The Loop Fantasy Football Report Week 3: Fields of dreams in Chicago

Sep. 22—From the moment the 2021 season began, it was only a matter of time. Just how long would it be before rookie Justin Fields replaced Andy Dalton as the starting quarterback for the oft-quarterback challenged Chicago Bears.

The answer proved to be about 76 minutes of game play. That's when Dalton left last Sunday with a knee injury, and the Ohio State phenom headed into the game amid rousing cheers at Soldier Field.

How did he do? Not that well.

Sure, Fields made a nice run to help clinch the game in the fourth quarter. But that was about it for his heroics. He completed only 6 of 13 passes for 60 yards. Fulfilling the fantasy dreams of nobody.

But Dalton is said to be "week to week," so Fields is in line to get his first NFL start Sunday against Cleveland. Not a great matchup. The Bears have to start the former Buckeye, but wise fantasy mavens should probably wait before taking that plunge.

Other quarterbacks and teams are feeling the Bears' pain:

Carson Wentz (Colts) — Indy's QB pulled off the rare double by spraining BOTH of his ankles. There's no way either you nor the Colts should count on starting him this week in Tennessee. And if Jacob Eason has to replace him, you can forget about starting any Colts except, maybe, for Jonathan Taylor.

Tua Tagovailoa (Dolphins) — The Deshaun Watson trade buzz heated up again immediately after No. 1 went down with injured ribs in the shutout loss to Buffalo. Tagovailoa has been ruled out this week, and the Dolphins might be better off with Jacoby Brissett at the helm.

Tyrod Taylor (Texans) — Houston's QB had been surprisingly sensational in the first game and a half, and now he's on injured reserve with a bad hammy. The Texans will likely be starting rookie Davis Mills the next three weeks. So expect our preseason pick to be the NFL's worst team to start playing like it. Immediately.

Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) — Pittsburgh's QB has had an assortment of issues through the years, and now he has a "pectoral issue." While he's certainly not a top 10 quarterback anymore, Big Ben could have been a decent streaming option for this week against the Bengals' defense. But you can scratch that thought.

Derek Carr (Raiders) — The early candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, Carr is questionable this week because of an ankle injury. But with 817 yards and four TD passes so far this season, Carr might still be worth grabbing off waivers and starting against a reeling Miami team.

SITTING STARS

Despite winning Monday night, Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers was in a testy mood. That will be true Sunday night when they play the rugged 49ers defense. ... Tom Brady is a must start, but the Buccaneers' QB will cool off a bit against the Rams in what could be an NFC championship preview. ... New England RB Damien Harris will find the going tougher against New Orleans than he did last week against the J-E-T-S ... Two other running backs who will have a tough day: Washington's Antonio Gibson vs. the Bills and the fumble-prone Clyde Edwards-Helaire vs. the Chargers

MATCHUP GAME

Denver is a surprising 2-0, and QB Teddy Bridgewater and RB Javonte Williams will look almost unbeatable against the lowly Jets. ... Same goes for Sam Darnold, the QB for 2-0 Carolina, against the Texans. ... Philly QB Jalen Hurts has been up and down, but he'll be very, very up vs. Dallas. ... The Vikings' meager pass defense will help Seattle's D.K. Metcalf keep up with receiving partner Tyler Lockett. ... Running backs we particularly like this week are Pittsburgh's Najee Harris vs. Cincinnati, the Chargers' Austin Ekeler vs. Kansas City's poor run defense, and Arizona's Chase Edmonds vs. Jacksonville.

INJURY WATCH

The ranks of running backs have taken a hit in the past week. Las Vegas' Josh Jacobs (toe/ankle) is "very questionable" this week, according to Raiders coach Jon Gruden. So Kenyan Drake and Peyton Barber will see more duty. ... San Francisco's Elijah Mitchell has an ailing shoulder, but he might still be the 49ers' healthiest runner. ... The Rams' Darrell Henderson has injured ribs, and his status will be up in the air until the weekend. So Sony Michel is getting warmed up. ... Two prominent receivers are already out this week: Cleveland's Jarvis Landry (knee) is on injured reserve and will miss at least three weeks, and Houston's Danny Amendola (hamstring) will sit out Thursday night's game against Carolina. ... Players listed as questionable include Dallas WR Amari Cooper, Pittsburgh wideout Diontae Johnson, Cleveland WR Odell Beckham Jr., Jacksonville WR Laviska Shenault, Philly TE Zach Ertz and Giants tight end Evan Engram.

THE DEEPEST SLEEPER

This isn't the deepest dive we've ever taken, but it's obvious that former Viking Cordarrelle Patterson is becoming a solid dual threat for the Atlanta Falcons. The receiver turned running back had two touchdowns last Sunday against Tampa Bay, one rushing and one receiving, and he ran for 54 yards in the season opener against Philadelphia. And this week's opponent, the New York Giants, has an average-at-best defense. The Falcons' No. 1 back, Mike Davis, has been especially ordinary with 87 rushing yards over two games. So we're guessing we'll see more of No. 84 looking out of place in the Atlanta backfield.

THE THURSDAY PICK

Panthers at Texans (+7 1/2 ):

Pick: Panthers by 14

BREAKING NEWS

We'll be updating our column, based on the latest injuries and innuendo, right up until Sunday's kickoff. Go to TwinCities.com/theloop.

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere's "BS Show" podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.