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FFL: Week 3 | NFL: Week 3

Studs and Duds: Championship Games

Mon Jan 29 8:39am ET
By JEFF PAUR
Sr Fantasy Writer

Related photo caption below

McCaffrey comes up big again


That was a fun weekend of games. Both came down to the wire, making for some great entertainment. The Chiefs/Ravens game didn’t have many big fantasy performances, though, which was a bit of a downer. Now the NFC game had a lot more offensive fireworks. That game had plenty of fantasy production, helping make up for the first one. Hopefully, you scored a lot of fantasy points this week and are looking good to win your league.

Chiefs 17, Ravens 10

Fantasy Stud: Travis Kelce. He might not have enjoyed his best regular season but Kelce is coming up huge in the playoffs. He was vintage Kelce in this one. Kelce has 11 receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. This was his third game of the season with double-digit receptions

Fantasy Dud: Both Ravens running backs. Gus Edwards had just three carries for 20 yards while Justice Hill ran three times for three yard. And neither did much in the passing game. Hill had four receptions for 34 yards, and Edwards caught a pass for 16 yards. It was a disappointing showing for both backs, especially if you consider how well the Ravens ran the ball all season.

Game Notes: Mark Andrews returned from his broken leg and had two receptions for 15 yards. Andrews didn’t do much in this game, but was able to play and played a good number of snaps in his first game back. He’ll be just fine for 2024.

Zay Flowers had good numbers but made a couple crucial mistakes, including losing a fumble at the goal line. He did have five receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown despite the mistakes.

Isiah Pacheco found the end zone for the seventh straight game he has played. He ran 24 times for 68 yards and a touchdown.

49ers 34, Lions 31

Fantasy Stud: Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey didn’t have one of his huge yardage games, but scored two more touchdowns and still produced good total yardage numbers. McCaffrey ran 20 times for 90 yards and two touchdowns. He also had four receptions for 42 yards, giving him 132 total yards and two scores

Fantasy Dud: George Kittle. Kittle was really held in checking, finishing with two receptions for 27 yards. It was a poor showing in a game that had a lot of offense. You just expected better from the elite fantasy tight end.

Game Notes: Deebo Samuel was able to play with his shoulder injury and led the 49ers in receiving. He had eight receptions for 89 yards and didn’t seem slowed by the injury at all.

The Lions had big rushing totals. David Montgomery led the way, rushing 15 times for 93 yards and a touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs ran 12 times for 45 yards and a touchdown. Gibbs did lose a key fumble in the game, though.

Jameson Williams had three touches but two went for touchdowns. Williams had a carry for a 42-yard touchdown. And he also had two receptions for 25 yards and another touchdown.

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
Zay Flowers Sep 22 10:40pm ET
Zay Flowers

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers went from one of the team's top fantasy finishers in Week 2 to one of their worst in the first win of the season. The game script went away from Flowers as he hauled in three of his four targets for 20 yards and took one carry for only three yards. The speedy wideout still hasn't seen many downfield targets, but his high target volume as well as the rushing attempts in each game keep him involved in the offense most of the time. Lamar Jackson and company didn't do much damage through the air with just 182 total passing yards compared to 274 yards on the ground. Flowers will look to bounce back against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4, which will likely need a bigger offensive output to get the win.

From RotoBaller

Mark Andrews Sep 22 10:40pm ET
Mark Andrews

Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews continues to disappoint to start the season, but he has brought a new low to fantasy managers that stuck with him in Week 3. During the 28-25 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Andrews only received one target and put up goose eggs across the board. His counterpart, Isaiah Likely, only recorded one target as well which turned into one catch for four yards, so it wasn't much of a tight end game in this one. Andrews' best finish through three weeks was TE10 in half-PPR formats, and he now has six receptions for 65 yards on eight targets. At this rate, neither one of the Andrews nor Likely are every-week starters in shallower fantasy leagues until they show some consistency. Andrews will look to bounce back at home against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Brock Purdy Sep 22 10:30pm ET
Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy had his best fantasy day of the young season in a 27-24 loss to the Rams in Los Angeles on Sunday. He finished with 22 completions of 30 attempts for 292 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and one fumble lost. Purdy also took 10 rushing attempts for 41 yards. San Francisco led the entire game -; save for the last two seconds -; largely propelled by Purdy's connection with receiver Jauan Jennings who caught all three of Purdy's touchdown passes and was his favorite and most productive target. The former seventh-rounder could have done even more for his team and fantasy managers but failed to see a wide-open Brandon Aiyuk streaking down the middle past the Rams' secondary in San Francisco's penultimate drive. Purdy and the Niners have a Week 4 home matchup against the New England Patriots next Sunday.

