Fantasy Fallout: Week 3

By Billy Gabelman (StatATL) and Mike Johnson (Mjohnson86)

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday. This won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start CeeDee Lamb right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams.

Patriots at Jets

• The chemistry is continuing to build with Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson, as Wilson has now seen 26 targets through three games. Despite pedestrian outputs, I wouldn’t panic on him just yet.

• Breece Hall saw 21 opportunities for the third straight game, but rookie Braelon Allen continued to be involved with 14 touches on his own. If Allen is still available on your waiver wire, he is a priority add.

• Drake Maye made his NFL debut in the fourth quarter and was able to move the offense down the field on his only drive. I would expect Maye to take over the starting role for the Patriots before the halfway point of the season. 

Giants @ Browns

• A week after turning 18 targets into 127 yards and a TD, rookie first-round pick Malik Nabers continued to impress, accounting for 78 yards and two TDs as the Giants held off the Browns to get their first win of the season.

• Amari Cooper continues to be Deshaun Watson’s preferred target this season, posting a 7-86-2 line. Cooper has led the Browns in targets each game, but he finally turned those opportunities into fantasy goodness.  

Eagles @ Saints

• After seeing 10 targets through three quarters, DeVonta Smith was forced out of the game after suffering a concussion. A situation to monitor. 

• With A.J. Brown out and Smith injured in the second half, Dallas Goedert exploded for 170 yards on 11 targets. If Brown or Smith were to miss next week, Goedert would slot in as a top TE.

• Saquan Barkley produced his third straight game with over 100 total yards. With three straight games with 20+ opportunities, Barkley is the early leader for RB1 overall. 

• Like Barkley, Alvin Kamara's role remains absolutely elite and he has seen 20 or more opportunities in every game this season. 

• Despite scoring zero fantasy points, Rashid Shaheed saw five targets and remains tied with Chris Olave for the team lead in targets on the season. His role will continue to make him a volatile start in season long leagues.

Texans @ Vikings

• Statement game for Minnesota, who smashed Houston, 34-7. The Vikings remained undefeated and Sam Darnold threw for four TDs. Darnold has thrown for multiple TDs in all three games this season.

• Justin Jefferson caught a TD pass for the third straight game to open the season and continues to make a case for the title of the best WR in the league. He is matchup-proof.

• Despite failing to eclipse 100 receiving yards for the first time this season, Nico Collins still commanded double-digit targets and should remain an every-week starter no matter the matchup.

Broncos @ Buccaneers

• For the third straight week, Bucky Irving out-rushed Rachaad White. On the season he is averaging 6.2 yards per rush, compared to 2.1 for White. If Irving is available on waivers, he’s a priority add, or someone I’d be targeting to acquire via trade.

• For the first time all season, Bo Nix and the Broncos’ offense looked competent, outplaying the previously undefeated Buccaneers in nearly every facet of the game.  

• Chris Godwin appears to have overtaken Mike Evans as the WR1, as he has outproduced Evans in every game this season. Through three games Evans has 120 yards on 10 catches, whereas Godwin has produced 253 yards on 21 grabs. 

Packers @ Titans

• For the third game in a row, Titans QB Will Levis committed multiple turnovers en route to a 30-14 win for the Packers. 

• Malik Willis started for an injured Jordan Love for the second straight week and head coach Matt LaFleur once again had a solid game plan to play to his QB/team’s strengths. Not much to take away here as Willis only attempted 33 pass attempts in his two starts, but Jordan Love has a strong possibility to play in Week 4 as the Packers host the red-hot Vikings.

Bears @ Colts

• Caleb Williams attempted 52 (!!) passes in a game where the Bears weren’t able to generate anything in the ground game, averaged just 2.25 yards per carry. Williams’ 363 passing yards was just shy of 100 more than he produced in his first two starts combined. 

• A situation to monitor may be the Chicago backfield, which saw Roschon Johnson lead the backfield in both rushing yards and receiving yards. He’s an interesting speculative add to teams needing RB depth. 

• Rome Odunze saw an increased opportunity with Keenan Allen missing the contest, and he produced a 6-112-1 line on a team-leading 11 targets. 

• Jonathan Taylor finally got going for the Colts, producing 110 yards and two TDs in a game the Colts led throughout. 

• Josh Downs made his season debut after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the preseason and led the team in targets. 

Chargers @ Steelers

• J.K. Dobbins finally saw his role expand, out-touching Gus Edwards 18-3. He continues to be the preferred back to own for the Chargers. 

• Justin Herbert entered the contest with an ankle injury and was forced out of the game in the second half after aggravating the issue. It’s a situation to monitor, as backups Taylor Heineke and Easton Stick don’t strike fear into any opposing defense. 

• The Pittsburgh defense has looked absolutely stout and hasn’t allowed more than 10 points in any game yet this season. They appear to be a matchup to avoid with your offensive players. 

