The Top 10: Week 3

The Top 10 features Matt Waldman's film-driven analysis to help GMs manage their fantasy squads.

Matt Waldman's The Top 10: Week 3 Matt Waldman Published 09/22/2026

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Fantasy football

MISSION

The mission of this column—and a lot of my work—is to bridge the gap between the fantasy and reality of football analysis.

The goal of this feature is to provide you with actionable recommendations that will help you get results. The fundamental mission is to get the process right.

While it's a rush to see the box score or highlights and claim you made the right calls, doing so without a sustainable process makes success ephemeral.

The Top 10 will cover topics that attempt to get the process right (reality) while understanding that fantasy owners may not have time to wait for the necessary data to determine the best course of action (fantasy).

My specialty is film analysis. I've been scouting the techniques, concepts, and physical skills of offensive skill talent as my business for nearly 20 years.

The Top 10 will give you fantasy-oriented insights rooted in football analysis that have made the Rookie Scouting Portfolio one of the two most purchased independent draft guides among NFL scouts. This is what University of Kentucky Assistant GM Alex Brown has told me over the past 8-10 years.

Sigmund Bloom's Waiver Wire piece, available every Monday night during the season, is a viable source of information to kick-start your week as a fantasy GM. 

STRAIGHT, NO CHASER: WEEK 2'S CLIFF'S NOTES

The article below will provide expanded thoughts and supporting visuals for the bullet points in this section. 

The Top 10: The Cliff's Notes

  1. Jahmyr Gibbs is the best all-around back I've seen so far this year. Ride him for all its worth.
  2. Bryce Young offers at least top-15 fantasy QB production if his main passing game trio remains healthy.
  3. Ken Walker III is opening up Patrick Mahomes II's vertical game.
  4. Emmett Johnson is a must-have.  
  5. Rashod Bateman's problem all along may have been underusage. 
  6. Rachaad White is a patience play and a buy-low. 
  7. Chris Olave carries the Saints' offense. Don't expect it to change.
  8. Dalton Kincaid is here to stay, and the combo of James Cook III and 12 and 13 personnel are the reasons.
  9. The Packers backfield likely remains a three-headed committee until (or if) Josh Jacobs returns.
  10. Dontayvion Wicks: Add and consider a bye-week option until the wheels fall off.

1. Ride Jahmyr Gibbs for All It's Worth

Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey still give Gibbs a run for his money as the best all-around backs in the league, but I love what I'm seeing from the Lions' running back. The thing that separates him from every back other than McCaffrey is his route skills. Gibbs' routes are loaded with strong technique, getting him the separation he needs in tight confines or pulling away up the seam.

Gibbs also uses his hands and feet well to set up pursuit angles and collisions as a runner. There were several runs I could have highlighted against the Bills where Gibbs used these skills to make multiple defenders miss or run through their contact. 

There are old-school 1960s-1980s runs that look unstoppable, but a more accurate description is that they look uncontainable. They're going to get yards, and one or two defenders aren't going to limit him. That's how Gibbs looked throughout the game. 

Gibbs beats you in every way, and he does it as an attack-first option. Think Jamaal Charles at his peak with some McCaffrey and Marshall Faulk. Don't blink about the volume. Use him. 

2. Bryce Young Needed Receivers And He's Got'Em

Last week, our Roundtable noted Bryce Young as a candidate for the biggest Week 1 QB Outlier. I pushed back a bit, noting that Young looked strong under pressure and showed 4-5 film clips of Young responding well to difficult scenarios that would have limited other quarterbacks with more buzz. 

Young didn't start well in Carolina, and ever since, he's been up and down as a fantasy producer. He's had some big weeks against tough teams and then fell apart in others. 

My theory? Young's receiving corps is a big part of dictating Young's production. When he finished strong in Year 2, Adam Thielen was a massive factor. Thielen could beat tight man coverage in 2024. 

In 2025, Tetairoa McMillan could not defeat press, and Young wasn't a strong producer. Add Jalen Cooker's man-to-man route prowess to the mix, and the production improved. 

This year? Young has delivered in consecutive games, and it's no coincidence that he has a trio of receivers who complement each other: McMillan, Coker, and Darren Waller. 

All three can spread the field, and because Coker can win against man-to-man, the trio is good enough to create spacing problems and generate mismatches for each other as well as teammates. 

When a quarterback has a trio of competent options, it can even allow a limited player like Xavier Legette to get into the act. Bryce Young has a chance to surprise as a top 12 quarterback this year if his trio of Coker, McMillan, and Waller can stay healthy.

3.  Ken Walker III Found Patrick Mahomes II's Vertical Passing 

The ground game can create opportunities for deep passing. When we think of this idea, we think of big creases where runners reach the second and third level untouched, and this forces safeties into the box. This leads to successful vertical passing with the aid of play action. 

I think some of that is true, but I have a theory. It's not just productive running. I think it's also runners who break tackles repeatedly. When a defense perceives a runner as difficult to tackle, they are more likely to overcompensate for the run -- even if the production isn't as strong statistically as others. 

Walker is a contact runner with elusiveness. He has been a difference maker. 

When defenders have to rally to a ball carrier because they can't bring him down alone, that infiltrates the psyches of individual defenders inclined to overlook. None of these Chiefs receivers are proven primary threats who can do it all. Still, they can earn separation, and Patrick Mahomes II with time to hit them is dangerous. 

4. Emmett Johnson Is a Must-Have

Already a subscriber?

Continue reading this content with a PRO subscription.

Join Now
Photos provided by Imagn Images
Tags:
Matt Waldman fantasy football top 10 2026 week 3 Footballguys Top 10 Jahmyr Gibbs Bryce Young Ken Walker III Emmett Johnson Rashod Bateman Rachaad White Chris Colave Dalton Kincaid Pakcers rbs Kaleb johnson Chris Brooks Marshawn Lloyd James Cook Chris Olave Dontavyvion Wicks
Share This Article

More by Matt Waldman

 

The Replacements: Week 2

Matt Waldman

A curated list of preemptive pickups poised to emerge before the rest of your league is aware, along with candidates who could contribute due to unexpected events.

09/18/26 Read More
 

Roundtable: Wide Receiver Outliers

Matt Waldman

The Footballguys staff shares their picks for the wide receiver who likely played their best and worst in Week 1.

09/17/26 Read More
 

Roundtable: De'Von Achane and Omarion Hampton

Matt Waldman

The Footballguys roundtable discusses what to do with De'Von Achane and Omarion Hampton.

09/17/26 Read More
 

Roundtable: Biggest Quarterback Outliers

Matt Waldman

The Footballguys staff shares their picks for the quarterback who likely played their best and worst in Week 1.

09/17/26 Read More
 

Roundtable: Week 1 Thrills and Horrors

Matt Waldman

The Footballguys roundtable discusses players who thrilled and horrified them in Week 1.

09/17/26 Read More
 

Week 1 From A to Z: The Gut Check No.687

Matt Waldman

Week 1 is in the books, and Matt Waldman shares notes, clips, and fantasy advice.

09/16/26 Read More