NFL Fantasy Football Reactions: Week 3

It was a typical NFL Sunday. We had the typical mix of major upsets and fantastic finishes, along with some incredible fantasy performances. But I wonder how many fantasy managers had the foresight to use De'Von Achane and benefit from his 200-yard performance. Anyway, let's dive into the takeaways from Sunday's games.

Reactions

• What more do we say about the Dolphins than "wow!" I identified this as a matchup in which Miami could smash. The Denver defense was dealing with injuries. The Broncos also had to travel and play in the Miami humidity. But none of that mattered. Miami did whatever it wanted, whenever it wanted to.The fact that Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane combined for 375 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns was quite the spectacle! I don't remember seeing that type of RB day from a duo in … maybe forever? I don't know what to even take away from this performance. We knew Achane  had incredible speed. and we've also seen Mostert have his share of big games. Obviously, both RBs have potential to be strong fantasy performers each week, but until I see more, I just don't know where to properly place the floor and ceiling for either. I do think Mostert has shown us enough to be considered an RB2 until further notice. For Achane, we'd be foolish not to start him in Week 4.
• Despite a favorable matchup at Detroit, the Falcons laid an egg. Not one offensive player had a strong fantasy outing. Even Kyle Pitts, who had 41 yards, was only four yards ahead of fellow tight end Jonnu Smith. And the vaunted rushing attack of Atlanta struggled. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier rushed 17 times for 45 yards. I'm not worried about the rushing attack. In most games, it will continue to do well. But as most already assumed, this passing offense likely will be a major problem all year. It will be difficult for me to recommend starting Drake London and Pitts most weeks. Unfortunately, the one-two punch of Arthur Smith and Desmond Ridder might crush this passing attack.
• The only thing that went well for the Ravens was Lamar Jackson as a runner. The Ravens' offense was surprising. Playing on their home field against a mediocre Colts defense seemed like a recipe for success, especially for the passing attack. But Jackson threw for just 202 yards. Zay Flowers was the leading receiver with 48 yards while Mark Andrews posted just 35 yards. The good news for Jackson is that he rushed for 100 yards and two scores. However, he now has thrown for one or fewer touchdown passes in 10 of his last 11 games. I understood that the new passing attack was going to take time to gel, but the lack of progress is extremely concerning. The Ravens might eventually make the needed improvements, but it could be a long time before we see the upside, if we see it at all. 
• It's difficult to take much away from the offensive performance of the Bills. They had numerous short fields with which to work. They also dominated throughout. And they won in a blowout. It was encouraging to see James Cook put together another solid performance. He turned 17 touches into 112 yards. He also was tackled just short of the end zone, which could have been his first TD of the season. If there was a single disappointment, it's that Dalton Kincaid has just 11 catches for 71 yards this season. With defenses treating Kincaid like a slot receiver, he doesn't seem to be getting the advantages for which many of us hoped. He's difficult to trust in fantasy lineups. Obviously, Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs continue to be just fine for fantasy.
• We all know Deshaun Watson looked horrible during the first two games. In his defense, the weather and opponent in the season opener were issues, and then Pittsburgh on the road was another tough draw. Well, Watson looked fantastic against the Titans on Sunday. He completed all but six of his 33 passes. He mostly threw with rhythm and timing. And his connection with Amari Cooper was exceptional. I can't say with certainty what we'll get each week, but Watson has put up enough fantasy points in each game to be considered a reliable quarterback option. Also, the offense likely will become pass heavier than planned. I'll recommend starting Watson with confidence in most games. Cooper should be considered a strong weekly receiver option. It's too soon to tell what to expect from Jerome Ford. Yes, he scored a pair of touchdowns. but his yardage was terrible. That said, I mostly blame that on the matchup against the Titans. We already saw that Kareem Hunt will be a factor in the backfield. Ford has a reasonable chance to be a top-24 running back. It also looks as if Hunt could emerge as a flex option.
• We're seeing the disconnect between fantasy and real football with Russell Wilson. This week's matchup against Miami was the first time he didn't throw multiple TD passes this season. However, he did surpass 300 yards. But this performance had everything to do with the massive blowout Denver was involved in, and even going back to last week, one of Wilson's scores came on an underthrown Hail Mary that played like a pinball machine. Don't be surprised when fantasy and reality intersect. When that happens, Wilson could have some ugly performances. On another note, it was good to see Jerry Jeudy post 81 yards after getting his legs back under him in his season debut last week. Expect him to be the player many of us thought we were getting when we drafted him.
