Week 3 Fantasy Preview: Part 2 + Starts Of The Week
The crew recapped a big Thursday night showing from Michael Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson and Drake London, then previewed the rest of Week 3 matchups including Chargers-Bills, Ravens-Cowboys, Raiders-Saints, Cardinals-49ers, Seahawks-Commanders, Chiefs-Dolphins, Rams-Broncos and Eagles-Bears. Central threads included monitoring injuries (DJ Moore, Zay Flowers, Brock Bowers, Devonta Smith, Jalen Coker), debating whether hot-start players like Tyler Shough, Christian Watson, Matthew Golden and George Pickens are sustainable, and general skepticism toward underwhelming backfields (De'Von Achane, Jeremiah Love, Jaydarian Price).
This is a two-part Week 3 preview built around lineup-lock breakdowns for the week's biggest games, plus a start'em/sit'em wager segment. The hosts' central argument across the show is that early-season volume and game-script are producing a lot of mirage stats — Matthew Golden's garbage-time numbers, De'Von Achane's touch count without efficiency, Jeremiah Love's non-role — and separating the real signal (Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Tyler Shough, Davante Adams) from the noise is this week's central skill.
The arguments
Michael Penix Jr.'s return unlocked the Falcons passing game exactly as forecast, but Kyle Pitts still isn't must-start. Daniel and Phil credited Field's preseason read that Drake London would benefit most from Penix's downfield accuracy — London finished with 10 targets, nine catches, and 194 yards, pushing his career average with Penix over 20.5 PPG. Bijan Robinson also stayed the workhorse (29 carries, 194 yards, two scores), giving him more 25-plus fantasy point games since 2024 than anyone in the league. Pitts remains unsolved; the hosts admitted they have no unlock for him heading into Monday's Falcons game.
Christian Watson is the more sustainable Packers receiver; Matthew Golden may be at his season peak. Mike Clay argued Green Bay's 53 pass attempts (following 40-plus in Week 1) are an inflated, game-script-driven number that won't repeat now that the defense should normalize, and Golden's production has leaned heavily on garbage time. Watson, by contrast, is featured near the goal line and graded as the more talented receiver long-term. Field countered that Golden's draft pedigree (a first-round, second-WR-off-the-board rookie) gives him a path to sustained target share even if volume regresses — the group flagged him as a sell-high trade chip.
George Pickens is a buy-low target even with CeeDee Lamb healthy; Jake Ferguson's Week 2 explosion won't repeat. Mike pointed to Pickens' 23% target share (up from last year) and the 12-game sample with Lamb in 2024 where Pickens averaged 16.1 PPG (WR8 pace) as evidence his slow start is fluky. Ferguson's target share cratered to 10% through two games versus 16-17% in prior seasons, and Mike expects Pickens to absorb the target upside as Ferguson normalizes. The hosts floated a specific trade: swap Golden for Pickens if Pickens posts 12-or-fewer points in Week 3.
Derrick Henry is due for a workload correction after a puzzling Week 2 benching. Daniel and Mike flagged that Henry got only four second-half carries last week despite Baltimore's late-game need to control clock, calling out OC Todd Monken by name for the decision. With Dallas missing four defensive starters and this game carrying the week's highest implied total, they expect Henry's touches to rebound. Zay Flowers is a legitimate lineup question (back-to-back DNPs, traveled to Brazil anyway) with Rashod Bateman as the primary beneficiary if Flowers sits.
Tyler Shough has emerged as a real streaming QB, not just a volume mirage. Mike's data point: Shough has 90 pass attempts through two games, second only to C.J. Stroud, driven by New Orleans trailing on 78% of snaps. The hosts set a specific bar — if Shough wins clean at 274 yards/2 TDs/23 rushing yards, he's a legitimate back-end QB1 going forward; if the Saints win but he's mediocre, or if he needs garbage-time production again, they'll reassess.
Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price are both talent-only bets right now, not lock-in starters. Love is playing 43% of snaps, ranks 37th in fantasy points per touch, and 25th among backs in PPG — Mike called him a flex consideration, not a locked RB2, with the caveat that one explosive game could flip the outlook. Price splits early-down and goal-line work with Emmanuel Wilson (who has half the team's goal-to-go carries) and George Holani; the hosts recommend adding Zach Charbonnet off waivers given the backfield's committee usage so far.
De'Von Achane's touch volume (20-plus, 93 yards last week) hasn't translated into the explosive plays Mike projected, creating real host disagreement. Mike remains bullish (RB15) on volume alone against a defense that just allowed 25 points to Jonathan Taylor, while Field (RB20) and Daniel are lower, arguing Miami's offense lacks creativity in getting Achane the ball in space. Daniel went as far as saying he'd rather start DeAndre Swift than Achane this week and set up a head-to-head bet on which back outscores the other.
