Team of the Week

 

QB: Josh Allen

The edge went to Russell Wilson last week and could have easily again, but we’ll give it to Allen this time after he scored five touchdowns in a difficult matchup against the Rams. Buffalo’s third-year signal-caller is completing 71.1% of his passes for 1,038 yards and a 10:1 touchdown-interception ratio this season, and he’s clearly a matchup-proof QB1 with sky-high upside.

 

RB: Alvin Kamara

It didn’t lead to a win for the Saints, but Kamara absolutely ripped Green Bay on Sunday night, catching 13-of-14 targets for 139 yards and two scores with an additional six carries for 58 yards on the ground. We’ll see if opponents find a way to contain Kamara, but he’s on pace for an unbelievable 144/1,520/16 receiving line as Drew Brees plays more conversative than ever.

 

RB: James Robinson

The rise from undrafted rookie to workhorse has been remarkable for Robinson, and he continued to show his all-around skillset as a bigger back last Thursday night with six receptions for 83 yards. It would be a surprise if Ryquell Armstead (COVID-19) took away too many touches from Robinson when he returns.

 

WR: Tyler Lockett

Dallas had no answer for Lockett on Sunday, and he caught three touchdowns (all in the first half) on his way to a 9/100/3 line and overall WR1 finish. The chemistry with Russell Wilson combined with the stacked supporting cast preventing defenses from keying on Lockett should keep him in play as a high-upside WR2.

 

WR: Justin Jefferson

After two quiet weeks in which he was targeted six times, Jefferson exploded on Sunday, catching seven-of-nine targets for 175 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown. Minnesota should rely on their first-round pick as a full-time player the rest of the way, and fantasy owners might be able to confidently get him in lineups based on the upcoming schedule (@ HOU, @ SEA, v ATL).

 

TE: Jimmy Graham

Graham—who went for a 6/60/2 line against Atlanta—caught his first touchdown from Mitchell Trubisky, and then he followed it up by coming down with a three-yard contested catch from Nick Foles in the second half. Chicago was ripped for the Graham signing earlier this year, but he’s been exactly what they’d hoped he would be so far.

 

FLEX: Derrick Henry

Tennessee was way too pass-happy early on, but they finally started to feed Henry in the second half, and he capitalized with two touchdowns in the final four minutes of the third quarter. Through three weeks, Henry has carried it 82 times for 106.3 yards per game.

 

D/ST: Colts

Indianapolis might have been dropped in a lot of leagues after a disappointing showing against Jacksonville in the opener, but they have rebounded with two straight appearances on the Team of the Week. Sunday’s 27-point performance easily led the way for D/ST options, as they had three interceptions, two touchdowns, and a safety.

 

K: Stephen Gostkowski

Gostkowski is another special teams option that has come a long way since Week 1, and he made all six of his field goal attempts—including three of them from 50+ yards.

 

Surprise of the Week: Tee Higgins

It felt like Higgins might have a big game when Cincinnati made John Ross a healthy scratch, and he ended up scoring twice against an undersized Philly secondary. Also, it’s noteworthy that the rookie led the Bengals wide receivers in playing time (79% snaps).

 

Disappointment of the Week: Gardner Minshew

We didn’t have Minshew (QB20) ranked as a QB1 option, but most apparently did based on the meltdown by fantasy Twitter during Thursday Night Football, so he is the choice here over some running backs and wideouts that continue to struggle. Fortunately, Minshew gets a good draw against the Bengals in Week 4 to potentially bounce back.

 

Rookie of the Week: James Robinson

A blowout loss for Jacksonville didn’t impact Robinson, and his 27.9 fantasy points coming on a night where he rushed for just 46 yards is a great sign for his rest-of-season outlook. There are plenty of promising rookies starting to emerge, but Robinson not appearing here again would be a surprise.

 

Week 3 MVP: Alvin Kamara

You wouldn’t think a running back would be the Fantasy MVP in week where he saw just six carries, but Kamara’s dominance as a pass-catcher was again on display, and 19 touches probably wasn’t enough against a Green Bay defense that struggled to bring him down on first contact. Kamara now has multiple scores every week to start the year.