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FFL: Week 3 | NFL: Week 3

Studs and Duds: Divisional Round

Mon Jan 22 9:38am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

Kelce comes up big for Chiefs


Well, that was a lot better. The games were really good this weekend. Even the first one that ended up pretty lopsided. It was still good for the half. The rest of the games were really entertaining, though. Most of them were really back and forth, and could have gone to either team in the end. It made for some great entertainment. And the fantasy numbers weren’t too bad, either. There were some really big games this weekend. Hopefully, you were able to take advantage of some of those big games on all your playoff fantasy teams.

Ravens 34, Texans 10

Fantasy Stud: Lamar Jackson. Jackson proved why he is the front runner for MVP this year. He had a great game, going 16-of-22 for 152 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. He also led the team in rushing, hitting the 100-yard mark. Jackson ran 11 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson scored 37.6 fantasy points. He has 35-plus fantasy points three of five games

Fantasy Dud: C.J. Stroud. The Ravens did a great job of holding the impressive rookie in check. He did not score a touchdown in the game and failed to hit 200-passing yards. Stroud was 19-of-33 for 175 yards without a score or turnover. He still had a monster rookie season and is going to be one of the best fantasy quarterbacks for years to come.

Game Notes: Justice Hill had 13 carries for 66 yards, leading the Ravens in rushing for ar running back. He also caught two passes for 11 yards, finishing with 77 total yards.

Dalvin Cook made his Ravens debut and ran eight times for 23 yards. He got nearly all his work with the Ravens up big late in the game.

49ers 24, Packers 21

Fantasy Stud: Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey had his usual huge fantasy game. He ran 17 times for 98 yards and two touchdowns. He also had seven receptions for 30 yards. McCaffrey had 31.8 fantasy points. This was his fourth game this season with 30-plus fantasy points. McCaffrey just keeps posting huge numbers on a weekly basis

Fantasy Dud: Brandon Aiyuk. With Deebo Samuel sidelined much of the game, you thought Aiyuk might get a little more work. Well, that didn’t happen. Aiyuk was a disappointment to fantasy teams, catching just three passes for 32 yards. It was a down game for the star receiver.

Game Notes: Deebo Samuel injured his shoulder early in the game and was unable to return. He had two receptions for 24 yards. This is an injury to watch going forward. Samuel is a huge part of the 49ers offense.

Aaron Jones hit the 100-yard rushing mark. He had 18 carries for 108 yards. Jones finishes the season with five straight 100-yard games.

Lions 31, Bucs 23

Fantasy Stud: Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs had a big game rushing and receiving, showing his dual threat ability. He ran nine times for 74 yards and a touchdown. He also had four receptions for 40 yards, giving him 114 total yards and a score. Gibbs outproduced starter David Montgomery running the ball despite having one less carry.
  
Fantasy Dud: Chris Godwin. Godwin had one of his down games this week, catching four passes for 40 yards. He was up and down all season, so this shouldn’t be a huge surprise. Godwin still had a fine season but here is to hoping he can produce more consistent numbers next year.

Game Notes: Mike Evans had eight receptions for 147 yards and a touchdown. This was his fourth 100-yard game of the season. Evans had a huge season and shows few signs of slowing down.

Jared Goff continued his great play in the playoffs, going 30-of-43 for 287 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. He has 275-plus passing yards each of his two playoff games without a turnover.

Chiefs 27, Bills 24

Fantasy Stud: Travis Kelce. Kelce showed he can still play a big role in the playoffs. He had five receptions for 75 yards and two touchdowns. This was his first two-touchdown game of the entire season. It was the fourth time he topped 20 fantasy points in a game, though. Kelce scored 24.5 fantasy points in this one.
  
Fantasy Dud: Stefon Diggs. Diggs was held in check once again, catching three passes for just 21 yards. It was kind of the theme of the second half of his season. Diggs really disappeared down the stretch, causing some concern for next season.

Game Notes: Josh Allen was huge in defeat, especially as a runner. He ran 12 times for 72 yards and two touchdowns. He also was 26-of-39 for 186 yards and a touchdown.

Isiah Pacheco had a solid game, rushing 15 times for 97 yards and a touchdown. He had a catch for 14 yards, giving him 111 total yards.