What it means for your roster
- Start Drake London and Bijan Robinson with confidence; Penix's efficient half validates London as a true WR1 in this offense, and Robinson's workload is unmatched league-wide. Kyle Pitts stays on the bench.
- Consider selling Matthew Golden now while his numbers are inflated — Mike expects regression as Green Bay's pass rate normalizes; Christian Watson is the more sustainable buy in the same offense.
- Buy low on George Pickens, especially if he posts a quiet game this week; the hosts explicitly endorsed trading Matthew Golden for him if Pickens disappoints again.
- Grab Oronde Gadsden II and Zach Charbonnet off waivers. Gadsden projects as a high-target tight end (ranked ~16 currently) in a pass-funnel Chargers offense against Buffalo; Charbonnet is a priority add given the Seahawks' messy Price/Wilson/Holani committee.
- Start Derrick Henry with expected touch correction, and monitor Zay Flowers daily — if he sits, Rashod Bateman becomes a flex play in what projects as the week's highest-scoring game.
- Trust Tyler Shough as a streamer this week but set a performance bar — a clean 20-plus point outing without a negative game script cements him as a back-end QB1; anything less reopens the question.
- Don't bench De'Von Achane, but temper expectations — Mike still has him as a low-end RB1 on volume, while Field/Daniel rank him closer to RB20 and would rather roster DeAndre Swift if forced to choose between the two.
“He is the thicker kicker.” — Daniel Dopp
Players in this episode
↑ Rushed for 194 yards and 2 TDs, now has more 25+ point fantasy games since 2024 than any other player.
↑ Only got four carries in the second half last week despite being the offense's best player; expected to get more volume against Dallas.
↓ Hosts are split — Mike Clay projects him as a strong RB1 due to volume, while Daniel and Field are much lower, preferring DeAndre Swift, citing lack of offensive creativity around him.
↓ Only playing ~43% of snaps with poor per-touch fantasy production through two games; ranked outside top 20 RBs, viewed as a flex, not a lock.
↑ Caught 9 of 10 targets for 194 yards with Penix back, continuing a strong per-game average with him under center.
↑ If/when he returns, expected to be among rest-of-season touch leaders given Green Bay's total lack of a running game.
↑ Limited in practice both days but trending toward playing; hosts will start him as normal if active.
↑ Target share (23%) is actually up from last year even with CeeDee Lamb healthy; hosts view him as a buy-low trade target.
↓ Still not fully integrated as an extension of the run game like last year, making hosts nervous about his role despite a good matchup.
→ Missed practice two days in a row with a hamstring injury but flew with the team to Brazil; still a game-time decision.
→ Disappointing start (only 8 rushing yards, 2 TDs total) but expected to trend back to being a back-end QB1 as the season progresses.
↑ Clear No. 1 target for Matthew Stafford with a 32% target share last week; expected to remain a strong start even with tougher coverage this week.
→ Limited Thursday with a shoulder injury after not practicing Wednesday; still trending toward playing and remains a lineup lock.
↓ Splitting snaps heavily with Emmanuel Wilson and George Holani, not seeing goal-line work consistently; hard to trust as a top-25 RB right now.
↑ Hosts see his production as more sustainable long-term than Golden's, citing goal-line usage and skill level, though health has long been a question.
↓ Target share has dropped to a career-low 16%, and he'll face Trent McDuffie in coverage this week, making him more of a flex than a true WR1 right now.
↑ With Marvin Harrison Jr. being ignored by hosts, Wilson is the clear No. 2 pass catcher behind Trey McBride and a viable flex.
↑ Produced 4-80-1 last week and could see a bump in volume if Mike Evans (Bucs, unrelated team reference aside) limitations open target share; strong play again vs Arizona.
↑ With Chargers' top tight ends injured, he's a strong waiver add given his big-play history and expected heavy target share.
↑ Averaging huge pass volume (90 attempts through two games) due to trailing game script; ranked as a clear starter (QB6) for Week 3.
↓ Last week's huge output looks unsustainable given only a 10% target share through two games versus his typical mid-teens.
↑ Available in 50% of leagues on IR; worth adding given the muddled Seahawks backfield picture.
↓ Numbers are inflated by garbage-time volume and unsustainable 53 pass attempts; may be at his statistical peak now.
→ Could move into flex consideration if DJ Moore sits out.
↑ Would see a flex-worthy target bump if Zay Flowers sits, especially in a high-scoring game environment.
→ Returned from injury to throw for 256 yards, unlocking big games for Drake London and Bijan Robinson; not a fantasy starter himself.
→ Averaged 17.1 fantasy points per game last year as a starter; viewed as a streaming option in coming weeks once Jaden Daniels sits, but not this week against a tough Chiefs-esque defense.