NFL Prop Shop: Week 3 Player Proposition Picks
By Sean Murphy
Only a Ryan Mathews injury kept us from a winning prop card last week, as we were forced to settle for a 2-2 split.
That puts us at 3-5 on the season, meaning a 4-0 sweep in Week 3 gets us back in the money.
Here are the best of the bunch; as always you’ll need to shop around to find the best prices, and of course the proper matchups.
Most passing yards
Alex Smith vs. Matt Cassel
Are Alex Smith and 49ers offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye finally on the same page?
That certainly appeared to be the case on Monday night, at least over the final three quarters.
In that narrow loss to the Saints, we saw a lot of maturity from Smith. He could have folded after a tumultuous start that saw his team go down 9-0 five minutes into the game, but instead rallied the troops, and almost pulled off the upset. He threw for 275 yards, spreading the ball around to eight different targets.
The Chiefs are 2-0, but there are still plenty of kinks in their offense.
Matt Cassel has completed only 52 percent of his passes for 244 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Until he gets in sync with his patchwork group of receivers, the Chiefs will have a tough time putting points on the board.
Take: Smith
Most rushing yards
Cedric Benson vs. DeAngelo Williams
The Panthers offensive line simply isn’t getting the job done right now.
DeAngelo Williams remains the feature back, but he managed to pick up just a shade over three yards per rush against a weak Bucs run defense last Sunday. By the end of the game he was not only losing carries to Jonathan Stewart, but also to Mike Goodson.
Cedric Benson has plenty of room for improvement after running for 3.2 yards per carry in his first two games. He did see his workload increase last Sunday, carrying the ball 23 times against the Ravens.
With Carson Palmer still building chemistry with his new targets, the Bengals should once again focus on their ground game this week, and that makes the choice of Benson over Williams an easy one.
Take: Benson
Most rushing yards
Joseph Addai vs. Knowshon Moreno
Joseph Addai ran the ball 20 times last Sunday, but that had a lot to do with the scoreboard, as the Colts went up big early and never looked back.
Keep in mind; Addai carried the ball only 10 times in the Colts opening week loss in Houston. Donald Brown showed some explosiveness against the Giants, running for 69 yards on 15 rushes, and should steal some of Addai’s carries again this week.
Knowshon Moreno was limited to only 15 carries in Week 1. Of course that was his first game back after missing the preseason with a hamstring injury. He was used as the feature back against the Seahawks last Sunday, running the ball 24 times.
Moreno picked up 3.8 yards per carry in his rookie season, but has been held to 2.8 YPC through two games in 2010. The Colts should allow him to get untracked, as they’re giving up 5.6 YPC so far this season.
Take: Moreno
Most receptions
DeSean Jackson vs. Mike Sims-Walker
With the news that Michael Vick will get a second straight start for the Eagles, DeSean Jackson’s value has jumped considerably.
It didn’t take long for Vick to pick out a favorite target last week, and that was Jackson. He was targeted seven times, more than any other Eagles receiver, and hauled in four catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. His chemistry with Vick should only grow here in Week 3.
Mike Sims-Walker had a huge game last Sunday, making 10 catches after being held off the scoresheet entirely in Week 1.
A repeat performance will be hard to come by, as the Jags simply don’t have much depth at the position. That should lead to blanket coverage on Sims-Walker this week.
Take: Jackson