The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 3: Plenty of standouts already ruled out

To place an obituary, please include the information from the obituary checklist below in an email to . There is no option to place them through our website.Feel free to contact our obituary desk at 651-228-5263 with any questions.

General Information:

Your full name, Address (City, State, Zip Code), Phone number, And an alternate phone number (if any) Obituary Specification:

Name of Deceased, Obituary Text, A photo in a JPEG or PDF file is preferable, TIF and other files are accepted, we will contact you if there are any issues with the photo. Ad Run dates There is a discount for running more than one day, but this must be scheduled on the first run date to apply. If a photo is used, it must be used for both days for the discount to apply, contact us for more information. Policies:

Verification of Death:

In order to publish obituaries a name and phone number of funeral home/cremation society is required. We must contact the funeral home/cremation society handling the arrangements during their business hours to verify the death. If the body of the deceased has been donated to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program, or a similar program, their phone number is required for verification.

Please allow enough time to contact them especially during their limited weekend hours.

A death certificate is also acceptable for this purpose but only one of these two options are necessary.

Guestbook and Outside Websites:

We are not allowed to reference other media sources with a guestbook or an obituary placed elsewhere when placing an obituary in print and online. We may place a website for a funeral home or a family email for contact instead; contact us with any questions regarding this matter.

Obituary Process:

Once your submission is completed, we will fax or email a proof for review prior to publication in the newspaper. This proof includes price and days the notice is scheduled to appear.

Please review the proof carefully. We must be notified of errors or changes before the notice appears in the Pioneer Press based on each day's deadlines.

After publication, we will not be responsible for errors that may occur after final proofing.

Online:

All obituaries appear on TwinCities.com with a permanent online guestbook presence. If you wish to have the online presence removed, you can contact us to remove the guestbook online. Changes to an online obituary can be handled through the obituary desk. Call us with further questions.

Payment Procedure:

Pre-payment is required for all obituary notices prior to publication by the deadline specified below in our deadline schedule. Please call 651-228-5263 with your payment information after you have received the proof and approved its contents.

Credit Card: Payment accepted by phone only due to PCI (Payment Card Industry) regulations

EFT: Check by phone. Please provide your routing number and account number.

Cash: Accepted at our FRONT COUNTER Monday – Friday from 8:00AM – 3:30PM

Rates:

The minimum charge is $162 for the first 10 lines. Every line after the first 10 is $12.20. If the ad is under 10 lines it will be charged the minimum rate of $162. On a second run date, the lines are $8.20 per line, starting w/ the first line. For example: if first run date was 20 lines the cost would be $164. Each photo published is $125 per day. For example: 2 photos in the paper on 2 days would be 4 photo charges at $500. Deadlines:

Please follow deadline times to ensure your obituary is published on the day requested.

Deadline (no exceptions)

MEMORIAM (NON-OBITUARY) REQUEST

Unlike an obituary, Memoriam submissions are remembrances of a loved one who has passed. The rates for a memoriam differ from obituaries.

Please call or email us for more memoriam information

Please call 651-228-5280 for more information.

HOURS: Monday – Friday 8:00AM – 5:00PM (CLOSED WEEKENDS and HOLIDAYS)

Please submit your memoriam ad to or call 651-228-5280.

UPDATE: 12:54 a.m. Saturday

It's only Week 3, but fantasy roster depths are going to be tested this weekend thanks to the early glut of injuries.

Notable players already scratched for this week include four receivers (49ers' Deebo Samuel, Eagles' A.J. Brown, Bears' Keenan Allen, Vikings' Jordan Addison), one running back (Texans' Dameon Pierce) and one tight end (Browns' David Njoku).

That list is likely to grow longer, as the list of players classified as doubtful include three top running backs (Seahawks' Kenneth Walker, Texans' Joe Mixon, Dolphins' Raheem Mostert) and Niners tight end George Kittle.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and Packers QB Jordan Love are listed as questionable, though it's much more likely that the latter sits out another week with his injured knee.

ORIGINAL POST: 8:00 a.m. Wednesday

Like most pretend football impresarios, The Loop rarely spends much time scouting kickers who, for the most part, have relatively little effect in deciding fantasy contests.

Until this year.

Kickers have made the 50-yard field goal, once an NFL rarity, into the equivalent of a 3-foot putt. Through the first two weeks of the season, they have made an incredible 35 of 39 kicks from that range. Just under 90 percent. Nine-zero.

