Crack a window, mix the chili, and pour a beer … the NFL IS IN FULL SWING, BABY!
Normally, I’m stuck short-circuiting my laptop with tears over at BN Bulls. But with football back – and Bleacher Nation having a brand new way to experience the game – I couldn’t hold in my excitement!
In case you missed it, we officially launched Bleacher Nation Fantasy earlier this month. The revamped app – formerly known as the Fantasy Life App – is a social platform where users can gather fantasy football advice and receive the fastest breaking news alerts in business. I know it sounds like I was told to write that sentence with a gun to my head, but it’s seriously true! I made some key waiver wire pickups before other league-mates last year because of the alerts.
The new app also features two brand-new fantasy games where you can win money. The real stuff, not the Monopoly stuff! One style of play is “Rivals,” which is where you pick between pre-selected matchups in a 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4 format. Take Team A or Team B, make your entry, and wait to see if you’re a winner. The other play style is a more standard H2H format, where you have to construct a team to beat our pre-selected team.
You can learn more about the new games – AND DOWNLOAD THE APP – here.
Look, is it part of my job to help promote this thing? Absolutely, but I’m also genuinely excited about it and understand all the hard work that went into it. The new Rivals game, in particular, is something I really think will be a ton of fun for people, which is why I decided to share my top picks for Week 3 with y’all.
Now, am I a fantasy expert? Absolutely not. But I tried to explain my reasoning behind the selections below, and I hope it helps you also better understand the gameplay. Enjoy!
My Top BNF Rivals Picks
Fantasy Points
Team A: Nico Collins + De’Von Achane
Team B: Jonathan Taylor + Trey McBride (+1.3)
Who am I going with? Team A
This Rivals matchup caught my eye immediately. Through the first two weeks of the season, Nico Collins and De’Von Achance each rank top-4 at their respective position in total fantasy points scored, per Fantasy Pros.
Collins is showing once again that he is CJ Stroud’s favorite target, and the Texans now face a Vikings defense that has given up the seventh-most passing yards this season. Not to mention, Joe Mixon is still questionable for this weekend’s contest, which could mean Houston is forced to play even more through the air. As for Achane, he is fresh off 22 carries against the Bills and could be in for a similar treatment this week against Seattle. The Dolphins will remain without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, and Raheem Mostert is also likely to miss Sunday’s battle. I simply love the potential volume for Achane.
So why don’t I like Jonathan Taylor and Trey McBride? Taylor is going up against a Bears defense that we know is pretty solid. I’m also always scared of Anthony Richardson’s potential to steal touchdowns from the lead back, which is obviously a big concern when we’re tracking fantasy points. Now, McBride could put together a decent afternoon in a shootout with Detroit, but the Cards just scored 41 points and McBride still never found the endzone. Murray also connected with seven different pass catchers in that game, so he could look to air it out across the field again.
Rush Yards
Team A: Alvin Kamara + Jahmyr Gibbs
Team B: D’Andre Swift + Tony Pollard (7.5 yards)
Who am I going with? Team B
On the surface, I know this sounds a tad crazy. Kamara has easily been one of the best running backs in the league over the first two weeks of the season. He’s fresh off a game where he scored three rushing touchdowns and carried the ball 20 times for 115 yards. Jahmyr Gibbs also remains one of the highest-upside young backs in the league and seemingly has a decent matchup this week against the Cardinals. But … hear me out.
D’Andre Swift is going up against a Colts defense that has sacrificed 474 yards on the ground through two games, which is by far a league-high. The Bears are also coming off a game where Caleb Williams was getting absolutely pummeled under center. For both those reasons, I think we’ll see Chicago lean on the run early in this game, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Swift reach a season-high in carries. This is especially true when we consider the Colts’ offense is fresh off scoring only 10 points against the Packers. I don’t expect them to force Chicago to throw the ball.
As for Tony Pollard, he’s gotten at least 16 carries in each of his first two games. He now gets a Packers defense that allowed Jonathan Taylor to pass the 100-yard mark on just 12 carries last week. Will Levis has also been anything but reliable, which could force head coach Brian Callahan to favor a ground-and-pound attack.
To be sure, I am worried about Kamara putting together another strong outing this week, especially against an Eagles defense that has struggled. But Gibbs continues to split carries with David Montgomery, and the Lions could find themselves in a shootout with the high-scoring Cardinals. With that in mind, give him the extra 7.5 yards with Team B.
Receiving Yards
Team A: Tyreek Hill
Team B: Stefon Diggs (+21.5)
Who am I going with? Team B
Do I really need to explain this one? Tyreek Hill will have Skylar Thompson throwing to him this week. Meanwhile, Stefon Diggs has CJ Stroud and an additional 21.5 yards to work with. Give me that every single day, especially against a Vikings defense that has allowed the seventh-most passing yards this season.