Week 3 of the fantasy football season featured some big games by receivers you don't think about as their quarterback's top target, yet Mike Williams and Emmanuel Sanders offer Justin Herbert and Josh Allen extra octane for their high-powered offenses. Where do we see Williams and Sanders the rest of the season? Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis along with thoughts on James Robinson, Justin Fields, the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense and more.
Mike Williams is a top-20 wide receiver
Williams posted 33.2 PPR points in the Week 3 win over the Chiefs, which led all wide receivers in the early games. But this is also becoming a consistent thread in the Chargers' offense with quarterback Justin Herbert. Williams has now seen at least nine targets a game this season, and three of his four touchdown receptions have come on red zone throws. Remember, Herbert has very similar physical tools to Bills quarterback Josh Allen. And his ball location when targeting Williams has been on point. That's why the Chargers can continue to devise ways to get Williams open on in-breakers and also isolate him in one-on-one matchups. Looking at the target volume for Williams here, plus the ascending level of play from Herbert, you can lock in the Chargers WR as a weekly top-20 play. -- Bowen
To that point, Matt, Williams played 72.1% of the Chargers' snaps and had a 25.7% target share in this game, meaning that he has now played at least 70% of the snaps with at least a 20% target share in each of his first three weeks. To put that into perspective, he had only four such games all of last season. Herbert is looking in Williams' direction considerably more this year, and I think Williams might have even arrived as a weekly top-15 option at his position. -- Cockcroft
You can r-e-l-a-x about Josh Allen
Now there's the Josh Allen we all came to know and love during 2020, as his 37.22 fantasy points paced all players during the 1 p.m. ET game block. It's the third-best single-game score he has delivered in any of his 47 games, and it included some of the trademark deep throws he made last year. Although his 11.6% completion rate on throws 20-plus yards downfield was lower than his standard, it included his 28-yard, first-drive touchdown to Emmanuel Sanders. While we've also noted in the column how the Washington defense has struggled to this point, this was still a standout game for Allen, considering the on-paper matchup. He's now aligned for an extremely favorable portion of his schedule, with games against the Houston Texans (Week 4), Kansas City Chiefs (Week 5), Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 9) and New York Jets (Week 10) upcoming, a stretch during which you probably wouldn't want any other quarterback given the choice. -- Cockcroft
Allen was dialed-in today, Tristan. And in a Buffalo offense that runs through the quarterback and the pass game, Allen took advantage of a Washington defense that couldn't apply consistent pressure or secure rush lanes. That allowed Allen to move, climb and extend plays to the edge of the pocket. And when he gets those opportunities, against zone-heavy teams, he can light you up. Up next for Allen and the Bills in Week 4? The Texans' defense. More zone windows to scheme -- and attack. -- Bowen
Allen's game is Emmanuel Sanders' gain
Speaking of Sanders' touchdown, it was the first of two on the day for the veteran wide receiver, whose 26.40 PPR fantasy points were his most since Week 14 of the 2019 season, and his 11th most in 161 career games. The performance presents a bit of a tough read: On one hand, there's that aforementioned favorable schedule, which aligns quite nicely for a perimeter receiver like him, one who should now be one of the week's hottest pickups (and rightfully so). On the other, Sanders' target share was still only 14.0%, the third straight week his number was in the midteens, as both Stefon Diggs and slot receiver Cole Beasley saw more targets. There's a hint of John Brown to this performance, and that's not to knock Brown's Bills contributions, as he ranked 20th among wide receivers with 219.82 points in 2019 and had a handful of big fantasy days in 2019-20. Brown also, however, had his share of quiet weeks, including a pair of times shut out in 2020, which could be a similar problem for Sanders when game flow works against him, and/or Allen is more reliant on his other receivers. Sanders is certainly roster-worthy, but he's in the WR3-4 tier. -- Cockcroft
James Robinson's rebound game doesn't fully redeem him
After failing to exceed 10 PPR points in his first two games, Robinson rebounded with 25.4 points in the Jags' Week 3 loss to the Cardinals. Remember, when Robinson gets consistent run game volume, including red zone touches, there is no question he can be a viable asset to your lineup. And the receiving totals on underneath throws are a boost here, too. But that also depends on the Jags' offensive structure, and the ability to maintain positive game flow, given Robinson's lack of dynamic traits. With a Week 4 matchup versus the Bengals, I will have Robinson in the RB2 mix, but I want to see more before I'm sold on his week-to-week value with this current Jacksonville team. -- Bowen
Wait and see after Justin Fields' quiet debut
We expected a lot more here, right? And that includes the offensive game plan from Bears head coach Matt Nagy. We need to see more movement concepts, more play-action concepts, schemed throws and designed rush attempts for Fields, given his natural playmaking ability. The rookie, working behind an offensive line that didn't have answers for the Cleveland pass rush, produced a total of just 3.92 fantasy points in the Week 3 loss to the Browns. With a matchup against the Lions in Week 4, Fields will be in the QB2 mix in my ranks, but we have to see a game plan that caters to his dual-threat ability before we can bump him up. -- Bowen
Marquise Brown's drops set up Justin Tucker's historic field goal
Hollywood's was the stinker performance of the week, and if not for Justin Tucker's 66-yard, walk-off field goal that bounced off the crossbar, it would've ultimately been the stat line that did in his team. Brown scored 8.3 PPR fantasy points while catching 3 of 7 targets, but the story was more about what he didn't do, specifically that three of those missed targets were ugly drops, two of which would've certainly been touchdowns if caught and a third which probably would've also gone for a score. Normally, it'd be easy to say that he's a big-play wide receiver who should quickly rebound, but with the volume of mistakes in this one, not to mention it being about the best matchup he could possibly ask for, it's fair to wonder whether there might be an impact on his targets in the near future. Now he draws one of the tougher matchups at his position in the Denver Broncos. It'll be tough to trust him in that game, at least not as much more than a boom-or-bust flex play. -- Cockcroft
T.J. Hockenson comes up short
Just when he earned our consensus No. 3 tight end ranking spot for the week -- which had typically been George Kittle's -- Hockenson posted one of the most disappointing performances of Week 3, scoring only 3.0 PPR fantasy points while seeing a mere two targets. Yes, the Baltimore Ravens put quarterback Jared Goff under constant pressure, but this is still a defense with a weaker secondary than its teams from years past, and one would've figured Hockenson would see more throws than this. Only once his entire rookie season did he score fewer fantasy points, and not once did he see so few targets. Chalk it up to an outlier game, but it's a reminder that the Lions' offensive woes could have an adverse impact on Hockenson's consistency even in his leading role. -- Cockcroft
Matthew Stafford thriving in L.A.
