There are two types of football articles; those based in analytics, and those based in opinion. Admittedly the opinion ones ("Does Rob Gronkowski Fully Appreciate Career Touchdown 69?") are a bit more fun and easier to write, and very few articles utilize one without the other, but it always come down to one of two things; can I prove it, or do I believe it?

It's a reminder that, two weeks into the season, is important when it comes to assessing how you built your fantasy team. I believe that if C.J. Anderson can stay healthy, he could be a very serviceable running back in 2017. I can prove his statistics, when healthy, put him there. That's an easy one (and, for the purposes of a pop quiz, qualifies as a "short answer" question.) What's harder is the guys who have less of a track record. Martarvis Bryant should be good, but it's a little harder to prove he'll succeed in this offense, this year, even when he has flashes of brilliance. Sometimes it's based on analysis, sometimes it's based on just rolling the dice.

This point does happen, season to season. Did you draft steadfast Adrian Peterson in 2016? Or DeAndre Hopkins? Those guys were great, despite bad offenses. They were wonderful. And then, y'know.... 2016 happened. 2017 is taking a bigger toll than usual, especially early on, but it's worth understanding as you set up your lineup and try your best to make educated decisions week to week, that you know what you can prove, and that you know what you just believe may happen.

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Running Back

______ will either be on my bench or will ruin my week.

A: Ty Montgomery
B: LeSean McCoy
C: Lamar Miller
D: Isaiah Crowell

Each of these RBs have one big advantage going for them compared to some lower end RB2 and RB3s that may be tempting to play in week three; they are the sole owners of the workload in their backfield. So for these guys, though all at least decent enough FLEX options, it comes down to the question of who will go away from the run the most quickly? Montgomery, McCoy, and Crowell all have favorable enough matchups, but Lamar Miller and the Texans on the road to New England may have to go away from the run quickly. I like Miller's workload, but this could be a game that doesn't reward Miller at least fifteen carries, and instead sees Bill O'Brien desperately trying to outfox his old boss with crafty aerial plays and pitches.

Against all odds, you should take a look at ___________ now?

A: Frank Gore
B: Ameer Abdullah
C: Jalen Richard
D: Christian McCaffrey

All solid RB2 options going into the season (save for Richard, who earns a place on this list for the simple fact that he's outscored so many starters), and many now appear almost certainly confined to the bench. Except, of course, for Christian McCaffrey, who is playing his first game at home in a game that may very well be a shootout against the New Orleans Saints. The Saints haven't been great at preventing the run already, but a high scoring game means the Panthers are doing whatever they can to get into the end zone, and it's hard to rely on a wide receiver in this matchup, so trust McCaffrey to fall into the paint for the first time in his career.

Wide Receiver

Am I going to really roll with ____________ this week? (Yes. Yes I Am)

A: Keenan Allen
B: Jordy Nelson
C: Larry Fitzgerald
D: Michael Thomas

This is another one of those lists where there is one guy that stands out above the rest. Here's a hint; his offense has the most receiving touchdowns so far this year, and he's facing a defense that has forced teams to throw... yes, it's Keenan Allen. It's worth noting that, well, maybe we haven't been noting Allen's return to dominance enough, and he's a top ten receiver through two games. In a week when so many people are stressing about first round receivers in Nelson and Thomas, there's not enough buzz around the potential shootout that is KC vs LAC, and Keenan Allen's role in it.

In Week 3, I will FLEX my muscles and put ________ in my lineup

A: Dez Bryant
B: Jarvis Landry
C: Davante Adams
D: Emmanuel Sanders

There may not be a better matchup in fantasy than anyone vs Cincinnati right now, but Aaron Rodgers and squad vs these guys, especially at home, means you need to bank on someone to produce. I think that with Jordy Nelson on the potential mend (no one quite knows the extent of that injury, even though Jordy was practicing as of Wednesday), you may find your answer in the only receiver on the Packers averaging 13 yards per reception in two games. Seriously, if Davante Adams is even targeted in the end zone once, he's likely to end up in the end zone, and he's the only one of these similarly ranked receivers who is at home and facing a great matchup.

Tight End

Parachute? I don't need no parachute, I have __________________

A: Kyle Rudolph
B: Zach Ertz
C: Delanie Walker
D: Jason Witten

If we're discussing storylines that aren't getting enough love, then "Jason Witten is the top fantasy tight end through two games" is maybe the hallmark storyline, but I don't know if I can get behind him against the Cardinals defense until I'm 100% sure they are bad. After all, who else is the secondary gonna really target with Dez Bryant underperforming? The leading receiver on the Philadelphia Eagles, averaging nine targets a game, Zach Ertz. Ertz is at home vs a bad New York Giants defense who, well, isn't as much bad but struggling, and the Eagles offense continues to roll on. I anticipate Ertz being a top tight end this week, maybe the best of the bunch, and if you're one of the many people who lost a tight end this week, you may be able to trade for Ertz still while the profile is still low.

More Week 3 Lineup Prep