Mario’s Hot & Not Fantasy Rundown: Week 3
Carolina Panthers @ Houston Texans
Hot: DJ Moore
Moore has emerged as Sam Darnold’s favorite target through the first three games of the season. On Thursday night in Reliant Stadium, Moore was targeted 12 times, resulting in 8 receptions for 126 yards. He didn’t find the endzone, but we can look at TDs simply as a bonus moving forward if he continues this usage.
Not: Robby Anderson
Anderson’s exceptionally slow start to the season continues. I predicted a breakout game vs a poor Houston defense, but it appears not even a tasty matchup can coax the production out of Anderson. 1 reception for 8 yards on only 2 targets earns Robby a spot on the ice cold fantasy bench.
Washington Football Team @ Buffalo Bills
Hot: Josh Allen
Josh Allen finally starts to give some return on investment after being widely drafted as the fantasy QB2. And what a way to get back into form! 358 yards passing and 4 TDs while completing 74% of his passes. The wealth was spread to seven different pass catchers in the blowout win. Keep the faith in Josh, and he will deliver.
Not: JD McKissic
Expectations were up for McKissic, who closed out week 2 as fantasy’s RB7. In a game many expected for WFT to play from behind, his lack of usage in the passing game Sunday was baffling. He finished with 5 total touches for 38 yards after being projected for at least a flex option for Week 3.
Chicago Bears @ Cleveland Browns
Hot: Kareem Hunt
The Browns sport arguably the best 1-2 punch at RB in the league. Today, Hunt owned the backfield. He finished out the blowout win with 16 touches for 155 total yards and a TD. He ran circles around the Bears stout defense both on the ground and through the air, and his usage today is a positive sign moving forward.
Not: Justin Fields
It feels like the entire fantasy community was clamoring for Matt Nagy to insert Fields as the starting QB. An injury to Andy Dalton forced Nagy to comply, and Fields first start on the road stunk all the way back to Chicago. Fields posted a terrible 6/20 for 68 yards. His rushing prowess was held in check, with only 12 yards on 3 rushes, and he took a whopping 9 sacks. We could see Dalton back in the lineup as early as next week.
Baltimore Ravens @ Detroit Lions
Hot: Mark Andrews
Andrews hauled in 5 catches for 109 yards on Sunday in Detroit. It’s an impressive stat line compared to the duds he posted to start the season. Anyone with Andrews on their fantasy team hopes this is a springboard for improved play the rest of the season.
Not: TJ Hockenson
Hock has been on fire the first two weeks of the season, but was rapidly cooled off today by the Ravens’ defense. Despite 32 attempts by Goff, Hockenson only hauled in 2 receptions for 10 yards. Not the day fantasy owners were expected, and we can only hope this was an outlier against a good defense.
Arizona Cardinals @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Hot: AJ Green
Well hello, Mr. Green. Nice to see you again. With Hopkins nursing bruised ribs, Green received more attention than usual from Kyler Murray. This uptick led Green to 5 receptions for 112 yards. If you add in Green as a productive WR in addition to Hopkins, Kirk, and rookie Moore, the Cardinals offense might be unstoppable.
Not: Rondale Moore
Speaking of other Cardinals’ WRs….Rondale Moore was not a factor in Jacksonville. The top waiver wire add from Week 2 touched the ball 3 times for a total of 4 yards. He appears he may be a TD or bust fantasy prospect.
Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Hot: Mike Williams
Williams continues his electric start to 2021, displaying his big play ability once again on Sunday. This time, Chiefs fans were front and center to the show. Williams snared 7 receptions for 122 yards and 2 TDs, including the go ahead score with less than 30 seconds left in the game. Williams may be the biggest value at WR based on ADP this fantasy season.
Not: Patrick Mahomes
By normal means, 27/44 for 260 yards and 3 TDs are a great game. Patrick Mahomes is not a player of normal means. With more 300 yard games than not in his career, anything short of 300 yards and a win is disappointing. Factor in 2 interceptions and several other throws that should have been intercepted, and Sunday’s loss was well below his standards.
New Orleans Saints @ New England Patriots
Hot: Alvin Kamara
Will the real Alvin Kamara please stand up? The Kamara we drafted in the top 5 has arrived after two subpar performances to start the season. 27 total touches for 118 yards and a TD. He was also vultured by Taysom Hill inside the 5 yard line, or we could have added at least 6 pts to his total today. Sunday was a promising performance vs a tough defense, and brings hope to him returning to his 2020 form.
Not: Damien Harris
Harris ended the day with 8 total touches for only 11 yards, and averaged a paltry 2.3 YPC. The entire New England offense struggled on the day, but this type of performance for a player considered to be the lead back on a run first offense is always concerning.
Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants
Hot: Cordarelle Patterson
Patterson appears to have finally come into his own in this Atlanta offense. Spending time at both RB and WR, he managed a very efficient 13 touches for 102 yards in a game the Falcons desperately needed to win to avoid starting the season 0-3. He has emerged as a solid weekly FLEX play.
Not: Kyle Pitts
So much for “matchup nightmare”. Pitts has not been able to establish the type of play needed to warrant how high he was being drafted by fantasy managers. He posted 2 receptions for 35 yards on Sunday in a game where Matt Ryan threw 36 passes. Those who roster Pitts most likely have no choice but to start him, but the waiver wire may be an option until he puts it all together on the field.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Hot: Najee Harris
Despite a loss, Najee was the best player on Heinz Field on Sunday. In a game where Ben struggled to push the ball downfield, Harris racked up 102 yards receiving on 14 receptions, from a whopping total of 19 targets. Add in 40 yards on the ground, and Najee had himself quite a fantasy day. If only half of this production in the passing game continues, lock in Najee as a RB1 the rest of the season.
