Brock Bowers returned from injury looking no worse for wear en route to a position-leading 27.6 PPR points. George Kittle came up not far behind with a two-touchdown, 26.2 PPR-point performance. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dalton Kincaid’s breakout hit a speed bump as the Los Angeles Chargers held him to just 3.8 PPR points. Dalton Schultz also fell back to earth, following up his Week 2 position-pacing performance with just 6 PPR points in Week 3.
Our streamers turned in another week of mixed results. Kenyon Sadiq smashed, posting 23.5 PPR points against a very beatable Detroit Lions defense. Pat Freiermuth earned just four targets despite the Pittsburgh Steelers hanging 30 on the Cincinnati Bengals. He could have had a big day if Aaron Rodgers didn’t miss him on what could have been a long touchdown. Oronde Gadsen II airballed in a game where the Chargers put to bed any concerns we may have had that they could be a good football team. We will try to do better this week, starting with heading right back to attack the Lions.
Darren Waller
Rostered in 32% of Sleeper leagues / 14% of Yahoo leagues / 11.4% of ESPN leagues
We’re headed back to the Darren Waller well, as he draws a primetime matchup with the Detroit Lions. The Lions appear to be the perfect opponent for our fantasy rosters – they score a lot of points, forcing their opponents to throw the ball, and they cannot cover anyone. Waller has a defined red zone role, but last week he also earned eight targets. It makes sense that as he plays his way into football shape, his role will expand, but even if he’s just a part-time player, this matchup is exciting enough to make him worth the start. With Jalen Coker nursing an injury, the Panthers will need someone to step up. If Waller can earn another eight targets against this very generous defense, he should easily return value.
Brenton Strange
Rostered in 41% of Sleeper leagues / 28% of Yahoo leagues / 18% of ESPN leagues
Brenton Strange has earned just ten targets this season. At best, he’s the third option in the passing game. This week, however, he gets to face the Bengals, a great spot for tight ends. Freiermuth might not have gotten there last week, but Darnell Washington added three receptions for 67 yards, bringing the Steelers’ total tight end production for the game to a perfectly streamable total of 14.8 PPR points. As of this writing, this game has the highest total at 51.5 points (with the aforementioned Panthers/Lions game the only other game total over 50). Strange, who’s been on the field for 76% of the Jaguars’ offensive snaps thus far this season, will have plenty of opportunities to fall into the end zone. If the Bengals succeed in limiting Jacksonville’s perimeter weapons, Strange could also play a bigger role in the offense. Either way, he sets up as a solid streamer with some upside.
Kenyon Sadiq
Rostered in 34% of Sleeper leagues / 19% of Yahoo leagues / 33.5% of ESPN leagues
Sadiq’s days as a streamer may be coming to an end. Against the Lions, Sadiq went off for seven receptions, 105 yards, and a touchdown on eight targets. Despite leaving the game briefly with an injury, Sadiq dominated a weak Lions defense. Although I am skeptical that Sadiq can match that type of production in tougher matchups, he has likely earned a bigger role going forward. He’s an athletic monster, and after fans got to see him as a featured part of the offense, it seems hard to put that genie back in the bottle. Sadiq is well-positioned to post a strong follow-up performance in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears. Heading into Monday Night Football, we’ve only seen the Bears defense twice this season. One of those games came in awful weather, but in Week 1, Darren Waller tagged the Bears for two touchdowns. We did not expect the Bears to have a good defense heading into the season, and nothing so far has changed that outlook. Equally important, the Bears offense should be able to put up points even without star quarterback Caleb Williams. If the Jets get pushed, Sadiq will get the volume he needs to be a reliable fantasy option.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by Rich von Biberstein/ Icon Sportswire