I whiffed on A.J. Brown and Rondale Moore in Week 3, but Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Saquon Barkley were big hits. And if you benched Damien Harris, Devin Singletary, Laviska Shenault, Corey Davis, or Robert Tonyan, your team was probably better for it. But now we’re on to Week 3. As always, I’ll be bringing you names at every position that I believe will exceed expectations or fall flat.
Let’s get into the picks.
Starts: Quarterbacks
Jalen Hurts, Eagles vs. Chiefs
Jalen Hurts struggled on Monday Night Football, and that’s putting it lightly. Still, if you started him on your fantasy team, you were feeling just fine. For the third week in a row, Jalen Hurts finished as a top-10 fantasy QB. His rushing ability offers a high floor, and his ceiling is sky-high this week against the Chiefs in what should be a shootout.
Matthew Stafford, Rams vs. Cardinals
The Cardinals have played good defense so far this season, but I won’t let them scare me away from Matthew Stafford, who is experiencing a career renaissance in Los Angeles. Stafford, who currently ranks as the QB4, is averaging 314 passing yards per game and has thrown for multiple TD passes in three straight. Start him with confidence in what should be a high-scoring divisional matchup.
Starts: Running Backs
Joe Mixon, Bengals vs. Jaguars
Joe Mixon has been underwhelming for fantasy in back-to-back games, scoring just 18.5 total points. However, I’ve been encouraged by his usage. His targets have trailed off since Week 1, but he is still handling over 20 opportunities per game. A player with that type of workload belongs in your starting lineup, especially as a home favorite against the Jaguars’ defense.
Chuba Hubbard, Panthers @ Cowboys
With Christian McCaffrey expected to miss a few weeks, Chuba Hubbard will operate as the starter in Carolina. He handled the majority of touches in the team’s Week 3 win over the Texans, while Royce Freeman received just 5 carries and 1 target. Meanwhile, the matchup against the Cowboys isn’t as bad as it looks on paper. The Cowboys currently rank 27th in fantasy points allowed to RBs, but this is skewed by two games against the Buccaneers and Eagles who hardly even attempted to run the ball. Hubbard is a solid flex with RB1 upside this week.
Jamaal Williams, Lions @ Bears
I don’t know how we got here, but the Detroit Lions are currently supporting two fantasy RB1s. D’Andre Swift is an obvious, every-week starter, but I believe Jamaal Williams has earned a place in your lineups, as well. Jared Goff is targeting his RBs over 30% of the time, and the Bears just allowed Kareem Hunt to rack up 6 receptions for 74 yards in Week 3.
Starts: Wide Receivers
DeVonta Smith, Eagles vs. Chiefs
Trevon Diggs has shut down every WR he’s faced this season, so, no, I’m not concerned about DeVonta Smith struggling on Monday Night Football. In fact, I’m buying Smith everywhere I can. He’s currently 7th in the NFL in Air Yards Share and 3rd in Unrealized Air Yards. He has a 22.3% target share in the Eagles’ offense, and he’s getting valuable targets. When the efficiency inevitably improves, which could happen as soon as this week, he’s going to surprise people.
Odell Beckham, Browns @ Vikings
Odell Beckham looked great in his return to action. In a blowout win against the Bears, he saw a 31% target share and 3 deep targets. He was only able to turn those targets into 5 receptions for 77 yards, but his usage was encouraging nonetheless. With Jarvis Landry still sidelined, I’m expecting big things from OBJ in what should be a far more competitive game against the Vikings.
Robby Anderson, Panthers @ Cowboys
I have to admit, I don’t feel great about this call. But Robby Anderson has been running nearly as many routes as D.J. Moore, and now Christian McCaffrey is out, and starting TE Dan Arnold has been traded. He’s not an absolute must start this week, but I would be surprised if Anderson doesn’t bounce back into flex territory this week in a high-scoring game against the Cowboys.
