Should I Start Zack Moss in Week 3? RB Fantasy Football Rankings Analysis

In a desolate wasteland, a desperate 0-2 fantasy manager hunts for an RB2. They've lost their companions Austin Ekeler and J.K. Dobbins along the way. Just as they are about to surrender and leave their fate in the hands of a Samaje Perine, a Zack Moss is spotted on the horizon.

It's never been ideal (34.3 yards per game in his career) but Moss may be the key to avoiding the 0-3 hole and finding yourself in fantasy football purgatory. A sturdy defense of Ravens stands in the way but Moss may get as many chances to run through them as anyone else atop the running back summit.

Can you grin and bear through a three-hour journey on a Sunday afternoon or should you continue to search for a more appealing option?

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Zack Moss Fantasy Football Outlook

Moss sat out Week 1 because of a broken arm that he suffered during training camp. He returned in Week 2 and the Colts wasted no time inserting him back into the offense. The ex-Buffalo Bill received every single running back touch (18 carries and four catches) and played 98% of the snaps. It is impossible to find another running back across the league seeing that high of a snap share.

Moss turned his Week 2 opportunities into 107 yards and one touchdown. There's little reason to believe he won't receive a similar amount of work against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. Indianapolis abandoned the Deon Jackson experiment halfway through Week 1. Rookie Evan Hull is out for the season with a torn meniscus. Jonathan Taylor will remain on injured reserve until at least Week 5. That leaves Moss and Jake Funk as options that the Colts trust.

Zack Moss Running Back Rankings Analysis

The ranking staff at Rotoballer places Zack Moss just outside of the RB2 range. In PPR formats, the 25-year-old ranks 64th overall and 26th among running backs for Week 3.

Moss is ranked just behind James Conner, Gus Edwards, and Isiah Pacheco but ahead of guys like Javonte Williams, Dameon Pierce, Tyler Allgeier, and Jerome Ford. Outside of the high-opportunity number, quarterback Anthony Richardson will not play on Sunday. Gardner Minshew is far less likely to steal a rushing touchdown near the goal line than his rookie counterpart.

Should I Start Zack Moss In Week 3 Fantasy Football?

Zack Moss is perceived by the fantasy community as a plodder but he's averaged 4.8 yards per carry in his time in Indianapolis. When given 15 touches or more (as he got in Week 2), Moss has cobbled together good-to-great fantasy performances.

That's an average of nearly 95 total yards and just over 15 PPR fantasy points per game, which managers would love out of an RB2. Unfortunately, he'll be staring down Roquan Smith and the Ravens' stout defense on Sunday, without starting center Ryan Kelly (concussion).

Since acquiring Smith mid-season in 2022, the Ravens have fielded one of the best rush defenses in football. Through two games (against Houston and Cincinnati) Baltimore has surrendered just 138 total yards on the ground. That's the fifth-fewest in football, and no rushing touchdowns have been allowed.

The yardage total may not be pretty when Week 3 comes to a close but Moss will surely get all the chances in the world to earn fantasy managers points. With injuries mounting at the running back position, the fourth-year back keeps getting a boost in the rankings. View Moss as an RB2 or flex option in Week 3.

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