Jeff Paur is a two-time finalist for FSWA Fantasy Football Writer of the Year and won the FSWA award for Best Fantasy Football Article on the Web in 2011. He also was the most accurate expert in 2012, winning the FSTA Fantasy Football Accuracy Award. If you have any questions for Jeff, email him at jeff@rtsports.com. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffpaur.

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Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 3

Player Notes
Tre Tucker Sep 23 11:00am ET
Tre Tucker

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker logged the biggest game of his career and led the team in receiving yards. Tucker caught seven of nine targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. He was involved early, catching a deep shot from QB Gardner Minshew II for 54 yards in the first quarter. Tucker has been an intriguing deep threat and could be on the path to fantasy relevance in deeper leagues. The 23-year-old still has to compete with wide receivers Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and tight end Brock Bowers for targets, but the Raiders would be well served to get him more involved. Tucker has ridiculous speed, brings a vertical element to the offense, and flashes big-play ability in his rookie season. While Tucker isn't startable outside of deep leagues, he could be worth a bench stash and will look to build on Sunday's performance in the Week 4 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

From RotoBaller

Davante Adams Sep 23 10:50am ET
Davante Adams

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams followed up his massive game in Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens with an absolute dud against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. Adams was targeted nine times by QB Gardner Minshew II but caught only four passes for 40 yards and no touchdowns. That's an excellent target volume, but Adams could put up some duds without better quarterback play. After three straight seasons of dominance, Adams could be headed for another year similar to 2023, marked equally by big games as it is by inconsistency. Minshew Mania might not be much of an upgrade over backup QB Aidan O'Connell for Adams. He's still a must-start at WR in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns, but fantasy managers should be prepared for a roller coaster ride.

From RotoBaller

Brock Bowers Sep 23 10:40am ET
Brock Bowers

Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers had his least productive game of the 2024 season, being targeted just four times and catching three passes for 41 yards in Sunday's 36-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers. It was a negative game script for Bowers. The wide receivers were much more involved in the passing game, likely due to the score getting out of hand quickly. The Raiders were losing 21-7 at the half, and Bowers hasn't been a serious deep threat yet. In closer games, he's likely to have games more like his Week 1 and 2 efforts, where he logged more targets, receptions, and yards. Bowers is still a must-start. He's a rare bright spot in a dismal tight end landscape and still leads the position group in receptions while being second in yards. The Raiders face the Browns, Broncos, and Steelers in their next three games, which should be closer so Bowers could quickly rebound.

From RotoBaller

Gardner Minshew II Sep 23 10:30am ET
Gardner Minshew II

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew II struggled to be a difference-maker for his team in Sunday's 36-22 loss to the Panthers. He completed 18 of 28 passes for 214 yards with a touchdown and an interception in Sunday's defeat. Minshew didn't throw a touchdown pass until the Raiders were down by 26 points. Though the soft Panthers defense presented an opportunity for Minshew Mania to come through again, it just wasn't his day. He was completely outplayed by opposing QB Andy Dalton. Minshew's magic seemed to run out while the Red Rifle was locked, loaded and fired everywhere in what was supposed to be an easy game against a floundering team with a lousy defense. The Raiders were embarrassed, and their signal-caller threw an interception during his comeback attempt and was eventually replaced by QB Aidan O'Connell. Minshew will remain unstartable in single quarterback leagues moving forward. While O'Connell finished the game, Minshew is expected to start in the Week 4 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

From RotoBaller

Brock Wright Sep 23 10:00am ET
Brock Wright

Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright saw some added opportunities on Sunday after his counterpart Sam LaPorta (ankle) suffered an ankle injury. During the Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Wright saw the second-most targets with five and posted four receptions for 34 yards. LaPorta was able to return in this game but was noticeably affected by the injury. If LaPorta isn't able to fully recover by the Week 4 slate against the Seattle Seahawks, Wright would be the next in line to get starter's opportunities. He doesn't hold nearly the same potential as LaPorta but could be in line for a spot start. Despite not scoring a touchdown, Wright registered a TE12 finish in half-PPR formats before the Monday Night Football games.

