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“I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearing every authority which stood in their way.” – Thomas Jefferson

Matthew Freedman quoted Hamlet in his Week 3 Freedman’s Favorites piece, so we’re upping the ante with a Thomas Jefferson quote about being bold. But the quote is true, and it reminds me of our analysts now that I’ve had the chance to work with them for several months. They perform rigorous research and aren’t afraid to stand by their findings, even when it means their stance appears bold when compared to the consensus. Winning often requires being bold, even in fantasy football.

We asked our analysts to provide a bold prediction for Week 3. Their answers and justifications are below.

Check out all of our Week 3 fantasy football content >>

Derrick Henry goes over 200 rushing yards versus the Raiders The last two times Derrick Henry has totaled fewer than 16 carries, the following week, he has averaged over 200 rushing yards. Simply put, if he is low-owned in DFS…you just play him. The Raiders defense did just allow Darrel Williams to average north of seven yards per carry in Week 2. Keep tabs on the availability of Raiders linebacker Denzel Perryman to bolster the case further for the Big Dog. – Andrew Erickson

Derrick Henry gets fed 25 times and finishes the week as RB1 in Half PPR scoring The demise of Derrick Henry is being vastly overstated right now. The Titans will fly back home, lick their wounds and get back to basics. That means Derrick Henry will become the offense once again from the top. I know the Raiders are middling so far against the rush, but their first two games were high-scoring affairs, so their numbers are slightly skewed in a more positive light than perhaps in reality. Buy King Henry where you can and start him this week off the disappointing Week 2 performance. – Joe Pisapia

JuJu Smith-Schuster goes for 12 receptions, 150 yards and two scores Juju Smith-Schuster’s main calling card these days is the ability to beat zone coverage. Lucky for him, the Colts have deployed zone on 69-76% of their cornerbacks’ routes. Limited sample, yes, but Smith-Schuster’s splits this year against man and zone have been huge. Against man, he has a 0.91 yards per route run, but that flies up to 2.79 against zone, which is fifth-best (minimum five zone targets). When inside, he’ll match up with Kenny Moore, who allows an 81.8% catch rate and 146.0 passer rating this season. Smith-Schuster could get peppered by Mahomes all day in Week 3. – Derek Brown

The Titans bench Ryan Tannehill and insert backup QB Malik Willis, who leads the Titans to a come-from-behind victory over the Raiders and becomes a hot waiver addition ahead of Week 4 The Titans were the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC last season, but the team was a house of cards. Tennessee has stumbled to an 0-2 start and is coming off a blowout loss to the Bills. Tannehill is a game manager who needs a strong supporting cast, and he no longer has one. The Titans aren’t getting to the playoffs this year. They might as well rip off the Band-Aid and start anew with Willis, a playmaker in need of seasoning. Don’t be surprised if the Titans make that move this week. – Pat Fitzmaurice

Tyler Lockett goes for 100 yards and a touchdown Last week Lockett was 9-107-0 receiving on 11 targets, so this take might not be sufficiently bold — but I can only be so enthusiastic for a receiver tied to QB Geno Smith. Hence, 100 yards and a touchdown. Heck, even suggesting that the Seahawks offense will score a touchdown feels plenty bold. But the Falcons defense is No. 30 in dropback success rate (56.6%), so the Seahawks should be able to move the ball through the air with relative ease, and I expect Lockett to be the player targeted most, given that the Falcons are strong on the perimeter with CBs A.J. Terrell and Casey Hayward but are vulnerable in the slot, where they’re now playing safety-turned-corner Erik Harris after undrafted rookie Dee Alford and journeyman Mike Ford underwhelmed in Week 1. – Matthew Freedman

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