Week Three Recap: Who's Elite?

After three weeks, it is now the appropriate time to panic. But let's not get hung up on all that negativity, there are other teams to focus on. For example, the upstart squad led by Ben Fontana who rolled over Team Ruthless to grab his third win of the season. Is Ben's team #Elite? Who knows but it's hard to make an argument against it right now. As the season power's forward, owner's patience will certainly be tested with injuries and underperforming players but by now, everyone in this league knows you can't take your foot off the gas for one second. Expect some trade winds brewing in the coming days as well. Desperate times call for desperate measures (and draft picks). 

Winning your first three games are essentially an early invitation to the playoffs. Knock on wood. Josh, Nick and Ben are the only remaining unbeatens and after knocking off Brian in impressive fashion, TY Beanies have their sights set on the ultimate prize already. However, there are strong teams lurking below them. Last year's Super Bowl participants each sit at 1-2 to start the year, as do the 3rd and 4th place finishers. Rosters are finally starting to take shape and an uptick in scoring should commence. As for Dom, sitting at 0-3, welp I'm too lazy to look back at the record books but if I could venture a guess, no one has ever came back from 0-4 to make the playoffs. Treat this one like a must-win game, and if you weren't treating every game like a must-win game, then you're setting yourself up to fail.

GAME OF THE WEEK:

(1-2) Dirty Birds - 102.3

(3-0) TY Beanies - 123.3

This team is legit. All that needs to be said. With a potential Super Bowl preview on our hands, Josh handled his business once again sealing his third straight victory with a strong game from Drew Brees. As mentioned before, the extra draft picks have provided unbelievable depth at the skill positions and it will only improve from here. Ezekiel Elliott's strong performance paired nicely with David Johnson, creating the most formidable running back duos in the league. Throw in Melvin Gordon, Gio Bernard, Jeremy Hill and Tevin Coleman and you have serious problem. And if Josh's receivers looked thin, don't worry, Josh Gordon is set to return soon as well. When asked about the win, Josh was noticeably excited, stating "This one's for the boys. Couldn't be happier for our performance but don't think we are content where we are. We're currently looking for improvements in certain areas and might look to bolster an even stronger side against undefeated heavyweight Brule's Rule next week. But for now, we will celebrate this great win." As mentioned, Nick comes to town next week undefeated (not to brag) and looks to dethrone the #1 team.

"Champions don't panic, they adjust and that's what I plan to do." Just to clear things up, Brian is not panicked. Not stunned, not disappointed, just hungry. After two tough losses on Monday night this season already, he is sitting at 1-2 but has plenty to be encouraged by. Julio Jones laid an egg last night but potential steal of the draft Marvin Jones went off for over 200 yards to lead his team this week. DeMarco Murray and Lamar Miller continued their hot starts and with Gronk coming back, people should be worried to play Brian later on. This week, he'll hope to bounce back against Dom as a heavy favorite. Dom's playoff hopes lay in the balance and one would expect Brian doing everything he can to crush them. 

(3-0) Start The Carr - 101
(1-2) Team Ruthless - 96.7
Never count out the underdog. Ben has been rolling thus far in 2016 and the magical season continued after squeaking out a win against Team Ruthless. DeAngelo Williams has finally fell back to earth (and eventually, second on the depth chart) but the role players on Start the Carr picked up the slack. Worth noting that Vikings D has been the highest scorer for Ben's team twice already. Perhaps a potential keeper? Derek Carr continues to steer Ben towards a sought after playoff berth while Jamaal Charles is lying in the weeds as well. The one issue with Ben's roster is the lack of serviceable wideouts. Phillip Dorsett was summoned to start instead of Donte Moncrief and he hopes Davante Parker can continue his early success to compliment Demaryius Thomas. Regardless, he's navigated the waters so far and has his sights set on the tough road ahead. "Fantastic start to the season but now the real test begins. With DeAngelo moving down to 2nd string, I'm going to need to prove Start the Carr was more than a flash in the pan. Can't get ahead of ourselves. Running into the wood chipper of Aaron, Dave and Nick the next three weeks will truly be a litmus test for how my season pans out."

