"You can be wrong. And right. And wrong again." - Sigmund Bloom

Therapy was a new journey for me. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew I was ready to approach openly. Like many in the Footballguys audience, the closest I had gotten were "On The Couch" sessions with Bloom. 

It may surprise many, but attempting to predict NFL player performance to win money for strangers is a stressful endeavor. People care about football (and they care about money), but they care a lot more about winning their fantasy football leagues.

From therapy, I learned that it is all about developing a toolbox for dealing with situations. I have a full-time career outside of fantasy football and three young children. I learned I needed to embrace the chaos and drop the expectation of "a quiet week."

We must drop the expectation of a quiet week in the NFL and embrace the chaos. If you're interested in finding strategies for coping with chaos, please continue to the end of this article. 

As always, thank you, Nathan Jahnke. Check out Nathan's weekly usage article on PFF.com!

And now, The Roundup.

Blind Resume

The Man wants you to believe in Big Cover 2. But multiple fantasy-relevant quarterbacks bounced back with big passing totals in Week 3. Can you place this production?

Deep Dynasty Watch List

Identifying players rostered in less than 50% of Sleeper Dynasty leagues (give or take).

• RB Emanuel Wilson, Green Bay (61% Sleeper rostered) - If you consume my content, first, thank you; second, you know I've been touting Wilson for over a month. He looked explosive against the Titans with 85 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Yesterday's price is not today's price. MarShawn Lloyd was placed on IR this week and is out at least three more games, but the tea leaves suggest the team already had Wilson ahead of him. Wilson can lock up this backup job and make Lloyd an afterthought. Expect Wilson to lead many waiver columns this week, though you grabbed him weeks ago, right?

• RB Roschon Johnson, Chicago (76% Sleeper rostered) - Johnson's most significant contribution in the Week 2 loss was taking a sideline punch from the Texans' Azeez Al-Shaair. He was more involved in Week 3. After three disastrous games, the Bears seem willing to transition work away from D'Andre Swift. Johnson, not Khalil Herbert, was the beneficiary. The backfield is unsettled, and while the early returns have been disappointing, there is enough talent overall on the team that one back can emerge as a weekly fantasy starter. Johnson is an under-the-radar grab. 

• QB Taylor Heinicke, LA Chargers (10% Sleeper rostered) - Every time Justin Herbert steps on the field for 2024, he will pick up a new injury. That's just science. Herbert was a game-time decision who played, but he left the game and, ultimately, the stadium with a walking boot. Herbert is hardly fantasy-relevant himself in this offensive scheme, and the playbook for Heinicke would likely be ultra-conservative. Still, in deep Superflex formats, every starting quarterback can potentially return value. 

• WR Calvin Austin III, Pittsburgh (31% Sleeper rostered) - Arthur Smith finally gave the second-most wide receiver targets to the fastest guy on the team instead of the guy whose dad he knows or who has played for him before. Austin III popped with four catches for 95 yards and a 55-yard touchdown that iced the game. If the Steelers lean into Austin and work Roman Wilson back into the team off of injury, there are multiple exciting young pieces here. This is a logical conclusion, so Van Jefferson and Scotty Miller will get the second most snaps in Week 4 to keep defenses on their toes. 

• RB Tyler Badie, Denver (2% Sleeper rostered)—2022 prospecting me is smiling at this one. Badie posted a 1,604 rush yard and 330 receiving yard season in his final year at Missouri before getting drafted in Round 6 by Baltimore in the 2022 draft. He was cut in the preseason and picked up by Denver, spending time on the practice squad to start his career. Badie led the Broncos in rushing attempts and yards in Week 3, but with a massive caveat that most of that production came very late in the game. He is just a speculative add, but Sean Payton has proven himself the coach willing to shake up rotations. Neither Javonte Williams nor Jaleel McLaughlin have run with their opportunity. 

• WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Denver (2% Sleeper rostered) - Humphrey played little in Week 1 and did nothing with his one target. His usage could be entirely dependent on the absence of Devaughn Vele, but over the last two weeks, he's averaged 6.5 targets, five receptions, and 43.5 yards in a watered-down version of Michael Thomas's "Slant Boi" role for Sean Payton's offense. Humphrey equaled Courtland Sutton's snaps and ran one more route than Sutton to lead all Denver wide receivers. This target tree is still developing. Humphrey needs to be monitored.

• TE Brock Wright, Detroit (3% Sleeper rostered) - Sam LaPorta has been one of the biggest disappointments in fantasy and sprained his ankle against the Cardinals. The injury allowed Wright to outsnap and out-produce LaPorta. Managers may ask themselves, "If I'm annoyed with LaPorta, why should I be interested in Wright?" The acquisition price is everything. We are annoyed with LaPorta at a TE1 ADP. If Wright, the only other tight end to play meaningful snaps, is heavily involved and can get five targets on one of the best offenses in football, he enters the weekly tight end conversation with LaPorta out. LaPorta was able to continue playing through the game, but we often see scenarios where a player can continue going, and the swelling hits after the game.

