X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Reactions, Ramblings, and Quick Hitters from Week 3

Tua Tagovailoa - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Joe Nicely's fantasy football analysis and takeaways from Week 3 of the NFL season. Fantasy football outlook for Week 3 and instant reactions from the week's most recent results.

Ok...now we're cooking. After what I'd consider a fairly benign first two weeks of the season, Week 3 provided plenty of excitement, shocks, and disappointments for fantasy managers.

We'll start out with Miami's eye-opening dominance and close with Dallas' surprising debacle in the desert while touching on several other fantasy-relevant topics along the way.

This will be an article that features my initial reactions to the week's fantasy slate in somewhat of a free-flowing format. Hopefully, you guys find it interesting and fun to read, while also being helpful when considering your fantasy decisions for the week ahead. Let's jump into what went down in Week 3!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

The Miami Dolphins Are A Wagon

The Miami Dolphins offense had been really, really good through the first two weeks of the season, but I don't know that anyone had the 'Fins putting up 70 (!) on their Week 3 Bingo card.

Mike McDaniel has crafted this Miami offense around speed and that philosophy was readily apparent in the team's Week 3 beatdown of the Denver Broncos. McDaniel has the cupboards stocked with elite burners such as Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, and now, rookie De'Von Achane, who dropped a nice little 50 burger for those fantasy managers lucky enough to have in their starting lineups for his NFL debut.

With Waddle sidelined in Week 3, the backfield combination of Mostert and Achane combined for nearly 100 fantasy points against the Broncos. It's a performance that places Mostert as the overall fantasy RB1 through the first three weeks of the season and makes Achane an "all-in" play on Week 4 waiver wires.

Oh, by the way, the Dolphins also continued to shred through the air. Hill finished the day with 157 yards and a score on nine catches, while Tua Tagovailoa was nearly perfect, going 23 for 26 to amass 309 passing yards and four TDs.

As we exit Week 3 of the season, Miami now has a player within the top three overall in fantasy scoring at the QB, RB, and WR positions. Both Tagovailoa and Mostert have been injury-prone in the past, but if they stay healthy in 2023, this team will continue to provide tons of fantasy goodness.

 

Where Have You Gone, Davis Mills?

Don't look now, but the Houston Texans are actually...fun. When the organization handed their vacant head coaching position to former Texans linebacker and San Francisco 49ers defense coordinator DeMeco Ryans, it was fair to assume that Houston's rebuild would consist of Ryans focusing on building a great defense while playing conservatively on the offensive side of the ball in an effort to keep games close and ease top 2023 draft pick C.J. Stroud in at the quarterback position. That assumption would be wrong.

Through the first three weeks of the season, Houston has averaged 40.3 pass attempts per game - the sixth-most in the NFL - while playing at one of the league's fastest paces. Stroud has looked like the real deal, passing for 904 yards, four TDs, and zero INTs behind a bad offensive line. The rookie has now posted back-to-back 20+ point fantasy outings.

Aiding Stroud and the Texans' passing attack is an eclectic, but effective group of pass catchers. Third-year wide receiver Nico Collins is the most "prototypical" wideout of the bunch. At 6'4", 215lbs, Collins has shown flashes across his first two NFL seasons but appears ready to make a significant leap in production with Stroud under center and is currently the fantasy football WR17.

Collins is flanked by the steady veteran Robert Woods, who is quietly averaging 10.5 fantasy points per game in PPR formats. The wild card is rookie wideout Tank Dell. An undersized dynamo out of the University of Houston, Dell and fellow rookie Stroud have formed an already-obvious chemistry that has led to 217 receiving yards and two TDs on 12 catches over the last two weeks. The surprising rookie out of the University of Houston is currently fantasy football's WR11 and should be rostered in all leagues.

 

Injury Woes Continue For The Chargers

Are the Chargers and Brandon Staley cursed? Although L.A. finally won a close game against Minnesota to move to 1-2, they left Week 3 with another key offensive player suffering what appears to be a significant injury.

With fantasy superstar Austin Ekeler already missing the Chargers' last two, wide receiver Mike Williams was carted off in Week 3 with what many fear is a significant knee injury.

While fantasy managers who drafted Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen are smiling from ear-to-ear with Allen standing as the top overall WR in PPR scoring, those with Ekeler and Williams have to be extremely concerned. Ekeler's backup, Joshua Kelley, has proven to be a fantasy handcuff bust, while Williams' managers will be forced to look to the waiver wire this week. Williams owners can consider either Josh Palmer - who scored 14.6 fantasy points against Minnesota after Big Mike left the game - or first-round rookie Quentin Johnston, who has underwhelmed to this point.

