Another thrilling day of American football. My Saturday bargains/busts finished in the plus-column after two relatively down weeks, while my mostly pedestrian 50/50 lineup hit -- thanks to a last-minute switch to player-of-the-week Calvin Ridley. Now let's make a little sense of Week 3 with the Monday morning team-by-team rundown, highlighting the biggest fantasy impact for each team:
Saints -- Drew Brees doubled his season TD total, tacking on five more in a highly entertaining win. I questioned his mid-range QB projections this summer, and so far am clearly wrong. Keep an eye on Weeks 6-9, when he'll be on a bye before facing the Ravens, Vikings, and Rams.
Falcons -- I thought Calvin Ridley would be a nice streamer this week. Instead, he tied Brees for most fantasy points of the week (40.5). A legit talent who's still adjusting to the league, Ridley should get a lot more looks in reality and in fantasy, particularly when opposing cornerbacks are locking down on Julio Jones.
49ers -- Jimmy Garoppolo was carted off late in this one, and there's concern he's done for the year. A guy I continually warned against drafting all summer, Jimmy G. entered Week 3 as the 25th highest scoring QB and played well enough against the Chiefs' league-worst pass defense to climb to #20 heading into Week 4. If he's indeed done, he'll be a top 16-18 QB next summer barring an improved receiving corps. Marquise Goodwin, George Kittle, and Matt Breida would take the biggest hits on what would be a bottom-5 offense with C.J. Beathard at the helm.
Chiefs -- Patrick Mahomes was brilliant as expected. The bigger story is Kareem Hunt's oddly good fantasy day in which he averaged 2.4 yards per carry. After catching 53 balls last year, he's caught only one through three games. There are few greater sell-high RBs out there.
Raiders -- Jordy Nelson showed he's not done yet, unlike most of his teammates, as this 0-3 team will be 1-5 or 0-6 before a bye week that can't come soon enough. While Jordy isn't much better than a deep streamer most weeks, if this offense can turn things around, he'll be the WR3/4 I thought he'd be this summer.
Dolphins -- I could talk about Ryan Tannehill (anyone reading this blog over the summer shouldn't be surprised) or the do-it-all Albert Wilson. But the biggest story is Kenyan Drake, whose 10 yards on seven touches was nothing short of disastrous. Three of his next five games will be tough: @Bengals, Bears, and @Texans.
Bills -- Most of the remaining FF4W Survivor Pool participants got knocked out on this one (only five of us remain out of 129). What an absolutely bizarre outcome. Josh Allen is the big story here, posting clear-cut QB1 numbers in what should be his toughest game of the season -- and only his second NFL start. Allen immediately earns two-QB-league starter consideration and is a one-QB-league name to watch in favorable matchups.
Vikings -- Adam Thielen dominated. Hard to shut that guy down, even on a day when every other Viking was shut down.
Colts -- Andrew Luck was merely adequate. The 21st highest scoring fantasy QB entering Sunday, he remains nothing more than a situational streamer in most leagues.
Eagles -- Carson Wentz was the biggest fantasy storyline in Philly, getting his first game action since last December. Don't let the poor numbers fool you. He dealt with terrible weather and was without Alshon Jeffery, Jay Ajayi, and Darren Sproles. Wentz is a fantastic buy-low option given his massive upside, and your opponent might be willing to give him up at a low-end QB1 price.
Packers -- You get the sense Green Bay's season could go either way. But as long as Aaron Rodgers keeps trotting out there, they've got a shot at greatness. Fantasy-wise, Aaron Jones' return was the biggest fantasy story, as he ran better than Jamaal Williams and has better than 50/50 odds of leading this backfield this season.
Redskins -- Adrian Peterson proved me wrong for the second time in three weeks. He's on pace for 299 carries and remains a huge late-season risk. I'd once again sell high. Of course, there's a good chance he'll keep proving me wrong.
Bengals -- Two straight dominating performances for Tyler Boyd. Ever since Marvin Jones left, Cincinnati has been desperate for a high-upside #2 opposite A.J. Green. Is Boyd the guy? He's available in 76% of ESPN leagues, so it wouldn't take much to test fate.
Panthers -- I got plenty of flack this summer for naming Cam Newton (not universal #1 Aaron Rodgers) as the top fantasy QB. He'll enter the Week 4 bye as the fourth or fifth highest scorer. While the #1 or even #2 mantle might be a tough reach, even without Greg Olsen, he's no worse than a mid-range QB1.
Titans -- The worst 2-1 team in the NFL. Dion Lewis leads the Titans in fantasy scoring thru Week 3. Kicker Ryan Succop is a close second. Things don't get easier with the Eagles and Ravens coming to town two of the next three weeks. In fantasy news, Marcus Mariota played a lot, so I suppose that's a good thing.
Jaguars -- T.J. Yeldon easily outplayed Corey Grant, further cementing the former's role as one of the league's most valuable RB handcuffs, despite the relatively low volume.
