Congratulations to those of you who picked up Jauan Jennings last week. Sorry to those of you who didn't. He makes an appearance in the waiver wire article for the second straight week after his 11-catch, 175-yard, three-touchdown performance in Week 3. Meanwhile, a piece of the Week 4 list takes on a decided Carolina Panthers blue hue after we witnessed the rebirth of Andy Dalton in Las Vegas.
Let's celebrate the Red Rifle Revival, and as always in this hallowed space, let's get wired.
The only rule here: Players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues to be eligible for the list.
QUARTERBACKS
ROSTERED: 44%
Rodgers looked like a guy who had taken a big gulp from the fountain of youth in Week 3. After averaging 171.5 passing yards per game in Weeks 1 and 2, the 40-year-old threw for 281 against the Patriots. He was making plays outside of the tackle box like it was 2011. So, which version of Rodgers are we going to see against a Broncos defense that just quieted what had been a potent Buccaneers passing game? I’d still suggest proceeding with caution when it comes to your starting lineup. If you’re in a situation where you need to stream QBs right now, Rodgers is not the worst option, but he's still more of a fantasy QB2.
ROSTERED: 14%
I understand there are still a lot of Darnold skeptics out there, given how his career had gone coming into this year, but we’re now 17.6 percent of the way into the Vikings’ season and the guy is the fantasy QB4. After throwing four touchdown passes in a statement win over the Texans, he exited Sunday with a league-high eight scoring strikes through the air. He has looked good in consecutive weeks against respected defenses. I’m not expecting four-TD days from him every week, but Darnold should certainly be rostered at a much higher rate, assuming everything checks out OK when his knee is examined after he was banged up on Sunday.
UPDATE: Darnold is not expected to miss any time after an MRI on his knee revealed a bruise and no structural damage, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Monday.
ROSTERED: 10%
Fields keeps stacking solid performances, with Week 3 being his best yet this season (18.4 points). He’s still right on the QB1/QB2 fringe for fantasy purposes, and Russell Wilson looms as a threat to his job if he is to take a step back. My main hang-up is Fields ranks 28th in air yards per attempt (5.9) among QBs with at least 50 pass attempts, but his rushing upside keeps him in the mix as a potential fantasy starter.
ROSTERED: 0.3%
He’s baaaaacck! In his first start since replacing former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, Dalton threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns in Carolina’s upset of the Raiders. The Panthers scored 23 more points and had 102 more passing yards in Week 3 than they did in Weeks 1 and 2 combined. In his 14th NFL season, Dalton became the first quarterback with 300-plus passing yards and three or more passing TDs in a game in 2024. Just like we all predicted he would. OK, not really. Looking ahead to Week 4, we now get a Dalton REVENGE GAME as the Panthers host the Bengals, the team that drafted Dalton (and then released him after the arrival of Joe Burrow). I’m not going to advocate for starting Dalton as your QB1 in fantasy leagues (yes, I’m a buzzkill), but he could be worth an add as a backup.
RUNNING BACKS
ROSTERED: 48%
With Carolina fielding a respectable passing game for the first time this season, Hubbard suddenly had a lot more room to operate in Week 3. He blitzed the Raiders for 114 rush yards on 21 carries (5.4 per), while also adding 55 receiving yards and a receiving TD. His 169 scrimmage yards set a career high and were the most in a game by a Panthers player since 2021. Miles Sanders got the team’s one goal-line carry and punched the ball in for a score on Sunday, which had to be frustrating for anyone who started Hubbard. It will get more annoying for Hubbard owners if that becomes the trend, but Chuba was still this week's fantasy RB4. I’d say ride the hot hand if you can.
ROSTERED: 41%
It only amounted to 8.4 fantasy points in Week 3, so there’s not going to be the same urgency on the waiver wire for Steele that there was a week ago. But he was clearly the top option out of the backfield in the team’s first game without Isiah Pacheco, taking 17 carries to Samaje Perine’s six. The rookie received 62 percent of the snaps to Perine’s 38 percent. Steele also handled six of the team’s seven carries in the red zone. We’d all like to see him do a little more with his chances, but this type of volume makes him a viable pickup if you need RB depth. Of course, if the team promotes Kareem Hunt from the practice squad, that could change the equation. For now, Steele is the RB1 in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense, which makes the rookie extremely relevant in fantasy.