• TE Elijah Higgins, Arizona (9% Sleeper rostered) - Trey McBride left with a concussion on one of the day's biggest hits. Higgins is a must-roster if McBride is out. The team likes him, and he has flashed playmaking ability as a converted receiver. This situation could mirror Isaiah Likely's strong finish to 2023 with Mark Andrews out of the lineup. 

• RB Dalvin Cook, Dallas (55% Sleeper rostered) - Look. I'm just saying. 

• QB Nick Mullens, Minnesota (11% Sleeper rostered) - Sam Darnold had a knee issue late in the game. Darnold says he will be fine. 2024 is the year of Sam Darnold. Mullens has played passable football for Kevin O'Connell before. 

• QB Tyler Huntley, Miami (31% Sleeper rostered) - Thompson left the game with a vague rib injury. Which sounds more like the product of taking multiple hits and a game the team knows is over. At 1-2 with a loss to the Bills already, the Dolphins cannot afford to let this season slip away early. Huntley has a Pro Bowl appearance on his resume. This switch could be coming.

Stats Of The Week

• 319 passing yards, three touchdowns - QB Andy Dalton, Carolina - Dalton coming off the bench in Week 3 to become the first quarterback to top 300 yards, and three touchdowns is the most 2024 stat possible. Out of nowhere, the NFC South feels like the wide-open division we expected. On tap for Week 4? It's an ultimate revenge game against the Bengals. Because the thing that makes the most sense in 2024 is nothing making sense. 

• 11 Receptions, 175 yards, three touchdowns - WR Jauan Jennings, San Francisco - Just like we all predicted, Jennings is the best receiver in fantasy football. He became the 19th player in NFL history to post an 11-175-3 day. After all the drama about the Brandon Aiyuk contract situation, Jennings quietly signing a two-year contract for $10.5 million guaranteed looks like a steal. The 49ers are paying Jennings roughly half of what Gabe Davis signed for in Jacksonville. He has performed when called upon, and nothing about his production looks fluky when the opportunity presents itself. 

• Two interceptions, four sacks - QB C.J. Stroud, Houston - Stroud's 68 passer rating was the second-worst game of his career, throwing two interceptions and taking four sacks for the first time. Brian Flores's Minnesota defense has reached "sit up and take notice" status. The Vikings lead the NFL in sacks at 15, and their five interceptions sit tied with a group behind the league-leading Packers' seven. The team is off to a surprising 3-0 start in an NFC North, one of the league's most competitive. After back-to-back performances against the 49ers and Texans, this is a fantasy defense to avoid. They make a great stash if they get dropped in your league with the bye-week approach.  

• 147 rushing yards, two touchdowns, four receptions, and nine yards - RB Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia - Barkley posted the fifth most rushing yards of his career and his most since November of 2022. He also added his sixth career two-rushing touchdown game. Two of those have come in just three weeks. So much for the Tush Push neutralizing his scoring opportunities. The Eagles have 53 games where a back has topped 100 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns; two are Barkley, who now has four in his career.

• 202 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 73 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown - QB Malik Willis, Green Bay - Willis became the third Packers quarterback to rush for 70+ yards and throw for 200+, joining Don Majkowski (1990) and Tobin Rote (four times between 1951 and 1955). Adding the passing and rushing touchdown pushes it into rare air typically reserved for fantasy elites like Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. There are 60 games in NFL history, with 33 different quarterbacks hitting the mark. Cam Newton has the most, with six career 200-1-70-1 games, with Allen and Russell Wilson holding five each. 

• 363 passing yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions - QB Caleb Williams, Chicago - Williams posted the highest yardage total by a Bears quarterback since Brian Hoyer in 2016. He broke Mitchell Trubisky's team record of 314 yards for a rookie.

• Six receptions, 112 yards, one touchdown - WR Rome Odunze, Chicago - Odunze marked his first significant arrival in the fantasy football space with the 99th 6-112-1 game in Bears history. D.J. Moore recorded three in 2023, but the last Bears rookie to hit these marks was Marty Booker in 1999. Booker was the only Bears rookie since 1981 to post that stat line. 

• 18 receptions, 205 yards, three touchdowns—WR Malik Nabers, NY Giants—Nabers became the second Giants receiver since 1970 to record an 18-205-3 line over two weeks. Odell Beckham Jr.'s rookie season in 2014 was the other. Beckham hit those numbers in overlapping weeks, posting a 43-606-7 line over a four-game stretch from Week 13 to 17. 