Broncos -- Phillip Lindsay earned two fantasy points before getting ejected with two minutes left in the first half. More to the point, he had only four touches. This is why it's risky to overspend on split-time backs -- particularly when they're unproven commodities.
Ravens -- John Brown was exceptional again. Is it time for me to give him the credit he's due? Not quite, but getting there. I'm a bit too stubborn.
Giants -- A great road win on a day when the offense was clicking. The biggest fantasy story was Evan Engram's knee injury. If he misses time, Rhett Ellison will enter the top-20 TE conversation, while Sterling Shepard will get a slight bump due to increasing value.
Texans -- Another ugly loss for a team that entered the season with a lot of promise. Will Fuller is a legit WR3+ as long as Deshaun Watson remains on the field.
Chargers -- I kept ignoring Mike Williams until late this summer, and even then he was barely a WR4/5 on my draft board. His ascension -- along with Austin Ekeler's usage -- is wreaking havoc with Keenan Allen's WR1 potential.
Rams -- Yesterday it was Robert Woods' turn. But in fairness to a guy I dismissed this summer, he's averaged 10 targets a game and will remain the third or fourth offensive option in a very good offense.
Bears -- Another non-startable game for Mitch Trubisky. The bigger story is Allen Robinson's fantasy woes. He's on pace for a 91/768/0 season: mid-range WR3 territory. Some people remain very high on Trubisky. Perhaps he'll put it all together in 2019. But until he finds his groove, no receiver is safe.
Cardinals -- It's not farfetched to wonder whether yesterday was the final start of Sam Bradford's career. Josh Rosen could be under center starting Week 4. It probably won't resuscitate Larry Fitzgerald's season.
Cowboys -- If you're rostering a Dallas receiver, you're probably in an 18+ team league.
Seahawks -- On Saturday I warned readers not to give up on Chris Carson, this week's consensus 42nd ranked RB. He rewarded managers with a 34-touch RB1 performance. Yet given Seattle's sporadically brutal schedules (including the Vikings once and Rams twice), expect top 20-30 numbers the rest of the way, not top 15.
Patriots -- While I kept insisting this summer Sony Michel was worthless, here he is dominating New England's backfield touches for the second straight contest. However, he still has almost nothing to show for it as a TD-dependent RB with bad hands. The Pats' upcoming three-game home stand is his best chance to make some noise. I'm still not on board.
Lions -- Kerryon Johnson became the first Detroit player in 70 games to rush for 100 yards. As much as I like him long term, over the next couple weeks he could offer sell-high appeal: his future matchups include seven to eight games against some of the league's stingiest run defenses. Despite rising usage, he's still more of an RB3 than an RB2.
Saints -- Drew Brees doubled his season TD total, tacking on five more in a highly entertaining win. I questioned his mid-range QB projections this summer, and so far am clearly wrong. Keep an eye on Weeks 6-9, when he'll be on a bye before facing the Ravens, Vikings, and Rams.
Falcons -- I thought Calvin Ridley would be a nice streamer this week. Instead, he tied Brees for most fantasy points of the week (40.5). A legit talent who's still adjusting to the league, Ridley should get a lot more looks in reality and in fantasy, particularly when opposing cornerbacks are locking down on Julio Jones.
49ers -- Jimmy Garoppolo was carted off late in this one, and there's concern he's done for the year. A guy I continually warned against drafting all summer, Jimmy G. entered Week 3 as the 25th highest scoring QB and played well enough against the Chiefs' league-worst pass defense to climb to #20 heading into Week 4. If he's indeed done, he'll be a top 16-18 QB next summer barring an improved receiving corps. Marquise Goodwin, George Kittle, and Matt Breida would take the biggest hits on what would be a bottom-5 offense with C.J. Beathard at the helm.
Chiefs -- Patrick Mahomes was brilliant as expected. The bigger story is Kareem Hunt's oddly good fantasy day in which he averaged 2.4 yards per carry. After catching 53 balls last year, he's caught only one through three games. There are few greater sell-high RBs out there.
Raiders -- Jordy Nelson showed he's not done yet, unlike most of his teammates, as this 0-3 team will be 1-5 or 0-6 before a bye week that can't come soon enough. While Jordy isn't much better than a deep streamer most weeks, if this offense can turn things around, he'll be the WR3/4 I thought he'd be this summer.
Dolphins -- I could talk about Ryan Tannehill (anyone reading this blog over the summer shouldn't be surprised) or the do-it-all Albert Wilson. But the biggest story is Kenyan Drake, whose 10 yards on seven touches was nothing short of disastrous. Three of his next five games will be tough: @Bengals, Bears, and @Texans.
Bills -- Most of the remaining FF4W Survivor Pool participants got knocked out on this one (only five of us remain out of 129). What an absolutely bizarre outcome. Josh Allen is the big story here, posting clear-cut QB1 numbers in what should be his toughest game of the season -- and only his second NFL start. Allen immediately earns two-QB-league starter consideration and is a one-QB-league name to watch in favorable matchups.