ROSTERED: 16%
If you have Breece Hall on your roster and want a handcuff for him, what are you waiting for? Allen is giving every indication he could be up to the task as the starter if Hall were to miss time for any reason. Hall is clearly the RB1 -- he played 71% of the snaps against the Patriots, while Allen played 32 percent. Allen’s carries, rushing yards and catches have gone up each week, though, with the rookie leading the Jets in rushing yards (55, 5.0 per carry) versus New England.
ROSTERED: 11%
Dowdle has not had the big game that garners headlines and excites fantasy managers, but he’s the primary back in an offense that at least has the potential to put 30-plus points on the board in any given week. He’s been among the top 30 RBs in fantasy points in each of the last two weeks, so he should be on more rosters.
ROSTERED: 11%
Rachaad White continues to see the bulk of the snaps in the Buccaneers’ backfield, but for the first time this season, Irving had more carries than White (9 to 6) in Week 3. Obviously, that’s not huge volume, but Irving led the team with 70 rushing yards, while White had just 17. The efficiency gap between Irving and White has grown so large that I don’t think Bucs coaches can ignore it. Irving is averaging 6.2 yards per carry, compared with a measly 2.1 for White. Irving absolutely should be seeing the majority of the carries. If you need RB help, I’d recommend you make a play for Irving this week.
Keep an eye on: Cam Akers. If Joe Mixon misses a second straight Texans game with his ankle injury, Akers will be on fantasy radars again. He had a TD catch and 10 total touches in the Texans' blowout loss to the Vikings ... Packers RB Emanuel Wilson had 12 carries for 50 yards and two catches for 35 yards and a TD in Week 3. He had just one fewer touch than Josh Jacobs. I don't expect to see that every week, but Wilson is at least a stash candidate with a surprisingly enticing ceiling.
WIDE RECEIVERS
ROSTERED: 38%
Matthew Stafford spread the ball pretty evenly among his targets in the Rams’ first game of the season without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. It was Tutu Atwell’s day, as he led the squad with four catches for 93 yards, but I still view Robinson as the top healthy L.A. receiver in fantasy. He only had one catch on Sunday, but it went for 32 yards. It initially looked like he followed it up with another 30-plus-yard grab on the next play, but the call was reversed after a challenge by San Francisco. Robinson ran the most routes of any Rams pass catcher and was targeted four times. The big takeaway is the team’s passing game is not dead, despite what you may have heard.
ROSTERED: 27%
Aaron Rodgers has his favorites, and Lazard is clearly one of them. He leads the Jets with three TD catches and is tied for the team lead with five red-zone targets. His 49.3 receiving yards per game are nothing to get excited about, but if his QB is going to be looking for him -- and connecting with him -- on such a regular basis when in scoring range, Lazard is at least a stash candidate.
ROSTERED: 24%
After scoring again on Sunday, Johnston has three TDs in the past two games, which earns him a spot here for the second week in a row. He leads the Chargers in routes run (63), receiving yards (133) and receiving TDs (3). Now, we'll need to keep an eye on Justin Herbert's status after the QB exited the loss to the Steelers with the high ankle sprain that he aggravated during the game. Johnston deserves to be rostered in more leagues, even if Taylor Heinicke starts in place of Herbert against the Chiefs in Week 4.
ROSTERED: 12%
If you didn’t jump at the chance to pick up Jennings last week, here’s hoping it’s not too late for you to nab him. He had the game of his life in Week 3, joining the G.O.A.T., Jerry Rice, as just the second 49ers player to have 10-plus receptions and three or more TD catches in a single game. With Deebo Samuel expected to miss multiple games, the opportunities should keep on coming for Jennings, even if George Kittle returns this week. Jennings was targeted a team-high 12 times against the Rams. We can’t expect an outburst like Sunday's 175-yard effort every week, but the man clearly deserves to have more respect put on his name in fantasy leagues.
ROSTERED: 12%
Mooney's resurgence continued in Week 3 and he is making a strong case for flex consideration in most leagues. He's averaging more than 16 fantasy points per game in the last two weeks, and Drake London is the only Falcons player who has seen more targets this season (19 to Mooney's 18). Kirk Cousins seems to trust him. Maybe you should, too?
ROSTERED: 2%
Iosivas has seen his fantasy scoring increase with each week and has finished just outside the top 20 fantasy wide receivers in each of the last two weeks, with his three TDs in that span pushing him up the board. He had the same number of targets (7) as Ja’Marr Chase in Week 3, tying for the team lead even with Tee Higgins in the lineup for the first time this season. Joe Burrow obviously feels very confident going to the second-year pass catcher out of Princeton. Iosivas is putting himself squarely in the conversation for the flex spot in deep leagues.
