Week 1 gave us a first look at how players' production lined up with their preseason ADPs. Week 2 helped us understand if Week 1 was a fluke. Week 3 is helping to solidify our thinking -- for better or for worse.
As always, let's walk through the most notable fantasy impact for each Sunday team, with a focus (where relevant) on the "pressure-point" fantasy players I highlighted on Saturday:
Jaguars -- Saturday: Brian Thomas Jr. should rebound. Sunday: A late reception improved his stat line from "awful" to "disappointing." Not good, though it's at least somewhat encouraging that he and Trevor Lawrence connected on the game-winning drive when it mattered most.
Texans -- Saturday: "How safe is Nick Chubb's standing atop the depth chart?" Sunday: In a high-powered offense, it might be fairly safe. But with rookie Woody Marks playing capably, Chubb might be one "off" game away from losing his 1A status.
Panthers -- Saturday: "Is Chuba Hubbard one of the biggest sell-high starting RBs, or am I once again overlooking the seemingly obvious -- that his floor is huge as one of Carolina's main offensive focal points?" Sunday: Although Hubbard once again comfortably led the backfield, Rico Dowdle's role continues to grow.
Falcons -- An inexplicably ugly loss. Michael Penix has thrown only one TD pass on 100+ throws this year. Kirk Cousins suddenly is a must-add in Superflex.
Commanders -- "As discussed on the podcast last week, Terry McLaurin entered this season overvalued because of his 13 touchdowns in 2024. Not easily replicable, and in a relatively low-volume passing attack and the offseason addition of Deebo Samuel, we can understand why McLaurin's getting squeezed." Sunday: He exited in the second half, spoiling would could have been a productive fantasy day. Probably more notably, Jacory Croskey-Merritt didn't get his first carry until the second quarter. Even without Austin Ekeler, he's not the 1A.
Raiders -- The ascending Tre Tucker? He flashed as a rookie in 2023 (3-59-2 receiving line in Week 15) and in Week 3 last year (7-96-1). But yesterday's outburst signals something different, as Vegas simply doesn't have any other reliable receivers beyond Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers.
Buccaneers -- Saturday: "We're on the verge of one of the most unusual spectacles in the NFL: a wide-open WR depth chart." Sunday: Despite a report that he'd be "potentially limited," Emeka Egbuka led the receiving corps. Chris Godwin's impending return -- not to mention Sterling Shepard's out-of-nowhere 4-80 stat line -- could keep this depth chart in flux . . . unless Mike Evans' hamstring injury means a multi-week absence.
Jets -- Saturday: "How much can fantasy managers trust Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson?" Sunday: Down 23-6 in the fourth quarter, Tyrod Taylor finally stepped up and fed Wilson. But Hall struggled for much of the day (despite tacking on semi-adequate PPR production), while Braelon Allen looked terrific.
Eagles -- Saturday: "The gap between how managers value AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith is huge. If you drafted one or both, you're probably banking on (or at least seriously hoping for) sharp rebounds. If you didn't draft them, you might view them as risky acquisitions. This week will either cement or adjust this thinking." Sunday: Trailing 26-7 at home, Philly finally was able to open up its air attack -- a reminder that it's hard to count out Brown and Smith for very long.
Rams -- Saturday: "Still tracking Kyren Williams and if / how much Blake Corum is involved." Sunday: Williams looked fantastic. So did Corum with a modest-yet-meaningful workload.
Patriots -- Saturday: "TreVeyon Henderson versus Rhamondre Stevenson. Maybe a hot-hand backfield. Maybe Stevenson is the 1A. Maybe Henderson's imminent ascension is inevitable." Sunday: My podcast today walked through this in more detail. Essentially, Stevenson has now lost six fumbles in his last 19 games. Whether starting in Week 4 or Week 5 or some other time in the near future, it's effectively Henderson's job to lose.
Steelers -- Saturday: "Aaron Rodgers looked fantastic in Week 1, and then looked old in Week 2. Who will show up tomorrow?" Sunday: He's now on pace for less than 3,300 passing yards, and that assumes he plays every game. Tough to feed more than one receiver. Yesterday he barely fed two.