Starts: Tight Ends
Tyler Conklin, Vikings vs. Browns
Through three games, Tyler Conklin ranks 7th in receptions among tight ends. He’s 10th in targets, 11th in receiving yards, and 9th in PPG. Outside of Week 3, his performance has been relatively ho hum, but that’s the nature of the position. At least we know that he has the potential to post high-end TE1 numbers in a given week, which is really all you can ask for. He’s a viable streaming option against the Browns.
Dawson Knox, Bills vs. Texans
Like most tight ends, Dawson Knox is entirely TD dependent. Fortunately, he plays with Josh Allen, who happens to throw a lot of TDs. He’s scored in back-to-back weeks now, and he’s been running more and more routes. Against the Texans, who have allowed the 4th-most points to TEs this season, he’s worth a start.
Sits: Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins, Vikings vs. Browns
I realize that sitting Kirk Cousins after his red-hot start will be difficult. However, he will disappoint you eventually. On a recent episode of the Late Round Podcast, J.J. Zachariason pointed out that 8 of the Vikings’ 9 offensive TDs have come through the air. That 8:1 ratio will regress soon. When it does, Kirk Cousins, who offers nothing by way of mobility, will struggle to deliver these high-end QB1 performances. I expect he’ll falter this week against this solid Browns’ defense.
Daniel Jones, Giants @ Saints
After two strong performances to start the season, Daniel Jones flopped against one of the league’s worst defenses in Week 3. Now he’s going on the road to face an imposing Saints’ defense, and his top three receivers are all battling injuries. This is an obvious stay-away situation.
Sits: Running Backs
Damien Harris, Patriots vs. Buccaneers
For the second week in a row, Damien Harris will have to face one of the league’s best run defenses in a negative game script. When a running back doesn’t catch passes, that is a recipe for absolute disaster. Even with James White out, Harris is going to disappoint you this week.
Ty’Son Williams, Ravens @ Broncos
In Week 2, Ty’Son Williams handled over 55% of the RB opportunities in Baltimore. The lead role appeared to be his to lose. But in Week 3, the opportunity share dropped to just 37.5% while Latavius Murray led the way at 44%. I expect that this backfield will continue to confuse and frustrate fantasy managers on a weekly basis. Leave Williams on the bench against the Broncos, who have allowed the 2nd-fewest points to RBs so far.
Sits: Wide Receivers
Brandin Cooks, Texans @ Bills
I was scooping up Brandin Cooks at his ADP all offseason, so I’ve quite enjoyed his hot start to the season. However, Week 4 could be rough for Cooks and the entire Texans’ offense. Buffalo’s defense is playing lights out right now, and they’ve allowed the fewest points to fantasy WRs this season. Davis Mills is going to be out of his depth, and Cooks will suffer as a result.
Rondale Moore, Cardinals @ Rams
Both Christian Kirk and A.J. Green ran twice as many routes as Rondale Moore in Week 3. The electric rookie can score on any given play, but he’ll be hard to trust in fantasy as long as the Cardinals treat him as their fourth receiver. He should get more involved as the season goes along, but there are better, less volatile options in Week 4.
Sits: Tight Ends
Dalton Schultz, Cowboys vs. Panthers
After his fantastic performance on Monday Night Football, you might be eager to insert Dalton Schultz into your lineup in Week 4. However, I’d like to pump the brakes a bit. Blake Jarwin outproduced Schultz in Week 2 and ran just 5 fewer routes in Week 3. While I believe that Schultz will slowly continue to establish himself as the top tight end, I also believe that Jarwin will steal his thunder from time to time. Against the Panthers, who rank 5th against tight ends, I’d prefer to look elsewhere.
Thanks for reading this article! Look me up on Twitter at @fantasyfreezer if you’d like to hear more from me. I love answering fantasy questions, discussing trades, and engaging in friendly debates, so be sure to drop in and say hello.
You can read the previous articles in this series here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3