• The Lions had some excellent takeaways in their win over the Falcons. Amon-Ra St. Brown battled through a toe injury and posted 100 yards. The only other pass catcher with a big game was Sam LaPorta. The rookie tight end was targeted 11 times, resulting in 84 yards and a TD. Although rookie Jahmyr Gibbs caught just one pass for two yards. He had an impressive 80 yards on 17 rushing attempts with David Montgomery sitting this one out. Gibbs certainly didn't have the fantasy performance that we wanted to see, but the volume was great. Hopefully, the team can get the rookie on track as a receiver. Although he has 10 catches this season, they have turned into just 59 yards and no touchdowns. The volume makes him a weekly must start. But at this point, he's just a floor play.
• It was impressive the Packers won another game without Aaron Jones and Christian Watson, but it took a late comeback after struggling against the Saints' defense most of the day.  AJ Dillon continues to look ineffective. He'll certainly retain a role when Jones returns, but Dillon has just 39 carries for 107 yards this year. I don't see a scenario where I will endorse him as a strong fantasy play unless he has a ridiculously easy matchup. Jordan Love has now accounted for multiple TDs in each of his three games. That's an impressive accomplishment when considering he's without two of his top weapons. I'm optimistic about Love's fantasy prospects. Romeo Doubs Had a 12-target game and scored a TD.  I see him continuing to be an emerging player who should be in fantasy lineups most weeks.
• I have to believe that most were surprised the Texans blew out the Jaguars in Jacksonville. Leading most of the way, C.J. Stroud didn't have a high-volume game in terms of pass attempts.  As a result, Tank Dell was the one receiver to go off while Nico Collins and Robert Woods saw few targets. I don't think it's possible to reasonably doubt Stroud as a fantasy option. Obviously, he's not in the mix to be a top-10 option, but those who need him as a streamer or injury replacement should be excited to place him in lineups. And don't forget, it's possible he begins to get back some of his offensive line soon. For the second week in a row,  he was without four of his five starting linemen. The loser in all of this is Dalton Schultz. With Stroud looking to his wide receivers, he doesn't rely upon the tight end. Schultz has just seven catches for 47 yards this season. Obviously, he'll have an occasional good game, but I'm not optimistic that he'll be a fantasy factor this year.
• The big takeaway for the Colts is that Zack Moss appears to be the real deal. Going back to the last four games of 2022 along with the two games he's played this season, he has been consistently solid. In his two games this year, he's averaging more than 100 rushing yards and a TD. As long as Jonathan Taylor is away from the team, Moss should be considered an RB2, regardless of matchup. The other takeaway is that Michael Pittman is playing very well. Regardless of who plays quarterback, he's been heavily targeted. And he's turned that volume into strong production. He has at least eight catches in each game. In PPR leagues, his value is much better than his ADP reflected.
• I wish I could tell you what's wrong with the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence has three touchdowns in three games. And despite averaging 37 pass attempts, he's yet to hit 280 yards in a game. Since the first half of the Week 1 game, Calvin Ridley has not put up useful fantasy numbers. I have to believe that the talent we saw from Lawrence down the stretch last year will turn into tangible results soon. But I also find it hard to believe that he'll immediately snap out of his funk next week and become the same fantasy force he was last year. I won't recommend benching Ridley and Lawrence, but I think it might be wise to have diminished expectations until we see signs that Jacksonville is turning things around.
• Justin Herbert and Keenan Allen were dominant against the overmatched Vikings defense. When that duo is rolling, there is little defenses can do to slow it. Unfortunately, Mike Williams injured his knee after an impressive performance of his own. If he's forced to miss significant time, that definitely hurts the upside of this offense. Obviously, Herbert and Allen will be fine. However, Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston would have opportunities to be bigger factors in the offense if Williams misses time. Based on the fact that Palmer has been ahead of Johnston all season, Palmer should be the immediate recipient of extra targets.
• Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson are having a legendary start to the season. Cousins is averaging three TD passes and more than 350 yards through three games. Jefferson is averaging 154 yards — and his 149 this week was his lowest of the season. There's no doubt that Cousins has had some favorable matchups to start the season. It's unlikely that he maintains this type of pace. But unless he has a horrible matchup. He needs to be considered as a top-7 option at QB.
• The Patriots don't seem to have the type of talent to be all that successful against the top defenses in the league. That was the case against the Jets. What was interesting was that Rhamondre Stevenson is struggling on the ground. He has 46 carries for 134 yards this season, which is a tick less than three yards per carry. He looks like a matchup dependent RB2. On a yards per carry basis, Ezekiel Elliott (28-122) has been more effective than Stevenson. However, Elliot hasn't gotten enough goal-line work or targets (since Week 1)  to be a reliable fantasy factor.
