San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
Startlingly, a player from each team scored three touchdowns during a furious Rams comeback. Los Angeles never held a lead until two seconds were left, but big special teams plays helped the Rams overcome their biggest deficit (14 points) since 2012.
Jauan Jennings went from waiver wires to scoring the most fantasy points in a game this season during a performance that included some terrific catches. Jennings acted as SF’s WR1 with Deebo Samuel and George Kittle out, as Brandon Aiyuk and Brock Purdy remained out of sync. Jennings now leads San Francisco in receiving this season and is available in nearly 70% of Yahoo leagues.
Kyren Williams matched Jennings with three scores himself, finishing as the No. 2 fantasy back through Sunday. Blake Corum didn’t see the field, so Williams’ fantasy value looks strong as the clear focus of the new offense.
The Rams were able to remain productive after a slow start despite missing Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and multiple offensive linemen. Matthew Stafford didn’t record his first completion until 8:30 was left in the second quarter, but he finished with 8.8 YPA and lost yards to pass interference penalties. Tutu Atwell made some big plays, but no one on the Rams saw more than five targets, although Stafford attempted just 25 passes to be fair.
Purdy got 9.7 YPA despite missing Samuel and Kittle, and his receivers suffered a whopping six drops Sunday; Ronnie Bell had a brutal one that cost them the game. Purdy made plays with his legs and finished as the QB3 in fantasy through Sunday. His previous ugly splits without Samuel on the field also occurred without Trent Williams in the lineup, but Sunday proved Purdy can remain in fantasy lineups while missing some pieces.
Purdy did miss a wide-open Aiyuk for a would-be 50+ yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, as Aiyuk’s start to the season became even more frustrating considering Sunday’s opportunity (and opponent). Still, keep Aiyuk in fantasy lineups moving forward (assuming he made it through this play).
Isaac Guerendo should be stashed in all fantasy leagues; he’s available in 97% of them on Yahoo.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Atlanta Falcons
• Patrick Mahomes got 5.6 YPA and posted an average depth of target (5.0 yards) in the sixth percentile after entering with the lowest aDOT in the league. Still, his two TD passes and 217 yards were good enough for a top-12 QB finish this week. Mahomes appeared to possibly injure himself during a late play in which he was giving himself up while running out the clock, which is something to monitor.
• Travis Kelce was again quiet despite facing a pass-funnel Atlanta defense indoors and with Kansas City missing Marquise Brown and Isiah Pacheco. Xavier Worthy isn’t stealing targets, and Mahomes attempted 39 passes Sunday night, so the cliff may be here for the soon-to-be 35-year-old tight end.
• Rashee Rice saw a league-high 14 targets (tying Diontae Johnson) and likely would’ve had a second touchdown if he didn’t leave for a play after possibly having the wind knocked out of him. Assuming he’s OK, Rice is locked in as a top-five fantasy WR moving forward, especially given Kelce’s decline.
• Carson Steele had a long run of nine yards but acted as the Chiefs lead back, seeing 18 touches. The Falcons have a solid run defense, and scoring opportunities will be there for Steele in the future.
• Drake London saw nine targets and scored for the second straight week, but Kyle Pitts is now averaging just 2.7 catches per game this season.
• Bijan Robinson was stuffed on fourth-and-inches late in the fourth quarter to effectively end the game, and he finished with just 1.9 YPC. He scored a touchdown and will benefit from Kirk Cousins playing better, but Robinson has finished as a top-five fantasy back during just one week of his career.
New York Giants @ Cleveland Browns
• Malik Nabers became the youngest player to catch two touchdowns in a game and is the first player with 20 receptions and three TDs over their first three NFL contests. Nabers is seeing true alpha usage and should be ranked as a top-12 WR moving forward. The Browns’ man-heavy defense helped, but this was still a tough matchup in Cleveland.
• Devin Singletary was a top-10 RB this week despite losing a fumble (Cleveland’s first takeaway of the season) and tackling himself at the one-yard line to ice the game late (after a 48-yard run).
