Week 3 Winners & Losers: Biggest Takeaways From Every Game, Injury Updates, Early Waiver Wire, & More! (09/27 Fantasy Football Podcast)
The FFT crew recaps a chaotic Week 3 slate dominated by close games and injuries, highlighting Brock Bowers' huge return and David Montgomery's disappointing performance as the biggest winner/loser. They run through buy/sell calls, injury updates (Achane, Hall, Jefferson, Evans, Mayfield), the early waiver wire, and go game-by-game through Sunday's action to identify usage trends and start/sit implications.
This Week 3 recap from Fantasy Football Today runs through every game's fantasy fallout, with Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Heath Cummings, and Jamie Erdahl trading winners and losers before diving game-by-game. The central thread: several breakout performances (Brock Bowers, JSN, Jeremiah Love, Kenyon Sadiq) look sustainable, while a handful of preseason favorites (David Montgomery, Jamison Williams, Bryce Young, Drake May) are getting real buy-low or drop consideration heading into Week 4.
The arguments
Brock Bowers' return resets the tight end hierarchy. Dave Richard opened with Bowers' 10-catch, 116-yard, one-touchdown game against New Orleans as evidence he's back to being an elite TE1, edging out George Kittle in the same week. The hosts tied his outlook directly to Raiders offensive competence, noting Las Vegas is undefeated through three weeks with Bowers healthy.
David Montgomery's efficiency collapse raises real concerns, not just a bad matchup. Heath Cummings called Montgomery the week's biggest loser after a three-touchdown game masked a third straight week of poor rushing efficiency (3 yards per carry both with and without Nico Collins), plus lost goal-line work to Woody Marks twice. Heath argued this isn't just about Collins' absence — Montgomery has been one of the least efficient volume rushers in the league — while acknowledging his workload and schedule mean he's still cheaply available on the trade market if managers are desperate.
Justin Jefferson–Seattle's JSN is producing at a historically absurd rate and the hosts are largely buying it continuing. Jamie and Heath noted JSN is averaging 34.7 PPR points per game, already logging six of Seattle's ten end-zone targets, and predicted he'll finish north of his 21.2 points-per-game pace from last year (though not sustain the current 33-point pace). They credited it to Seattle's non-existent run game forcing volume his way, and praised his contested-catch ability alongside Ja'Marr Chase and Puka Nacua as separating elite receivers from good ones.
Jalen Warren has taken over the Steelers backfield outright, even before Rico Dowdle returns. Dave pointed to Warren's 17 carries, three catches, and 176 total yards against Cincinnati, plus an improved offensive line with a rookie first-rounder starting, arguing there's no path back to a 50-50 split for Dowdle. Terry McLaurin's buy-low window is officially closed after a 9-target, touchdown day, supported by data showing his target-per-route-run rate with Marcus Mariota (30.4%) dwarfs his career average (21.5%).
Drake May and Justin Herbert are droppable in shallower leagues given quarterback streaming options. Jamie argued for cutting both, citing May's sub-24-combined-fantasy-point stretch over three starts and Herbert's brutal upcoming slate (Seattle, Denver, Chiefs, bye, Rams, Texans). Heath countered that Geno Smith (low-end starter after his Detroit outburst, facing Chicago next) and Kirk Cousins (two straight 26-plus-point games, Bowers now healthy) are more startable streaming options than either.
Backfield chaos at running back demands immediate waiver attention. With Devon Achane (possible serious knee injury) and Braelon Allen's Jets/Miami situation, plus Alvin Kamara's Saints workload uncertain after Travis Etienne's injury, the hosts flagged Braelon Allen, Ollie Gordon, and Kendre Miller as the top adds — while cautioning none profile as a true bell-cow. Dave was explicit he'd rather roster a Dolphins or Jets backup than Miller, who projects into a three-way Saints split with Kamara and CJ Donaldson.
Jamison Williams' role is shrinking on an offense that keeps scoring 31 points a game. Dave flagged zero touchdowns and no 50-yard games through three weeks for Williams, attributing it to Sam LaPorta sapping his target share, and floated benching him if bench alternatives are producing. Heath pushed back lightly, noting Williams' week-to-week unpredictability makes him hard to bench outright.
