Thursday Fantasy Fliers: Josh McCown and Harry Douglas

Under normal circumstances, you don't necessarily want to stack a fantasy lineup with players tied to the Thursday game. But this week — finally — we have a matchup with significant shootout potential. The defenses involved in the opening game of Week 3 have offered little resistance to this point.

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Somehow, despite having faced a pair of sketchy backup QBs to begin the season (Derek Anderson and Austin Davis), Tampa Bay's defense is still looking for its first interception. Atlanta is the only team in the league that has not yet recorded a sack, and the team's defense is allowing a league-worst 472.0 total yards per game.

So tonight, points and yards should be plentiful. We've got a pair of widely available fantasy assets for your consideration...

(Note: Bobby Rainey doesn't quite qualify as a flier for our purposes here, because he's already owned in 48 percent of Yahoo leagues. But he's clearly a solid fantasy play, coming off a 144-yard performance. Doug Martin is still dinged, no lock to face the Falcons on Thursday.)

QB Josh McCown, TB (29 percent owned, 4 percent started) – OK, so Josh has not been particularly good in the opening weeks, at least not in the traditional sense. His fantasy totals have been fine — two rushing scores, two passing TDs, 395 combined yards — but he's made a few decisions that seem halfway insane. In Week 1, he was responsible for perhaps the most hilariously awful play you'll see all season.

But McCown has a pair of talented, super-sized receivers at his disposal (Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans), and, again, he's facing a defense that hasn't stopped a thing. The Falcons have allowed 635 passing yards through two games. McCown is a good bet to deliver at least two scores on Thursday, topping 250 yards for the first time this season. I'm starting him over Colin Kaepernick in a two-QB league this week, and I'm playing him over Kirk Cousins in another.

The way my season is going so far, I've probably just guaranteed a huge night for Mike Glennon. Moving on...

WR Harry Douglas, Atl (10 percent owned, 2 percent started) – Douglas hasn't yet found the end-zone, but he's hardly been an afterthought in Atlanta's post-Gonzo offense. Check the usage stats for this receiving corps, via Pro Football Focus:

Roddy White – 139 snaps, 14 targets, 10 receptions, 114 yards, TD
Julio Jones – 138 snaps, 22 targets, 14 receptions, 204 yards, TD
Harry Douglas – 122 snaps, 15 targets, 10 receptions, 107 yards
Devin Hester – 39 snaps, 7 targets, 6 receptions, 101 yards
Levine Toilolo – 106 snaps, 9 targets, 5 receptions, TD

Douglas has worked almost exclusively from the slot this year, and you really can't argue with the workload. The man gave us 85 catches and 1,067 receiving yards last season when forced into a featured role. Matt Ryan should feast at home against the Bucs, as will Julio. White is dealing with a hamstring malfunction, but he's still expected to play and his availability is very much in doubt.

You might recall the fantasy alert that Roddy issued last year...

If Douglas simply receives his usual targets — and there's no reason to think he won't — he'll give us another respectable night. And if he sees an uptick in opportunities due to White's injury, he has a shot at a terrific fantasy line. PPR owners should really embrace this guy. Douglas' ownership percentage, to me, seems oddly low.