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The Steel Curtain. The New York Sack Exchange. The Purple People Eaters. The Monsters Of The Midway. Fearsome NFL defenses usually earn creative nicknames. But occasionally, an offense revolutionizes the game and deserves its own moniker. The Greatest Show On Turf. Air Coryell. The K-Gun.

Mike McDaniel's offense may quickly be approaching that territory.

McDaniel's Dolphins offense is the X-Men in an environment of constantly evolving NFL offenses. McDaniel has taken elements of the Shanahan Offense and inserted lethal doses of speed. Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert's reputations as burners are well-known and earned. On Sunday, rookie De'Von Achane announced his arrival and immediate inclusion in the group.

The result was record-breaking. Mostert and Achane will likely finish the week as RB1 and RB2 in overall standings. The team's 70 points were just two shy of Washington's record 72 established in 1966. A kneeldown on fourth down was the only thing that stopped the Dolphins all day.

The Athletic's Jordan Rodrigue's The Playcallers podcast is a fantastic look at McDaniel, Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and Matt LaFleur, a group of innovative offensive coaches working together in Washington and other NFL stops. This group has taken the NFL by storm and is out to a combined 9-2 record, with one of the losses McVay's Rams losing to Shanahan's 49ers.

The surprise emergence of Puka Nacua and Achane's explosive week shows that dynasty managers must pay attention when these teams make moves. Nacua, Achane, Mostert, and Romeo Doubs could have all been acquired for relatively low prices this offseason. Building a team with those pieces complimenting the typical fantasy studs at the top of the value scale would be dominating fantasy leagues.

Targeting potent offenses, in general, should be the fantasy default. But the wave of points scored by teams like Miami, Kansas City, Buffalo, and the Chargers on Sunday is nearly impossible from a weekly matchup standpoint. It should be a significant consideration in rookie drafts and when looking to make moves to position teams as contenders or rebuilders. McDaniel is redefining the upper limits of fantasy production. His hyper-competitive counterparts are sure to innovate and find ways to follow.

NFL defenses are in trouble, and fantasy managers must grab this wave.

Blind Resume

Prolific offensive performances defined Week 3. Several quarterbacks lit the week up with huge numbers. Can you place this production?

Deep Dynasty Watch List

Identifying players rostered in less than 50% of Sleeper dynasty leagues.

• QB Jameis Winston, New Orleans (31% Sleeper rostered) - Derek Carr took a brutal hit that hospitalized him. In his stead, Winston was passable, completing 10 of 16 passes for 101 yards, though the game got away from the Saints after holding a 17-0 lead entering the fourth quarter. In Superflex formats, every starting quarterback is rosterable, and Winston, combined with the Saints' offensive skill players, leapfrogs several other starting quarterbacks if given the opportunity.
• WR Ronnie Bell, San Francisco (16% Sleeper rostered) - with Brandon Aiyuk out in Week 3, the 49ers equally split receiver reps between Bell, Jauan Jennings, and Ray-Ray McCloud in a runaway win against the Giants. But it was Bell who drew a redzone opportunity, which he converted for the game's first touchdown. Samuel, Bell, and Danny Gray are the only receivers under contract after 2024, and Gray has struggled with health. Bell is a long-term speculative stash in the deepest leagues, but he acclimated well in his first opportunity.
• RB Gary Brightwell, NY Giants (12% Sleeper rostered) - Roster every running back who sits an injury away. Brightwell looks like the clear backup to Matt Breida, with Saquon Barkley looking at a multi-week absence. Eric Gray has the dynasty buzz but still needs to catch up to Brightwell.
• RB Kenyan Drake (14% Sleeper rostered) / RB Melvin Gordon (29%), Baltimore - Through three weeks, Baltimore has seen three starting running backs injured. Not great, Bob. After Gus Edwards left with a concussion, Gordon claimed most of the rushing game work, while Drake contributed more in the passing game. This play is scraping the barrel, and there is no long-term upside, but running backs who get the opportunity can hit lineups. Do not spend FAAB on these guys, but if you have an open bench spot, they currently have a path to playing time.
• TE Donald Parham Jr, LA Chargers (23% Sleeper rostered) - We wait with bated breath on Mike Williams' injury status, though early reports do not look good. Parham and Gerald Everett are in an equal split for snaps and opportunities, but Parham has emerged as the red zone target, with four looks in that area, trailing only Keenan Allen for receivers. Josh Palmer likely steps in as the starter with Williams out, and Quentin Johnston could finally get involved, but increased two tight end sets is another potential pathway. Parham's redzone involvement puts him on the radar for those struggling with tight end production.
• WR Tre Tucker, Las Vegas (31% Sleeper rostered) - Tucker's speed has popped when given the opportunity. He is buried on the Raider's depth chart, funneling targets to Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers, but Tucker has shown himself to be worth a deep stash in rebuilding situations.
• RB Ronnie Rivers, Los Angeles Rams (28% Sleeper rostered) - Rivers is the current backup to Kyren Williams. The Rams' offense has been extraordinarily effective, and Rivers can contribute in the passing game. Given the unpredictable nature of Sean McVay's running back usage, Rivers is worth stashing.
• RB Chris Brooks (16%) / TE Julian Hill, Miami (1% Sleeper rostered) - Miami's offense is game-breaking. Brooks and Hill are the cheapest opportunities to grab pieces. Brooks was the third back active on Sunday behind Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane, while Hill looks to have claimed the tight end role over Durham Smythe. Brooks is one injury away from claiming a significant role, but Hill could be the more intriguing stash. He is an athletic tight end and a natural receiver who could add an element to this offense.
• RB Trey Sermon, Indianapolis (33% Sleeper rostered) - Dion Jackson dominated opportunities in Week 1, and Zack Moss did the same in Weeks 2 and 3. Still, Sermon was the first hint towards turning the Colts' backfield into more of a committee approach. Sermon worked with Coach Shane Steichen in Philadelphia. He is currently an injury away from a significant opportunity.
• TE Cole Turner, Washington (29% Sleeper rostered) - Turner saw strong usage in a washout against Buffalo. Logan Thomas is 32, and the Commanders can save $6.5 million of his $8.3 number in 2024 with a release. Turner will continue to grow in an offense that has utilized the tight end heavily in the past.

