After an eventful NFL week it is time to look ahead to week 4. The majority of the players listed below are available in less than 50% of leagues.
(* rostered in over 50% of leagues)
Jamaal Williams*: D’Andre Swift picking up both an ankle and shoulder ailment over the course of the week and in Sunday’s game led to Jamaal Williams exploding for 24.7 PPR points. As long as Swift remains out, which based on Head Coach Dan Campbell’s postgame comments appears to be at least 2 weeks, Williams could be an RB1 play. If he is available in your league and you need an RB, don’t hesitate to break the bank on FAAB.
Khalil Herbert (short term): David Montgomery is currently listed as Day to Day but it appears very possible that he misses time. Medical experts are looking at the mechanism of his injury and labeling it a high ankle sprain. It may not be, but even still Herbert looked great last week and might have had a better game than Montgomery ever has as a Bear. At the least, Herbert may have earned some additional playing time.
Romeo Doubs: Doubs took advantage of the Green Bay WR room being decimated by injury, making the most of his playing time and flashing some of the promises we saw in pre-season and training camp. He caught all 8 of the targets Aaron Rodgers sent his way, that’s a good step in building trust with his QB and it could result in Rodgers rewarding him with more targets as they continue to gain chemistry.
Alexander Mattison* (long term): He may not be available in your league as he is probably the most well-known handcuff in fantasy football currently, however, with Dalvin Cook dislocating his shoulder this early in the season Mattison could have value as soon as this week. There are reports suggesting that Dalvin will play this weekend with a harness given that this is an injury he and the team have plenty of experience with, but this ailment has a high re-injury rate and it is only week 4. Should he miss any time in the future, Mattison would be a plug-and-play high-end RB1. There’s no guarantee that Mattison will be startable this week because Cook could go as was mentioned above.
Treylon Burks (long term): Burks hasn’t come through on the stat sheet yet, but the metrics are more than promising. He is finally a full-time player and led the Titans in routes run this week. If he is dropped in your league when waivers clear, scoop him up.
Tyler Conklin: Conklin has had at least 7 targets each of the last 3 weeks, and his route participation is near the threshold that we like. Regardless of the additional talent the Jets brought in at WR, and the addition of CJ Uzomah, Conklin is still getting his. We will see how targets get distributed in the offense with Zach Wilson preparing to return as soon as week 4, but the route participation is promising.
Zay Jones: Zay Jones led the Jags in targets with 11 and caught 10 of them for 85 yards and a touchdown. He now has 2 of 3 games with 9+ targets.
Russell Gage (short term): Mike Evans will be back this week, so we can’t assume that he will be able to maintain the target share and production that he yielded this week but with Julio Jones and Chris Godwin still banged up it’s possible Brady will still have him in his plans.
Rondale Moore (long term): We’ve seen the production that Dortch has been able to get out of the slot role for Arizona, Faraz thinks Rondale figures to replace Dortch in that role when he is able to return to the field.
Greg Dortch (short term): Rondale Moore has yet to practice this season, so Greg Dortch will continue to be the target hog he has been in the slot role for Arizona. He is currently the WR19 in PPR leagues.
David Njoku: Njoku had the elite route participation prior to this game so the signs were pointing toward a Boom in production. Inconsistency may be an issue he faces throughout the season if the first 3 weeks are any indication of the future, but it is also possible that he just needed time to gel with Brissett under center.
Samaje Perine (short term): Joe Mixon picked up an ankle injury Sunday, it appears to be very minor but it is possible that he could aggravate it on Thursday coming off of a short week. I’d rather not be fighting with my league on waivers if that happened. Feel free to drop him if Mixon leaves the TNF game unscathed.
Jakobi Meyers (long term): Meyers is the clear WR1 for the Patriots, regardless of if he is minorly banged up he should be on rosters. He was able to get a limited practice in on Friday before he was ruled out, which is promising for his availability this week. Going from Mac Jones to Brian Hoyer does not affect the value of holding Meyers on your bench as a stash.
Michael Gallup (long term): If you don’t need a start for this week, Gallup is probably one of the best long-term stashes. He will easily slot in as the Cowboy’s number 2 WR behind CeeDee Lamb when he returns, which should figure to open the offense up more as a whole. I wouldn’t wait until Dak is back before I pick him up.
Isaiah McKenzie (short term): McKenzie is going to be a Boom or Bust player in this loaded Bills offense, he only ran a route on 56% of dropbacks on Sunday, but with Josh Allen recording 63 pass attempts, he was able to still be a solid flex play. The Ravens matchup in week 4 presents a similar game script, don’t be surprised to see a shootout between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have been extremely vulnerable to the WR position, giving up the most fantasy points to WRs coming out of the slot coming into week 3. McKenzie is a solid WR streamer this week after putting up 7 catches for 76 yards and a touchdown on 9 targets last week.
Joshua Palmer: Keenan Allen is expected to return this week, but as we have seen Palmer is a legit handcuff for the Chargers WRs. 23% target share in week 2, and 21% target share in week 3 with Allen out. Palmer is also a starter as the WR3 for the Chargers, making him playable as a desperate upside start.
Noah Brown (short term): Brown has shown good rapport with Cooper Rush, but Michael Gallup is gearing up to return. It is possible that Gallup immediately slots in as a full-time player because he has been practicing in full, but it is also possible that we see a rotation. If Gallup is out again, Brown is a fine flex play, if Gallup were able to return Brown would be a desperation start in deeper leagues.
Raheem Mostert: Miami wasn’t able to run a lot of plays last week, only holding the ball for 20 minutes in the game, which led to production being stifled for the entirety of the offense. Chase Edmonds seems to have gained a minor lead in this backfield but the discrepancy remains close. Edmonds is rostered in most leagues, Mostert should be too given that the Miami offense seems to have taken a step forward.
Robert Tonyan: Tonyan still only ran a route on 56% of dropbacks, but regardless was able to be second on the team in targets behind Romeo Doubs. If his route participation were to rise his target share could rise with it. Worth taking a shot on a familiar target for Aaron Rodgers in a Green Bay offense desperate for weapons and production from their pass catchers.
Jaylen Warren (long term): One of the only 3 down handcuffs that is still available in many leagues.
QB Streamers
Jared Goff v.s. Seattle
Jameis Winston v.s. Minnesota (London)
Jimmy G v.s. Rams
Geno Smith @ Detroit
Marcus Mariota v.s. Cleveland
Baker Mayfield v.s. Arizona
TE Streamers
Tyler Conklin
David Njoku
Evan Engram
Robert Tonyan
DEF Streamers
PHI D/ST v.s. JAX (Eagles Defense with 9 sacks last week, 3 INT in week 2, and a TD in week 1)
PIT D/ST v.s. NYJ
CHI D/ST v.s. NYG
MIA D/ST v.s. CIN