• Amari Cooper bounced back with two touchdown catches after a rough start to the season. The targets have been there, and Cooper was able to finish as a top-three WR this week despite Deshaun Watson throwing for just 196 yards.
• Watson (-7.5 CPOE) was horrible yet again. It’s increasingly likely we see Jameis Winston starting in Cleveland.
• The Browns wisely went for 2 down eight points but fell short thanks to a bad Cedric Tillman drop on fourth-and-five late in the fourth quarter.
Chicago Bears @ Indianapolis Colts
• Anthony Richardson had an awful game while throwing multiple egregious interceptions. He was also lucky he didn’t lose a first-quarter fumble when forward progress was called early. Richardson was stopped at the one-yard line twice, and he lost both short scores to his backs (including one in which the QB helped Trey Sermon reach the end zone). The Bears have a legit defense, but next week won’t be any easier for AR versus Pittsburgh. More rushing stats are coming, but Richardson needs to improve his accuracy in a big way right now.
• After not playing a snap during the fourth quarter last week, Jonathan Taylor saw much better utilization while finishing as a top-five back this week.
• Josh Downs matched Michael Pittman with five targets during his return, as Pittman looks like a fantasy bust so far.
• Continuing a season-long trend, the Colts ran 30 fewer plays (84 to 54) than the Bears, and this while allowing just 2.3 YPC.
• Caleb Williams had a career-high in passing yards (212) by halftime. He finished with 362 yards and his first two touchdown passes of his career, but it wasn’t all good news. It required 52 attempts, including a Hail Mary at the end of the first half (that resulted in DJ Moore catching it at the 1). Williams also committed three turnovers, so while this was undoubtedly a step in the right direction, the league’s two youngest QBs played like it Sunday.
• Rome Odunze looked like Chicago’s No. 1 wide receiver Sunday, and that was before Moore left late with a potential injury. Odunze made plays like a star, and he ran 98% of the routes and saw 49% of the air yards while supposedly playing through a sprained MCL. Williams missed Odunze open downfield multiple other times, so his day could’ve been even bigger. It’s tough trusting Shane Waldron, and Keenan Allen will eventually return, but Odunze suddenly looks like a real threat to lead Chicago WRs in fantasy scoring this year.
• D’Andre Swift dropped a pass and lost 12 yards during a fourth-and-goal carry. He finished with 1.5 YPC against a Colts defense that had allowed two running backs to run for more than 150 yards to start the season. Swift has 27 carries for 68 yards on the year.
Houston Texans @ Minnesota Vikings
• Sam Darnold briefly left in the third quarter but returned to throw his fourth touchdown of the game. He’s thriving while finally getting a chance to start in a good system.
• Aaron Jones continues to look fantastic, and he finished as a top-10 RB this week while also being tackled just short of the end zone in the fourth quarter.
• Jalen Nailor had a second touchdown called back by an unnecessary penalty, as he’s stepped in nicely for Jordan Addison.
• C.J. Stroud entered with the NFL’s longest streak without being intercepted but was picked off twice during one of the worst games of his young career. This Brian Flores defense is for real.
• Game script and opponent hurt Cam Akers, who flashed early. He can be fantasy viable if Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce remain out.
Philadelphia Eagles @ New Orleans Saints
• In something of a fantasy disaster, this game totaled 27 points after entering with an over/under approaching 50. While not shocking to see New Orleans come back to earth (the Saints losing their center on the opening drive didn’t help), it was surprising how far it fell against a struggling Vic Fangio defense. This game was 3-0 at the end of the third quarter!
• Saquon Barkley’s fantasy managers aren’t complaining, of course, as he produced another top fantasy finish despite not seeing his first carry of the game until the second quarter. Barkley recorded the second-fastest ballcarrier speed of the season during a sick 65-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. New Orleans entered having not allowed a single run for more than 10 yards all season.
• DeVonta Smith recorded a catch on three straight plays in the fourth quarter but took a vicious hit on the third, and he ultimately left with a concussion.