Keep an eye on: It was a rough Sunday for the Raiders, but Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker are both among the top 10 wide receivers in fantasy points in Week 3. The production might have been a function of Las Vegas falling way behind and going pass-happy against the Panthers, but who's to say the Raiders won't find themselves in that situation on a regular basis this year? ... Can third-year Viking Jalen Nailor keep this up? Chances are he can't, but it's been fun to see him score one TD each week. He still has just seven catches total. He's going to be relevant to fantasy managers as long as he keeps finding the end zone. ... With Adam Thielen leaving Sunday's Panthers win with a hamstring injury and Andy Dalton thriving, Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo could see their opportunities increase if Thielen misses time. ... Wan'Dale Robinson has scored 11.8 or more fantasy points in two of the first three games. The Giants receiver is averaging eight targets per contest. As long as he continues to get looks at that rate, he should be on your radar.
UPDATE: Thielen is being placed on injured reserve with his hamstring injury, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday. That puts Legette and Mingo in play for WR-needy fantasy managers.
TIGHT ENDS
ROSTERED: 35%
Gesicki came back down to earth a bit in Week 3 (8.7 points) after his big Week 2 (16.1 points), but he’s still the fantasy TE6 through three weeks, which means he needs to be included here. There are only three tight ends that have more targets than him (18) heading into Week 4. He also ranks third at the position with 156 receiving yards. If you need tight end help (and there’s a decent chance you do), go get him.
ROSTERED: 34%
Kmet was left for dead by a lot of fantasy managers after his dreadfully quiet start to the season (5 catches for 31 yards through Week 2). A lot of those same managers will be rushing back to him now. Kmet awoke to the tune of 10 catches for 97 yards and a TD on 11 targets against the Colts. Kmet is worthy of your consideration if you don’t have one of the league’s few elite (and healthy) tight ends on your roster.
ROSTERED: 13%
Ertz is enjoying a bit of a renaissance in Washington with Jayden Daniels sparking the high-flying Commanders. Ertz led the team with a season-high five catches on Monday night and is among the top 10 fantasy scorers at his position entering Week 4. He’ll next visit his former team, the Cardinals, who had some trouble against the Lions’ tight ends on Sunday, allowing a combined six catches for 70 yards to Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright.
ROSTERED: 4%
The ceiling is relatively low for Conklin, who last scored a TD in 2022 and has a total of 14 red-zone targets since the start of the ’22 season. That said, he led the Jets with 93 receiving yards on five catches (six targets) in Week 3. Aaron Rodgers has thrown his way at least twice in every game. In the vast wasteland of fantasy tight ends this season, Conklin's an option for desperate managers.
Keep an eye on: Elijah Higgins. Cardinals TE Trey McBride was being evaluated for a concussion late in Arizona's loss to Detroit. Higgins, who had a TD catch in Week 2, figures to see starter's snaps if McBride can't go.
DEFENSES
ROSTERED: 23%
Minnesota has finished among the top eight fantasy defense/special teams in each of the first three weeks of the season, and that includes matchups against the likes of the explosive 49ers and Texans offenses. That’s a highly impressive start to 2024 for DC Brian Flores. He’ll face another tough test against Matt LaFleur’s Packers in Week 4, but he’ll either be facing the inexperienced (but clearly improving) Malik Willis or Jordan Love, who could be rusty if he’s able to return from injury. The Vikings are eminently stream-worthy.
ROSTERED: 14%
The Week 4 Titans-Dolphins matchup will feature two of the worst offenses in the league right now. Miami’s defense has disappointed through the first three weeks, but Monday night’s meeting with Tennessee has a chance to be a get-right game. Titans head coach Brian Callahan said after the latest Will Levis debacle that he is sticking with the second-year QB, despite his NFL-high eight giveaways in the first three contests. Defenses playing against the Titans have scored 21-plus fantasy points twice already this season. I can’t argue much with a strategy of streaming whoever is playing against Levis until the second-year pro proves he can take better care of the ball.
ROSTERED: 1%
The Dolphins’ offense is in a tailspin. They will be without Tua Tagovailoa until at least Week 8, and Week 3 starter Skylar Thompson is now dealing with a “pretty painful” rib injury, per head coach Mike McDaniel. That means third-stringer and career backup Tim Boyle, who stepped in for Thompson after he suffered the injury on Sunday, could be Miami’s starter in Week 4. The Dolphins did not score after Boyle entered the game in the third quarter, and they’ve scored just 13 points in their last two games combined. It’s worth streaming whoever is playing against Miami for as long as they don’t have an answer at quarterback.