From RotoBaller

Jameson Williams Sep 23 9:30am ET
Jameson Williams

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams posted his worst performance of the young season as he wasn't nearly as involved in the Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals as he was in the first two games. The former 12th-overall pick only saw three targets and one carry which turned into one reception for nine yards and a loss of seven yards on the ground. The ground game was a much bigger focus in this game as they handed the ball off 43 times compared to 23 passing attempts. Detroit was also in the lead for much of this game, so the receivers weren't getting involved as much in general. Williams will look ahead to a primetime matchup against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Jared Goff Sep 23 9:20am ET
Jared Goff

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff hasn't had the greatest start to the season as he continues to hover around the QB2 territory each week. He did, however, lead the Lions to their second win of the season behind 199 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception on 18-for-23 throwing. He also took two sacks on top of three carries for six yards. Right now, Goff has thrown one more interception than touchdowns (4-to-3), and he's averaging 241 yards per game. Detroit's offense has been split almost perfectly down the middle so far as they've had a total of 101 rushing attempts compared to 107 passing attempts. Goff saw a lot of touchdowns come from red zone targets to Sam LaPorta, but there haven't been many of those to start the year. Goff will look to post a big-time performance in a primetime game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Darius Slayton Sep 23 9:10am ET
Darius Slayton

New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton (thumb) was forced to leave Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns with a thumb injury but was able to return later on. He underwent some X-rays after the game and they came back negative for any fractures. He finished the game with one reception for seven yards on two targets. Through three games so far, Slayton has accrued 10 targets, seven receptions, and 66 yards with one fumble. He's tied for third on the team in terms of targets with running back Devin Singletary and has significantly fewer targets than both Wan'Dale Robinson and Malik Nabers. The Giants offense is one of the harder units to trust in fantasy, outside of Nabers, even in deeper leagues.

From RotoBaller

Andy Dalton Sep 23 9:08am ET
Andy Dalton

Dynasty | Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton completed 26-of-37 passes for 319 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions in Carolina's win over the RaIders. Dynasty Analysis: Oh boy. In just one start, Dalton had more yards, three more touchdowns and three fewer interceptions than Bryce Young had in his first two starts of the year combined. While Carolina may be excited to win this game, it also could have solidified the worst - the problem clearly was Young at the helm. With Dalton making this team more than competitive for at least one week, it's clear we won't see Young next week and may not for a while. Young's dynasty arrow is going to go down even further after this.

Diontae Johnson Sep 23 9:08am ET
Diontae Johnson

Dynasty | Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson had eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown in Carolina's win against the Raiders. Dynasty Analysis: Andy Dalton ignited the Panthers offense and nobody benefited more than Johnson, who posted a whopping 14 targets on the day. It was a much-needed breakout for Johnson, who was nearly invisible the first two weeks of the season. While we need to see more from Dalton moving forward, Johnson will clearly be in the mix for lineups moving forward.

Jauan Jennings Sep 23 9:08am ET
Jauan Jennings

Dynasty | 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings had 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns in San Francisco's loss to the Rams. Dynasty Analysis: The 49ers can point a lot of fingers as to who to blame for this one, but Jennings clearly did his part. After a couple of solid outings to start the season (he had seven catches for 101 yards in the first two games), Jennings just went nuclear in this one. It's going to be tough to recommend him in lineups with Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk still entrenched as the top two options. However, Jennings has real promise and has now solidified his spot on dynasty rosters permanently.

Kyren Williams Sep 23 9:08am ET
Kyren Williams

Dynasty | Rams running back Kyren Williams had 89 rushing yards, twol catches, 27 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a surprising win against the 49ers. Dynasty Analysis: Williams looked like the 2023 version of himself in this one, consistently churning out tough yards and finding his way into the end zone every chance he had. It's clear the Rams are going to use him as their workhorse with the likes of Ronnie Rivers and Blake Corum simply serving as emergency options moving forward. It's a big development in dynasty leagues as Williams again looks like a solid RB1.

Adonai Mitchell Sep 23 9:07am ET
Adonai Mitchell

Dynasty | Colts wide receiver Adonai Mitchell was held catchless in a win against the Bears. Dynasty Analysis: Mitchell has just two catches for 32 yards on the season as Anthony Richardson continues to struggle. This is a big-time buzzkill for a rookie many were hoping would break out early. While all hope is not lost (not even close), Mitchell is currently going to need to stay on dynasty benches for the foreseeable future. If you believe in Richardson, he could also be a decent buy-low at the moment.

Sam Darnold Sep 23 9:03am ET
Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold (knee) will have an MRI after he suffered a knee injury during the game Sunday, Sept. 22. 'It's good, and that's as much as I'm gonna say about that,' Darnold said.