• Ten receptions, 170 yards - TE Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia - Goedert became the 12th tight end to post 10+ receptions and 170+ yards in a game. Travis Kelce has had two career games that hit those marks, with Shannon Sharpe being the only other player to do it twice. The Eagles have 18 double-digit catch games for tight ends, with Pete Retzlaff's 204 yards in 1965 the only game over Goedert's 170. 

Backfield Hierarchy

Splitting backfields into key categories based upon snaps and opportunities (rushes plus targets). While carries may be similar, backfields that fall into a Committee with a Lead over a straight Committee saw wide disparities in snap counts.

BELLCOWS

• Arizona (James Conner - ten touches / Emari Demercado - two touches / Trey Benson - two touches)
• Atlanta - (Bijan Robinson 18 touches / Tyler Allgeier seven touches)
• Buffalo - Monday Night - No Change (James Cook / Ray Davis / Ty Johnson)
• Green Bay (Josh Jacobs - 15 touches / Emanuel Wilson - 14 touches / Chris Brooks - three touches)
• Houston (Cam Akers - 12 touches / Dare Ogunbowale - two touches / J.J. Taylor - three touches / British Brooks - one touch)
• Indianapolis (Jonathan Taylor - 25 touches / Trey Sermon - two touches)
• Jacksonville - Monday Night - No Change (Travis Etienne Jr. / Tank Bigsby / D'Ernest Johnson)
• LA Chargers (J.K. Dobbins - 18 touches / Gus Edwards - 3 touches)
• LA Rams (Kyren Williams - 26 touches / Blake Corum - 0 touches / Ronnie Rivers - two touches)
• Miami (De'Von Achane - 16 touches / Raheem Mostert - DNP / Jeff Wilson Jr.. - three touches / Jaylen Wright - two touches)
• NY Giants (Devin Singletary - 20 touches / Tyrone Tracy Jr. - seven touches / Eric Gray - 1 touch)
• New Orleans (Alvin Kamara - 29 touches / Jamaal Williams - four  touches)
• Philadelphia (Saquon Barkley 21 touches / Kenneth Gainwell - three touches) 
• Pittsburgh (Najee Harris - 23 touches / Jaylen Warren - four touches / Cordarrelle Patterson - nine touches)
• San Francisco (Jordan Mason - 21 touches / Isaac Guerendo - five touches)
• Seattle (Zach Charbonnet - 21 touches / Kenny McIntosh - three touches)

Notes

• Detroit is an avoid-matchup, especially for backs not heavily involved in the passing game. There is little reason to be concerned about Conner; the Lions jumped out early, and the Cardinals abandoned the run game. 

• Robinson is a bellcow. Allgeier gets to touch the ball occasionally. Allgeier is a high-value handcuff only, though his involvement increased in Weeks 2 and 3 compared to Week 1. 

• The Packers may be aware of the workload Jacobs handled in Week 2. Or maybe Wilson was just running well in a game where he posted 85 scrimmage yards and scored a touchdown. Or they might have never felt threatened by the Will Levis-led Titans. We know that Wilson is the second back to hold here. Jacobs will have more significant days in an offense close to adding Jordan Love. Wilson is a priority pickup, though hopefully, he was already added as his FAAB spend will spike off this game.

• A vintage Taylor performance was a Sermon goal line vulture away from scoring three touchdowns. There is no concern with Sermon regularly vulturing opportunities. He only played five snaps, and that play was more of a timing issue after Taylor had strung together multiple plays on the drive. Anthony Richardson's lack of run production concerns fantasy managers, especially considering that the team won and the passing game was absent. The Colts have a difficult matchup with Pittsburgh in Week 4 and are very one-dimensional. 

• Although Akers dominated touches, he and Ogunbowale were nearly equal on the snap split. Akers saved his day with a touchdown but was bottled up by a Vikings defense that has dominated through three weeks. Better days are ahead for the Texans, but hopefully, they have Joe Mixon back leading the backfield in Week 4.  

• The relegation of Gus Edwards may be the most significant fantasy development of the week. Dobbins dominated touches through most of the game. Unfortunately, that did not mean much, with the Chargers gaining just 15 yards over their final 22 plays.

• Kyren Williams is still a Bellcow, and the water is still wet. If you bought Williams at a discount this offseason, you did well. It was a vintage performance from Williams in a season-saving comeback win for the Rams.  

• When Matt LaFleur can make Malik Willis an NFL difference-maker, the "offensive genius" label for Mike McDaniel is officially on notice. Maybe Seattle is just excellent on defense.  

• Tracy Jr. is starting to creep up, approaching a 30% snap share, though the Giants' backfield is still firmly Singletary's. Singletary played very well, topping 100 scrimmage yards on the game, and wisely went down at the one-yard line on a 43-yard breakaway run to ice the game. Singeltary is on pace for a 1,116-11-51-329 season. Those would be career highs across the board.  

