Houston TE Owen Daniels

Ask Athlon Fantasy Football for Week 3

If you have any fantasy football questions for Ask Athlon, send them my way @AthlonCorby on Twitter or via email to corby.yarbrough@athlonsports.com

Rashard Mendenhall for Josh Freeman and Ahmad Bradshaw? My starting QB is Jay Cuter and my backup is Kyle Orton.
— @Will_Chaklos on Twitter
I would hold on to Mendenhall. Freeman is the No. 24 fantasy QB in Athlon's scoring format (6 point TDs, 1 point for 25 passing yards) with 31.88 points having faced Detroit at home and Minnesota on the road, even trailing by 17 against the Vikings. Mike Williams has been all but non existent (5-46-1 on 14 targets through two games) and no other weapon has emerged for Freeman. Bradshaw is enticing, but Brandon Jacobs is not going to go away anytime soon. You might want to find a better QB backup. Cutler is liable to get flattened behind a still questionable offensive line, and who knows if Orton can hold his starting job all year with clamoring for last year's first-round pick Tim Tebow coming from the Orange Crush fanbase.

Fred Davis or Owen Daniels at TE in a non-PPR
— Chris Kaschok on Athlon Sports Facebook
If this is for this week, I would go with Fred Davis as the Cowboys' secondary is battered by injury, as well as the Dallas offense. The Cowboys are allowing the fifth-most points to TEs through two games. Houston takes on a Saints team this week that is fifth-best against the TE so far, having allowed just four catches for 57 yards and no scores to the position, including a shutout against Dolphin TEs last week.

For the season, you would think that Daniels being the No. 2 target in the past for QB Matt Schaub would make him the pick here. However, Daniels has been targeted just seven times, catching four for 37 yards and a score. If Davis stays on this pace, he will have 88 catches for 1,528 yards by season's end. Although that is doubtful, he is certainly more reliable than Houston's Owen Daniels right now. Davis has 13 targets for 11 catches, 191 yards and a score through two games. We've been waiting for Davis to emerge for years now, and even with the presence of Chris Cooley, it looks like this is the year he will do so.

I lost Jamaal Charles and Felix Jones. I have Dexter McCluster. Should I use my waiver pickup on Thomas Jones or Choice? Someone already has DeMarco Murray. It's a PPR.
— Mike Crowther on Athlon SportsFacebook
Vibes in KC are terrible and the schedule is brutal. McCluster could work out because the Chiefs should trail a lot and he can be versatile as a pass catcher and RB. Choice and Murray may split the load if Jones is out, but I'm not sure how long Jones will be out, if at all.

Is it time to cut ties with Austin Collie?
— Riq Gandolfi on Athlon Sports Facebook
I really, really wanted to say yes and then QB Kerry Collins targets Collie 10 times in Week 2 after having looked his way just three times in the season opener. Of course, Collie only caught three of those 10 targets for 24 yards and was zeros across the board in Week 1. The Colts should trail this week against the Steelers, and Collie should be able to find some room to work. If he doesn't get it done this week, then I would move along. But if you have a much, much better option in mind right now, go ahead and pull the trigger. Also addressed in the "When do you drop a player" feature.

Ryan Fitzpatrick in three career games against the Patriots: 3 TDs, 6 INTs, 676 yards, 2 lost fumbles and 8 sacks against? Bench?
— @AthlonBraden on Twitter
Start. The Bills got down early to a depleted Raiders team last week before scoring the monster comeback victory on the arm of Fitzpatrick. Yes, the Patriots have won each of their first two games easily, but that doesn't mean anything in regards to fantasy for the opposition. Chad Henne threw for 416 yards and two TDs and a INT in the opener and Philip Rivers threw for 378 yards, two scores and two INTs in Week 2. Fitzpatrick has thrown for 472 yards, seven scores and two picks in two games; no reason to think he'd slow down now.

I am in a PPR League with 12 teams and we start 10 players. I want to know which player would you start in your Flex Position? Danny Woodhead, Mark Ingram, C.J. Spiller, Robert Meachem, Roy Helu?
I have Felix Jones as a starter also, I am a little worried about how much playing time Felix will get on Monday Night. Do you think it’s safe to start Felix Jones?
 — James Wood, via email
It's Robert Meachem for me. I can't trust Woodhead or Spiller due the inconsistency in touches, and Helu may be closer to getting a heavier workload, but that's not a risk you can take this week with the Redskins playing on Monday night.

Meachem has been targeted 12 times in two games, catching nine balls for 80 yards and two scores. This should be a back-and-forth game between the two high-powered offenses, and Meachem should have plenty of opportunities.

Ingram has not been able to get it going yet after tough match ups against the Saints and Bears, and now he gets a Texans team that is third-best against fantasy RBs so far this season at 11.9 fantasy points per game and no TDs allowed. Ingram should be able to get it going after this week, but I'd sit him one more time.
As far as Felix Jones, all indications are that he will play on Monday. Now how good a match up it is, with Miles Austin out, Tony Romo injured and Dez Bryant having missed the last game, is another question. Washington has allowed the 10th-most points to fantasy RBs so far, so that's enticing, but you have to wonder how much the Skins can key on him with injuries elsewhere to the Cowboys. Plus, it's not like Jones has been that great this year, either — 96 total yards, four catches and one score.

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— Corby A. Yarbrough @AthlonCorby on Twitter