With most leagues awarding bonus points for kicks of 40-plus yards and 50-plus, there's a more significant premium on the long-distance booters.

The most shocking statistic, though, regards the four misses. Two of them are from Baltimore's Justin Tucker, who is widely considered one of the league's greatest kickers and who holds the all-time record of 66 yards.

So which potent kickers are likely available on your waiver wires? How about these guys?

Chris Boswell (Steelers) — Pittsburgh's veteran has made all eight of his field-goal tries this season, half of them from 50 and beyond. And with Pittsburgh's modest offense, he scored all 18 of their points in their Week 1 victory in Atlanta.

Austin Seibert (Commanders) — Seibert did Boswell one better by scoring all 21 Commanders points thanks to seven FGs against the Giants last Sunday. But for his career he's only 2 for 6 from 50 Land, though he has made 72 percent of his kicks from 40-49.

Cairo Santos (Bears) — He's also perfect this season, including three from 50-plus. The Chicago veteran has gotten better with age. Over the past two-plus seasons he has made 14 of 16 from 50 and beyond. The Bears' inconsistent offense gives him plenty of opportunities.

Evan McPherson (Bengals) — He's most famous for a 31-yarder in overtime that sent the 2021 Bengals to the Super Bowl. But he's so trusted on long-distance kicks that Cincinnati has given him 30 chances from 50-plus in the past three-plus years (making 23).

Sitting stars

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley had a bad, bad drop that led to a Monday night loss, and the stench of that may linger against the red-hot Saints. ... San Francisco's defense will shut down RB Kyren Williams and the depleted Rams. ... Jets RB Breece Hall will be facing a decent New England defense, with Braelon Allen looking over his shoulder, ready to vulture TDs. ... Cleveland RB Jerome Ford would be a good choice against the Giants if not for D'Onta Foreman getting most of the work. ... Miami's Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle won't be scaring anyone in Seattle with Skylar Thompson throwing the passes. ... Indy WR Michael Pittman will remain quiet against Chicago. ... Detroit tight end Sam LaPorta will be eclipsed again by teammate Jameson Williams in Arizona. ... And two QBs we expect to struggle again are the Colts' Anthony Richardson vs. the Bears and the Jags' Trevor Lawrence in Buffalo.

Matchup game

It's a big game when desperate Baltimore faces desperate Dallas, and we expect big games from Ravens RB Derrick Henry and Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb. ... Tampa receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans will roam free against Denver. ... We think this is the week 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk breaks out against the Rams. ... The best tight end in football right now might be Vegas rookie Brock Bowers, who will feast against lowly Carolina. ... The Chiefs' Travis Kelce will start to look like himself again vs. the Falcons. ... The Joe Burrow to Mike Gesicki combination will work well against Washington. ... Derek Carr will again look like a No. 1 QB against Washington. ... and Pittsburgh QB Justin Fields will further cement his starting role by running free against the Chargers.

Injury watch

It has been a rough first two weeks, and Week 3 will not include the likes of Christian McCaffrey, Isaiah Pacheco, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Deebo Samuel and Tua Tagovailoa. ... Two great receivers, the Vikings' Justin Jefferson and the Lions' Amon-Ra St Brown, are a little banged up but are expected to play. ... Green Bay QB Jordan Love and Philly wideout A.J. Brown are pretty doubtful. ... The ranks of the questionable include Houston RB Joe MIxon, Seattle RB Kenneth Walker III, Tampa Bay RB Rashaad White, Tennessee RB Tajae Spears, receivers Jordan Addison of the Vikings, Keenan Allen of the Bears and the Bengals' Tee Higgins, and four tight ends (Jaguars' Evan Engram, Cowboys' Jake Ferguson, Browns' David Njoku and Saints' Taysom Hill).

Deepest sleeper

Chances are most of you had never heard of Chiefs RB Carson Steele before he scored in last Sunday's win over Cincinnati. And you might not hear of him again if the Chiefs reunite with Kareem Hunt, or if Clyde Edwards-Helaire comes back healthy. Steele has but nine carries for 27 yards in his NFL career. But he did have 3,780 yards and 30 touchdowns in his collegiate stops at Ball State and UCLA. If he's lucky, Steele could become the most famous guy to come out of Ball State since David Letterman.