Bills RB James Cook led the backfield with 15 carries and 98 yards in Week 3. He garnered only 3 targets on a day that saw Stefon Diggs dominate (37.5% target share). Cook also watched as Josh Allen and Latavius Murray tallied short-range rushing scores. It’s clear by now that the second-year back won’t carry a high TD ceiling. But his efficiency and overall touch volume suggest he can remain a strong RB2+. He draws the Dolphins at home in Week 4.
Panthers LB Frankie Luvu left Sunday's loss to the Seahawks with a hip injury and did not return. We'll see about his status heading into Week 4. With fellow starter Shaq Thompson already out, LB Kamu Grugier-Hill tallied 10 tackles to lead the team. He'll be worth a pickup for Week 4 in many IDP leagues -- especially if Luvu is expected to miss further time.
Commanders QB Sam Howell tallied only 170 passing yards, 0 TDs, and 4 picks in Week 3. He took 9 sacks in the loss to Buffalo. The first-year starter didn’t have much of a chance in this one, as the Bills pressured him on 69.2% of his dropbacks (per Next Gen Stats). Howell faces another tough matchup next week at Philly.
Seahawks WR D.K. Metcalf delivered 6 receptions for 112 yards among 8 targets in Sunday's win over the Panthers. All three numbers marked season highs for Metcalf, who drew 22.2% of QB Geno Smith's pass attempts. WR Tyler Lockett trailed Metcalf by just one target but managed only 3 receptions for 34 yards. TE Noah Fant ranked second on the team with 4 receptions. Seattle gets a positive matchup with the Giants in Week 4, ahead of a Week 5 bye.
Seahawks RB Ken Walker ran for 97 yards and 2 TDs on 18 carries in Sunday's win over the Panthers. he added 59 yards on 3 receptions, tying for third on the team in catches. Rookie RB Zach Charbonnet worked in more than the previous two weeks, carrying four times to Walker's eight in the first half and leading Walker 1-0 in targets at the break. Charbonnet finished with 9-46 rushing and 1 reception (for minus-1) among 2 targets. Few matchups are likely to be as good as Carolina, which entered the game ranked 31st in run-defense DVOA. But a Week 4 spot against the Giants looks positive as well. Seattle gets a bye in Week 5.
Panthers QB Andy Dalton racked up 361 yards and 2 TDs on 34-of-58 passing in place of Bryce Young in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. Carolina leaned surprisingly heavily on the pass, considering the team stayed within one score of Seattle until late in the third quarter. With the Sunday night and Monday games yet to go, Dalton sits seventh among QBs in fantasy points (by ESPN scoring). Dalton will carry some streaming potential for a Week 4 matchup with the Vikings if Young remains out.
Panthers WR Adam Thielen racked up an 11-145-1 receiving line in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. Carolina went surprisingly pass-heavy, attempting 58 throws (plus 3 sacks) vs. just 14 rushing attempts. Thielen drew 24.1% of fill-in QB Andy Dalton's pass attempts and produced 40.2% of the receiving yardage. Thielen now has 18 catches over the past two games after a quiet opener. Don't be surprised if he sits among the top 30 wideouts in our Week 4 rankings, for a matchup with his old team, the Vikings. WR D.J. Chark ranked second among Panthers in targets (11) and receiving yards (86) against Seattle. He managed just 4 receptions, though, and did most of his damage on a 47-yard catch-and-run TD. Terrace Marshall posted a 5-35 receiving line on 8 targets, in a game WR Jonathan Mingo left with a concussion.
Panthers RB Miles Sanders ran just nine times for 24 yards in Sunday's loss to the Seahawks. He scored a TD, though, and caught five of 9 targets (for 38 yards) to save his fantasy line. Carolina went extremely pass-heavy, handing off on just 16% of offensive snaps. Sanders controlled backfield work, getting 75% of RB carries and 75% of RB targets. He should remain a decent play for a fine Week 4 matchup with the Vikings.
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce delivered another classic performance with 7 catches on 8 targets for 69 yards and a TD in Week 3 vs. the Bears. This game was never close, as the Chiefs led 34-0 by halftime. It’s worth mentioning that rookie WR Rashee Rice also had some success on Sunday, with 5 catches on 7 targets for 59 yards. He logged 3 catches for 39 yards before the Chiefs rested most of their starting players by the end, so there’s some reason to be excited about this development. Kelce will look to further impress his new lady friend Taylor Swift in Week 4 vs. the Jets.
