For the first time in awhile, injuries didn't seriously mar a Sunday in the NFL. But of course, that doesn't mean there weren't any. So let’s jump right in with each Sunday team's most notable fantasy impact.
Falcons vs. Bears -- Russell Gage's concussion probably burned a few fantasy managers early. Keeping tabs on him and Julio Jones heading in to Week 4. And Tarik Cohen's injury gives David Montgomery a significant boost. Montgomery caught 71 balls in 37 college games, which is pretty good for college, and he should inherit a larger chunk of the Bears' passing attack. Patience to those who drafted him. He'll be fine. Oh, and I have to mention Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles. Been saying for three years the Bears should've never burned two draft picks to trade up one spot to draft Mitch. He's flashed, but he's not a franchise QB. Neither is Foles, so we'll see if Nick can keep the job.
Bills vs. Rams -- The most exciting Bills-Rams game ever? Devin Singletary came through big, giving him at least a slight cushion over Zack Moss whenever the rookie returns. And Darrell Henderson seems to be running away with L.A.'s RB job.
Browns vs. Washington -- Not much notable for Cleveland, in that things played out essentially as expected. Interesting that OBJ (4/59) made good on his warning last week that his numbers would be down this year. As for Washington, is Dontrelle Inman now the #2 receiver? 16 targets through three games.
Vikings vs. Titans -- Hyped Justin Jefferson here and on Twitter over the summer. WIth Stefon Diggs gone and only Bisi Johnson to leapfrog, it was only a matter of time before Jefferson hit the top 30 (his preseason ADP was an incredibly shortsighted WR-59). And Jonnu Smith led Tennessee in targets. He's reached a point where he doesn't need to score to be a TE1.
Patriots vs. Raiders -- Rex Burkhead had seven of the Pats' 17 receptions in one of the strangest offensive performances we'll ever see from an historically part-time player. When James White returns, Burkhead will go back to his five-touch role. And Derek Carr really is getting it done, and is on pace for 4,181/32/0. He'll probably end up around 4,000/30/12, which would still be franchise-QB quality.
Giants vs. 49ers -- This game probably shouldn't have been played. Kind of embarrassing. Dion Lewis had only two touches, and game script didn't allow for much volume elsewhere. Devonta Freeman is poised to be the 1A by default. I still doubt he'll be a top-24 RB. And Jerick McKinnon was merely adequate. On the other hand, rookie Brandon Aiyuk was superb and appears to be set as a top-3 or top-4 (when everyone's healthy) offensive option.
Eagles vs. Bengals -- Greg Ward won the last-man-standing award, with DeSean Jackson hurting his hamstring and only wideouts John Hightower and Deontay Burnett to compete with (along with Philly's full complement of TEs and RBs). Ward will be an interesting flyer if he's starting next week. And I whiffed on A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd, believing the former would come up big and the latter would fall flat. The 25-year-old Boyd is playing like a #1.
Steelers vs. Texans -- Benny Snell now appears to be an ex-handcuff, as the promising Anthony McFarland emerged with a solid outing. And Will Fuller got through a full game in one piece.
Colts vs. Jets -- T.Y. Hilton had only three targets. As I wrote earlier, this is what we're getting with a post-prime Philip Rivers in a run-friendly offense. As for the Jets, when Kalen Ballage is a team's top receiver for much of the game, that team's in trouble. Let the rebuilding re-commence.
Chargers vs. Panthers -- Keenan Allen finally had a Keenan Allen-like day. And Mike Davis played like the top waiver add he was.
Broncos vs. Buccaneers -- The Brett Rypien Era has begun. Maybe. Denver can't wait for 2021. And Ronald Jones wiped some smiles off Leonard Fournette's managers. A tough backfield to predict from week to week.
Cardinals vs. Lions -- Could Andy Isabella be Arizona's #2 receiver? It's not far-fetched given Larry Fitzgerald's decline and Christian Kirk's slow/injured start. As for Detroit, my tough decision to drop Kerryon Johnson last week apparently made sense after all, as this is now Adrian Peterson's backfield. Crazy.
Seahawks vs. Cowboys -- Some of you gave me flack last week for not including Russell Wilson in my "could be the #1 fantasy QB" list. Mea culpa. I left him out thinking this would still be a run-friendly offense. It's not. Wilson is on pace for 421 completed passes, which would smash his previous season high of 353. Oh, and Chris Carson's injury could make Carlos Hyde a major waiver add. Meanwhile, Dak Prescott's on pace for 512 completions. His previous high was last year's 388. So yeah, I'm loving Dak as a potential 400-point fantasy QB.
Saints vs. Packers -- Alvin Kamara. What can be said? Also, Jared Cook’s injury is something to monitor, though only marginally. And I swapped out Marques Valdes-Scantling at the last minute because of Marshon Lattimore. Aaron Rodgers went with the lesser-covered receiver, and that was Allen Lazard. Don't rush to pick up Lazard. This was situational.