Stats Of The Week

• Miami Dolphins - 70 team points - The Dolphins became the fourth NFL team to score at least 70 points in a game. The team had a shot at breaking the NFL record 72, but coach Mike McDaniel elected to take a knee on fourth down with a minute left.
• RB De'Von Achane, Miami - 203 rush yards - Achane's 203 rushing yards were the most in NFL history by a player in his first two games. Ottis Anderson's 193 yards was the previous high-water mark.
• WR Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers - 20 targets, 18 receptions, 215 yards - Allen broke his career highs in all three categories. Twenty targets tied David Boston's franchise record (targets became a tracked stat in 1992). His reception and yardage totals set franchise records. Terrell Owens was the only other player in NFL history to hit all three of these numbers. He did it in a 2000 game against Chicago as a 49er. Talk this summer focused on Allen in the "CeeDee Lamb" role, moving through Kellen Moore's offense. He is delivering.
• QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers - 405 passing yards, three touchdowns - Hebert became the third Chargers quarterback to have a 405+ yard passing game with at least three touchdowns. Dan Fouts (five times) and Philip Rivers (three times) are the others.
• Herbert (again) - 85% completion - 47 attempts - Two other players in NFL history have finished a game with 85% completion or better and at least 40 attempts: Patrick Mahomes II (41 att) and Lamar Jackson (43 att). Long story short, Herbert played one of the best statistical games in NFL history.
• QB Andy Dalton, Carolina - 58 attempts - Dalton set a career-high in attempts in year 13. The Panthers fell to 0-3, but the offense functioned better than with rookie Bryce Young. Without their first-round pick, the Panthers could give Young time to heal fully and allow the veteran Dalton to help steady the ship.
• RB Ken Walker III, Seattle - Two rushing touchdowns - Walker had two rushing touchdowns for the second straight week. It is very early to record watch, but the NFL record for most games with two rushing touchdowns in a season is LaDanainian Tomlinson and Priest Holmes with ten.
• WR Davante Adams, Las Vegas - 20 targets, 13 receptions, 172 yards, two touchdowns - Adams was not going to be outdone by division rival Allen. His targets and receptions were the second-best numbers of his career, his yardage total was the sixth-best, and this was his 22nd multiple-touchdown game.
• QB C.J. Stroud, Houston - 906 passing yards - Stroud's 906 yards through his first three games trail only Cam Newton's 1,012 and Herbert's 931 to start a career. Perhaps most impressive is Stroud's lack of interceptions, as Newton and Herbert threw at least three over the same span. Houston has to feel they have found their quarterback of the future.