Not the start that Joe envisioned without LeVeon but at least he snagged a win. With his franchise back set to return this week, it gives him team a much needed shot of life. Usually a high scoring squad, Team RUTHLESS hasn't cracked 105 points in a week this season. Randall Cobb has been useless, Dez Bryant is banged up once again after two straight double-digit weeks and Eli Manning let two juicy matchups slip right through his hands. McCoy and Evans need all the help they can get with Bell's return. A Delanie Walker injury proved to be the difference in this week's matchup as Jared Cook could only muster two points in his place. Once healthy and not smoking dope this team should be able to run with anyone but for now, they have to worry about falling to 1-3 against an upstart Schmeckles roster. Thankfully Aaron Rodgers will be on bye, as will Randall Cobb, for Joe's sake. "Obviously disappointed losing by a handful of points but super excited to finally get the squad to 100% next week."

(1-2) EBDB BnB - 106.4
(1-2) Why You Pee On My Car? - 85.2

Desperate times in Dolan Drive (unless you're Nick and Chris). With two of the league's biggest surprises from last season crashing back down to earth, EBDB BnB needed to buckle down and take care of Aaron for his first win. An extremely rare zero for Kelvin Benjamin nearly derailed the 2016 Harambe Victory Tour but the keepers for EBDB BnB stood out this weekend. Todd Gurley got back on track with two scores and Devonta Freeman balled out with 30 points, hoping to recapture his 2015 form. Dave has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows in his fantasy career. After winning it all, he's going to need to keep his team motivated to get back to the promised land. A resurgence to 2015 form for Devonta Freeman will certainly help. If Blake Bortles bounces back next week, he should be able to take care of Chris to get back to .500. When asked about the relief of getting the first W, Dave told me, "Only takes a spark to start a fire." Wisdom beyond his years.

Has the bad luck begun again for Aaron? After a massive opening victory, he's struggled heavily falling back to 1-2. Shockingly, Mike Wallace was not the answer this week at the flex and the usual starter, Emmanuel Sanders scored enough to win Aaron the matchup. Jeremy Langford is out for multiple weeks and with an already thin running back core, it might be time for Aaron to make a move. Will it finally be the time where he let's go of his prized possession Antonio Brown? Probably not (Sorry, Josh). But, something must be done in order to avoid slipping any further. Brandon Marshall struggled once again but Carlos Hyde and an expected performance from Jimmy Graham were nice surprises. Next week, Why You Pee On My Car faces Start the Carr with Aaron generously favored. Can his power duo of Ben and Antonio come through on Sunday night?

(2-1) Team New Year - 142.2
(1-2) Hogan Knows Best - 88.3
You can never count out the young gun. Each season it appears as though his regular season success will wear off but Chreeyusz continues to be a tough out each weekend. Finally making the full switch to Jameis Winston this week led to a blowout against his rival, Will Gavin and of course, 35-points from the Chiefs defense in yesterday's FitzTragedy always helps as well. Not to be outdone, keepers Allen Robinson finally got back on track while Jarvis Landry proves he is one of the most consistent players in the league. With an injury to Russell Wilson, the Jameis Show could continue and it seems as though this is what Chreeyusz was hoping for. When asked about his team Chris was rather candid, "I want to thank Fitzpatrick for being so bad this week and I want to thank Will's team for also being so bad..but overall a good week for my two star WR's and my team." No love lost in the rival, that's for sure. Chris looks to keep it going next week against Dave, who is desperately trying to get his second win.

Contrary to popular belief, Hogan did NOT know best this weekend in his rivalry game against Chris. One of the deepest, spiteful rivalries in land, it was over before Will could get his footing. AJ Green was relatively held in check by Denver and an abysmal performance by Carson Palmer was the icing on the cake. Sitting at 1-2, Will needs to re-evaluate his roster before Week 4 begins to avoid the danger zone of 1-3. He was quoted after the loss, telling us "My team just didn't get it done this week. Starting to worry about our future if we can't even step up for a rivalry game...Need to take a long hard look in the mirror at this organization's strategy." A rivalry loss is one thing, but a blowout can really mess with your psyche moving forward. Let's hope Will has some leftover pills lying around the Pharmacy to take the edge off.