• We are all in if a half PPR 14.2 is a floor game for Kamara. Kamara is still elite, and fantasy managers should be thrilled. 

• Barkley took every running back rush. It turns out that once a solid supporting cast surrounded him, he was still pretty good at football. Will Shipley was a buzzy rookie pick but did not play a snap for the second straight week. In deeper redraft formats, he is a drop consideration. 

• Arthur Smith is becoming self-aware. With a dynamic dual-threat quarterback like Justin Fields, the need for a change-of-pace passing back diminishes. Harris dominated opportunities and played nearly 60% of the snaps. Warren and Patterson were even at a 34% snap share with Warren leaving the game in the second half due to a knee injury. We hope the situation is minor. To be fair to Smith, he is learning new personnel, and the switch to Fields came just before the season. But on a fundamental football level, Fields should be complimented with a back capable of bruising the middle of defenses as his speed stresses the edge. The Steelers are playing excellent football, and Harris is sixth in the league in attempts. The damn will break, and the touchdowns will come; everything else about his usage puts him in RB1 territory. 

• Mason showed the differences in the floor between himself and Christian McCaffrey. He failed to score for the first time in 2024 and posted a rather pedestrian 10.8 PPR points. McCaffrey is still on IR for at least two more games, and there is no reason to believe that Mason's Bellcow usage will end. Better days ahead. 

• I apologize for calling Zach Charbonnet "Fancy A.J. Dillon" on the weekly Friday show with Dave Kluge. 

COMMITTEE WITH A LEAD

• Carolina (Chuba Hubbard - 26 touches / Miles Sanders - nine touches)
• Cincinnati - Monday Night - No Change (Zack Moss / Chase Brown)
• Cleveland (Jerome Ford - 14 touches / D'Onta Foreman - two touches)
• Denver (Javonte Williams - nine touches / Jaleel McLaughlin - six touches / Tyler Badie - nine touches )
• Minnesota (Aaron Jones - 25 touches / Ty Chandler - seven touches)
• New England (Rhamondre Stevenson - six touches / Antonio Gibson - eight touches / JaMycal Hasty - one touch)
• NY Jets (Breece Hall - 21 touches / Braelon Allen - 14 touches / Isaiah Davis - three touches)
• Tennessee (Tony Pollard - ten touches / Tyjae Spears - six touches)
• Washington - Monday Night - No Change (Brian Robinson Jr/ Austin Ekeler)

Notes

• We all need Andy Dalton in our lives. Hubbard looked great with a quarterback able to stretch the field over three yards. Jonathan Brooks has been called the biggest winner in Week 3, given the life Dalton has breathed into the franchise, but why are you benching a guy who can put up 169 scrimmage yards?

• Foreman saw nearly twice as many touches as Ford in Week 2, so naturally, the ratio was 14 to 2 in Week 3 for Ford. With the Browns backfield, we know we will get a largely inefficient game from Ford with hope for one big play, some catches, or at least a touchdown. Managed leagues cannot trust Foreman. He is barely a what-the-heck flex at this point. Does anyone have any news on Nick Chubb? Please?

• Tyler Badie was the most productive Denver back, but all came late. Williams still outpaced McLaughlin in snaps, though the touches were closer, and McLaughlin got a touchdown. The Broncos won and feel much better today, but this backfield is shaky. 

• Aaron Jones said he was motivated coming into the season and has shown it through three games. This backfield is teetering toward Bellcow territory, as Jones is notably better than Chandler. RB20 ADP looks like a steal for Jones, while Chandler is a desperation-only play. 

• For the second straight game, Gibson was more dynamic with the ball than Stevenson. Stevenson fumbled for the third consecutive game and left the game with a finger injury, though the outcome was not in doubt. We are not close to Gibson passing Stevenson. We are nearer to an even split than their usage in Week 1 showed. The Patriots have one way to win football games, and that Week 1 game showed the blueprint. With an angry 49ers on tap, Gibson outgaining Stevenson for the third straight week should surprise no one.

• Social media has assured me that I did not watch football if I think the Jets have a split backfield. I definitely did not watch Allen look like a Top 5 running back talent in the NFL on Thursday night against the Patriots. The Patriots were a "get right" game for the Jets offense. Aaron Rodgers looked like himself. Tyler Conklin, Allen Lazard, and Mike Williams were involved. Hall still dominated snaps, taking 71% to Allen's 32%, but the Jets were purposeful with Allen's usage. Allen is a what-the-heck flex consideration that becomes an RB1 if Hall misses time. 

• Week 3 was a disappointing game for the Titans' running backs. This has established itself as a 60/40 split. Pollard averaged 98 scrimmage yards through the first two weeks, and a 29-yard game was floor production. Managers should still feel good about a preseason RB27 ADP. Spears is still more of a handcuff who could score in any week. Spears managers should not click that link. 