• The big takeaway from the Saints is that Michael Thomas has played well and is getting significant targets as the No. 2  option in the passing game. In each game, he's been targeted eight or nine times with 50 to 61 yards. He's yet to find the end zone, but those opportunities should eventually come. While he's healthy, considering him a top-35 receiver makes sense. Also, don't forget that the offense could get a boost next week when Alvin Kamara returns from suspension.
• I'm close to closing the door on Justin Fields as a passer. I'll still hold out hope he'll eventually get a coach who embraces his rushing ability and weaponizes it. It's also possible that with a good coach he eventually develops as a passer. In terms of his fantasy usefulness, I am extremely concerned. However, a word of caution to fantasy managers: this is similar to what we saw last year. Last year, I dropped Fields after his early season struggles. Then starting in week 6, the Bears decided to turn him loose as a runner, and he was pretty much a league winner. Benching him for now is smart, but dropping him is risky.
• Although I like to say something about each team, I don't think there's anything new I can say about the Kansas City offense. The Bears might be the worst defense in the league. And the Chiefs simply took care of business. I'm just happy the team came out of this game without any significant injuries.
• I wonder if the Jets will continue to bet on Zach Wilson as their quarterback? if they had somewhat competent QB play, they would have had an excellent chance of beating the Patriots. As long as Wilson is under center, any good defense they face will stack the box to stop the run game. The last two games, Breece Hall has 16 carries for 27 yards. It's not his fault. It's all about the quarterback. For the sake of the skill players on this team, I hope they wisely add a new signal-caller this week.
• At least from a statistical perspective, Andy Dalton was a big upgrade for the Panthers' passing attack. Adam Thielen posted 144 yards and TD while DJ Chark was productive with 86 yards a TD. Just don't forget, Dalton can be very matchup dependent. And we've seen him go cold in a flash. In addition, it's possible that Bryce Young returns soon. Even though Thielen has had two good games in a row, this could be an outstanding sell-high moment for fantasy managers who don't believe Thielen can keep up this production.
• I was worried there wouldn't be enough opportunity for Jaxon Smith-Njigba to be a big factor as a rookie. Through three games, he's averaging about 20 yards. The Seahawks run a lot of plays with two tight ends on the field, and that has had a negative impact on the rookie's potential for snaps. I just don't see a path for him to cut into the target share of DK Metcalf or Tyler Lockett. Once Smith-Njigba's situation improves, he'll break out quickly, but I don't see that happening just yet.
• I'm not sure what to make of the Cowboys' loss to the Cardinals. The Cardinals have now been competitive in each of their games, but this is their first win. I still have to believe that Cardinals' opponents, like the Cowboys, find it difficult to get motivated because their subliminal mind tells them this is an easy team to beat. The one takeaway for Dallas is that Jake Ferguson continues to be heavily involved. He now has two games with at least seven targets. He's also seen plenty of red-zone looks. I still expect that he'll be in the mix as a top-12 tight end this season.
• Despite a tough early season schedule, James Conner continues to get it done for fantasy. For the second week in a row, he's surpassed 100 scrimmage yards while scoring a touchdown. I know that fantasy managers get nervous about him in certain matchups, but I don't know how anyone can bench him whenever he's healthy. On a points-per-game basis, he was the RB9 each of the last two seasons. He could see that level of production again this year. 
• Although Sam Howell was impressive from a fantasy football perspective in his first two games, he faced a pair of weak defenses. Even in those matchups, he held the ball too long and took too many hits. His bad habits came back to haunt him against the Bills. Not only did he get hit frequently, he threw four interceptions. Yes, he has great weapons. He also has an outstanding offensive coordinator. But I am concerned he is not a QB who can have sustained success against any type of pressure. For those who fear the same, he may still have trade value in superflex leagues based on his first two games. I would consider looking over the trade market to see if he can be flipped for a different QB.
• I'm beginning to get concerned about Derrick Henry because of his offensive line. He rushed 11 times for 20 yards against the Browns on Sunday. And last week against the terrible Chargers' run defense, he carried 25 times for 79 yards. He has just a single TD this season. Maybe he turns things around, but Henry is another player for whom I would consider testing the trade market.

Injuries

• Mike Williams sustained a knee injury and did not return. 
• Derek Carr injured his shoulder and did not return. 
• Gus Edwards was evaluated for concussion and did not return.
• Jonathan Mingo was ruled out after being diagnosed with a concussion.
• River Cracraft suffered a shoulder injury. It's unclear whether he could have returned with the Dolphins blowing out the Broncos.