(3-0) Brule's Rules - 122.7
(1-2) Kissing Suzy Kolber - 118.1
A late Mark Ingram touchdown would've been crippling to Brule's Rules after a frantic final drive by Andrew Luck put Nick's team ahead by 30. With his team's success riding heavily on the Colts offense, it's going to be a stressful ride. Regardless, 3-0 is 3-0 and I ain't complaining. Brule's Rules has shown the ability to put up points thus far with depleted backs and their stable of top receivers. Jordy Nelson appears to have shaken off the rust, complimenting new additions TY Hilton, Larry Fitzgerald and Doug Baldwin nicely. Andrew Luck was once again erratic but delivered a beautiful strike to Hilton when it was needed the most, proving to be the difference. After a down to the wire matchup, Nick was quick to acknowledge his team's resiliency. "Really proud of the MEN in that locker room. Most would have folded but this is a special bunch. What we lack in flash and pizzazz is overcompensated with heart and determination. You can't coach that. We must ensure that the intensity carries over into next week because it will be a street fight." 

Another heartbreak caused by the Jets for Vinnie unfortunately. Losing my single-digits with Decker and Forte combining for 11 point was a demoralizing end to the weekend. A valiant effort by Mark Ingram and Matt Stafford came up short dropping him to 1-2. Since dealing Rodgers, he must wait another week to finally unleash Brady, relying on Stafford to get him back to .500. Thankfully for KSK, OBJ has yet to find the endzone and we know touchdowns are inevitable. However, when Charles Sims goes back to his usual role, where can Vinnie find a suitable flex option to round out his lineup? Will another trade be imminent assuming Martellus Bennett becomes the obvious second fiddle to Gronk? Who knows, but a win this week will silence the troubles for the time being. When asked his team's performance, he had this to say, "This was a moral victory. I'm kidding, there's no such thing as a moral victory Those people are losers, and that's what KSK was this week, a loser. We put up some points, liked what I saw in a few spots. We've still got a long way to go. Hats off to Papa Cox, he knows how to win in this league." Compliments are certainly appreciated in future quotes.

(1-2) Schenectady Schmeckles - 148.9
(0-3) You Guys Got Halo 2? - 70.5
The backs of both owners were against the wall in this Week 3 matchup, desperately tying to avoid another 0-3 start, the Fighting Schmeckles pulled out a win for Chris Casey. The gigantic news this week was the trade with Vinnie that dealt his beloved Tom Brady for Aaron Rodgers. In win now mode, Chris could've started anyone in this matchup at QB to still get the W but Rodgers had a fantastic debut performance. Unfortunately, he'll be on bye next week against a hungry Team Ruthless and will look to Kirk Cousins to get him back to even. Still some work to be done to get in playoff position but the pressure has been slightly alleviated for now. In regards to win, Chris had this to say, "The Schmeckles are finally running on all cylinders this week after a slow start. The addition of Rodgers has proved to be big already and Blount is getting a lot of touches and the most of them. We certainly hope we can keep up this pace going forward." Chris will have his work cut out for him against Joe and Team Ruthless.

"I suck." This is all that needed to be said after an embarrassing blowout loss for Dom. Starting 0-3 after a miraculous 2015 season was not how anyone envisioned the year beginning. Plenty of time left to right the ship but the panic has already set in with the front office. As usual, expect a majority of Dom's players to be available for trade by days end. The pink license plate holder should serve as a reminder to take nothing for granted. Dom is in prime position to take it as his team remains the only winless squad in the league. However, there are some talented players on the roster but will they be there when the year is over? Unfortunately the road doesn't get any easier against Brian next week. Fresh off a loss himself, you know Brian will be out for blood to potentially put Dom out of his misery for the season.