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Dion Lewis considered 'best bet' to be Giants' top back
New York Giants running back Dion Lewis is "the best bet to be the Giants' top running back with Saquon Barkley out for the season," writes Jordan Raanan of ESPN.
Raanan expects Lewis to "play a substantial role" even after the Giants signed Devonta Freeman. Lewis is expected to dominate passing-game work and should also see early-down usage in Week 3 versus the San Francisco 49ers while Freeman learns the playbook. "Imagine a plus version of James White in New England with a slightly bigger workload," Raanan said. Wayne Gallman will likely be the third option in the Giants' backfield once Freeman is caught up.
numberFire's models currently expect Lewis to score 7.3 FanDuel points with 10.1 touches for 47.7 yards in Week 3. He's the RB38 in our weekly fantasy rankings and has a salary of $5,500. The 49ers enter Week 3 with a top-10 defense, per numberFire's advanced analytics, but they will be without two of their top defenders in Nick Bosa (torn ACL) and Dee Ford (back).
Drew Brees admits Saints aren't 'totally in sync'
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees conceded that the offense isn't "totally in sync" following a 34-24, Week 2 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
"Are we totally in sync right now? No, we're not. We're not even close to where we are capable of. Not even close," Brees admitted. The 41-year-old signal-caller completed 26-of-38 passes for 312 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception in the losing effort. The numbers were fine but Brees missed some easy throws and had a bad pick right before the end of the first half. Michael Thomas (ankle) is unlikely to return for Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers, so Brees and the offense may struggle once again.
numberFire's models expect Brees to score 18.3 FanDuel points in Week 3 versus the Green Bay Packers. He has a salary of $8,000 and is the QB14 in our weekly fantasy rankings.
Chiefs' Sammy Watkins (head) says he's healthy
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins tweeted that he was "healthy" after exiting Week 2 early following a helmet-to-helmet hit.
Watkins was hit in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game and didn't return. It sounds like he expects to be back out there for Week 3 in a tough matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Watkins had just 1 catch on 3 targets for 11 yards before leaving early. The Ravens didn't allow a 100-yard receiver in either of their first two games. Byron Pringle and Demarcus Robinson could benefit if Hill winds up not playing against Baltimore.
Watkins and the Chiefs' offense may find it a bit harder to move the ball in Week 3 against a Ravens team that is 1st in passing defense and overall defense through the first two games, per numberFire's metrics.
Titans' A.J. Brown (knee) remains uncertain for Week 3
Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown's status remains up in the air for Week 3's game against the Minnesota Vikings as he continues to deal with a knee injury.
Brown's wide receiver coach, Rob Moore, told reporters on Tuesday that "when Brown does get back, whether it's this week or next week, he has to be prepared and ready to go from a mental standpoint. He can't lose that edge that he got in training camp". Moore's words hint at the uncertain timeline for Brown's return, but they also leave the door open to a potential return this week. If Brown can recover from his bone bruise and play, he will face a Vikings' secondary ranked 31st against the pass in numberFire's advanced stats.
Assuming he is limited, Brown's Week 3 projection includes 2.3 receptions for 39.6 yards, 0.20 touchdowns, and 6.3 FanDuel points.
Davante Adams (hamstring) reportedly uncertain for Packers in Week 3
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) is uncertain for Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night, reports Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Pelissero says Adams' hamstring strain is "considered minor" but that the Packers may opt to err on the side of caution at the beginning of a long season. Adams was limited to just 3 catches (3 targets) for 36 yards in Week 2 because of the injury after racking up 17 targets for 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the opener. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Allen Lazard will both be in line for larger workloads if Adams is held out against the Saints. Aaron Jones should also benefit after leading the Packers in all receiving categories in Week 2 with Adams banged up.
Adams is currently the WR3 in numberFire's Week 3 fantasy rankings. He has a salary of $8,600 and our models expect him to score 16.2 FanDuel points with 11.7 targets, 7.4 catches, and 88.0 yards. The Saints rank 15th in pass defense, per our advanced metrics.
Devonta Freeman agrees to deal with Giants
The New York Giants have agreed to terms with free agent running back Devonta Freeman, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons. The terms include a one-year contract worth up $3 million.
The deal is pending a physical and COVID-19 test. Freeman may need a week to work on conditioning, but he will likely step in ahead of Wayne Gallman as the Giants' early-down back while Dion Lewis plays the pass-catching role. Freeman, 28, was limited to two games in 2018 due to injuries and then averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry in 14 games last season. He's unlikely to find much more success behind the Giants' porous offensive line.
Freeman averaged 12.0 FanDuel points (RB23) and 76.1 offensive yards with 6 touchdowns in 14 games last season. He managed just a 29.4 percent success rate, compared to 42.7 percent for the rest of the Falcons' backfield. The Giants rank 28th in rushing offense entering Week 3, per numberFire's advanced analytics.