 

Want more NFL DFS tools and content? Our NFL Premium package includes our DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Lineup Optimizer, access to our Premium Discord Chatrooms where members can chat with our NFL analysts, and so much more. Check out this big win from RotoBaller's RealTalkRaph using our Premium tools - join in on the winning!

 

Jerome Ford In Charge Of Browns Backfield

One of the bigger questions heading into Week 3 was how the Cleveland Browns would attempt to replace Nick Chubb. Fantasy managers likely spent large chunks of last week debating whether to cast their FAAB with unproven Jerome Ford or veteran Kareem Hunt, who the Browns resigned after Chubb's season-ending injury.

If Cleveland's first game without Chubb is an indicator of what to expect for the rest of the season, Ford appears to have the upper hand. The second-year back logged 40 snaps against Tennessee in Week 3, while Hunt was on the field for just 14.

Ford struggled running the ball against a rugged Titans front, though his fantasy production (19.1 points PPR) was rock solid and his usage (10 carries, 22 routes run) was exactly what his fantasy managers were hoping for. While Hunt's role could increase as he settles back in with the team, this looks to be Ford's backfield for the moment, which makes the 24-year-old a borderline fantasy must-start.

 

Leave The Wins, Take The Fantasy Points

Veteran fantasy managers don't really care who wins the actual football games we spend so much time analyzing. Sure, we all might have a favorite or hometown team that we root for, but at the end of the day, it's all about the fantasy points.

While we all know that great "real-life" teams like the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers have valuable fantasy assets, there were plenty of losing teams in Week 3 with players that packed lots of fantasy punch. It's a nice reminder that fantasy value can often be found in overlooked places.

Some notable fantasy performances from players on teams that lost in Week 3:

 

Quick Hitters

Alexander MattisonAfter a week in which he was abused on social media for his Week 2 performance and the Minnesota front office traded for Cam Akers, congrats to Mattison for stepping up and posting his most productive outing of 2023 in Week 3. He notched 125 total yards on 27 opportunities. Akers' presence will make Mattison's fantasy managers sweat, but this was an encouraging outing.

Sam LaPortaFantasy managers have learned to be leery of rookie tight ends, but don't let that stop you from making a move for Lions rookie TE Sam LaPorta. If he's somehow still available in your league, grab him. Throw out some trade offers. He's a rest-of-season TE1.

Alvin KamaraKamara's three-game suspension is now up and he's expected to return to the Saints lineup in Week 4. Those fantasy managers who stashed him should be excited, as he could step into elite, workhorse usage with Jamaal Williams on IR.

Derrick Henry - Experienced fantasy managers know that there's a cliff that every running back eventually falls off of... is Derrick Henry at the edge of that precipice? The Titans legend will turn 30 before this season ends and he's looked it through the first three weeks of the season. Henry has always performed better in the cold weather and in divisional clashes, so we don't want to jump the gun just yet. That said, fantasy managers might want to consider stashing Tennessee rookie Tyjae Spears, who has noticeably cut into Henry's workload this season.

Justin FieldsFor those fantasy managers who heavily invested in the Bears quarterback after what appeared to be a breakout season in 2022, I'm sorry, he might be broken. Fields continues to lose fantasy relevancy with each brutal Bears outing.

Dallas Cowboys - I say this from a completely neutral view of the Cowboys... what a classic Dallas loss in Week 3. The 'Boys headed to Arizona flying high at 2-0 and proceeded to lose to a winless, tanking Cardinals squad. Dallas players will continue to be fantasy-relevant in 2023, but fantasy managers shouldn't forget that this Cowboys team is like a box of chocolates, you never really know what you're gonna get.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Weekly DFS Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Zach Hyman

Misses Start of Training Camp
Nick Paul

Out Until November
Kris Letang

Cleared for Training Camp
David Pastrnak

Out for Start of Training Camp
Matthew Tkachuk

Expected to Be Out Until December
NBA

Trevelin Queen Joins Chinese Team
Damian Lillard

Not Rushing His Return
NBA

Keon Johnson Waived by Nets
Justin Verlander

Plans to Pitch in 2026
Junior Caminero

Day-to-Day With Back Tightness
Will Smith

Won't Return When First Eligible
Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP