This is The Two Minute Drill: Fantasy Musings Week 3! Which fantasy musings will have the biggest impact on your fantasy team in the upcoming week?
The San Francisco Buzz Saw Continues
No Brandon Aiyuk? No problem. Deebo Samuel went nuts with six catches, 129 yards, and a TD. George Kittle had his best game of the season, and Christian McCaffrey found the end zone again. But the story of the day was Brock Purdy. Purdy had his first 300-yard passing performance of his career.
The 49ers train is not slowing down. They should be 4-0 heading into a big Week 5 showdown with Dallas. They look like the class of the NFC.
Miami Dolphins Offensive Avalanche
Where to even begin? The Miami Dolphins had one of the most impressive performances in the history of the NFL. The Dolphins produced 726 yards of total offense- an NFL record. They scored 70 points- the first time an NFL team had reached that mark since the 1970 merger. Mike McDaniel has Miami fans thinking about the Super Bowl. The Dolphins did all this without Jaylen Waddle– last season’s WR8 Overall.
There were multiple individual performances. Tua Tagovailoa passed for 309 yards and four TDs. Tyreek Hill continued his torrid start to the season with nine catches for 157 yards and a TD. But the story of the day was the Miami Dolphins running backs.
Mostert/Achane Fireworks
Raheem Mostert had 142 combined yards and scored four TDs. Mostert now has seven TDs on the season and has been an absolute steal for drafters. Three weeks into the season, Raheem Mostert drafters will wake up on Tuesday morning with a top 3 scorer at RB, and Mostert was not even the biggest storyline in the Miami backfield.
Devon Achane exploded, finishing with 203 rushing yards on 18 carries, including a 67-yard score. Achane was electric. Two rushing TDs AND two receiving TDs. 51 PPR points. To call this a dream start for Achane drafters would be an understatement. The Dolphins were already one of the best offenses in football, and Achane’s expanded role feels like the icing on the cake. For Achane drafters, you may have the league winner.
Buffalo and Miami: Game of The Year
The Bills rolled into a seemingly challenging game against the Washington Commanders, only to steamroll them 37-3. Buffalo was dominant. The defense demoralized Sam Howell, intercepting him four times and sacking him nine times. Stefon Diggs finished with eight catches for 111 yards, and James Cook continued his strong start with 112 combined yards.
Last season, Buffalo and Miami faced off three times. They split the regular season, with both games being decided by three points or less. They met again in the AFC playoffs, and Miami nearly pulled off the upset with Skyler Thompson under center before falling 34-31. This is developing into one of the best rivalries in football, and this game will be must-see TV for fantasy managers and NFL fans alike.
Keenan Allen: The Slayer Slays Records
The 0-2 Chargers picked up a massive win on the road in Minnesota, giving hope to their season and avoiding the dreaded 0-3 start. Allen set a career AND a Chargers franchise record with 18 catches. He set a career-high with 215 receiving yards. If that was not enough, Allen passed for a 49-yard touchdown – the first of his career. Allen is not in “the CeeDee Lamb role” in the Kellen Moore offense. He is in an even larger role.
Mike Williams (the recipient of Allen’s TD pass) went down with a serious-looking knee injury. Look for the Chargers to continue leaning on Allen. We should see about a 30-percent target share moving forward. Allen is a legitimate contender to finish as a top-three WR.
Deshaun Watson Leads the Post-Nick Chubb Charge
Watson had his finest performance as a Brown. He passed for 289 yards and added 16 on the ground. Watson connected with Jerome Ford and Amari Cooper for TD passes as Cleveland rolled Tennessee 27-3. Cooper finished with season highs of seven receptions and 116 yards. The Watson-Cooper combination is a promising sign as Cleveland has to adjust its offensive identity in a post-Nick Chubb world. Seven (!) Browns had rushing attempts, and it seems like they are still figuring some things out. But one abundantly clear thing is that if Cleveland is going to be a playoff team, they will need more performances like this from Watson.
Regarding Henry
Derrick Henry has yet to get anything going this season. In Sunday’s loss, he ran for only 20 yards on 11 carries. Through three games played, he is averaging only 3.2 yards per carry. Tyjae Spears led him in snaps for the second time this season.
This could be a low-key Jaylen Warren/Najee Harris, Tony Pollard/Zeke Elliott, Austin Ekeler/Melvin Gordon situation. A coaching staff finally breaking through and conceding more touches to a younger and more explosive back. We have seen slow starts from Henry before, but Father Time is undefeated. Spears should be rostered everywhere.
Sam LaPorta Leads the Rookie Showcase Game
Bijan Robinson had his worst game of the season, finishing with 60 combined yards. Jahmyr Gibbs had his best-rushing performance of the season (80 yards) but only caught one pass. The battle of the rookie RBs was uneventful. The story of the game was Sam LaPorta. LaPorta is having one of the best starts for a rookie TE ever. He set a record with his 18th catch in three games played, breaking Keith Jackson’s record from 1988. LaPorta’s 186 yards are second all-time to Aaron Hernandez. LaPorta finished the game with eight catches for 84 yards and a TD. He is a stud. Dynasty managers rejoice- you may have drafted the next big thing at the position.
C.J. Stroud is For Real
Stroud had his breakout performance in Week 2, passing for 384 yards in Houston’s loss to Indianapolis. On Sunday, Stroud followed it up with 280 yards and two TD passes as Houston led from start to finish in a 37-17 road rout of the defending AFC South Champion Jacksonville Jaguars.
Stroud looks terrific. He has an emerging rookie WR in Tank Dell (145 yards receiving) to go along with Nico Collins and Robert Woods. The Texans are in 11 personnel all game long, and Stroud excels. Stroud is firmly on the QB streaming radar and has a chance to finish as a QB1 this season.
Jacksonville is Stuck in the Mud
The Jaguars offense was heavily bet on by fantasy drafters this summer. The only player who looks valuable at ADP is running back Travis Etienne. So far, there have been sporadic returns from the Jacksonville pass catchers. The strong receiving performances have been there, but a different receiver has led the way each week (Ridley – Week 1, Kirk – Week 2, Engram – Week 3). Trevor Lawrence had a fantasy breakout season last year but has done nothing so far this year. The Jaguars have combined for 26 points the last two weeks in home losses to Kansas City and Houston. They now have a must-win opportunity against Atlanta. If they lose that one, the wheels may fall off, and this team could be in an absolute tailspin.
Indianapolis Bell Cow?
Zack Moss finished with 122 rushing yards and added two catches, including a TD, as Indianapolis upset Baltimore on the road in overtime. Moss has quietly been one of the biggest stories in fantasy for the past two weeks. He has now rushed for over 210 yards, caught six passes, and scored in back-to-back games.
The Colts are 2-1 and may be the best team in the AFC South. They will be home favorites the next two games (Rams, Titans), before a road game in Jacksonville. Moss will never be confused with Jonathan Taylor, but he is a locked-in high-end RB2 moving forward.
Tales of Kenneth Walker’s Demise Were Greatly Exaggerated.
Seattle moved to 2-1 with a 37-27 victory over Carolina. Walker scored his fourth TD of the season, rushing for 97 yards and two TDs. He added a season-high 59 receiving yards. The Zach Charbonnet threat has been nonexistent. Walker’s fantasy trajectory is pointing up. He is an RB1 for the rest of the season.