From RotoBaller

Rashod Bateman Sep 22 10:30pm ET
Rashod Bateman

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman found the end zone for the first time since Week 11 of the 2023 season. In the team's three-point win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Bateman hauled in three receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown on four targets. Bateman ran a beautiful route in the second quarter and found himself wide open in the end zone where Lamar Jackson hit him with a perfect pass for a 13-yard score. The former first-round pick received a lot of praise during the offseason which made him more of a deep sleeper candidate heading into the season. Through three games, Bateman now has eight catches for 121 yards on 13 targets. He'll look to double last season's touchdown output as the Ravens return home to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Chuba Hubbard Sep 22 10:20pm ET
Chuba Hubbard

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard rushed 21 times for 114 yards in the team's 36-22 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Additionally, he caught all five of his targets for 55 yards and a touchdown. Hubbard looked strong in this one -- gashing the Raiders throughout this contest with a long gain on the ground of just 14 yards. The work in the passing game was excellent, too -- the second week in a row he recorded five targets. It was the second-highest single-game touch total of his career, and he tied a career-high with the five receptions. Carolina's offense ran exceedingly smooth with Andy Dalton under center for the first time in almost exactly a year. The Red Rifle breathed some life into what was one of the league's worst offenses through two weeks, and Hubbard (along with the rest of the Panthers' skill players) has his arrow pointing up ahead of Week 4. Carolina will host the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday.

From RotoBaller

Lamar Jackson Sep 22 10:10pm ET
Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson posted another efficient performance which led the team to their first win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Jackson finished the game with 182 yards and a touchdown through the air on 12-for-15 throwing while gathering 87 yards and another score on 14 carries. Finally, the Ravens offense was firing on all cylinders for a portion of this game which created a ton of running room for both Jackson and Derrick Henry as they combined for 238 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Jackson is now on track for a 1,000-yard rushing season, which would be his first since 2020. The two-time MVP put up most of his passing stats in the first half while the second half saw a lot more three-and-outs which allowed the Cowboys to almost come all the way back. He'll look to put together two halves of consistent football against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Malik Nabers Sep 22 10:00pm ET
Malik Nabers

The Cleveland Browns defense picked up two sacks and forced two turnovers in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. The Browns played reasonably well on defense but had no answer for rookie Malik Nabers, who caught two touchdowns in the contest. To make matters worse, Myles Garrett appeared to have aggravated a foot injury that has been dogging him over the first month of the season. The Browns draw a plus matchup on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Diontae Johnson Sep 22 10:00pm ET
Diontae Johnson

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson caught eight passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in their Week 3 36-22 defeat of the Las Vegas Raiders. Johnson was the biggest beneficiary of the team's switch to Andy Dalton, leading the Panthers in every significant receiving category in the win. He garnered an absurd 14 targets -- nine more than any other Carolina skill player. The long-time Steeler slipped by the Raiders' defense all game, consistently picking up chunks of yardage as they seemingly had no answer for him. Las Vegas had not allowed a third-down conversion of ten or more yards through two weeks until Johnson bucked that trend in the second quarter. He came screaming out of his break on a deep-in route, and Dalton hit him with a strike in the zone's soft spot, converting a 3rd-and-14. The former third-round pick has his arrow pointing up with the Red Rifle under center, and he'll look to keep the good times rolling when Carolina hosts the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Jordan Akins Sep 22 9:50pm ET
Jordan Akins

Cleveland Browns tight end Jordan Akins had a productive game in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Akins caught four of his seven targets for 29 yards in the loss, tying for second on the team in targets and catches and third in receiving yardage. The veteran tight end has now drawn two starts in place of the injured David Njoku (ankle) and could remain in a starting role for another week or so if Njoku is not ready to play in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

From RotoBaller

Andy Dalton Sep 22 9:50pm ET
Andy Dalton

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton completed 26 of 37 passes for 319 yards and tossed three touchdowns in the team's 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders. Dalton had the Panthers' offense humming on Sunday, putting together TD drives of 70, 75, 68, and 69 yards. It was an impressive performance from the 36-year-old veteran in his first start since Week 3 of 2023. The Red Rifle was sharp in this one, completing a pass to seven Panthers and ripping impressive throws all over the yard. Carolina had scored just one touchdown in its last four regular season outings dating back to last season, and the team's 36 points were their most since Christmas Eve of 2022 when they scored 37. Carolina's decision to bench second-year starter Bryce Young was a good one, as they recorded their first win in the last six contests. They'll look to get in the left column again when they take on the Cincinnati Bengals at home in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Derrick Henry Sep 22 9:50pm ET
Derrick Henry

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry posted his best performance of the season in the team's 28-25 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. This was truly an "age is nothing but a number" type of performance as King Henry posted 151 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries with one reception for 23 yards. His totals and efficiency have grown in every game as his yards per carry have gone from 3.5 to 4.7, and most recently 6.0. Vintage stiff arms and huge accelerations through the holes of the line were on full display. When the Ravens' game plan looks like this, the sky is the limit for Henry. Especially in a game where Lamar Jackson finds his own running room so defenses have to worry about both of them at the same time. Henry continues to live in RB1 territory and should be considered so until proven otherwise.