• Dallas Goedert entered with seven catches on the season and matched that total by halftime, finishing with a career high 170 receiving yards. Goedert looks like a top-five TE with A.J. Brown and possibly Smith sidelined.
• Jalen Hurts played well Sunday, but fewer rushing TDs should be expected this season with the tush push not the same and the addition of a rejuvenated Barkley.
• Alvin Kamara managed just 3.3 YPC against an Eagles defense that entered allowing an NFL-high 6.8. He still produced 127 YFS on 29 touches, as Kamara continues to look like one of this year’s very best draft picks.
• Derek Carr really struggled, but at least he got Chris Olave involved.
• Rashid Shaheed is going to be a boom-or-bust fantasy player given the nature of his targets, but Sunday’s goose egg hurt. He had a near 40-yard touchdown in the second quarter, if it’s any consolation.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Pittsburgh Steelers
• Justin Fields ran in a touchdown and threw the second-longest TD pass of his career, finishing with a completion percentage over expectation (+10.2) in the 86th percentile. He’s 7-2 over his last nine starts, and it will likely take an injury for Pittsburgh to turn to Russell Wilson at this point. Treat Fields as a top-12 fantasy QB moving forward.
• Najee Harris was tackled at the one-yard line toward the end of the game, and the Steelers kneeled out the clock afterward.
• Quentin Johnston saw just two targets but caught another touchdown.
• Justin Herbert couldn’t finish the game (Joey Bosa also left injured for L.A.) while playing through a high-ankle sprain, and his status will obviously be important to monitor.
• J.K. Dobbins was held in check against a tough Steelers defense that’s allowed 10 points or fewer during all three games this year, but he encouragingly saw his largest role of the season.
Denver Broncos @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Bo Nix didn’t light up the box score, but he made multiple big plays with his legs and showed massive improvement. He helped the 0-2 Broncos essentially blow out the 2-0 Buccaneers, as this has officially become the wildest/hardest year ever in Survivor contests.
• It wasn’t a positive fantasy day for Javonte Williams, who lost a fumble, a short score to his QB and another goal-line TD to 187-pound Jaleel McLaughlin. Williams also lost nine carries to Tyler Badie, who led Denver RBs in rush attempts Sunday.
• Courtland Sutton entered this week as the WR71 but the WR16 in expected fantasy points. He saw 11 more targets Sunday and was just out of bounds during a catch in the end zone, so he’s due for more fantasy scoring moving forward. Nix looking more competent will help.
• Baker Mayfield got just 4.9 YPA while taking seven sacks. His average depth of target (3.4 yards) was in the first percentile.
• Chris Godwin benefitted from Patrick Surtain shadowing Mike Evans, and he’s already caught more touchdowns (three) than he did all last season.
• Rachaad White was ineffective (2.8 YPC, 3.0 YPT) while playing through his groin injury, but Bucky Irving got 7.8 YPC. The rookie almost certainly earned more playing time moving forward, as he impressed (and he remains available in 65% of Yahoo leagues). Irving was tackled at the one-yard line Sunday, as Tampa Bay remains without an RB rushing TD this season.
Carolina Panthers @ Las Vegas Raiders
• Andy Dalton had 212 passing yards and three touchdowns by halftime. He became the first QB to throw for 300 yards and three TDs in a game this season for a Carolina offense that entered with zero passing scores on the year. The Panthers had taken zero snaps with a fourth-quarter lead in their last 20 games, but Dalton put up big fantasy stats in the win. Bryce Young is unlikely to play another snap for Carolina again.
• Dalton threw a dime to Adam Thielen, who suffered a hamstring injury during the TD catch.
• Diontae Johnson surprisingly resulted as a top-five WR this week with Dalton starting. Johnson had a 37.8% target share and will continue to be fed with Thielen going down.
• Chuba Hubbard was also a top-five RB this week despite losing a rushing score to Miles Sanders. This Dave Canales offense suddenly has potential after the quarterback switch, which is also terrific news for those waiting for Jonathon Brooks.