TRUE COMMITTEES

• Baltimore ( Derrick Henry - 26 touches / Justice Hill - seven touches)
• Chicago (D'Andre Swift - 15 touches / Roschon Johnson - 13 touches / Khalil Herbert - 4 touches)
• Dallas (Ezekiel Elliott - five touches / Rico Dowdle - 12 touches / Deuce Vaughn - four touches) 
• Detroit (David Montgomery - 26 touches / Jahmyr Gibbs - 16 touches)
• Kansas City (Samaje Perine - ten touches / Carson Steele - 19 touches)
• Las Vegas (Zamir White - ten touches / Alexander Mattison - six touches / Ameer Abdullah - two touches)
• Tampa Bay (Rachaad White - six touches / Bucky Irving - 12 touches)

Notes

• I lied last week. This game is your last sell window on Henry. Since John Harbaugh said they did not bring Henry in to be "Derrick Henry," they have asked Henry to be "Derrick Henry."  Henry's 56 rushes are the fifth most in the league, and his 281 rush yards are the fifth most. The Ravens are comfortable leaning on Henry to close out games they are leading and are good enough to lead plenty of games, but like the Raiders in Week 2, the Cowboys were able to stage a comeback late. Unlike the Raiders, they fell short. You cannot criticize anything about this win for Baltimore, though you would like to see the Ravens keep their foot down a bit more given these two weeks. 

• At least the Bears showed a willingness to stop continually running Swift into the backs of his offensive line. Through three weeks, Swift has been one of the most brutally inefficient players in the NFL. Since 1970, there have been 16 instances of at least 37 rushes and less than 68 yards over a three-game span. Jonathan Stewart was the last in 2017. Johnson was the beneficiary of trying something different, not the presumed handcuff Herbert. The assumption at this point is that the team sees Herbert as being too limited in the passing game to move out of a support role. 

• The Cowboys have the least useful backfield in fantasy football. Who could have foreseen a player we thought was washed in Elliott and a 26-year-old career backup in Dowdle struggling? At 1-2 and with a divisional game against the Giants on a short week looming, how long until the team seeks change?  Laugh if you want, but Dalvin Cook needs to be added to many fantasy leagues. 

• Gibbs did not draw a target, which was a strange development, though he still scored and topped 100 scrimmage yards. Montgomery also topped 100 scrimmage yards and scored. Fantasy managers should remain happy with both players. 

• The Chiefs answered Week 3's most significant question in fantasy football, with Steele playing 63% of the snaps and taking 65% of the running back touches. The team looked comfortable with Steele in the passing game, with the 60/40 ratio holding to routes run between the two backs. Kareem Hunt is still lurking, but the Sunday night broadcast gushed about Andy Reid's love of Steele as a player, and Steele gave little reason to think he needs to be scaled back. 

• In his Week 2 postgame victory press conference, Antonio Pierce made a point that the team was happy with the win but still wanted White to touch the ball 20 times. So, of course, White played the fewest snaps of any back. Pierce was distraught with players making "business decisions" following this loss. The implication on social media was that Davante Adams was the target of his ire. To be fair, Aaron Rodgers looked like he was having a lot of fun on Thursday night, and Adams's coach celebrated his Week 2 win by saying, "We don't want to give him the ball." Jets - Adams watch is very close to officially being on. 

• The panic meter should be an 11 for White. He still held a 42 to 18 snap edge on Irving, but the touches swung hard toward Irving, and outside of one nine-yard rush, White gained eight yards on five carries. White was never efficient, but in a backfield, he shared with Chase Edmunds, there was little reason to move away from him in 2023. Irving shows that the excuse the team struggles to block is invalid. The fantasy landscape will be full of panic for White following this game, meaning the chance to get value for him is probably gone. But he cannot be started in Week 4 lineups unless players are desperate. 

The Target Report

• Week 3 is the Patriots passing scheme I expected, with Douglas getting hyper-targeted as the slot in Alex Van Pelt's offense and an otherwise messy target group. New England is not a passing game to invest in, but if Douglas can stack these performances, there is PPR utility. Of course, this comes after he did not see a target in Week 2. I do not think the Patriots know what they want to do, so I am not sure it is worth our time speculating. Watch to see if Douglas can do this again in Week 4.

• Wilson saw nine targets, a 27% target share, and scored a touchdown. Share all the Allen Lazard stats you want, and 15-150-1 is not what we were hoping with a first-round ADP, but everything is still here to believe big weeks are coming. 

• Cooper is why you trust targets and talented players to right themselves eventually. After just five catches and 27 yards on 17 targets through the first two games, Cooper arrived for 2024. Cooper recorded his ninth career two-touchdown game; four have been with the Browns. He dominated opportunities but picked up an injury to monitor late. 