Dolphins @ Seahawks

• Miami’s offense looked lost without Tua Tagovailoa, producing only 205 yards of total offense and allowing six sacks in a game that was basically never in question. Replacement QB Skylar Thompson was injured in this game as well, and new free-agent addition Tyler Huntley may be thrust into the starting role in Week 5. You still can’t really bench Tyreek Hill or De’Von Achane – but Waddle is now very matchup-dependent and everyone else is unstartable.

• Zach Charbonnet thrived in his bell cow role, turning his 21 touches into 107 total yards and two touchdowns.

• DK Metcalf turned in a game with over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown for the second consecutive week.

• Tyler Lockett outproduced Jaxon Smith-Njigba this week. Through three games, the two have alternated who has the better game each week.

Panthers @ Raiders

• What a difference a week makes! After looking like the worst offense in the league in Weeks 1 and 2, the Panthers looked exponentially better in all aspects with Andy Dalton at the helm.

• Adam Thielen left the game with an injury after his second-quarter TD reception and did not return. Jonathan Mingo and Xavier Legette both played the majority of snaps once Thielen departed.

• Diontae Johnson and Chuba Hubbard had huge games now that the offense is functional. Both are solid weekly options going forward.

• Zamir White started and played most of the snaps early before game script took him out of it. Alexander Mattison apparently has the goal-line work and Mattison and Ameer Abdullah are used in passing situations over White. Going to be really hard to start White in any matchup going forward after laying a dud like that in what appeared to be the “nuts” matchup.

• Tre Tucker had a big game with a long catch in the first half, a TD in the second half, and a few catches in between. He’s an explosive player who we haven’t seen the last good game from.

• Gardner Minshew turned back into a pumpkin after his big comeback win over the Ravens in Week 2. The Raiders’ pass catchers will be inconsistent as they deal with ups and downs in QB play.

49ers @ Rams

• Jauan Jennings. Wow. Obviously he is a guy you look to start weekly while the 49ers deal with all these injuries. Perhaps the bigger takeaway is the Rams’ pass defense. They’ve now given up monster games to Jameson Williams, Marvin Harrison, Jr., and Jennings through three weeks. Next week they get the Bears, so expect 10-220-3 from DJ Moore or Rome Odunze.

• Kyren Williams was the workhorse for the Rams and scored all three of their TDs in their upset win over San Francisco. Moral of the story is, don’t ever bench this guy.

• Tight end Colby Parkinson played every snap and is a tight-end streaming option weekly.

• Tutu Atwell and Demarcus Robinson played the most snaps, with Jordan Whittington and Tyler Johnson effectively splitting work. Atwell led the team in receiving and had some good games last year when Kupp was out early. He may be worth a look if you need receiver help, but next week against the Bears is a tough matchup on paper.

Lions @ Cardinals

• The Lions’ running backs (Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery) were the stars of the show, combining for 43 touches while Jared Goff threw only 23 passes. Both had very good games and are weekly starters, not that you needed me to tell you that.

• Sam LaPorta was carted away in the first half with an ankle injury but later returned. He was in and out of the lineup during the second half, so you’ll want to monitor his practice reports heading into Week 4.

• Jameson Williams came back down to earth as the Lions focused on their running game.

• Trey McBride took a nasty hit late in the game and appeared to suffer a concussion. Pay attention to his practice status over the next week.

• James Conner had a down game against the Lions’ stout run defense, but he will have better days ahead. We should have had a pretty good idea that this could happen. Don’t panic.

Ravens @ Cowboys

• Derrick Henry got on track with his biggest game as a Raven. The Cowboys have given up monster games to opposing running backs in consecutive weeks and now face Devin Singletary on Thursday night.

• Lamar Jackson threw only 15 passes in a game the Ravens dominated until a late rally by Dallas. Hard to take much away from this one for Lamar or his pass catchers, except…..

• Mark Andrews played only 21 of 63 snaps and was targeted only one time. It feels like there has to be an injury or something we aren’t hearing about, otherwise this usage makes no sense. Maybe his leg didn’t heal properly after last year’s fracture?

• Jake Ferguson returned to the lineup after missing a game with a sprained MCL. He posted six receptions for 95 yards and is a locked-in starter weekly going forward.

Chiefs @ Falcons

• Rashee Rice is an every-week starter, in case you had any doubts.

• The Chiefs used both Samaje Perine and Carson Steele in this game, relatively evenly. As expected, Steele was used in short yardage and Perine played on third downs. Assuming these two maintain these roles, Steele will probably have a couple big games when the Chiefs win big while Perine will have a couple big games when the Chiefs fall behind or get into shootouts.

• In the wake of Isiah Pacheco’s injury, the Chiefs threw the ball at an elevated rate from their first two weeks. Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy should have some solid games coming, assuming that continues.

• Bijan Robinson dominated the running back work. Don’t bother trying to find a reason to start Tyler Allgeier.

• Darnell Mooney is a very real part of the Falcons passing attack and had eight receptions in this game.

• Kirk Cousins really struggles to move in the pocket against teams that can create pressure. Something to remember for streaming defenses moving forward.

Join us Tuesday for Week 4 Waiver Targets!