What it means for your roster
- Start Brock Bowers and Kirk Cousins with confidence — Bowers looks fully restored as an elite TE1, and Cousins is a viable streamer/must-start in two-QB or superflex leagues now that Bowers is healthy.
- Drop Drake May in shallow leagues; treat Justin Herbert as bench-only given his brutal four-week stretch (Seattle, Denver, Chiefs, then a bye).
- Sell or hold Chase Brown, don't buy at his current inflated average — Heath and the group agreed his current PPR pace isn't his real value, but his upcoming schedule (Jacksonville, Miami, Baltimore, Tennessee) supports continued rostering.
- Prioritize Braelon Allen, Ollie Gordon, and Kendre Miller off waivers, in that order, as the best available backfield claims, with the caveat that none project as clean lead backs.
- Consider trading for David Montgomery now while his value is depressed if in need of running back help, but temper expectations — he profiles as flex-only even with better health at receiver.
- Buy low on Malik Nabors and hold Terry McLaurin as a locked-in high-end WR3/low WR2 — Nabors' weather-affected dud is seen as an opportunity, while McLaurin's buy-low window has closed for good.
“Buy window is gone. It's closed. It's nailed shut.” — Dave Richard
Players in this episode
↑ Averaging nearly 35 PPR points per game, dominating end zone targets; hosts believe he could finish better than last year's 21.2 ppg pace.
↓ Left early with a possibly serious knee injury; expected to miss multiple weeks per broadcast info.
↓ Scored under 4 fantasy points; hosts unanimously say he's droppable given poor offensive weapons and performance.
→ Hosts say hold, not sell, despite modest scoring weeks; good upcoming schedule keeps him valuable, though not panic-worthy if inconsistent.
↑ Got almost all touches, scored 21 fantasy points; hosts debate ranking him top-12 RB going forward.
↑ Hosts debate Bowers vs. McBride rest-of-season value; one host firmly sides with McBride given his target volume (34 in 3 games).
↑ Returned from injury with 10 catches, 116 yards and a TD, instrumental in Raiders' win; hosts view him as a must-start elite TE1 again.
→ Quiet game (5 catches, 26 yards) partly due to weather and shoulder injury; hosts see him as a buy-low target before tougher matchups test him.
↓ Left game in fourth quarter with injury that could be a multi-week absence.
↑ Dominated targets (9) for Chiefs, regaining Mahomes' trust; called a must-start WR though not top-5 yet.
↓ Also labeled droppable due to tough upcoming schedule despite a decent 14.7-point game.
↓ Continued poor rushing efficiency (3 YPC) for third straight week and lost two goal-line carries to Woody Marks; hosts say sell-high window may be gone.
↑ Trevor Lawrence famously took a knee to preserve his TD; hosts call him a must-start RB2 but worry about snap competition from other backs.
↑ Dominated with 176 total yards against Cincinnati without Rico Dowdle; hosts believe he's taken over the job outright even when Dowdle returns.
↓ Only 27% of snaps in a three-way split, six touches; hosts squeamish about starting him going forward, possibly due to injury.
↓ No 50-yard game or TD yet this season; hosts worried Sam LaPorta's presence caps his target share.
↑ Nine targets, TD, near 20 fantasy points; hosts say buy-low window is closed and he's a must-start WR2/3.
↓ Only one target/catch against tough Patriots secondary; considered droppable in shallower leagues given tough schedule.
↑ 11 catches, 89 yards, TD on 17 targets vs 49ers; now the clear top receiver for Cardinals moving forward.
↓ Barely involved, outtargeted by Foster Moreau; moves back into high-end TE2 range, though gets a good matchup next week.
→ Got goal-line work twice over Montgomery, scoring a short TD, raising questions about a role split.
↑ Emerged with big game and 8 targets even with Mitchell healthy; hosts believe he's earned a bigger role and is a strong streaming TE.
↑ Second straight strong game despite Daniel Jones' inaccuracy limiting his ceiling; hosts say he should be a PPR starter.
→ Also out, leaving Ollie Gordon as the primary back; severity of Wright's injury unclear.
→ Considered top waiver RB for Saints backfield but part of a messy three-way split with Kamara and Donaldson.