Team of the Week

 

QB: Daniel Jones

Jones looked to be in a good spot against the Bucs for his first career NFL start, but no one thought he would put up the numbers he did—as the rookie was 23-of-36 for 336 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions with four attempts for 28 yards and two scores on the ground. Russell Wilson (41.3 fantasy points) obviously made fantasy owners very happy after what will likely be the garbage time performance of the year, but Jones showed why he is an upgrade over Eli Manning at this point and is the clear choice here.

 

RB: Mark Ingram

The Ravens trailed basically the entire game on Sunday, but it didn’t stop Ingram from going off for 135 yards and three touchdowns on 20 touches. Gus Edwards looked good, too, but Ingram is the clear leader in the backfield (rookie Justice Hill saw just one touch) and will remain that barring injury. The veteran is a low-end RB1 through three weeks.

 

RB: Alvin Kamara

There was reason to downgrade Kamara a bit without Drew Brees in the lineup to deliver pinpoint passes underneath, but the Seahawks had no answer for the third-year back, who handled 25 touches after just 17.0 per game in the first two weeks. And importantly, the biggest impact came through the air (9/92/1), which should give fantasy owners optimism about the high-end RB1 status holding up over the next several weeks.

 

WR: Mike Evans

The Giants had absolutely no answer for Evans on Sunday, as he got the better of Janoris Jenkins for eight receptions, 190 yards, and three touchdowns—with almost all of the damage coming in the first half. The performance certainly made up for just six combined receptions for 89 yards through two games, and now we’ll see if Evans can keep it up against the Rams (Aqib Talib) and Saints (Marshon Lattimore).

 

WR: Keenan Allen

Allen has been sensational this season, and his Week 3 numbers (13/183/2 on 17 targets) constituted a career day. The matchup was great against the attackable Houston secondary, but with Melvin Gordon (holdout) and Hunter Henry (leg) gone for at least a few more weeks, Allen will remain a high-volume WR1 with increased touchdown potential.

 

TE: Greg Olsen

Tight ends torched the Cardinals in the first two weeks of the season, and Olsen made sure to keep that going with six receptions, 75 yards, and two touchdowns yesterday. He may be a step slower in his age-34 campaign, but Olsen is still a TE1 option that should produce whether Cam Newton or Kyle Allen is under center. While it’s a small sample size, Olsen is now on pace for an 85/1,179/11 line.

 

FLEX: Cooper Kupp

A handful of guys have a case to be the FLEX for this week’s Team of the Week, but Kupp’s performance on Sunday Night Football—which went down to the wire—makes him the choice. Cleveland simply had no answer for the 26-year-old on short/intermediate routes out of the slot, and his 27.7 fantasy points likely won plenty of games in Week 3.

 

D/ST: Packers

Green Bay forced three turnovers and got to Joe Flacco six times, which made up for getting run on a bit (149 yards and two touchdowns allowed on the ground) by the Broncos. The Packers have now gone for point totals of 13, 9, and 13 to start the year, and they’ve yet to allow more than 16 (real) points in a game heading into Thursday night’s matchup with the Eagles.

 

K: Dan Bailey

Matt Gay (15 fantasy points) was an option here in a somewhat low-scoring week for kickers, but a missed field goal as time expired and two missed PAT attempts gives the spot to Bailey (12 fantasy points, including a 50-yarder) as the second-highest scorer at the position Week 3.

 

Surprise of the Week: Kyle Allen

The success of Allen shouldn’t be a huge surprise based on what he showed in limited action as a rookie, but the young signal-caller passed the eye test just as easily as he succeeded in the box score (261 yards, four touchdowns) over the weekend. If Cam Newton (foot) doesn’t return, next week will present another easy matchup for Allen as the Panthers take on the Texans.

 

Disappointment of the Week: Chris Carson

Week 3 was filled with disappointment, but Carson (3.6 fantasy points) was easily the biggest one because of not only the short-term frustration, but also the long-term implications following his third lost fumble of the year. Especially with Rashaad Penny out, Carson was primed for a big game on Sunday, so we’ll see if these turnover issues lead to a more even split in Week 4.

 

Rookie of the Week: Daniel Jones

The fantasy performance by Jones is apparently the best ever by a quarterback in his first career start, and his award here is probably the easiest decision we’ll have all season. The No. 6 overall pick will almost certainly have some bumps in the road, but his ability to make plays as a runner should make him an elite streaming option in good spots—including next week against Washington.

 

Week 3 MVP: Mike Evans

Jones, Mark Ingram, and Keenan Allen were all worthy candidates, but Evans came through in a big way just when a bit of doubt may have been creeping in for fantasy owners, so hopefully you didn’t sell low after a slow start. Investors will now hope that Evans remains a focal point in Bruce Arians’ offense to retain his WR1 value.