De’Von Achane OUT FOR SEASON! Who Replaces Him? + Week 3 Recap (09/28 Fantasy Football Podcast)
Adam and Dan open with De'Von Achane's season-ending ACL tear and break down the muddled Dolphins backfield, then recap a wild Broncos-Rams Monday night win, the Giants trading for J.J. McCarthy, and a wave of injuries across the league. The back half dives into snap counts and route participation data to identify usage winners (Bowers, Hubbard, Michael Wilson, Josh Downs) and losers (Omarion Hampton, Ladd McConkie), while dissecting what's actually wrong with Drake May and the Patriots offense.
This episode of Fantasy Football Today digs into a chaotic Week 3 headlined by De'Von Achane's season-ending injury, then works through a pile of tape-based breakdowns — Drake May's decision-making, the Chargers' broken passing offense, the Bowers-vs-McBride tight end debate, and a surprisingly efficient Raiders offense. The hosts' central argument is that name-brand backs and receivers are being undercut by scheme and personnel problems across the league, so roster decisions now need to be driven by tape and opportunity share rather than draft pedigree.
The arguments
The Dolphins backfield is a split with almost no fantasy juice. Adam favors Ollie Gordon for his power-back, red-zone profile even though last year's data (when Achane missed time) shows Jalen Wright getting the bulk of passing-game work; Dave/Jamie counter that Wright still gets the edge if healthy because of receiving work, and both agree neither back deserves more than a token FAAB bid given Miami's offense is "dead zone-y."
Matthew Stafford's play is carrying the Rams' passing game through injuries. With Puka Nakua and Terrance Ferguson out, Kanata Mumfield and Tutu Atwell-type breakouts (Higbee's big game) are credited to Stafford's processing and arm talent rather than pure scheme, with Davante Adams still delivering elite value. The hosts view this passing offense as fully "locked in" for the rest of the season regardless of who's catching the ball.
Jalen Waddle's ceiling is capped by a rhythmless Broncos passing game. Dan argues Denver lacks the timing/rhythm of offenses like the Rams, Cowboys, or Bengals, producing "empty volume" — Waddle can get seven targets and still return almost nothing, as shown by his 3-for-12 across two games sandwiching one big outing. Adam agrees RJ Harvey's "joker" role is more valuable than most starting fantasy backs right now.
Drake May is droppable in shallow leagues despite a favorable stretch of matchups. After watching multiple games of tape, the hosts split blame roughly 30% offensive line, 40% receivers not separating, 30% May himself — including two bad interceptions and stepping off his landmark under pressure. Dan leans toward benching/dropping in one-QB shallow-bench leagues since better streaming options exist even with softer matchups (Bills, Raiders, Jets, Bears, Dolphins) ahead.
Brock Bowers vs. Trey McBride is a genuine, unresolved debate. Adam argues Bowers, used as a big-slot X receiver under Kubiak, has more explosive, league-winning upside than any tight end not named McBride, pointing to near-touchdowns and mismatch usage. Dan counters that McBride's 34 targets in three games and elite target share make him the safer, higher-floor TE1, and the two agree to a season-long bet on the matchup (crowd poll had Bowers at ~58-62%).
Malik Nabors' situation is more about the Giants' conservative game plan than his talent. Dan notes Nabors still shows burst and got open twice on plays Jameis Winston missed, but the offense is playing so conservatively (including a Joe Judge-esque handoff on 3rd-and-9) that volume and aggression are capped; both hosts are wary of trusting Nabors until the QB situation stabilizes, especially with J.J. McCarthy now in the building.
The Raiders' passing offense is legitimately good, but Ashton Jeantle's efficiency red flags are real. Adam credits Kirk Cousins' improved arm strength and Kubiak's scheme (mirroring his Seahawks success) for the offense's fast pace and points, largely built around exploiting mismatches for Bowers. On Jeantle, both hosts flag six carries inside the five without a touchdown, a big drop in broken-tackle rate, and poor per-carry efficiency, but still peg his weekly floor around 15 PPR points given the volume and touchdown equity in a scoring offense.