• It's funny how Daniel Jones picked up a legitimate number-one wide receiver and now looks like a competent NFL quarterback again—especially considering what the Vikings have done to Brock Purdy and C.J. Stroud in the two weeks following the Week 1 onslaught on Jones. 

• Someone in a league I play in dropped Christian Watson last week. Do not drop Christian Watson. Love will likely be back in Week 4, though the team has to be thrilled with the late camp move to add Willis. 

• He's ALIVE! After a quiet first two weeks, Hopkins returned with his most yardage since Week 14 of 2023. He scored in vintage fashion, outmuscling a defensive back at the goal line. The unfortunate tradeoff was a dud by Ridley, who saw plenty of star corner Jaire Alexander. If Levis is going to throw the ball 34 times, one would hope more than 29% of those passes would go to Hopkins and Ridley. 

• The Bears' offense struggled, but Caleb Williams targeted his best players while posting 363 passing yards. Kmet and Odunze showed significant proof of life, while Moore was a half-yard away from joining them with touchdown catches. The Bears lost, and the Colts are a plus matchup, but managers have to feel at least some life in this offense for the first time since the last episode of Hard Knocks. 

• Michael Pittman Jr. continued his quest to show the irrelevance of looking solely at ratios and not considering volume—dominant target share, though. 

• When a team shows you know who they are, believe them. Tank Dell is capable of posting a spike week any week. However, he is clearly behind Collins and Diggs in priority, playing around 15% fewer snaps, and the target shares displayed in Week 3 have been consistent. Diggs and Collins can have regular WR1 weeks on volume alone, while Dell is touchdown-dependent until something changes. 

• Calling Nailor fool's gold is not fair. He scored in each of the first three games, Sam Darnold played great, and Nailor played every snap. We know Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson will be back at some point. He is a sell, but everyone will call him a sell, which destroys that market. Play him if you are desperate and hope the touchdown luck continues, but his 2.3 catches and 35 yards per game reveal more about the type of player he is than his current WR2 status as receiver 22 overall. 

• Jalen Hurts is going to throw the ball to his best players. With A.J. Brown out of the lineup, Goedert stepped up while Smith was headed for a big game before one of the worst cheap shots the league has seen. Suspend Khristian Boyd. Hopefully, both Brown and Smith will be back in the lineup soon. 

• Shaheed is still excellent, but given his nature on the field, he will boom/bust. He dropped/lost a battle with Quinyon Mitchell on a deep touchdown that would have saved his week. This is just the reality of this type of player. 

• Bo Nix's confidence is growing, and he looks much better downfield than his disastrous Week 1 performance. Sutton draws a tough matchup against Sauce Gardner in Week 4, but his usage suggests a breakout is just around the corner.  

• Godwin is fantasy football WR3 overall, while Mike Evans is WR30. Liam Coen did not lie when he said Godwin was in the "Cooper Kupp" role. On a day Baker Mayfield returned to earth a bit, Godwin continued to establish himself as the piece players want in this offense.  Evans feels very shaky week-to-week. 

• The London breakout is percolating. For the first time in his career, London recorded back-to-back games with six-plus receptions, 54+ yards, and scoring in both. The receptions put him on pace to top 100 for the season. He has been the fantasy WR11 over the last two weeks. 

• Travis Kelce has handed off the baton; the Chiefs' offense belongs to Rashee Rice. Rice is WR4 on the season and has the ceiling to finish as the overall fantasy WR1. Kelce shifts to a touchdown-dependent play, with a great chance to score every week with Patrick Mahomes II, but the offense is seeking Rice on nearly every play, with the other pieces complimenting him. At 3-0, there is little reason to expect these trends to change dramatically. 

• Dan Campbell gives excellent press conferences. In May, he gave a quote that got lost in the shuffle: the depth of talent will lead to different players having big games. Brock Wright's name was included with all the other stars. The team wanted to get back to basics in a game they controlled, recording a win after they lost Week 2. LaPorta and Williams can have big games every week. Brock Wright is going to play. 

• Kyler Murray made it his job to get the ball to Marvin Harrison Jr., with 11 targets in a trailing game script. Wilson was also heavily involved, with Greg Dortch coming in dinged up. McBride's concussion situation needs to be monitored, but Wilson can deliver if required. 

• The answer to the question, "What Rams receiver do you want with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua out?" is still probably "none." Atwell led in targets and yards, with a 50-yard reception very late in the game, making his day. Demarcus Robinson played the most snaps and ran the most routes while recording the fewest catches. Jordan Whittington and Tyler Johnson played as well. All but Atwell were under six full PPR points. 

• We are in the part of the schedule where the Cowboys decide not to use CeeDee Lamb. That led to a spike game for Ferguson. It's good to see Ferguson healthy and productive after missing Week 2.