From RotoBaller

Dustin Hopkins Sep 22 9:50pm ET
Dustin Hopkins

Cleveland Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins missed his lone field-goal try while adding an extra point in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Hopkins misfired on a 53-yard attempt in the third quarter, his first miss from 50+ yards since joining the Browns before the 2023 season. Overall, Hopkins has made four of his five field goals and all four of his extra points through three games this season. He will kick against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Amari Cooper Sep 22 9:40pm ET
Amari Cooper

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper caught seven of his 12 targets for 86 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Cooper bounced back after a slow start to the season, hauling in a 24-yard touchdown pass on Cleveland's first play of the game. He later came back and caught a six-yard score in the fourth quarter to pull the Browns within eight points of tying the game. Cooper now has 12 catches for 113 yards and two touchdowns through three weeks. He will look to keep it going in Week 4's road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

From RotoBaller

Jerry Jeudy Sep 22 9:40pm ET
Jerry Jeudy

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy caught four of his seven targets for 27 yards and added a two-point conversion reception in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Jeudy was quiet from a yardage standpoint, although his seven targets tied for second on the team. The veteran wideout gave the Browns hope when he caught a two-point conversion from Deshaun Watson in the fourth quarter to pull Cleveland to within six points of the Giants, but those would be the last points they would muster. Jeudy will take 12 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown into Cleveland's Week 4 road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

From RotoBaller

Elijah Moore Sep 22 9:40pm ET
Elijah Moore

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore caught two of his three targets for 17 yards in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. After drawing 14 targets through the first two games of the season, Moore was an afterthought in the passing attack in Week 3. Moore now has caught 11 passes for 70 scoreless yards through three games. He will look to bounce back in a Week 4 road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

From RotoBaller

Deshaun Watson Sep 22 9:30pm ET
Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson struggled in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Watson completed 21 of his 37 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns while adding four carries for 26 yards in the loss. The Browns got off to a fast start, recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff with Watson throwing a 24-yard touchdown to Amari Cooper on the ensuing play. Things went downhill from there with Watson taking eight sacks in the loss. Watson has now thrown three touchdowns to two interceptions through three games. He will look to regroup ahead of a road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

Dre Greenlaw Sep 22 9:30pm ET
Dre Greenlaw

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Dee Winters (ankle) was forced from the team's Week 3 27-24 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Winters was making his first start of the season after being nagged by an ankle injury that forced him to miss the 49ers' first two matchups of the season. However, he seems to have reaggravated the injury against LA. It's yet another blow for San Francisco -- already without Dre Greenlaw (Achilles). Additionally, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel Sr. missed Week 3. The team has now dropped two straight after a devastating loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2. Fantasy managers can expect an update on Winters over the coming days, but a reaggravation of the ankle injury that plagued him throughout the preseason would not bode well for his Week 4 status. San Francisco will host the visiting New England Patriots next Sunday

From RotoBaller

Jerome Ford Sep 22 9:30pm ET
Jerome Ford

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford carried the ball 10 times for 37 yards and caught three of his four targets for 33 yards in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Ford wound up leading the Browns in carries and rushing yards while finishing second on the team in receiving in the close loss. Meanwhile, teammate D'Onta Foreman only saw two carries for five yards in the contest. The Cleveland backfield has been tough to predict through three weeks with Ford leading the way in Weeks 1 and 3 while D'Onta Foreman took the majority of the workload in Week 2. Ford will remain involved, especially in the passing game, heading into a road matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 4.

From RotoBaller

D'Onta Foreman Sep 22 9:30pm ET
D'Onta Foreman

Cleveland Browns running back D'Onta Foreman carried the ball twice for five yards in a 21-15 loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. Foreman was surprisingly quiet just one week after leading the team with 14 carries in a Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. It appears that the weekly workload split between Foreman and Jerome Ford is going to be difficult to predict, leaving both as middling flex options heading into a Week 4 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

From RotoBaller

Jalen Nailor Sep 22 9:10pm ET
Jalen Nailor

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor caught three of his four targets for 31 yards and a touchdown in Week 3's blowout of the Houston Texans. The third-year receiver spent the last two-and-a-half games as the Vikings de facto WR2 with Jordan Addison (ankle) recovering from an ankle injury, and he's been paying dividends for the team. Nailor is one of only three receivers in the league to score a touchdown in each game so far this year, and he's a reliable hand when Justin Jefferson's gravity schemes him open. The former sixth-round pick hopes to continue the momentum in Week 4, as he may be needed depending on Addison's status for Week 4's matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

From RotoBaller