Let's hop right into yesterday's fantasy implications. Ah, but first, if you have a final-score prediction for tonight's game, share it below. I'm picking Chiefs over Raiders 36-22.
Packers vs. Giants -- I flubbed this prediction, believing Saquon Barkley would be held in check, while Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon would get their points. For Green Bay, I actually wouldn't put a lot of stock in Randall Cobb's bust-out 7-99 performance on 13 targets. Maybe he and Aaron Rodges ate fish-'n'-chips together before the game. Who knows. But the 32-year-old Cobb--one of the league's older receivers--isn't suddenly a hot waiver commodity. And for New York, the team was finally desperate enough to play Darius Slayton, and he didn't disappoint. If the Giants' "normal" starters remain sidelined, Slayton has the experience and skill to be Daniel Jones's short-term #1 receiver.
Bills vs. Steelers -- This played out as expected, with Gabe Davis reminding everyone he's Gabe Davis. Keep close tabs on rookie WR Khalil Shakir. His performance wasn't a fluke, and his future production hinges on Isaiah McKenzie's health. For Pittsburgh, I'd like to say buy low on Najee Harris, but his next seven weeks will be brutal. I wonder if he'll crack 12 fantasy points in any game before December. Jaylen Warren remains a must-roster RB.
Browns vs. Chargers -- Few TEs have had a better three-game stretch in the past 12 months than David Njoku. Simply phenomenal, and there's no sign he'll suddenly revert to the background. For L.A., any questions about Joshua Kelley's role are now answered. He's one of fantasy's most valuable handcuffs.
Vikings vs. Bears -- Candidly, while some were pushing managers to trade away Dalvin Cook, I was pushing managers to buy low. He's too important to this offense to average one TD per four games. Chicago was a get-right opponent. Meanwhile, I got David Montgomery wrong, urging managers to fade him. Thought a negative game script and Khaili Herbert would cap his ceiling. The opposite happened. But . . . he's run poorly in three of four games. Two of the next three games will be on the road against the Patriots and Cowboys. I remain nervous about what he can achieve this season in such a challenging offense.
Patriots vs. Lions -- Thought Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson would run over the Lions. Instead, Harris exited early, and Stevenson did all the rest. If Harris misses time, Stevenson would be a borderline top-12 RB. And not much to take away from Detroit. They're getting healthy, and Amon-Ra St. Brown didn't suffer a setback.
Saints vs. Seahawks -- Taysom Hill had a game for the ages, somehow overshadowing an otherwise dominant Alvin Kamara. I've completely whiffed on Hill this season, believing that he's more of a gadget player than a reliable volume play. But nine carries for 112 yards and three scores? I'm speechless. Oh, and Chris Olave (concussion) further erodes this receiving corps, which could look a lot like lats year's in Week 6. And I was wrong about Geno Smith, believing New Orleans' defense would contain him. Hats off to those who believe in Geno. I should have. And Rashaad Penny appears to be out for the season, making Kenneth Walker one of the biggest waiver/trade names heading into next weekend. And don't forget about potential new handcuff DeeJay Dallas.
Jets vs. Dolphins -- I'll keep this simple. First, Breece Hall is simply crushing it. Second, a Tyreek Hill foot injury overshadowed Teddy Bridgewater's early exit (concussion). If Hill's injury keeps him out next week, Cedrick Wilson could be a fascinating streamer against the Vikings, particularly if Tua Tagovailoa returns.
Buccaneers vs. Falcons -- Not the dominant Tampa Bay effort I expected. It started that way, but then Atlanta slowly chipped away, just like they did in Week 2 against the Rams. For the Bucs, Cade Otton is now officially/unofficially their #1 TE, which carries some fantasy weight. And Tyler Allgeier split carries with Caleb Huntley, 13-8. Neither was targeted in the passing game. For Allgeier to be fantasy-relevant, he'll need receptions, or he'll need a larger share of the backfield workload, especially with Marcus Mariota running, too.