Chiefs RB Jerick McKinnon found the end zone twice in Week 3 with 3 catches for 19 yards as a receiver. Fellow RBs Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire also had success in the blowout victory vs. the Bears, recording 15 carries apiece for a combined 117 rushing yards. Both Pacheco and Edwards-Helaire had 1 rushing TD as well. This game was a total demolition, and it’s unlikely we’ll see this many points from all three Chiefs’ backs moving forward. We’ll look forward to starting Pacheco again in Week 4 vs. the Jets.
Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw for 367 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT in Sunday's loss to the Chargers. He has exceeded 340 yards in each of the team's first three games. Expect to find Cousins inside QB1 territory in our rankings the next three weeks -- vs. the Panthers, Chiefs and Bears -- but a Week 7 date with the 49ers might knock him down.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes completed 24 of 33 attempts for 272 yards with 3 TD in Week 3’s dominant win vs. the Bears. He also added 28 rushing yards on 3 carries in the contest. This game was already out of hand by halftime, so Mahomes was pulled before the end of regulation. Still, he posted enough production for fantasy managers to be happy. He’ll look to continue his MVP-level play in Week 4 vs. the Jets.
Bears WR D.J. Moore roped in 3 of 6 targets for 41 receiving yards and 1 TD in Week 3’s blowout loss vs. the Chiefs. No other pass-catcher exceeded 2 catches or 25 receiving yards. This 41-10 pummeling marks the lowest point of Chicago’s season to date. It’ll be difficult to start any pass-catcher in this offense besides Moore with even a little confidence in Week 4 vs. the Broncos.
Bears rookie RB Roschon Johnson tallied 8 carries for 38 rushing yards and 2 catches on as many targets for 11 yards as a receiver in Week 3 vs. the Chiefs. Neither he nor anyone on the Chicago offense were particularly effective in this poor outing, though this game is notable because Johnson ended up out-touching teammate Khalil Herbert. Herbert logged 8 total touches for 35 yards on Sunday and may have potentially lost his grip on being the lead back. This development will be worth considering ahead of Week 4 vs. the Broncos.
Ravens WR Rashod Bateman dealt with hamstring trouble late in Sunday's loss to the Colts. He said afterward that the hamstring tightened up on him but that he doesn't believe it's anything serious, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec. We'll look for further updates on Bateman and track his practice participation this coming week. Despite WR Odell Beckham's absence, Bateman mustered just one catch for six yards against the Colts.
The Vikings made RB Cam Akers inactive for his first game with the team. So RB Alexander Mattison continued to dominate backfield usage. He took 20 carries for 93 yards and added a 5-32 receiving line on 7 targets. Mattison benefited from facing a weak Chargers D and from Minnesota running 83 offensive plays. But we'll have to assume he retains the clear backfield lead until/unless something changes. Week 4 holds a high-upside matchup with a Panthers D that has been run over so far this season.
Bears QB Justin Fields completed 11 of 22 attempts for 99 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT in Week 3’s loss vs. the Chiefs. He also added 47 rushing yards on 11 carries in the contest, but this 41-10 blowout loss is just the latest blemish on what’s been a terrible start to the season for Chicago. It’s fair to question at this point if Fields can even be trusted for fantasy purposes. Fortunately, the Bears are set to face off against the Broncos in Week 4. The Denver defense just got annihilated by the Dolphins, so maybe there’ll be some hope for Fields.
Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson made a team-high 8 receptions for 78 yards in Sunday's loss to the Chargers. It was his third game with 7+ catches to open the year. Hockenson drew a season-high 11 targets but has garnered 8+ in every game. He ceded a TD to TE Josh Oliver, among 2 receptions for 4 yards for the mainly blocking TE. Hockenson is a strong fantasy starter across formats.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson delivered 7 receptions for 149 yards and his first TD of the season in Sunday's loss to the Chargers. He entered the game with the league lead in receiving yards. Jefferson's receptions and yards against the Chargers actually marked season lows for him through three games. That's how good he is. K.J. Osborn ran the second-most routes among WRs but drew just 3 targets. His lone catch went for a 36-yard TD. Jordan Addison caught six of 8 targets for 52 yards. Minnesota gets non-scary matchups the next three weeks: Panthers, Chiefs, and Bears.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert went 40 for 47 passing in Sunday's win over the Vikings, racking up 405 yards and 3 TDs. (WR Keenan Allen threw for the team's other TD.) L.A. dropped back on 75.8% of offensive plays, clearly committing to the pass from the start. Herbert had 30 pass attempts by halftime, vs. seven total run plays for the team in that time. Look for this team to continue leaning pass going forward, though likely not to the degree most weeks that it did against the Vikings.
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