Week 3 of the NFL season is behind us and what is clear in fantasy football is that QB Lamar Jackson is the fantasy football GOAT when he’s healthy, and it is not even close. Jackson is the first QB in NFL history to have 3+ TD passes and 100+ rushing yards in back-to-back games.
Jackson is averaging 33 points per game which is how many total points Tom Brady has thus far this season. There are two other QBs that are in the top tier with Jackson – Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen. Those three guys are leagues above the rest of the QBs, and after that, it’s a mish-mash at the position.
Lamar Jackson, enough said 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/miSiDfokhR
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 28, 2022
The running back position has been the biggest headache for most fantasy managers to start the season. Lions back-up RB Jamaal Williams is currently RB7, while many first-round RBs have struggled to start the season. RB Saquon Barkley is RB1 and is looking like the stud that many people thought he’d be coming out of Penn State.
One of the biggest surprises from Week 3 was that the (3-0) Miami Dolphins upset their division rival (2-1) Buffalo Bills 21-19. The Colts, Bengals and Titans all got wins to keep their team from falling to 0-3. The Raiders are surprisingly the first team to lose three games in the 2022 season.
Starting your fantasy football season 0-3
pic.twitter.com/SVyy4XuyaM— Fantasy Life (@MBFantasyLife) September 25, 2022
Notable Week 3 Injuries
Bears’ RB David Montgomery (knee/ankle) left the game in the first quarter and did not return. He is questionable for Week 4.
Cardinals' WR A.J. Green is out indefinitely after suffering a knee injury vs. the Rams.
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (shoulder) was ruled out against the Lions in the fourth quarter. The Vikings are hopeful he can wear a harness and suit up this week.
Patriots’ QB Mac Jones left the game against Baltimore late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. He is expected to miss multiple games due to a high-ankle sprain.
Saints’ WRs Jarvis Landry (ankle) and Michael Thomas(foot) left the game and did not return. Both sat out of practice Wednesday and are questionable for Week 4.
Lions’ RB D’Andre Swift (shoulder/ankle) did not practice on Wednesday after suffering a shoulder injury in the Week 3 loss to the Vikings. He is doubtful for Week 4.
Players Trending Down
Broncos QB Russell Wilson @ Raiders: Start
Russell Wilson and the Broncos' offense have been out of sync to start the season after the Broncos decided to sit their starters in the preseason. The Broncos have not scored more than 16 points in a game, which has made every player on their team tough to trust in fantasy. The Broncos are heading to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders, who have given up the six most passing yards. Wilson has averaged ten fantasy points over the last two weeks, which is horrible at the QB position. I do not think it’s time to bench Wilson quite yet. If he has another horrible week, then it will be time to bench him in Week 5 against the Colts.
"They should've paid that punter $235 million instead of Russell [Wilson]." @EliManning went there 😅 pic.twitter.com/ridC2MdRji
— ESPN (@espn) September 27, 2022
Cardinals RB James Conner @ Panthers: Sit
James Conner has yet to top 40 rushing yards in a game and has one TD. His 57 total yards in Week 3 are the most he's put up in a game in 2022. He is not making plays with the ball in his hands for a Cardinals offense that is severely struggling. There is a chance the Cardinals and Conner both rebound this week against a Carolina defense that’s giving up 116 rushing yards and 1.33 TDs per game to opposing RBs. That being said, Carolina has faced three of the best backs in the league so far (Chubb, Barkley and Kamara) and will most likely bring their averages down against Conner.
Panthers WR D.J. Moore VS Cardinals: Sit
There were high hopes that Baker Mayfield would be the upgrade at the QB position that D.J. Moore desperately needed. Mayfield has been horrible thus far, and so has the Panthers' offense. Moore has more than enough talent to produce big numbers, but he has received exactly six targets in each game which he has turned into a 7/88/1 line on the season. Moore will be hard to trust until Mayfield proves he can get him the ball consistently.