Commanders vs. Titans -- Will Carson Wentz keep his job? It would have massive fantasy implications if Sam Howell takes over. Oh, and a heroic return for Brian Robinson, who earned more touches than Antonio Gibson, which speaks volumes. And despite a career-low 4.0 YPC, Derrick Henry's volume (30 more touches) suggests the Titans will run him into the ground if needed.
Jaguars vs. Texans -- How did Houston win this one? Two horrendous games in a row for Trevor Lawrence. And just went I thought he was ready to enter the top-16 fray. And take note: Nico Collins has outperformed Brandin Cooks in three of their last four games.
Panthers vs. 49ers -- For the 50th time, Baker Mayfield should have never started this many games. He was in a walking boot afterward. Don't be surprised if he doesn't start another game all season. This offense is a mess, and I'd advise selling high on Christian McCaffrey. And Jeff Wilson is doing everything possible to keep the starting job even when Elijah Mitchell returns.
Rams vs. Cowboys -- The Rams are eight players away from making another title run. Seriously, what a mess. From the backfield to Allen Robinson to Matthew Stafford, this team is in rough shape. If you have Cam Akers, what can you do? Certainly not sell low. All you can do is wait it out and hope the team rights the ship. Oh, and Dalton Schultz got hurt for Dallas, so that's certainly noteworthy, and don't sell too low on him either. Dak Prescott will be back eventually.
Cardinals vs. Eagles -- A James Conner rib injury and Darrel Williams knee injury could open the door for Eno Benjamin next weekend. It's interesting, because Conner actually looked terrific in this one. And A.J. Brown caught threee passes early, and then took a backseat. Don't overthink it. Jalen Hurts has three big-time WRs and a talented TE. Most weeks, at least two will be fed. It just wasn't Brown's turn.
Ravens vs. Bengals -- Devin Duvernay earned as many touches (eight) as Mark Andrews and J.K. Dobbins. If Rashod Bateman continues to sit, Duvernay clearly has earned his team's trust as a temporary #1 WR. And Tee Higgins' early departure was a crushing blow to fantasy managers. If he's absent next week against New Orleans, Tyler Boyd surely would be on deep-league streaming radars, and my favorite preseason TE underdog, Hayden Hurst, would be in top-8 conversations.
Packers vs. Giants -- I flubbed this prediction, believing Saquon Barkley would be held in check, while Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon would get their points. For Green Bay, I actually wouldn't put a lot of stock in Randall Cobb's bust-out 7-99 performance on 13 targets. Maybe he and Aaron Rodges ate fish-'n'-chips together before the game. Who knows. But the 32-year-old Cobb--one of the league's older receivers--isn't suddenly a hot waiver commodity. And for New York, the team was finally desperate enough to play Darius Slayton, and he didn't disappoint. If the Giants' "normal" starters remain sidelined, Slayton has the experience and skill to be Daniel Jones's short-term #1 receiver.
Bills vs. Steelers -- This played out as expected, with Gabe Davis reminding everyone he's Gabe Davis. Keep close tabs on rookie WR Khalil Shakir. His performance wasn't a fluke, and his future production hinges on Isaiah McKenzie's health. For Pittsburgh, I'd like to say buy low on Najee Harris, but his next seven weeks will be brutal. I wonder if he'll crack 12 fantasy points in any game before December. Jaylen Warren remains a must-roster RB.
Browns vs. Chargers -- Few TEs have had a better three-game stretch in the past 12 months than David Njoku. Simply phenomenal, and there's no sign he'll suddenly revert to the background. For L.A., any questions about Joshua Kelley's role are now answered. He's one of fantasy's most valuable handcuffs.
Vikings vs. Bears -- Candidly, while some were pushing managers to trade away Dalvin Cook, I was pushing managers to buy low. He's too important to this offense to average one TD per four games. Chicago was a get-right opponent. Meanwhile, I got David Montgomery wrong, urging managers to fade him. Thought a negative game script and Khaili Herbert would cap his ceiling. The opposite happened. But . . . he's run poorly in three of four games. Two of the next three games will be on the road against the Patriots and Cowboys. I remain nervous about what he can achieve this season in such a challenging offense.