Vikings -- Adam Thielen dominated. Hard to shut that guy down, even on a day when every other Viking was shut down.
Colts -- Andrew Luck was merely adequate. The 21st highest scoring fantasy QB entering Sunday, he remains nothing more than a situational streamer in most leagues.
Eagles -- Carson Wentz was the biggest fantasy storyline in Philly, getting his first game action since last December. Don't let the poor numbers fool you. He dealt with terrible weather and was without Alshon Jeffery, Jay Ajayi, and Darren Sproles. Wentz is a fantastic buy-low option given his massive upside, and your opponent might be willing to give him up at a low-end QB1 price.
Packers -- You get the sense Green Bay's season could go either way. But as long as Aaron Rodgers keeps trotting out there, they've got a shot at greatness. Fantasy-wise, Aaron Jones' return was the biggest fantasy story, as he ran better than Jamaal Williams and has better than 50/50 odds of leading this backfield this season.
Redskins -- Adrian Peterson proved me wrong for the second time in three weeks. He's on pace for 299 carries and remains a huge late-season risk. I'd once again sell high. Of course, there's a good chance he'll keep proving me wrong.
Bengals -- Two straight dominating performances for Tyler Boyd. Ever since Marvin Jones left, Cincinnati has been desperate for a high-upside #2 opposite A.J. Green. Is Boyd the guy? He's available in 76% of ESPN leagues, so it wouldn't take much to test fate.
Panthers -- I got plenty of flack this summer for naming Cam Newton (not universal #1 Aaron Rodgers) as the top fantasy QB. He'll enter the Week 4 bye as the fourth or fifth highest scorer. While the #1 or even #2 mantle might be a tough reach, even without Greg Olsen, he's no worse than a mid-range QB1.
Titans -- The worst 2-1 team in the NFL. Dion Lewis leads the Titans in fantasy scoring thru Week 3. Kicker Ryan Succop is a close second. Things don't get easier with the Eagles and Ravens coming to town two of the next three weeks. In fantasy news, Marcus Mariota played a lot, so I suppose that's a good thing.
Jaguars -- T.J. Yeldon easily outplayed Corey Grant, further cementing the former's role as one of the league's most valuable RB handcuffs, despite the relatively low volume.
Broncos -- Phillip Lindsay earned two fantasy points before getting ejected with two minutes left in the first half. More to the point, he had only four touches. This is why it's risky to overspend on split-time backs -- particularly when they're unproven commodities.
Ravens -- John Brown was exceptional again. Is it time for me to give him the credit he's due? Not quite, but getting there. I'm a bit too stubborn.
Giants -- A great road win on a day when the offense was clicking. The biggest fantasy story was Evan Engram's knee injury. If he misses time, Rhett Ellison will enter the top-20 TE conversation, while Sterling Shepard will get a slight bump due to increasing value.
Texans -- Another ugly loss for a team that entered the season with a lot of promise. Will Fuller is a legit WR3+ as long as Deshaun Watson remains on the field.
Chargers -- I kept ignoring Mike Williams until late this summer, and even then he was barely a WR4/5 on my draft board. His ascension -- along with Austin Ekeler's usage -- is wreaking havoc with Keenan Allen's WR1 potential.
Rams -- Yesterday it was Robert Woods' turn. But in fairness to a guy I dismissed this summer, he's averaged 10 targets a game and will remain the third or fourth offensive option in a very good offense.
Bears -- Another non-startable game for Mitch Trubisky. The bigger story is Allen Robinson's fantasy woes. He's on pace for a 91/768/0 season: mid-range WR3 territory. Some people remain very high on Trubisky. Perhaps he'll put it all together in 2019. But until he finds his groove, no receiver is safe.
Cardinals -- It's not farfetched to wonder whether yesterday was the final start of Sam Bradford's career. Josh Rosen could be under center starting Week 4. It probably won't resuscitate Larry Fitzgerald's season.
Cowboys -- If you're rostering a Dallas receiver, you're probably in an 18+ team league.
Seahawks -- On Saturday I warned readers not to give up on Chris Carson, this week's consensus 42nd ranked RB. He rewarded managers with a 34-touch RB1 performance. Yet given Seattle's sporadically brutal schedules (including the Vikings once and Rams twice), expect top 20-30 numbers the rest of the way, not top 15.
Patriots -- While I kept insisting this summer Sony Michel was worthless, here he is dominating New England's backfield touches for the second straight contest. However, he still has almost nothing to show for it as a TD-dependent RB with bad hands. The Pats' upcoming three-game home stand is his best chance to make some noise. I'm still not on board.
Lions -- Kerryon Johnson became the first Detroit player in 70 games to rush for 100 yards. As much as I like him long term, over the next couple weeks he could offer sell-high appeal: his future matchups include seven to eight games against some of the league's stingiest run defenses. Despite rising usage, he's still more of an RB3 than an RB2.