Vikings -- My Sunday podcast focused on Carson Wentz and what could be a turning point for his career. He has the surrounding talent to be effective in fantasy and (possibly) keep the starting job even when J.J. McCarthy is healthy. Yes, a longshot. But if Minnesota moves the ball well against Pittsburgh next weekend, the buzz will grow louder.
Bengals -- Saturday: "How much will Jake Browning's presence impact Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown?" Sunday: A complete disaster. Also, it's not time to panic. But if you're desperate for wins now, this might be the right time to sell high, as their next four games are @Denver, Detroit, @Green Bay, and Pittsburgh.
Titans -- Saturday: "Calvin Ridley's one dominant fantasy season was in 2020. He'll turn 31 in December. It's fair to wonder if he's still the alpha, or if it's only a matter of time before rookie fourth-rounder Elic Ayomanor becomes the #1." Sunday: Maybe I should move past "wondering" and simply call it what it is: Ridley looks droppable.
Colts -- Saturday: "Can fantasy QB2 Daniel Jones even come close to sustaining these numbers?" Sunday: An overly positive game script kept Jones in check. It's also interesting that he's averaging only 5.7 rushing attempts per game -- his lowest output since 2021 -- as well as a career-low 3.2 yards per carry. Despite the three rushing scores, he's not the same dual-threat QB he once was.
Browns -- Saturday: "All eyes should be on Quinshon Judkins and whether the second-round rookie becomes a weekly must-start RB." Sunday: He's the real deal. All that remains is securing more targets to keep his floor on par with other must-start running backs.
Packers -- Saturday: "Jordan Love is accustomed to decimated wideout corps. The question is who will step up as his #1: Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, or underperforming rookie Matthew Golden." Sunday: Golden finally stepped up, or at least he pitched in and led Green Bay with 52 receiving yards. It's a step in the right direction.
Seahawks -- Kenneth Walker gave most fantasy managers what they needed for a second consecutive week, even though it didn't look pretty. There's still an opening to buy low on Zach Charbonnet.
Saints -- Saturday: "Alvin Kamara's averaging his most yards per carry (4.5) since 2020. Sell high, or is he as safe as any 30-year-old starting RB can be?" Sunday: Hard to know given the lopsided loss, but Kamara's enduring a career-low 3.3 targets per contest. He entered this season averaging 6.3.
Chargers -- Saturday: "How much will Najee Harris cut into Omarion Hampton's ceiling? Or after tomorrow, will we be asking how much Hampton will cut into Harris's ceiling?" Sunday: Neither due to Harris's injury. Regardless of its severity, Hampton played like a valued bell cow.
Broncos -- Saturday: "Troy Frankin posted monster numbers across two collegiate seasons with Bo Nix at QB. Franklin's Week 2 output looked like more of the same. Is he primed to become Nix's top weekly target?" Sunday: Wow. It was all Courtland Sutton through the air. Franklin returns to the "stream-and-hope" group.
49ers -- From a fantasy perspective, my preseason warnings about Christian McCaffrey look ridiculous. He's dominating. Full stop. But from a rest-of-season perspective, he's on pace for 436 touches and is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry. The yellow flags remain, even if (or maybe "because") he remains the offensive centerpiece.
Cardinals -- Saturday: "James Conner versus Trey Benson, part 3." Sunday: The latest report as of just past midnight is that Conner's injury is a season-ender. The Benson Era has begun.
Bears -- Saturday: "Is Rome Odunze all-but-officially Chicago's #1 WR?" Sunday: While every key WR got going, Odunze led the team with seven targets.
Cowboys -- Saturday: "Dak Prescott was good enough last Sunday, yet still seemed to underwhelm. Can this passing attack return to greatness?" Sunday: Not if CeeDee Lamb's injury is serious, though early reports suggest he might be fine for Week 4.
Giants -- Saturday: "Tyrone Tracy versus Cam Skattebo." Sunday: Tracy left early with a shoulder injury and Skattebo dominated. The rookie already had begun out-snapping his backfield counterpart, so his ascension seems secure whether or not Tracy is healthy enough for Week 4.
Chiefs -- Saturday: "Once again, many eyes should be on Isiah Pacheco." Sunday: He played better (10 carries for 45 yards and one catch), but not well enough to reassure fantasy managers . . . and not nearly well enough considering Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Javonte Williams looked fantastic versus the same opponent. Pacheco's stock remains incredibly low for all the reasons I've been sharing for more than a year.
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