• Johnson remembered how to play football! The most predictable outcome was posting a career-high 122 yards with Dalton at quarterback. If you bought before Week 3, you deserve your flowers. It may still be a buy-low opportunity. 

The Landmine Lineup

We often focus on "Spike Weeks" in fantasy football. Explosive 30+ point per game performances that win weeks almost single-handedly. Dud lineups that ruin your week are the opposite end of that spectrum. Every week, I will highlight the hypothetical Landmine Lineup. If you have started this lineup, message me, and I will feature your misfortune, and we will find a way to brighten your week!

• QB: Anthony Richardson - 7.1 points
• RB: Zamir White - 3.4 points
• RB: James Conner - 3.5 points
• WR: Rashid Shaheed - 0 points
• WR: Jameson Williams - 1.2 points
• WR: Calvin Ridley - 1.9 points
• Flex: Mike Evans - 3.7 points
• TE:  Mark Andrews  - 0 points

Early breakouts come crashing back to earth. Conner was RB8, Williams was WR7, and Shaheed was WR9 entering the week. Not anymore. This group combined for 20.8 full PPR points. 

Players who beat it: Jauan Jennings, Rashee Rice, Malik Nabers, Amari Cooper, Diontae Johnson, Rome Odunze, Tre Tucker, Jakobi Meyers, Saquon Barkley, Kyren Williams, Derrick Henry, Chuba Hubbard, Jonathan Taylor, Aaron Jones, Zach Charbonnet, David Montgomery, Dak Prescott, Lamar Jackson, Malik Willis, Brock Purdy, Andy Dalton, Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers. 

If you started this lineup, send me a message at bell@footballguys.com!

Revenge! (Not sponsored by Immaculate Grid, but it could be!)

Week 3

• QB Malik Willis, Green Bay vs. Tennessee - Won 30-14, 13-19, 202 yards, one touchdown, six rushes, 73 yards, one touchdown.
• RB Cam Akers, Houston vs. Minnesota - Lost 34-7, 9 rushes, 21 yards, one reception, eight yards, one touchdown.
• WR Stefon Diggs, Houston vs. Minnesota - Lost 34-7, ten catches, 94 yards
• WR Gabriel Davis, Jacksonville vs. Buffalo - Monday
• RB Ameer Abdullah, Las Vegas vs. Carolina - Lost 36-22, two catches, 13 yards

Week 4

• RB Aaron Jones, Minnesota vs. Green Bay
• WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland vs. Las Vegas
• QB Andy Dalton, Carolina vs. Cincinnati
• TE Jonnu Smith, Miami vs. Tennessee
• TE Zach Ertz, Washington vs. Arizona
• RB Dare Ogunbowale, Houston vs. Jacksonville
• WR Kendrick Bourne, New England vs. San Francisco
• TE Gerald Everett, Chicago vs. LA Rams
• QB Zach Wilson, Denver vs. NY Jets
• RB JaMycal Hasty, New England vs. San Francisco

Prospects Of The Week

QB Carson Beck, Georgia
QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama

#1 Georgia vs. #4 Alabama, 7:30, ABC

Georgia. Alabama. This game is big. The two powerhouse programs have played six times since 2018, but this will be the second time since 2015 that a "Championship," be it SEC or National Championship, will not be attached. 

Quarterbacks Beck and Milroe met in the 2023 SEC championship game. The Tide pulled an upset that ended the Bulldogs' bid for three straight national championships. Beck posted a 21/29 for 243 line, while Milroe was 13/23 for 192, two touchdowns, and 29 rushing yards. 

Beck has the higher draft stock, while Milroe has the head-to-head success. The winner of this game will have an advantage in the Heisman odds, where Milroe is third at +750, and Beck is seventh at +1,500. 

College football is changing, and Nick Saban's specter against his former protege, Kirby Smart, no longer hovers over this matchup. The loser also no longer stands the risk of sitting one slip-up away from playoff elimination with the 12-team field. But any time these two blue bloods square off, it is appointment television, and a quiet college football September will end with a bang. 

Blind Resume Answer

The Ravens' passing defense is firmly in "play your guys against them" mode after Gardner Minshew II carved them up in Week 2. Prescott posted his highest yardage total since Week 10 of 2023. We all already know it's Andy Dalton's world. The good news for the Raiders is they will not have to see the Panthers again for years. Hurts posted his most yards since Week 8 of 2023 as the Eagles bounced back after their Monday night surprise loss to Atlanta. Meanwhile, Caleb Williams broke a Bears franchise record. The next time someone uses "stats" to tell you passing is down, merely let them know it was only a result of Dalton not playing. 