• Aidan O’Connell replaced Gardner Minshew during the blowout that saw disappointing fantasy games from Zamir White, Brock Bowers and Davante Adams.
• The Raiders also appear to have some issues in their locker room.
Miami Dolphins @ Seattle Seahawks
• Geno Smith was picked off twice but connected with DK Metcalf for a long score during Seattle’s easy win.
• Zach Charbonnet led all RBs in snap share Week 2 and scored two touchdowns on 22 opportunities Sunday. The telecast said Kenneth Walker’s injury has him having difficulty breathing, which didn’t sound super encouraging.
• De’Von Achane, Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle were all going to see their fantasy values drop with Skylar Thompson starting, but they full-on tanked Sunday. The Dolphins have scored fewer points this season (30) than the Panthers scored Sunday (36). It might soon be time to see what Tyler Huntley can do.
Green Bay Packers @ Tennessee Titans
• I will never forgive Matt LaFleur for kicking that field goal during the 2021 NFC Championship Game, but he already has my vote for Coach of the Year. Malik Willis’ career numbers were ghastly, and he just signed in Green Bay right before the season!
• Josh Jacobs lost a TD run to his quarterback and split work nearly evenly with Emanuel Wilson, who had a 30-yard touchdown catch.
• The Packers had an NFL-low seven interceptions last year but have an NFL-high seven in 2024.
• It’s hard to name a more entertaining player in the league right now than Will Levis, who tossed another pick-six Sunday. Levis is up to eight turnovers on the year, and his total EPA (-16.8) was in the fourth percentile this week.
• Tennessee’s run game was a complete no-show against a Green Bay defense that had already allowed a couple of 100-yard rushers.
• Calvin Ridley put up a dud and watched a healthier DeAndre Hopkins earn a 32% target per route run rate.
Detroit Lions @ Arizona Cardinals
• Jared Goff bounced back with 8.7 YPA, but he was lucky a second interception wasn’t a pick-six at the end of the first half (the refs questionably ruled the play the 2:00 minute warning). He mostly took a backseat to his running backs, as Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery ran for 188 yards on 39 carries.
• Montgomery got all six rush attempts during Detroit’s opening drive, while Gibbs got nine carries during the next one. The two continue to swap series, with Gibbs (and Goff) benefitting Sunday from a nice hook-and-ladder play resulting in a score.
• Sam LaPorta left with an ankle injury, while Trey McBride was evaluated for a concussion after taking a big hit. Tight end has been absolutely brutal so far this season; Nick Vannett, Johnny Mundt and Josh Whyle were among the top eight tight ends this week, and none scored eight fantasy points.
• Arizona’s offense struggled mightily, although it was great to see Marvin Harrison Jr. get 11 targets (matching his previous season total) while scoring again. The Lions have yet to allow more than 20 points in a game this season, so their defense deserves some credit.
Baltimore Ravens @ Dallas Cowboys
• Lamar Jackson improved to 21-1 against the NFC during his career. He got 12.1 YPA but attempted just 15 passes, as Derrick Henry turned 26 touches into 174 yards and two touchdowns. Finally playing with the lead helped, and Henry is now on pace to record 23 rushing touchdowns this season.
• The Ravens had 45 carries for 274 yards, hurting all Baltimore pass catchers.
• Dak Prescott struggled for most of the day and finished with a CPOE (-10.8) in the 12th percentile, but he was fantasy’s top quarterback anyway. The Ravens’ big lead and pass-funnel defense led to 51 attempts from Prescott, who nearly led the Cowboys back from a 28-6 deficit entering the fourth quarter.
• Don’t worry about CeeDee Lamb (who lost a fumble inside the 10).
• Brandon Aubrey made a 65-yard field goal (the second-longest in NFL history) and executed a rare successful onside kick. Meanwhile, Justin Tucker keeps missing field goals (this time indoors from 46 yards) while the rest of the league is setting records.
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