Unexpected Boom Performances: Fantasy Football Risers Include Rashod Bateman, Denzel Boston, Tre Tucker, Dalton Schultz, and more

September 21, 2026

Frank's fantasy football risers, breakouts, waiver wire sleepers for Week 3 of 2026. Are these unexpected booms legit for Rashod Bateman, Patrick Mahomes, Denzel Boston, Tre Tucker, and Dalton Schultz?

Week 2 of the 2026 NFL regular season brought plenty of surprises, including spike weeks from players you wouldn't expect. Sunday's action was capped off by an absolute shootout between the Colts and Chiefs.

On this page, we're going to take a look at some "unexpected booms," which are surprise spike weeks from players who either went late in drafts or were available on the waiver wire. The main theme of this week's article? It's filled with players who boomed when forced into a greater role due to injury.

To that end, keep reading about Rashod Bateman, Patrick Mahomes, Denzel Boston, Tre Tucker, and Dalton Schultz. We'll recommend what you should do with these players, predicting whether it was a one-game wonder or if this type of production is sustainable.

Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens

Rashod Bateman has always had intriguing upside, but he's taken a backseat in the Ravens offense for the last couple of seasons. However, with Zay Flowers sidelined in Week 2, Bateman answered the call, hauling in 7-of-9 targets for 88 yards and a touchdown. With a limited wide receiver room, Bateman had a chance to dominate targets, and that's exactly what he did.

The problem here is that Flowers is unlikely to miss extended time. There's a chance that he can return to action in Week 3. That would put Bateman back into a supporting role in this high-powered offense. His production will be highly volatile, making it difficult to know when to start him. To that end, with Flowers in the lineup, Bateman is only useful in best ball.

Without Zay Flowers in Week 2, Rashod Bateman led all Ravens wide receivers with 33 routes run. LaJohntay Wester was second with 22. Bateman secured a 31% target share as a result.

— JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) September 21, 2026

But that doesn't mean you can't stash Bateman on your bench, especially in deeper leagues. You're going to want a piece of this Ravens offense because new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle has this group firing on all cylinders. Up next is a potential shootout in Brazil against the Cowboys.

If Flowers is out for another game, you can definitely fire up Bateman as a WR3 with upside. We'll have to monitor his status throughout the week.

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

After Week 1, Patrick Mahomes looked decent, but it felt like a much more run-heavy offense, making me skeptical of his fantasy upside moving forward. But those concerns were addressed in a big way on Sunday Night Football, where Mahomes completed 32-of-47 passes for 382 yards and three touchdowns, adding 17 yards on the ground.

With Kenneth Walker III making a major impact on offense, it's allowing them to generate more explosive plays since they finally have a big-play threat in their backfield. That puts Mahomes back into the circle of trust at quarterback. Remember, he was often being drafted outside of the top 12 quarterbacks in fantasy drafts just a couple of weeks ago.

Patrick Mahomes on SNF:
32/47
382 yards
3 TDs

Vintage form 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2f3vr8P7Qr

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2026

I shared those concerns around Mahomes, since I had to see how he looked coming off the torn ACL. However, he's shown no ill effects, so we can start firing him up with confidence in the right matchups. Up next, the Chiefs are in a smash spot on the road versus the Dolphins. We've seen Miami get blown out by both the Raiders and the 49ers this season.

There's a chance that Mahomes has another big game in that favorable spot.

Denzel Boston, WR, Cleveland Browns

Denzel Boston is a second-round rookie wideout who was making waves in camp, alongside fellow rookie KC Concepcion Jr. But so far, it's Boston who has been the Browns' first-year receiver to make a big impact. He's coming off a big game against the Bucs, putting up five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. He's now scored one touchdown in each of his first two NFL games.

Boston led the team in targets, as the Browns are truly embracing their youth movement so far, and Jerry Jeudy has been a complete afterthought. As a rookie with intriguing upside, Boston is my favorite unexpected boom of Week 2, at least among the wide receivers. His production feels like it can be sustainable, as it's not reliant on a teammate being sidelined due to injury.

55 yards for Denzel's second TD of the year 🙌#CLEvsTB on CBS pic.twitter.com/YQo9axvz0f

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 20, 2026

The Browns take on the Panthers at home in Week 3. So far, Carolina has played in a much different way than expected, going pass-heavy and uptempo. That bodes well for the chance that this game turns into an unexpected shootout.

With that game environment, Boston will have an opportunity to have his third big game in a row to start his NFL career.

Tre Tucker, WR, Las Vegas Raiders

Tre Tucker had a spike week in the Raiders' win over the Chargers, catching 5-of-7 targets for 119 yards and a touchdown. We heard all summer that Tucker had a strong rapport with Kirk Cousins. Week 2 is finally when that came to fruition.

As a deep threat, there are definitely going to be spike weeks in the future for Tucker. The problem is volatility. With Brock Bowers expected to return in Week 3, there will be fewer opportunities for targets moving forward. That could make it hard to trust Tucker on a weekly basis.

Kirk Cousins with a rocket to Tre Tucker for a Raiders TD 🚀

LVvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/YztxEx5znr

— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026

However, the Raiders have a limited WR room, where Tucker is the clear-cut top target, so he has a chance to maintain WR3 value for the rest of the season. If he's available in your league, definitely make sure to pick him up, but just make sure to temper your expectations.

Up next, the Raiders take on the New Orleans Saints in an indoor game environment, so there's a chance that this can turn into a shootout. Keep an eye on Bowers' status before deciding whether to fire up Tucker once again.

Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans

Dalton Schultz had a huge game for the Texans in Nico Collins' absence, catching 12-of-14 targets for 140 yards. It's unclear how long Collins will be out, but it's likely going to be for a couple of games.

With a limited WR room, Schultz can continue dominating targets for the Texans moving forward. It's a rare situation where you have a tight end who is the clear-cut top target in his offense.

Dalton Schultz tied Kayshon Boutte for second in routes run for the Texans against the Bengals, and, per Late-Round Fantasy Football's expected PPR points model, his expected PPR points was nearly 4 points higher than any other tight end this week.

— JJ Zachariason (@LateRoundQB) September 21, 2026

If you need help at the position, Schultz can definitely provide a short-term boost. Up next, the Texans take on the Colts in an indoor game environment that could turn into a high-scoring affair.

He'll definitely be ranked among the top 10 tight ends for that spot, especially since we just saw Travis Kelce have a huge game against Indianapolis in their win on Sunday Night Football. If Schultz is still available in your league, make sure to pick him up.

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