Footballguys' Content Spotlight

Dan Hindery's Dynasty Trade Value Chart is appointment reading. Monthly, Dan looks at the dynasty landscape, highlights significant movement, and charts the values of all relevant players. He is an elite fantasy player who displays his content diversity, working through multiple DFS slates weekly while contributing to redraft strategy content. He also makes some excellent fantasy football tools. Reading Dan will make you better at fantasy football.  

Deep Players To Watch On Monday Night Football

TE Brenton Strange, Jacksonville

Is the future now? Evan Engram was a surprise scratch before Week 2. He injured his hamstring in pregame warmups and will now miss his second week. The absence allowed Strange to play 68% of snaps (matching Engram's Week 1 work) and record career highs with three catches and 65 yards. 

Strange had a quiet rookie season after going in Round 2 of the 2023 draft, catching five passes for 35 yards total. The raw tools there made him a second-round pick. He posted a 9.09 out of 10 Relative Athletic Score, running a 4.7 40 and scoring well in the explosion categories with a 36-inch vertical.

Most telling, his quarterback Trevor Lawrence had positives about him coming out of the game:  "So, you're missing a big piece of your offense, but great teams figure out a way to next-man-up, to step up and make the plays, which Brenton did a great job of that. I was proud of the way he responded. I'm not surprised. He's been working in the dark for a while and finally had an opportunity. It's unfortunate how it comes about with Evan getting dinged before the game, but either way, he stepped up and made the plays when his number was called, and had a lot of trust in him. Nothing dropped off as far as my trust in that position. If he's the guy that's open, I'm going to get it to him, I'm, and I'm going to trust him to win his one-on-ones, all those things, and you saw him do that in the game."

Engram picked up an "injury-prone" rep early in his career, missing chunks of his second and third seasons, but over his last four, he has played 67 of a possible 69 games. But the three-year, $41 million contract he signed with the Jaguars after playing on a one-year "prove it" deal was built with a balloon on the third year, increasing his cap hit from $7 million to $19 million. The Jaguars can release him and save $15.75 million off their 2025 cap. 

These are the situations to target in deep keeper leagues and Dynasty formats. The position's value is proven in this offense, with Engram finishing as the overall TE2 in PPR formats in 2023. Strange has earned his quarterback's trust. And Engram's 2025 contract requires action. A big performance in an island game will have many catching on. 

Coping Strategies

1. Everyone is dealing with injuries. Everyone. You may have led off the Footballguys staff league with Christian McCaffrey, Cooper Kupp, and Deebo Samuel Sr.. You may have posted the highest score in Week 1, correctly grabbing Jordan Mason as your McCaffrey handcuff to the Monday night short switch. But it is not your fault that your entire team is now hurt. You are starting four Buffalo Bills, and Joey Wright will beat you, so you will probably get relegated out of the league. 

2. It is tough to have impostor syndrome when you are working hard. "An idle mind is a devil's workshop."—someone who paraphrased a Bible verse on the internet. Recognizing things you are thankful for, like that one moment when it seemed like your call on Isaiah Likely was a brilliant cheat code, helps you not focus on how you faded Jauan Jennings even though you really like Jauan Jennings. 

3.  Tell it to a grown-up out loud. Social media got me down once—only once—ever. My wife's reaction: "People are being mean to you on the internet?" I've been chronically online since AOL discs. The idea I should be upset because someone is attempting to push their pain off onto me because I thought the Buccaneers would not lose a 1:00 pm home game against Denver coming east gets comical fast with that perspective.

4. Remember your why. But remember yourself. It is so easy to fall down the fantasy football rabbit hole. It is an escape. We are all struggling with something in life. Well, everyone but Andy Dalton. He's got it good. The dopamine hits of gaining traction on social media are real. But as Matt Harmon once said, "Turn the phone off, and everything goes away." Turn the phone off. Look around. Ask yourself, "Where do you go when you need to escape the escape?" We are all blessed to be able to spend our lives pursuing a passion we love at any level, whether it is content creators or people who simply love the game. There is always a reason you started anything. 

5. Take a moment to think about something you are grateful for. Be kind to yourself. Give grace freely. These are all habits. We develop poor habits because we reinforce behavior, and positive habits are created similarly. 

6. Develop systems. Football weeks feel like Groundhog Day. Rinse and repeat, over and over. This routine is an opportunity to create systems. Systems breed efficiency. 

7. Define your happiness. Overwhelmingly, the happiest people in life decide what their joy looks like. This idea can seem ridiculous when dealing with health or financial issues. I mean, this is all ridiculous. This is a fantasy football article where I am rambling about mental health. Sorry, Joe. 

8. Create. When I started creating content, I wrote the weirdest things. I once wrote a poem about quarterbacks. Exploring ideas to completion allows you to break outside of your box. It makes you better. 

9. Embrace the journey. NFL Week 3 was a journey. That is the actual point of this article. I should have put that first. We can and will focus on things that went wrong. But embracing the path to get to the end is what life is about.

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