KSL fantasy football: 3-week check-in


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SALT LAKE CITY — With three weeks of fantasy football in the books, we're just under a quarter of the way through the regular season. Contenders have begun to separate from pretenders, and the early makings of the playoff picture are beginning to take form.

As it turns out, our KSL.com fantasy league has shaken out into three distinct tiers: the elite, the middle of the pack, and the cellar-dwellers. Let's take a quick look at each roster and where they fit in the puzzle three weeks in. As always, be sure to follow along in the league lobby, which is open to the public.

The elite

Josh Furlong (Team Furlong): Apparently Josh's team got wind that I had labeled him one of the "losers" of the draft a few weeks back. Team Furlong is currently pacing our league in scoring, putting up a round 372 points in just three weeks for a healthy weekly average of 124. A high-scoring loss in week two is just a blip on the radar.

An eight-team league is all about nailing your studs, and Josh did just that — he holds the third- and fifth-ranked wide receivers in Antonio Brown and A.J. Green, respectively, plus the third-ranked tight end in Greg Olsen. A running back core of Matt Forte, Carlos Hyde and Frank Gore represents three full-time starters set to remain as such all year, and Russell Wilson is a steady presence at quarterback to go along with a vaunted Seahawks defense. Pending injuries or some surprise turnarounds, Furlong's group should remain strong throughout the year.

Robert Jackson (Team Jackson): RoJack is just two points back of Josh for season-long points scored, but has gotten an added bonus — the mere 224 points his opponents have put up against him thus far are easily the fewest in the league. Rob sits at a tidy 3-0, already two games ahead of the remaining three teams in his division.

He's done it despite weathering a few injuries, as well. Running back Chris Ivory was listed "active" before failing to play a single snap last week, starter Andre Ellington missed the last two weeks with a knee injury and high-volume quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is out a minimum of three more games. It hasn't mattered. Rob has yet to play a close game and is already primed for a top seed in the playoffs.

Nathan Harker (Victorious Secret): Victorious Secret is our other 3-0 team, riding top-ranked quarterback Tom Brady and top-ranked running back Jamaal Charles to this point. He's got plenty of depth behind his studs despite no other clear blue-chippers, and could be in the best position of anyone to swing a big trade with a bottom-feeder perhaps in need of reinforcements. LeGarrette Blount, Jonathan Stewart, Jarvis Landry, Brandin Cooks and Allen Robinson are all startable pieces for the right team, but on Nathan's bench they could be ammo for a big starter upgrade.

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Middle of the pack

Sean Walker (Out with a Broken Jawbone): I'm still mad at Sean for auto-drafting, but luckily it's yielded only a mediocre team. He's been propped up by Julio Jones and Adrian Peterson, with a few other disappointments thus far in the form of QB Philip Rivers, WR Demaryius Thomas and 2014 standout Golden Tate. But he's actually in a playoff spot currently at 1-2 (he has the most points scored of four squads with the same record), and projects to improve if a couple of his studs pick up the pace.

Jeremiah Jensen (Dez Nuts): Jeremiah is 1-2 in part due to some bum luck — opponents have scored a vicious 355 points against him so far, tops in the league. He's primed to make a run in the next few weeks, though, with red-hot QB Aaron Rodgers and newly returned back LeVeon Bell perhaps the top options at their respective positions moving forward. He nailed a couple late-round receiver picks with Amari Cooper and Larry Fitzgerald, and he could start rolling in a hurry if they continue to produce and tight end Jimmy Graham finds his form.

The cellar-dwellers

Greg Wrubell (Scary Moment): Greg pulled off a feat when he successfully drafted his team via cellphone in a busy airport, but things haven't gone as planned since. Stud wideout Dez Bryant went down, QB Drew Brees has alternated between injured and disappointing and DeMarco Murray has done the same with the Eagles. Greg will get a boost with the return of Houston running back Arian Foster expected this week, but his studs might not be quite studly enough to find the playoffs.

Andy Larsen (Lucky Skittles): Andy's team is named in honor of running back Marshawn Lynch's candy affinity, but unfortunately Beast Mode has been a source of the team's woes. The top-five overall pick has been just the 29th-ranked back to this point, with quarterback Andrew Luck and supposed Denver bell-cow C.J. Anderson equally disappointing. Andy's team is riddled with injuries and may need a trade or two to shake things up.

Ben Dowsett (Easy Now, Don't Forsett): Well, this is embarrassing. It might not be the best look for my "expert" fantasy status that I'm dead last in our KSL league, bringing up the rear with just 232 points scored in three weeks. My group has just been disappointing across the board. Justin Forsett and Jeremy Hill were two of my top six backs heading into the draft, but both have been huge letdowns outside a strong game from Forsett Thursday night — on my bench. Calvin Johnson might not be himself anymore, Peyton Manning is quickly approaching the end of the road, and what I originally thought was fantastic depth has mostly been zeroes. I have a lot of work to do.

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