A lot of injuries, a lot of touchdowns, and a lot of resetting expectations ahead of Week 4. Here's a rundown of the biggest fantasy impact for each Sunday team.
Bills -- Saturday's post: "If DJ Moore and/or Keon Coleman play, we'll get a clearer sense of their rest-of-season values on a relatively crowded depth chart." Sunday: Moore had triple the receptions and more than triple the targets of every other WR/TE. At least for now, he's the clear-cut alpha.
Chargers -- Subscribers to my preseason rankings know that I ranked Tre' Harris 26 spots ahead of his WR78 ADP and 119 spots ahead of his overall-238 ADP. He needed to be drafted in every league.
Browns -- After looking overmatched against the Jaguars, DeShaun Watson has come alive against the Bucs and Panthers. If he can keep this up through Week 6's matchup against the Ravens, I'll become a believer. Until then, I'm hard-pressed to believe this is sustainable.
Panthers -- Saturday: "Can we start talking about Bryce Young as a weekly must-start QB? I don't think so, and yet, it's been a remarkable first two games." Sunday: Jalen Coker getting hurt didn't help. Tetairoa McMillan managed only a 2-17-0 line. So it's all the more remarkable that Young directed a passing attack led by Brycen Tremayne, John Metchie, and three tight ends: Darren Waller, Tommy Tremble, and Mitchell Evans. Grading on a curve, Young was solid and should be better at home against Detroit next week.
Lions -- Saturday: "How should managers value the struggling Jameson Williams?" Sunday: The 2026 version of feeding Williams wasn't fantasy-friendly -- only a step in the right direction. But Isaac TeSlaa looms a little larger than he did last year.
Jets -- Saturday: "Injuries to Adonai Mitchell and Mason Taylor might open the door for Isaiah Williams and/or Kenyon Sadiq to play their biggest roles yet." Sunday: Williams was quiet. Sadiq dominated. The highly touted rookie tight end has arrived. And Breece Hall's injury of course could turn Braelon Allen into a must-start RB.
Colts -- Saturday: "I traded away Josh Downs right after the latest Alec Pierce injury news. Was that a good move, or could Downs become this season's Michael Wilson?" Sunday: He led his team with 11 targets and 77 yards but finished behind Keenan Allen and Tyler Warren with "only" 12.7 fantasy points.
Texans -- Saturday: "As always, David Montgomery vs. Woody Marks. And as always, I don't see how Montgomery can meet/exceeded preseason expectations." Sunday: In fairness, there's only so much this team can do without their three top preseason wideouts (including the still-injured Tank Dell). And yet, I've been pushing this narrative since June both here and on the podcast: Montgomery was vastly overvalued. Full stop. He's now rushed 37 times for 103 yards (2.8 YPC). He gets Dallas and Tennessee next. If he can't muster starter-caliber efficiency in those contests, I think Houston will accept defeat and install Marks or someone else as the 1A.
Dolphins -- De'von Achane's exited early with a knee injury, and based on Sunday night reports, it could be bad. I drafted Jaylen Wright just for this possibility, and then traded him earlier this week. If Achane misses time, a healthy Wright and Ollie Gordon could cancel each other out in a sub-par offense. If Wright is inactive next week, we might finally see what Jarquez Hunter can do as a backup or 1B to Gordon.
Chiefs -- Saturday: "Kenneth Walker is on pace for 476 regular-season touches. If K.C. makes a Super Bowl run, a healthy Walker could break Terrell Davis's all-time record of 531." Sunday: 20 more touches in what was supposed to be an easy win, but instead was a one-score game deep into the fourth quarter. That kept Walker on the field, putting him on pace for a still-too-high 431 touches. Managers, though, aren't complaining, so neither should I.
Giants -- Najee Harris is officially the 1B behind Cam Skattebo. If the offense weren't such a huge question mark going forward, Harris would be a must-roster running back.
Titans -- Saturday: "Wan'Dale Robinson vs. the team that drafted him." Sunday: Cam Ward's second TD pass of the season went to Robinson, who had a game-high 11 targets compared to Carnell Tate's nine. Interestingly, Elic Ayomanor entered this contest with more fantasy points than Robinson and Tate. We'll see if this game marks a pivot away from Ayomanor and toward the two higher-priced receivers.
Steelers -- Jaylen Warren is playing his best football, and the injured Rico Dowdle -- who's rostered in 77.6% of ESPN leagues -- can't be viewed as anything more than an expendable handcuff.
Bengals -- Saturday: "Historically, Joe Burrow is a slow starter. When it comes to passer ratings, the worst month in his career is September (93.1 rating)." Sunday: Well, I guess October came early. Fantasy-wise, he's in midseason form.