Rams WR Allen Robinson II @ 49ers: Sit
Allen Robinson II is averaging less than 30 yards per contest for the Rams and has yet to top five targets in a game. Robinson is another receiver with immense talent who is struggling to show out. The good news for fantasy managers who own Robinson is that the Rams are trying to get him involved in their offense. Robinson and QB Matthew Stafford are struggling with their chemistry which will be hard to overcome this week against the 49ers, who have given up the fourth-fewest receiving yards this season. There are plenty of WRs to replace Robinson in your lineup this week.
49ers TE George Kittle @ Rams: Sit
George Kittle suited up for his first game this season and had four catches for 28 yards in Week 3. Kittle has been dealing with a groin injury that kept him sidelined for the first two weeks. He got back in the lineup just in time for the 49ers to lose another key piece to their offense, OT Trent Williams. With Williams out, the 49ers will need to use Kittle to help block the Rams pass rush on Monday night. The banged-up 49ers have only topped ten points once this year, and they will continue to rely on the run and their defense against the defending Super Bowl champs.
Players Trending Up
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence @ Eagles: Add
Former No.1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence finally had his breakout game in a Week 3 victory over the Chargers, where he outplayed QB Justin Herbert. Lawrence completed 28-of-39 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns in the 38-10 blow-out win. The (2-1) Jaguars offense looks much improved this year under new head coach Doug Peterson. Lawrence is worth a bench spot if you do not have one of the top three QBs I mentioned in the opening paragraphs. He is not a must-start this week because he has a tough matchup against the NFC’s best team, the (3-0) Eagles, who have held opposing QBs to a 3:4 TD:INT ratio.
Bear RB Khalil Herbert @ Giants – Start
Bears RB David Montgomery left the game early in the first quarter with a knee/ankle injury, and in came Khalil Herbert to save the day. Herbert rushed 20 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears' 23-20 victory over the Texans. I have said that Herbert would take the starting job at some point this season, and this is the type of performance that should get him more touches even if Montgomery, who is day-to-day, plays this week. I do not see the Bears solely relying on Mongomery with him banged up and Herbert showing out so well. Herbert is worth a flex spot if Mongomery plays and could be a top-10 RB again if he doesn’t.
Raiders WR Mack Hollins vs. Broncos – Add
Mack Hollins caught 8-of-10 targets for 158 yards and a TD in the Raiders' Week 3 loss to the Titans. Hollins may be getting more usage with WR Hunter Renfrow sidelined, but he has played in at least 87% of the Raiders' offense snaps each week. The 6-foot-4 Hollins has become Derek Carr’s second option behind WR Davante Adams. Hollins has Carr's confidence and should continue to get looks with defenses double and sometimes triple-teaming Adams. Hollins is a tough start this week because the Raiders are taking on the Broncos defense that has given up the fewest receiving yards to WRs in the league thus far in 2022.
Week 3 PPR
— James D Koh (@JamesDKoh) September 26, 2022
WR: Justin Jefferson
WR: Tyreek Hill
RB: Aaron Jones
RB: Joe Mixon
TE: Darren Waller
Flex: DJ Moore
Combined: 29.9 points
Mack Hollins: 29.96 points
Gotta love #fantasyfootball 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Jaguars WR Zay Jones @ Eagles – Start
Zay Jones has been targeted 24 times and is the clear No. 2 WR behind Christan Kirk in Jacksonville. Jones is still available in 75% of Yahoo leagues and has the most catches on his team. The Jaguars are doing good at keeping the pocket clean for Lawrence, who is coming into his own to start this season. Jones needs to be on your roster and possibly in your flex spot this week. The Jaguars will need to put up points to keep up with the Eagles, and Jones could once again garner double-digit targets.
Jets TE Tyler Conklin @ Steelers – Add
Tyler Conklin is averaging eight targets per game and is TE4 overall after three weeks, and he is still available in 64% of Yahoo leagues. He has scored at least six fantasy points in every game so far with QB Joe Flacco under center. Things could change in New York with QB Zach Wilson set to return this week. I still think the Jets will stick with what's working, and that's throwing the ball. We will have to wait and see, but Conklin could be Wilson’s security blanket and continue his breakout season. Another reason to wait to start him is that the Steelers’ defense may dominate the Jets' offense this week.
