a bump to play for fantasy right now, as they haven’t shown anything worthy of being placed in a lineup. For now, keep tabs on them during the game. If they are able to work well with Penix, they could be interesting waiver wire targets for Week 4. Another player to consider is Kyle Pitts, who’s been shaky regardless of being with Michael Penix or any other quarterback.
Pitts is likely the third option behind Bijan Robinson and Drake London for the Falcons’ offense, but he doesn’t get enough targets when Penix is under center. Pitts did rank seventh in targets among tight ends with Penix before he went down with a torn ACL from weeks 1-11. But when Kirk Cousins took over, from weeks 13-17, Pitts saw 42 targets and ranked as the TE2 in targets. Fantasy managers are certainly hoping that Pitts will be involved in the game against the Packers, who are allowing 12 FPPG. I would rather see the reconnection between Pitts and Penix under his new offense, so I’m passing on starting Pitts unless I absolutely have to.
Green Bay Packers
On the Packers side, there are some solid options to play for Week 3. At quarterback, Jordan Love has been doing well to start the season. Love steps into the contest after two weeks, ranking as the 15th-best fantasy quarterback. Giving fantasy managers 16.6 FPPG, he falls right in line as a positive play against a Falcons defense giving up 18 FPPG to enemy quarterbacks. Another big nod that might make the matchup more appealing is that starting cornerback AJ Terrell is on injured reserve with a groin injury. Second-year corner Billy Bowman may also miss the game, being listed as doubtful with an Achilles injury.
The running back position is the spot you will want to avoid outright. The Packers, for whatever reason, love running their RBBC with Marshawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, and Kaleb Johnson. Both Lloyd and Brooks have underwhelmed so far this season, averaging less than four yards per carry over the first two games of the season. Johnson has looked much better by comparison on limited snaps. The problem is: will the Packers give Johnson more work in this game? With no clear answers, it’s best not to use any of these guys in your fantasy lineups. Kaleb Johnson is an interesting stash, so if you have the space on your bench, get him on there and see what the Packers do with him in this game.
For the wide receivers, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are your top two options. Both are startable in this game. Watson has been cooking to begin the season, averaging 23.4 FPPG. Watson is also averaging 9.5 targets per game. Golden should see increased targets without Jayden Reed (neck) ruled out for the game. With Reed’s status for the rest of the season murky at best, Golden is borderline matchup-proof with the volume he can see. Golden saw 12 targets in Week 2 against MIN. The Falcons aren’t too far behind the Packers in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers, ranking 14th at 31.8 FPPG.
Check out all of our Week 3 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings | MOP Rankings
Final Thoughts
The Packers’ skill players in Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are the crown jewels of this matchup for fantasy managers. Both players have the chance to score in this game. Watson’s big-play ability has been on display over the first two weeks, and he’s been the “go-to” guy for Jordan Love. For the Falcons, I hope we get to see Drake London return to fantasy relevance. Sitting him has been a hurt piece for fantasy managers who spent a top pick to get him. I’ll be watching the Packers to see if Kaleb Johnson gets more work in this game. We still don’t know what the NFL is going to do with Josh Jacobs, and all has been quiet on that front for now.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
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