Patriots vs. Lions -- Thought Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson would run over the Lions. Instead, Harris exited early, and Stevenson did all the rest. If Harris misses time, Stevenson would be a borderline top-12 RB. And not much to take away from Detroit. They're getting healthy, and Amon-Ra St. Brown didn't suffer a setback.
Saints vs. Seahawks -- Taysom Hill had a game for the ages, somehow overshadowing an otherwise dominant Alvin Kamara. I've completely whiffed on Hill this season, believing that he's more of a gadget player than a reliable volume play. But nine carries for 112 yards and three scores? I'm speechless. Oh, and Chris Olave (concussion) further erodes this receiving corps, which could look a lot like lats year's in Week 6. And I was wrong about Geno Smith, believing New Orleans' defense would contain him. Hats off to those who believe in Geno. I should have. And Rashaad Penny appears to be out for the season, making Kenneth Walker one of the biggest waiver/trade names heading into next weekend. And don't forget about potential new handcuff DeeJay Dallas.
Jets vs. Dolphins -- I'll keep this simple. First, Breece Hall is simply crushing it. Second, a Tyreek Hill foot injury overshadowed Teddy Bridgewater's early exit (concussion). If Hill's injury keeps him out next week, Cedrick Wilson could be a fascinating streamer against the Vikings, particularly if Tua Tagovailoa returns.
Buccaneers vs. Falcons -- Not the dominant Tampa Bay effort I expected. It started that way, but then Atlanta slowly chipped away, just like they did in Week 2 against the Rams. For the Bucs, Cade Otton is now officially/unofficially their #1 TE, which carries some fantasy weight. And Tyler Allgeier split carries with Caleb Huntley, 13-8. Neither was targeted in the passing game. For Allgeier to be fantasy-relevant, he'll need receptions, or he'll need a larger share of the backfield workload, especially with Marcus Mariota running, too.
Commanders vs. Titans -- Will Carson Wentz keep his job? It would have massive fantasy implications if Sam Howell takes over. Oh, and a heroic return for Brian Robinson, who earned more touches than Antonio Gibson, which speaks volumes. And despite a career-low 4.0 YPC, Derrick Henry's volume (30 more touches) suggests the Titans will run him into the ground if needed.
Jaguars vs. Texans -- How did Houston win this one? Two horrendous games in a row for Trevor Lawrence. And just went I thought he was ready to enter the top-16 fray. And take note: Nico Collins has outperformed Brandin Cooks in three of their last four games.
Panthers vs. 49ers -- For the 50th time, Baker Mayfield should have never started this many games. He was in a walking boot afterward. Don't be surprised if he doesn't start another game all season. This offense is a mess, and I'd advise selling high on Christian McCaffrey. And Jeff Wilson is doing everything possible to keep the starting job even when Elijah Mitchell returns.
Rams vs. Cowboys -- The Rams are eight players away from making another title run. Seriously, what a mess. From the backfield to Allen Robinson to Matthew Stafford, this team is in rough shape. If you have Cam Akers, what can you do? Certainly not sell low. All you can do is wait it out and hope the team rights the ship. Oh, and Dalton Schultz got hurt for Dallas, so that's certainly noteworthy, and don't sell too low on him either. Dak Prescott will be back eventually.
Cardinals vs. Eagles -- A James Conner rib injury and Darrel Williams knee injury could open the door for Eno Benjamin next weekend. It's interesting, because Conner actually looked terrific in this one. And A.J. Brown caught threee passes early, and then took a backseat. Don't overthink it. Jalen Hurts has three big-time WRs and a talented TE. Most weeks, at least two will be fed. It just wasn't Brown's turn.
Ravens vs. Bengals -- Devin Duvernay earned as many touches (eight) as Mark Andrews and J.K. Dobbins. If Rashod Bateman continues to sit, Duvernay clearly has earned his team's trust as a temporary #1 WR. And Tee Higgins' early departure was a crushing blow to fantasy managers. If he's absent next week against New Orleans, Tyler Boyd surely would be on deep-league streaming radars, and my favorite preseason TE underdog, Hayden Hurst, would be in top-8 conversations.