What it means for your roster
- Miami RBs: Don't blow big FAAB on Ollie Gordon or Jalen Wright — treat as low-priority claims (under 30% budget); Braylon Allen is the better speculative Jets add if Breece Hall sits.
- Rams passing game: Keep starting Kyren Williams and Davante Adams with confidence; stash Terrance Ferguson but don't force him into lineups yet — wait for Puka's return.
- Drake May: Bench or outright drop in shallow/one-QB leagues; stream a Geno Smith–type instead. Only hold if you have deep bench flexibility and want to bet on schedule softness.
- Tight end rankings: Bowers is the unanimous TE1 rest-of-season; McBride is a very close TE2 with a safer floor — don't panic-trade either.
- Malik Nabors: Start him cautiously (Cardinals/Commanders/Saints matchups are favorable on paper) but temper expectations until the Giants' QB and game-plan situation clarifies.
- Raiders offense: Michael Wilson is a legitimate flex/WR3 with volume and rising red-zone usage; Ashton Jeantle is a bet-on-the-offense hold (~15 PPG floor) rather than a buy-low/sell-high — don't overreact to his last two low-efficiency games.
“This feels very dead zone-y.” — Dan
Players in this episode
↓ Torn ACL ends his season; hosts note he was already underperforming (10-12 fantasy points) before the injury.
↓ Making poor decisions (two bad interceptions), receivers not getting open, and some O-line pressure; hosts lean toward droppable in shallow leagues despite easier upcoming matchups.
→ Heavy touches (19+ carries every game) but poor efficiency, six carries inside the five with no touchdowns; hosts see him as a decent floor play with untapped upside.
↓ Route participation fell to 16% in Week 3 with only 3 targets in 3 games; faces a tough Seattle run defense next.
→ Still holds elite opportunity/route shares (75%/62.5%) despite disappointing production; touchdowns expected to come.
↑ New OC Tommy Rees is moving him around (X/Z/multiple alignments), restoring him as the passing game's focal point when Penix plays.
↑ 34 targets through three games, 8+ catches every game; Adam argues he's still the safer/better weekly option over Bowers.
↑ Used as a true mismatch weapon/X receiver by Kubiak, nearly scored twice; unanimous TE1 rest of season.
→ Still shows burst and good releases, but is stuck running clear-out/short routes in a conservative game plan; hard to trust given the QB situation.
→ Injury status pending Wednesday update; Braylon Allen viewed as a better pickup than either Dolphins back if Hall sits given a better O-line and Geno Smith's play.
→ Led the team with 7 catches/88 yards on 9 targets but looked like he was laboring for stretches, not yet back to full explosiveness.
↓ Slot rate and short-target usage have dropped sharply while average depth of target rises, a bad fit given the Chargers' poor pass protection.
↓ Followed a huge game with a dud (3 catches/12 yards on 10 targets) due to lack of rhythm in Denver's passing game; volume without production.
↑ 10 targets, 29% target share, being used as a real passing-game centerpiece rather than gimmick plays.
↑ Playing a valuable 'joker' role in Sean Payton's scheme with PPR floor plus touchdown/explosive-play upside, more valuable than many starting RBs.
↑ Elite processing and arm talent is elevating unproven weapons (Higbee, Mumpfield) even with Kupp/Ferguson out; considered a locked-in fantasy unit.
↑ 82% opportunity share and 70.6% route share make him a true bell-cow despite a modest scoring output this week.
↑ 17 targets, 34% target share, five red-zone looks and three cheap screen catches; encouraging waiver-wire breakout, projected to start vs Giants.
↑ Posted a career-high 172 air yards, showing an expanded route tree beyond short whip routes with Alec Pierce out.
↓ Missed Week 3 with a foot injury/stinger; last year's split data suggests he'd get more work if healthy, especially receiving work.
→ Acquired for a fifth-round pick; could take over if Jameis Winston keeps struggling, but offense likely remains conservative even if he plays.
→ Preferred as the power/red-zone back over Wright, but hosts say neither back carries much fantasy value in this offense.
↓ Arm looks off compared to last year; his poor, overly conservative play is hurting Malik Nabers and prompted the McCarthy trade.