Week 3 Preview

By Mel Alper, CTDB Analyst

Greg paid 17 dollars for a tight end last week and finished this morning with the tight end he already had. He dropped Jake Ferguson to make room for Mike Gesicki last Wednesday. This morning he dropped Gesicki and claimed Ferguson back, for nothing.

The rest of the room was reading the Pot instead. Eight claims cleared Wednesday morning, half of them a kicker or a defense, in the week the Pot pays for exactly that pair. The league spent 19 dollars all in, and six teams didn’t bid at all.

Gang Green and the Monkeys are the only teams above even, and the schedule put them in the same game. Last week’s preview board went 2-3 — wrong on Monkeys over Phreaks, wrong on Buffy over Custom J.

Matchup of the week: Gang Green vs Chunky Monkeys

Two teams in this league have more wins than losses, and they play each other Sunday. The last five years are split 3-3, and Gang Green has won the last two, 136 to 84 in 2024 and 116 to 112 last season.

Josh Allen threw for 49 last week, the best score anyone posted, and Gang Green lost the game anyway. They scored 132 in that loss, third-best in the league. Greg’s trouble is at the other end of the lineup, where Kalif Raymond, the receiver he paid 19 for last week, starts at 6 while Zay Flowers sits at 13 with a questionable tag.

The Monkeys have the same disease in a different room. They won last week on Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 38 and are still leaving 8 points on the bench, as of Wednesday morning. Two names explain most of it. Tyler Shough, claimed this morning for 5, projects at 25, two points clear of Trevor Lawrence. Brock Bowers is questionable a third straight week, so Michael Mayer starts again at 5.

Pick: Gang Green, 129 to 116. Allen is the best player in this game, and the champion needs two substitutions to reach his own ceiling.

City of Angels Masterminds vs Jail Yard Boyz

Victor has changed quarterbacks again. Week 1 Mel tip was Justin Herbert over Drake Maye, and Victor took it; this week Maye starts with Herbert on the bench. Malik Nabers is questionable again, a week after the shoulder, and he is in the Boyz flex.

The Masterminds put up 167 last week, more than any team has scored this season, and ESPN likes them by 4. Here’s the number that weighs against that. The last three times these two met, the Boyz scored 147, 151 and 170, and won all three. Pick: the Boyz, who haven’t lost to this franchise since 2023 — even if Dak throws another 41 and the history has to hold the door.

A Squad Called Blitz vs Crunch Bunch

Eddie is projected for 98, the lowest number on the board. That is not a roster problem. Jaxson Dart is still in his lineup at quarterback and Dart is out, while Joe Burrow sits on the bench at 22. The Bunch are leaving 26 points there, more than anyone in the league, and most of it is one substitution. Blitz projects at 137 with Brock Purdy at 28 and Jonathan Taylor at 19, and Thien does not need either of them to win this one. Pick: Blitz.

Battle Angel vs LA Buffy

Here’s the one that stops the scroll. The 0-4 team is the only team in the league with nothing better on its bench. Will’s lineup is already the best version of itself, and ESPN still has Buffy ahead by a point. Bryce Young, claimed on Sunday when Jayden Daniels’ elbow went, scored 33 from the Angels bench last week and starts this one. Roger counters with Patrick Mahomes at 26 and a questionable Nico Collins. Pick: the Angels.

The Custom J watch: Custom J vs Philadelphia Phreaks

The better roster in this game is the hurt one. Dallas Goedert is doubtful and Ping has him in the lineup at zero, which is a starting slot with nothing in it. Saquon Barkley, Puka Nacua and J.K. Dobbins are all questionable. The Phreaks project 5 clear anyway, and if Ping fixes the tight end slot it becomes 134 against Custom J’s 123.

Custom J still needs the same two moves it needed last week. Tony Pollard belongs in the flex, and the Bears defense Josh claimed Sunday for a dollar projects at 3, which is not a defense, it’s a donation. It is also, on Monday night, the Chicago defense playing the Philadelphia offense — a unit on the field trying to tackle the five Eagles in Ping’s lineup. One of them will be wrong.

These two last met in December’s semifinal, 130 to 119, Custom J.

Pick: the Phreaks, over the roster Mel built.

Starters and bench

Thursday is the deadline that matters. Five starters are in Atlanta-Green Bay and lock at 5:15 Pacific: Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Christian Watson, Tucker Kraft and Trey Smack.

After that, the calls. Eddie’s is the big one, Burrow in for Dart, with a questionable Jaylen Warren in the flex behind it. Ping has two slots sitting below his own bench, tight end and receiver, where Kenyon Sadiq and Devaughn Vele are waiting. Evan should start Shough over Lawrence, and Bowers over Mayer if Bowers plays. Greg wants Flowers over Raymond on the same condition. Aaron Jones Sr. belongs in Victor’s flex over Tee Higgins, and DK Metcalf in Roger’s lineup over Tre Tucker. Everyone else is within a point of their best lineup.

Transactions

Four teams claimed this morning and six stood pat. Evan made half the claims himself and spent 17 of the league’s 19 dollars.

Harrison Butker at 3 and the Browns defense at 3, both walking straight into his lineup, in the week the Pot pays for that pair. He also took Emanuel Wilson at 6, with RJ Harvey questionable and Jordan Mason on injured reserve. Read: Evan is playing this week for the side money and the rest of the month for the roster.

Victor spent 2 on the Saints defense and dropped the Ravens. Roger’s move cost nothing at all: Darren Waller in, Odell Beckham Jr. out. Greg’s cost nothing either, unless you count last week’s 17.

The quiet six were Custom J, the Masterminds, the Angels, Blitz, the Bunch and the Phreaks. Ping standing pat is the interesting one, with Goedert doubtful and a tight end slot projecting zero.

This Week's Pot 

Week 3 pays the highest combined score from your kicker and your defense — a new prize, so nobody is defending last year’s Week 3 (Custom J, best quarterback). Evan’s Butker-plus-Browns claim is already playing for it.