Fantasy Spin: Darnold took a low hit from former Vikings EDGE Danielle Hunter and only missed one play. He's the QB3 in fantasy right now so stay tuned. Nick Mullens is the Vikings' backup.

From TheHuddle

Miles Sanders Sep 23 9:00am ET
Miles Sanders

Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders received very limited work in the team's first win of the season, but he did find the end zone. The veteran back received seven carries and two targets which he turned into 17 yards and a touchdown on the ground, and 13 yards through the air. This was Sanders' second touchdown since putting on a Panthers uniform. His only score last season came in Week 3 as well. The touchdown turned a dreadful fantasy week into an okay one. Still, he's not likely to see increased opportunities especially after Chuba Hubbard turned in a big performance with 169 total yards and a touchdown of his own. Sanders isn't much more than a depth option moving forward, especially when Jonathon Brooks returns to the field.

From RotoBaller

Colby Parkinson Sep 23 9:00am ET
Colby Parkinson

Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson saw five targets and caught three passes for 21 yards in Week 3 against San Francisco. The five targets tied for a team-high in this game with Tutu Atwell. Quarterback Matthew Stafford spread the ball around in this one with Atwell, Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, and Jordan Whittington all factoring into the game plan. With Copper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) out that is to be expected. On top of that, Kyren Williams had 24 carries and was a focal point of the offense, catching the only TD pass in the game from Stafford. All of that made it tough for Parkinson to get going in this one as he was only able to catch three short passes. Until he shows more involvement in the offense, he should be off the fantasy radar, even at the relatively shallow tight-end position.

From RotoBaller

Kyren Williams Sep 23 8:50am ET
Kyren Williams

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams turned in a huge fantasy performance in Week 3's win over the San Francisco 49ers. The versatile running back rushed 24 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 27 yards and a TD. He is fantasy's RB2 on the week behind only Saquon Barkley. Williams dominated the Rams' backfield with Ronnie Rivers getting just two carries as his backup. Against a good 49ers defense, Williams turned his best game of the season and looks like a sure-fire RB1 at the moment. He should continue to dominate touches and be a focal point of the Rams' offensive game plan with Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) sidelined. His touchdown potential and involvement in the passing game make him a good bet to score in each game.

From RotoBaller

Tutu Atwell Sep 23 8:50am ET
Tutu Atwell

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell led all Rams' pass-catchers with 90 receiving yards on four catches in Week 3 against San Francisco. Atwell caught a 50-yard pass to help pad his stats in this one. He saw five targets which tied tight end Colby Parkinson for the team-high as the Rams came back to stun the 49ers. Atwell thrived as the slot receiver with Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) out. There is a lot of uncertainty with the Rams' receiving corps week-to-week as far as who will command the most targets between Atwell, Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, and Jordan Whittington. Each of the foursome saw 3-plus targets in Week 3 but it was Atwell who was able to do the most damage. The unpredictability makes it tough to rely on any of the group as a fantasy option moving forward.

From RotoBaller

Matthew Stafford Sep 23 8:40am ET
Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was 16-of-25 passing for 221 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions in leading the team to a win over the 49ers on Sunday. The veteran quarterback turned in a pretty efficient outing in helping the team to a comeback win but for fantasy purposes, his 13.84 fantasy points put him at QB18 for the week. With Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) ruled out in Week 3, the Rams not surprisingly leaned on Kyren Williams, who had 24 rushing attempts and caught Stafford's TD pass. That limited Stafford's fantasy output as Tutu Atwell led the pass-catchers with four catches for 93 yards. Until Kupp and/or Nacua return, Stafford's fantasy prospects are hazy at best. He needs one or both of those players to boost his totals and touchdown potential and put him on the fantasy radar.

From RotoBaller

JuJu Smith-Schuster Sep 23 8:20am ET
JuJu Smith-Schuster

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster has two catches for 17 yards and a touchdown in the 22-17 win against the Atlanta Falcons. Smith-Schuster was not on the field for much of the game on Sunday night, but he made the most of his opportunities. Patrick Mahomes found Smith-Schuster on a crossing route toward the end of the third quarter to extend Kansas City's lead in the game. Smith-Schuster will look to be more involved against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4. The Chargers have allowed the 13th-fewest passing yards this season, but the Chiefs offense should still be able to move the ball through the air. Smith-Schuster was not involved enough in this contest to feel confident starting him moving forward. This Chiefs wide receiver is best left on the waiver wire.

From RotoBaller