By Dr. Vasu Vaddiparty

Week 3 of the NFL Season has either let some fantasy football players down or pumped them up. It was an interesting week 2 between the juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs to the almost in need of an early season blood transfusion of the Buffalo Bills. One quick note for both fantasy football players and football fans;

In the last 20 years or so if a team starts their season at 0-2, the chances of them making the playoffs is right around the 30% mark. So hopefully your favorite has at least gone 1-1 to give you a shot at the playoffs.

Those numbers don’t apply to fantasy football as most leagues go head to head. One good week and you’re extending your lead, or getting your team right back in the mix. One bad week and you either fall in with the rest of the herd or are already looking up at everyone looking for the rope to be sent down to pull you up.

With that being said let’s hit a written prescription for the Week 3 matchup in Cleveland between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns.

Jets
Jets, Jets, Jets are what all were screaming on the opening Monday night in Detroit where the savior Sam Darnold put up unreal numbers against a bad Detroit defense in a rout and last week at their home opener did not get the same production out Darnold or the running game in a loss to the suddenly hot Miami Dolphins who are in 1st place in the AFC East.

QB
Darnold may not be a good play here. He is still learning the nuances of the game and while the Detroit game has everyone salivating at potential he’s still learning and there is tape now. Cleveland’s defense is pretty good so far in the two weeks played. 6 TO’s and a plus 5 rating against Pittsburgh that only resulted in a tie (broke their losing street), and in week 2 that defense shutting down the Saints with Drew Brees and his arsenal. The Browns would be 2-0 if they had a kicker. Defense is really good, and I would stay away from Darnold this week.

RB
The Jets running game has been pretty effective but again the hot play in week 1 did not translate in week 2. Bilal Powell is a good running back and could be effective but I don’t see him as #1 or #2 back this week. Isiah Crowell is the lead back for the Jets and he is playing against his old team in Cleveland. He has two weeks of decent play but I can’t see Cleveland giving up too many yards on the ground. The lineman and LB’s are playing better than most thought and should be able to contain and maybe bottle up the running game. Unless you have no one else to use, I would stay away from the RB’s for the Jets

WR / TE
Here it gets interesting because the wideouts are pretty solid. The secondary of the Browns has been ok but then again they’ve faced Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees in the first two weeks; future HOF’ers. While everyone is jumping on the Darnold bandwagon he’s not close and won’t be for awhile. The law firm of Enunwa, Pryor, and Anderson don’t strike a lot of fear and will have a tough time esp on the road to get Darnold the help he needs tonight.

Browns
QB
Tyrod Taylor is an enigma. He is the only QB on the Browns that has experience. Everyone wants to see Baker Mayfield the overall number 1 pick. Through no fault of his own, the Browns should be 2-0 and in 1st in the AFC North (what is this unicorn I speak of?) Kickers will win you games and will lose you games as well as coaches and players getting fired. Taylor has played well but he doesn’t have the big time numbers that Fantasy Football players like. He will be effective and may have a TD or two but they don’t score a lot of points. They got 21 v Pittsburgh. They scored 18 vs. the Saints. For 2.5 to 3 quarters they played well and Taylor played well. Like we say every week on the podcast, if you have other options that you believe could get you more points I would suggest going that route. Or this could be the week they are so close and at home on Thursday night to have a breakout and finally end their streak of not have a 0 in the win column. Taylor for my money gets a 1.5 rating tonight as starter. Not everyone has Brady, Brees, Rodgers so you have to pick and choose where to go. But I like Taylor more than I would Darnold tonight.

RB
Carlos Hyde has been the most effective running back in the Browns’ system this season. He has found new life with the Browns. They also have the likes of Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson. But this is Hyde’s show. I would use him if no other options are available because I believe that the Browns can run on the Jets defense. The Jets have given up some yards to both Miami and Detroit in the first two weeks so I think the Browns can get their yards and Hyde is the stalwart for it.

WR / TE
The spot to take a receiver with the Browns lies with the TE David Njoku. He is a big, fast, great hands TE that showed off his skills during the preseason and was very effective against Pittsburgh. He was a little lacking vs the Saints mostly because they had the lead going to the 4th quarter and were running effectively. Antonio Callaway is the team’s best WR with Jarvis Landry hurting a little. Callaway with 3 catches for 81 yards last week could have a big game vs. the Jets secondary. He is another option for a fantasy player to get some yards’ vs a Jets team who is still a little suspect on defense and primarily in the secondary.

Special Teams/ Defense
Both teams defenses have played pretty well but based on the fact that the Browns have had the propensity to get TO’s and make a rookie QB get frazzled the Browns defense may not be a bad play tonight for your Special Teams / Defense tonight.

Overall Matchup
The game itself is a matchup of the top two QB’s drafted in Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. There is no doubt that since every team has to be on Thursday night that NFL powers to be wanted the potential of a Darnold/ Mayfield matchup in primetime. It’s not going to happen unless something happens to Taylor where he gets injured and cannot continue.

With all being said about the Browns defense and no one on offense that scares you plus Darnold still learning on the job one would assume that I would lean the Browns way.

The line is Browns -3 with a total of 41 points. I am slightly leaning towards the Jets in a small upset and a low scoring game. I just don’t see both offenses doing great vs. the other defenses so I believe it will be a low scoring game.

16-14 Jets in a small upset.

Don’t forget to listen to our Fantasy Football Doctors podcast with Dr. Charlie O. Mallonee and myself Dr. Vasu Vaddiparty on SportsServiceRadio.com for the rest of the NFL as it relates to Fantasy Football.

Any correspondence you may have can be sent to my Twitter account @VPartySports or directly to Sports Radio Service.