Commanders -- Saturday: "Can Stefon Diggs, Terry McLaurin, and possibly Antonio Williams . . . thrive with Marcus Mariota under center?" Sunday: This time it was McLaurin's turn. Interestingly, he was the only receiver with double-digit fantasy points, despite Washington racking up 33 points. Not a great sign, though in fairness, Mariota punched above his weight against the defending champions.
Seahawks -- Saturday: "It's still Jadarian Price vs. Emanuel Wilson, with George Holani as (probably) the odd man out." Sunday: In early September, some subscribers asked me why I ranked Price nearly 41 spots below his overall-56 ADP. This is why, and Zach Charbonnet's eventual return will make things even tougher for the rookie.
Jaguars -- Saturday: "The fantasy buzz around Chris Rodriguez was huge this summer. Now it's Bhayshul Tuten's starting job to lose." Sunday: Up 22 points in the fourth quarter, Tuten had six carries -- including a score -- on the Jags' second-to-last drive. So while Rodriguez (8-37-1 rushing line) might be a popular waiver add on Wednesday, keep in mind that (a) it's still firmly Tuten's backfield, and (b) Rodriguez has only six catches since entering the league in 2023, giving him an incredibly low weekly floor.
Patriots -- Hard to imagine this is the same Drake Maye. The good news (if there is any) is that the next five games are against the Bills, Raiders, Jets, Bears, and Dolphins. In Superflex, this is a buy-low moment for Maye.
49ers -- Saturday: "When camp started in July, the top five WRs on San Francisco's depth chart were Mike Evans, Ricky Pearsall, Christian Kirk, De'Zhaun Stribling, and DeMarcus Robinson. If Evans (questionable) misses this one, it could be the first time (who knows, but still cool to think about) in NFL history that a team has had all of its top five preseason wideouts inactive by Week 3." Sunday: Evans was carted off with a rib injury. If he misses time, this once passing attack will be down to George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, and possibly all the work Christian McCaffrey can handle.
Cardinals -- Saturday: "Is Marvin Harrison Jr. droppable in 12-team leagues?" Sunday: Probably. Harrison has less than a third of the targets of both Michael Wilson and Trey McBride. At some point, the name and draft capital matter less than the usage.
Buccaneers -- Saturday: "Can Emeka Egbuka recapture his rookie campaign's early-season magic?" Sunday: A third consecutive low-double-digit performance was nice, and also an indication of how fast and far this offense has fallen. And with Baker Mayfield getting an MRI today on his dislocated thumb, the offense could get even worse.
Vikings -- Saturday: "In his last 13 games, Jordan Addison has averaged only 6.7 points. Kyler Murray's return could help get Addison back on track. If not, then some managers might have tough choices to make about a guy who was a top-24 WR in both 2023 and 2024." Sunday: After Justin Jefferson exited in the first quarter with an ankle injury, the barely adequate Kyler Murray lean almost entirely on Addison and Aaron Jones. If Jefferson is sidelined, Addison would be an obvious must-start WR. Otherwise, we'll see if Murray can feed more than one receiver.
Cowboys -- Saturday: "Is George Pickens the squeaky wheel?" Sunday: He led Dallas with 11 targets and had an overall solid outing . . . which could have been better given his goal-line looks.
Ravens -- This was reportedly supposed to be a more pass-friendly offense. Instead, Lamar Jackson is on pace for only 430 pass attempts, in what would be his lowest per-game pass total since 2020. This is largely why he can feed only one receiver.
Saints -- Saturday: "Should managers be concerned about Travis Etienne, or is he a great buy-low RB?" Sunday: Etienne left in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. On the next play, New Orleans pushed their lead to 27-16. The Raiders outscored them 19-0 the rest of the way. Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller would split work if Etienne is sidelined. I would trust Kamara over Miller.
Raiders -- Saturday: "Tre Tucker's Week 2 blow-up game: fluke, or a sign of things to come?" Sunday: The good news is that he led all non-Bowers in targets, catches, and yards. The bad news: it resulted in 8.3 points. There's still a path for Tucker to be a top-45 WR, if that matters.
Broncos -- One week after breaking out with 20+ points -- and two weeks after getting two yards on only one catch -- Jaylen Waddle was limited to two catches for 10 yards. He and Courtland Sutton had a health seven targets, five more than the next-closest wideout (Pat Bryant). Managers expecting or even hoping for consistency from this receiving corps are going to have to wait . . . possibly for most of the season.
Rams -- Saturday: "Kyren Williams vs. Blake Corum. The year-by-year momentum favors Corum, while Williams still has a safer floor due to his touchdown potential and target share." Sunday: Williams was the featured RB, out-touching Corum 21-8. Last week it was 14-13. Based on a quick scan, Williams' 158 offensive yards was his highest total since 2023. Now managers will have to wonder whether to start Corum as a streamer next week.
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