Not: Ben Roethlisberger
Nobody wants to admit it, but Big Ben looks washed. He has become a statue in the pocket, and does not appear to possess the arm strength to push the ball down the field like he used to. On Sunday vs the Bengals, he threw for 318 yards, but it took him 58 attempts, and he also threw 2 interceptions to only 1 TD. Without a competent backup to replace Ben, the Steelers may be in for a long season in 2021.
Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans
Hot: Derrick Henry
Henry didn’t find the endzone on Sunday, but he did rush for 113 yards, and contributed another 31 yards through the air on 3 receptions. This Titans’ offense runs through King Henry, and when he gets rolling, the play action pass is difficult to stop.
Not: Carson Wentz
Even before the two sprained ankles, Wentz has not lived up to the hype in Indianapolis. His play has been one of the main reasons for the 0-3 start for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. A reunion with Frank Reich was supposed to bring him back to MVP form, but 197 yards passing and 2 sacks on 37 attempts is far from MVP status.
New York Jets @ Denver Broncos
Hot: Tim Patrick
Only 23 points were scored in this game, and all of them scored by the Broncos. Patrick has played well in the absence of Jerry Jeudy, posting 98 yards receiving and a 100% catch rate on 5 targets Sunday afternoon. He seems to have established himself as a weekly FLEX play as long as Jeudy is out with injury.
Not: Elijah Moore
Moore may be capped by the terrible play of Zach Wilson and the offense, but we’ve seen other big play WRs overcome poor QB play. Moore managed only 22 yards on 3 receptions in Denver, and there seems to be no hope in New York for anything fantasy relevant.
Miami Dolphins @ Las Vegas Raiders
Hot: Peyton Barber
Barber received the bulk of the carries, and pounded his way to 111 yards rushing and a TD. Also contributing 31 yards receiving on 3 receptions. Nursing a lead in the 4th, the Raiders leaned on Barber to close out the game prior to the Dolphins rallying to tie the game.
Not: Kenyan Drake
The other back in the Vegas backfield didn’t fare as well. Drake was widely expected to take over the lead back role while Jacobs is out with injury, but Barber seems to have inserted himself in that role. Drake was given 11 touches, and managed 57 yards, but nothing compared to the work Barber was given. He is a low end FLEX play in PPR leagues if this usage continues.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Rams
Hot: Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp
The Stafford to Kupp connection has been on fire to start the season. On Sunday against a suddenly suspect Bucs’ pass defense, Stafford shredded the secondary for 343 yards and 4 TDs. Kupp filled the stat sheet with 9 receptions for 96 yards, and 2 of Stafford’s 4 TDs. Kupp is fantasy’s WR1 through 3 weeks, and Stafford has played himself into starting lineups in 1QB leagues.
Not: Bucs RBs
Ronald Jones and Leonard Fournette were a total non-factor. The Bucs are one of the top rush defenses, but have arguably the worst rushing offense to pair with it. The RB pair combined for only 19 rushing yards, and it seems even worse when you factor in that Brady himself had 14 yards on scrambles. Jones and Lenny might be a bench stash, but their value will not be good enough to start unless one of them is out for injury.
Seattle Seahawks @ Minnesota Vikings
Hot: Justin Jefferson
Jefferson had a slow start to the season, but a date with the porous Seattle secondary was just the thing he needed to get going. In a much needed win at home, Jefferson once again played the part of WR1 for the Vikings, posting a 9/118/1TD stat line. He never should have been out of your starting lineup in the first place, but if he was, you are safe to plug him back in as a weekly starter.
Not: KJ Osborn
Osborn was a popular waiver wire add, and a value start in DFS this week, but he did not deliver in a game where the Vikings scored 30 points. 2 receptions for 25 yards won’t cut it. It appears increased touches for Conklin came at the expense of Osborn. Stash him on your bench until his usage is more clear.
Green Bay Packers @ San Francisco 49ers
Hot: Davante Adams
Davante is the fantasy WR1, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 12 receptions on 18 targets for 132 yards and a TD. His biggest catch was a 25 yarder that set up the game-winning FG in San Fran. Adams is Rodgers’ first read on every single pass play, and he trusts Davante over any other Packers’ pass catcher. Consider yourself fortunate if you roster #17, and doubly fortunate if you have Rodgers as your QB for the stack.
Not: Robert Tonyan
After a positive showing last week vs the Lions, Tonyan was a no-show for Sunday Night Football. 1 reception for 6 yards while the rest of the Packers’ skill players had a productive game is not encouraging moving forward. Tonyan may be a drop candidate if you roster him.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
Hot: Dallas RBs
The Cowboys’ running game was dominant from the jump on Monday night. They established the line of scrimmage from the opening TD drive of the evening. Quickly becoming one of the best RB duos in the NFL, Elliott and Pollard combined for 32 touches, 181 yards, and 2 rushing TDs from Zeke. We are nearing the point where BOTH of these RBs can be started in fantasy.
Not: Devonta Smith
The rookie has had the WR1 tag on his shoulders since being drafted in the 1st round. The entire Eagles offense failed to deliver in Arlington, and Smith allowed himself to be blanketed by Trevon Diggs, totaling only 28 yards on 3 receptions.
RANKINGS | WEEKLY | DYNASTY |
