We’ve all had those days where nothing seems to go right. You don’t have a good outfit to wear, you put expired milk in your coffee, you have a very mild headache that won’t go away. It’s a horrible day, but there are always brighter days to come. The same cannot be said for some NFL players. Week 3 of the NFL season brought us some horrible performances from players with high expectations. Let’s discuss which players were just having one of those games and which were showing a sign of things to come.
Rhamondre Stevenson
It seems unfair to single out a Patriots player in this game considering just about everyone played horribly. However, Stevenson is the only Patriot with any sort of fantasy value so he gets the spotlight. In the Patriots 24-3 loss to the Jets, Stevenson rushed 6 times for 23 yards and fumbled once. The Patriots have a big problem: they have the worst offensive line in the NFL. They were able to mask it in the first two games of the season, but the Jets defensive line was making an impact on just about every play. This, in turn, made Stevenson’s job a lot harder.
It’s easy to see that this was a bad matchup for the Patriots. They weren’t able to find any momentum on offense throughout all four quarters. The sad truth for the Former Sons of Belichick is that this is likely not the last time this is going to happen. I don’t see them having much luck in Week 4 going up against the Niners. That means Rhamondre is bound to have several fantasy games this season where he finishes with less than five points. If he was on my fantasy team he would be going straight to the bench until further notice. It’s a shame because Rhamondre is a very talented running back who just happens to be in the worst situation in the NFL.
Mark Andrews
I’m not going to sugar coat this; I am worried about Mark Andrews. His shaky start to the season continued and even grew worse Week 3, as he finished with 0 receptions on 1 target. Andrews’ fall off truly came out of nowhere. Just last year he was one of the most high scoring and reliable fantasy football tight ends. The worst part is that the Ravens offense is finding success without him. The majority of plays go to either Derrick Henry or Lamar Jackson on the ground. When Jackson does throw it, he has favored Zay Flowers and even Isaiah Likely over Andrews.
I’m really left speechless with this one. I don’t think Andrews got drastically worse over the offseason, I think the Ravens simply just changed their offensive scheme. Part of me wants to say that Andrews will find his footing as the Ravens piece it together in the middle of the season, but I just don’t know if that’s true. I would not feel comfortable starting Mark Andrews until I see a major improvement in volume. Going into the season I thought Andrews might be the best tight end in the league. It turns out he may not even be the best tight end on his team.
Anthony Richardson
Anthony Richardson might just be the most interesting fantasy quarterback in the league. Week 1 he had 9 completions and still managed to finish as the top fantasy quarterback of the week. Week 2 he managed to get 200 yards and a touchdown, but also threw 3 interceptions. This week he hit a new low, throwing for 167 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in the Colts first win of the season. There’s a lot to unpack here, but let’s start with this: Anthony Richardson is the most raw quarterback in the league. He will make some horrible plays this season, but his ceiling is incredibly high. I’m sure many fantasy owners are wondering if he is a startable player going forward. Here’s what I’ll say: I believe Richardson will have more exceptional fantasy performances this season than he will have atrocious fantasy performances. That being said, there will be a few weeks where he puts up under 10 points. However, I still believe he is a must-start in fantasy football. Remember, Richardson has only played a handful of games with this team. There is still a lot of chemistry to be built, especially with players like Michael Pittman. Once Richardson improves his decision making and ball control, he will be an elite quarterback in the league. This season, he will be a viable fantasy option with explosive potential.
As we approach Week 4 of the season, there are many questions that have yet to be answered. Remember, the first three weeks of the NFL are rarely indicative of how the entire season will play out. There is still plenty of football to be played, so stay tuned.
