What You Need to Know From Week 3

Photo: Bill Streicher, USA Today Sports

PIT @ CLE

• We all want Mitchell Trubisky to sit for Kenny Pickett. The pass offense is morose with him, but Mike Tomlin probably won’t replace him until the Week 9 bye.
• Najee Harris was strong on his touchdown run, but Trubisky isn’t going to target him as much as Roethlisberger did. He’s an RB2 until Pickett is in, and maybe after.
• George Pickens is as good as he looked in training camp and the preseason, but Trubisky can’t unlock his value.
• Pat Freiermuth did enough in a floor game to stick with him against the Jets this week.
• Nick Chubb should have gone around the 1-2 turn like he did every other year he was in a bad offense.
• Jacoby Brissett is one of the best 32 quarterbacks in the league and should start somewhere next year. He has command of Kevin Stefanski’s offense and should be a viable QB2/Superflex going forward.
• Amari Cooper has a good connection with Brissett and should be treated as a WR2/WR3 going forward. He’s a draft hit with Deshaun Watson only improving his outlook in Week 13.
• The Browns finally used David Njoku, and his performance demands that they keep doing it. He’ll be a waiver priority where he was rightfully dropped. Like Cooper, he’ll get a value bump when Watson is back as long as he’s healthy.
• Kareem Hunt had two chances to score in the fourth quarter from close in. He’s still an RB2/Flex despite the disappointing result.

BUF @ MIA

• The Bills offense controlled time of possession, but the heat exhausted many of their players and they were unsuccessful in finishing drives, costing them the game. This is still one of the best offenses in the league, give the Dolphins credit for a bend but don’t break performance.
• Devin Singletary had a prolific performance as a receiver out of the backfield and he is starting to dominate snaps in the backfield. His value is trending up.
• Isaiah McKenzie is only getting half of the slot snaps, but he’s clearly more in tune with Josh Allen and has been much more productive. His value could go up if he wins more of this role or Jamison Crowder gets hurt.
• Gabriel Davis didn’t look 100% yet vs. Miami but should be fine to put in lineups against the beleaguered Ravens secondary this week.
• Dawson Knox hasn’t scored yet and has spent time on the injury report, but this offense is too good to just drop him considering the paucity of consistent options at tight end.
• Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense were held in check, but they did score twice against a defense that looks like one of the best in the league, and Tagovailoa suffered a back injury that looked like a concussion. Yes, you read that correctly. We’ll see whether Tagovailoa can play on Thursday, but don’t hold this performance against him or the Dolphins.
• The backfield is going to be frustratingly unpredictable for fantasy. After Raheem Mostert got more looks in Week 2, Chase Edmonds scored both rushing touchdowns from close in. Both are what-the-heck flexes we are holding in case one goes down.
• Tyreek Hill was contained, but Jaylen Waddle was not. Still, you’re not debating whether to start either, even if Teddy Bridgewater is at quarterback.
• The Dolphins inexplicably went back to favoring Durham Smythe over Mike Gesicki and using Gesicki as a blocker as much as they use him as a receiver, if not more. Maybe someone can get them Gesicki’s draft scouting report.

CIN @ NYJ

• Joe Burrow played more within himself in this one and wasn’t under fire as much in the pocket. He’ll need that approach against an aggressive Dolphins defense on Thursday. He’s a low-end QB1.
• Joe Mixon got a little banged up in this one, giving way to Samaje Perine in the fourth quarter. Mixon should be okay for Thursday, but we’ll monitor the situation.
• JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins are going to be closely ranked in projections when they are both healthy. Higgins took a big hit that raised fears of his second concussion in three weeks, but he eventually went back in the game. Higgins also had a corner of the end zone score that was close enough on replay that whatever was called was going to hold up. They decided he was out of bounds on the initial call, so that’s what held up.
• Tyler Boyd had a 56-yard score on a broken tackle on third and short with a clear path to the end zone on a quick pass, but he’s still just a what-the-heck flex.
• Joe Flacco turned back into a quarterback in the December of his career after a brief moment of glory in the unthinkable comeback against the Browns in Week 2. There’s no controversy about putting Zach Wilson back in once he’s ready, which should be this week.
• Breece Hall got a bump up in targets this week and out-snapped Michael Carter 40-38. If Flacco was staying in, he would probably be a solid PPR RB2 this week, but if Wilson is the starter, Hall will be a mere what-the-heck flex.
• Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore each got ten targets. Wilson was more productive, but neither was a huge hit. Like everyone else in the offense, the profile becomes more uncertain when Zach Wilson takes over.
• Tyler Conklin is the #3 tight end in PPR leagues, but the uncertainty around Zach Wilson and C.J. Uzomah getting healthier could make it a short stay there for him.

LV @ TEN

• Derek Carr relied on Mack Hollins, who had the second biggest game of the week for a wide receiver. The Titans did a good job on Davante Adams and Darren Waller, and Hunter Renfrow was out, but it’s time to consider that Hollins could have lasting value as the player the defense will be willing to let beat them against the Raiders.
• Josh Jacobs had five catches and his first decent game in PPR leagues, but he still hasn’t scored. The Raiders have six offensive touchdowns, so better days are ahead for Jacobs.
• We’ll stick with Waller, but if Foster Moreau continues to get 4-5 targets a game, it’s going to be hard for Waller to be a hit at ADP.
• Derrick Henry got free a few times, scored, and was very involved in the passing game with five catches. This is about as good as it will get this year, as he doesn’t quite have the breakaway speed we’ve seen in the past and defenses are not having trouble slowing him and this running game down.
• Robert Woods is rounding back into form. He’s better off as quality depth than someone you depend on in your lineup because of the nature of this offense, but he’s rosterable.
• Treylon Burks didn’t do much, but he ran a route on almost every passing play. A break out could be coming, don’t drop him.