Week 3 Lames: Brady, Ball are bust-worthy fantasy plays

Each week the Noise highlights 10 somewhat un-obvious names who he believes are destined to implode leave egg on his face. To qualify, each player must be started in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. Speaking as an accountability advocate, I will post results, whether genius or moronic, the following week using the scoring system shown here. If you're a member of TEAM HUEVOS, reveal your Week 3 Lames in the comments section below.

Tom Brady, NE, QB (71-percent started)
Matchup: vs. Oak
The Zoolander of the NFL hasn't won over owners with his :Blue Steel" look, UGG boots and mediocre fantasy performances. Blame the lack of suitable downfield targets. Week 1, playing from behind in Miami, he was a miserable 1-for-10 on pass plays beyond 20 yards. Despite uncorking 56 times, he managed just 249 yards and a touchdown. In Week 2 vs. the Vikes, he played game manager as Stevan Ridley and the opportunistic Pats defense did the heavy lifting. His resulting 149 yards and a TD drove many to the bottle. Essentially Brady has morphed into a dump-off QB, evidenced in his wretched 5.5 yards per attempt, a mind-blowing stat with a healthy Gronk. Though Tom Tepid's matchup Week 3 is quite favorable, tread lightly. The Raiders made Geno Smith look like Joe Namath Week 1 and were equally deplorable last week against Houston, pathetic efforts that have Dennis Allen squarely on the hot seat.  No Raiders DB currently ranks inside the top-50 in coverage according to Pro Football Focus. Still, similar to how last week's game in Minnesota unfolded, this contest could get out of hand quickly, again forcing Brady into a handoff-heavy role. Seek volume elsewhere (e.g. Josh McCown).

Fearless Forecast: 19-27, 194 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 0 turnovers, 17.7 fantasy points

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Montee Ball, Den, RB (81-percent started)

Matchup: at Sea
When the Broncos and 'Hawks met in Super Bowl XLVIII, Denver compiled a laughable 27 rushing yards as it attempted to climb out of a massive early deficit. Peyton Manning, presumably very motivated, will do his damndest to exact revenge, but Ball remains a risky option. The sophomore rusher hasn't lit the world on fire through two games, netting just 3.6 yards per carry. However, on 40 touches he's forced 13 missed tackles, the third-highest amount in the league, and gained an outstanding 70.8 percent of his yards after initial contact. Despite his encouraging secondary numbers, the matchup does not bode well for Ball. Stretching back to last year, the 'Hawks have not allowed a rusher to surpass 80 total yards in five straight home games. And that was against the likes of Adrian Peterson, Andre Ellington, Zac Stacy and Eddie Lacy. Another 15-20 touch workload is surely on tap, but expect only modest production. Off a loss and with the always rockin' 12th Man behind it, Seattle is poised to toss Ball into the gutter. Stevan Ridley (vs. Oak), Donald Brown (at Buf) and Joique Bell (vs. GB) are more trustworthy alternatives.

Fearless Forecast: 16 carries, 63 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 15 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 10.0 fantasy points

Eddie Lacy, GB, RB (88-percent started)
Matchup: at Det
Among the Unroll Tide trio, Mark Ingram (RB5), Trent Richardson (RB36) and Lacy (RB47), stunningly, it's the Packer that currently ranks lowest on a per game basis. Blame an unfavorable early season schedule for the young back's sluggish start. Attritional wars against Seattle and the New York Jets crippled his overall production. In those two contests he was routinely stuffed, tallying 3.08 yards per carry on 25 attempts. Given the bearish market, it's silly to sell low. Though James Starks and DuJuan Harris will occasionally relieve him, he's still a rolling tank capable of a top-12 finish. However, this likely isn't the week he jumps back to the forefront. Against Rashad Jennings and Jonathan Stewart the Lions' D-line was practically immovable. Both backs did penetrate the end-zone, but amassed only 2.67 yards per carry. Ndamukong Suh, Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy accounted for much of that stuffage. Already the threesome has totaled 28 stops. With matchups against Chicago and Minnesota upcoming, brighter days are in the forecast for Lacy, but this week demoting the top pick isn't a moronic move.

Fearless Forecast: 14 carries, 46 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 12 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 8.1 fantasy points

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Michael Floyd, Ari, WR (78-percent started)
Matchup: vs. SF
When asked Tuesday about how long Carson Palmer will be sidelined Cards head honcho Bruce Arians remarked, "it could be a day or it could be a month." That narrows it down. In other words, we have zero clue how much time the passer will miss due to a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder. It's highly likely Drew Stanton, who was generally awful last week in a win against the Giants, will again man the controls for 'Zona. If that's the case, Larry Fitzgerald (10-6-51-0 vs. NYG), and not Floyd (6-1-19-0), stands to benefit. Evident last week in New York, Stanton is not Kurt Warner Part II. In a pinch, he's a suitable game manager, but his constant misfires off play-action (36.4 completion percentage on 11 attempts in Week 2) and below average deep ball leaves a lot to be desired. In his career he's a horrendous 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) on passes beyond 20 yards. I'm more accurate with my Flames/Lames picks for crying out loud. Because Floyd's production is fueled by big plays, he isn't the most fruitful option. Though torched by Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall in the second half of last week's folding vs. Chicago, San Fran's secondary has thrown water on explosive pass plays allowing just four completions of 20-plus yards, the fourth-lowest in the league. Expected to be without Tramaine Brock, the defensive backfield is a bit thin, but due to Stanton's downsides deep, Floyd underachieves for the second straight week.

Fearless Forecast: 4 receptions, 57 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 8.7 fantasy points 

Michael Crabtree, SF, WR (60-percent started)
Matchup: at Ari
On the other side of the ball, the Niners have their own problems vertically. In Greg Roman's expanded offense, Colin Kaepernick has looked respectable at times, completing 64.9 percent of his attempts while notching an 84.6 QB rating. However, similar to Stanton, he's struggled on play-action, finding his intended targets just 46.2 percent of the time. He is making strides, but remains a work in progress. Last week vs. Chicago, the QB and Crabtree made beautiful music together. Targeted nine times, the wideout hauled in seven passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, rebounding from a sleepy Week 1 (2-24-0 at Dal). Crabtree's history against Arizona is legendary. In his past three tangos with the division foe, he's found the end zone four times and averaged 5.3 receptions and 91.0 yards per game. Still, Antonio Cromartie and Patrick Peterson have executed at a high level through two games. The tandem has yielded a lowly 47.3 catch percentage to their assignments. In what could be a low-scoring defensive affair, don't expect the Niner to strike it rich.

Fearless Forecast: 5 receptions, 58 receiving yards, 0 touchdowns, 9.5 fantasy points 

BONUS WEEK 3 LAMES

#TEAMHUEVOS PICKS OF THE WEEK

Each week one fortunate guest prognosticator will have a chance to silence the Noise. Following the rules stated above, participants are asked to submit their "Flames" (1 QB, 2 RBs, 2 WRs, 1 TE, 1 D/ST) by midnight PT Tuesdays via Twitter @YahooNoise. How large are your stones?

Reader Record: 11-3, 78.5%

Want to bull rush Brad? Find him on Twitter. Also, check out the Yahoo! Fantasy and Rotoworld crew every Tuesday-Thursday on 'Fantasy Football Live' starting at 6:30 PM ET on NBC Sports Network (Find channel here). Additionally, tune into 'FFL' radio on Yahoo! Sports Radio Sundays at 9 AM ET.