Tom Brady might've come close in terms of fantasy points, but let's face it, Stafford clearly outplayed the greatest of all time, scoring 29.52 points in a big win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In doing so, Stafford moved into a tie for third place among quarterbacks for the season with 71.08 fantasy points, trailing only Kyler Murray (85.20) and Patrick Mahomes (80.20) and matching Josh Allen's number. Stafford seems like a perfect fit to helm this Rams offense, and he's on pace to easily exceed his previous career best for fantasy points in a season (343.32), and that's even if you prorate that number to a 17-game season. He'll probably now cost you top-10 quarterback valuation, but I'd say make the deal if you're hurting at the position. Stafford has quite a few plus matchups remaining on his schedule, including games against the Detroit Lions (Week 7), Houston Texans (Week 8) and Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 13), and that he has done this despite not airing things out close to the levels he was used to in Detroit speaks quite well to his statistical upside. -- Cockcroft
Quick Hitters
Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers: After another game in which he failed to post more than 14 fantasy points, and with upcoming matchups versus the Packers (Week 4) and Broncos (Week 5), Roethlisberger will be a midtier QB2 in my ranks. His level of play has continued to decline since last season, and I still see the Steelers throwing one-on-one balls in an attempt to create explosive plays. -- Bowen
Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Another week, another massive usage rate for the rookie, as he played 94.8% of the Steelers' offensive snaps, but the real story here was his 19 targets, the third most by any running back in the 30 seasons for which we have target data (1992 forward). As Matt mentioned with Roethlisberger, Harris' usage could shift depending on how the quarterback's season plays out, but I think the team recognizes the offense needs to flow through Harris. He is a locked-in, top-10 fantasy running back, regardless of who is under center. -- Cockcroft
Washington defense: I was all-in on this defense back in the summer. But are we at the point where Washington is now best suited as a matchup-based, streaming option? This unit was carved up by Josh Allen on Sunday. And they've failed to produce over two fantasy points in a game this season. The Week 4 matchup looks pretty good for Washington against the Atlanta offense, but we need that pass rush to get going before this group jumps back up the ranks. -- Bowen
Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings: With Dalvin Cook out, you can bet on Mattison given the run game volume in this Minnesota offense, plus that scheme that creates daylight on misdirection opportunities. Mattison logged 32 total touches in the Week 3 win over the Seahawks, finishing with 23.1 PPR points. He's a decisive runner, and he plays with a physical edge. Better get those pads down in the secondary when Mattison scoots past the second level. If Cook is down again in Week 4, Mattison will carry RB1 value into the matchup with Cleveland. -- Bowen
Tampa Bay Buccaneers running backs: The first three weeks have certainly been ugly for Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II, as they have been largely responsible for the team's 169 combined yards rushing, which ranks among some of the worst numbers we've seen by any team since the merger. Sure, game flow had a say in this week's output, but Jones and Fournette have now each had a turn "starting" but got little done, and it's not like this team has one of the better remaining schedules for a running back. Jones, who has 5.1 PPR fantasy points total through three games but is 60.7% rostered, is a definite cut in fantasy. Fournette, who has 28.9 points and is 91.0% rostered, is a tougher one to let go since someone needs to handle the bulk of these chores, but he has certainly played like someone you can cut if you're deep at the position or play in a shallow league. -- Cockcroft
Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: His two touchdowns gave him three straight games with a receiving score to begin his NFL career, making him only the ninth wide receiver to do that since the merger, and he has looked quite good doing it. The Bengals' offense might have endured an up-and-down start to 2021, but the Chase-Joe Burrow connection is one of the things going truly right. The rookie is easily a weekly top-25 option, and is a small step from locked-in weekly WR status. -- Cockcroft