Thankfully, the majority of Week 3 is over and behind us at this point. Woof, what a week. If it were somehow embodied in a movie, it would be Maximus from Gladiator, screaming, “Are you not entertained?” to disappointed and horrified onlookers. It was that sort of week.

Players that had prime matchups universally disappointed. There were upsets galore, hosing over participants in survivor pools yet again. Highly drafted tight ends struggled yet again, and there was a myriad of injuries that will (yet again) force managers to pivot moving forward.

But enough of being Negative Nancy.

Some breakout performances caught my eye, and top-tier finishes from unowned options were worth placing a bid on. There was a silver lining, though the Grateful Dead would quickly point out that it still had a touch of grey.

• Waiver Wire Advice
• Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
• Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
• Fantasy Football Trade Tools

8 Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 3 (2024)

Quarterbacks

DUD: Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI) – A quick glance at Hurts’ stat line didn’t look terrible – 311 passing yards and another 25 rushing yards is a solid week in any metric. Yet, everything else was hollow. Hurts failed to pass or rush for a touchdown and committed two turnovers (one interception and one fumble) in a very sloppy game where Philadelphia barely topped New Orleans. Already without A.J. Brown, Hurts lost his other top passing option, DeVonta Smith, to a concussion halfway through the game, after an egregiously dirty hit. He was forced to divert the entirety of his passing volume to tight end Dallas Goedert instead, who set new career highs in receptions (10) and receiving yards (170). Hurts struggles are noteworthy, as he has more turnovers than touchdowns in the early going. The Eagles square off against Tampa Bay in Week 4 before their bye week, where, hopefully, their star options return, and he will have the chance to get things sorted out. Hurts isn’t playing like the top-3 player at the position he was drafted for.

STUD: Sam Darnold (QB – MIN) – It turns out that all Darnold needed to fix his career was to be attached to Kevin O’Connell. The second-ranked overall option at the position through three weeks, Darnold carved apart an above-average Houston Texans defense, throwing four touchdowns and completing nearly 61 percent of his pass attempts. Even though his overall volume is still middle-of-the-road, Darnold has peppered Justin Jefferson with targets in the early going, and his rosters will only increase moving forward. He briefly left the game with a knee injury and stated that he would undergo an MRI in the next day or two to confirm that there wasn’t any damage. Since he returned to the game and played well with no visible limitations to his mobility, we’d expect that the results should be positive. The 3-0 Vikings will square off against their long-time rivals, Green Bay, in Week 4 at Lambeau.

Running Backs

DUD: Josh Jacobs (RB – GB) – Lord alive, there were plenty of options to choose from this week. Jacobs joined JK Dobbins, Carson Steele, D’Andre Swift, Tony Pollard, Javonte Williams, and James Conner as mid-tier options, finishing the week with less than nine points in a full PPR. After a solid performance in the Packers’ Week 2 victory over Indianapolis, Jacobs finished with just 14 attempts for 43 yards and one reception for five yards. His lack of involvement in the passing game is especially troubling since that always bolstered his weekly points floor. Jacobs is not known as a particularly efficient option with his touches throughout his career, but he relies upon volume to carry him each week. Thankfully, Green Bay is expected to have Jordan Love return in Week 4, as he was a game-time decision for this contest. Defenses placing additional resources against the pass and out of the box will hopefully open up additional running lanes for Jacobs in the future.

STUD: Chuba Hubbard (RB – CAR) – Yes, Hubbard technically finished behind Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry this week, but I want to give him his time to shine – especially since the return of Jonathan Brooks looms large. Hubbard was a revelation against Las Vegas, with competent quarterback play by Andy Dalton. The Panthers gave him 21 carries that he converted into 114 rushing yards, adding five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown as a receiving threat. It can’t be understated how night and day this offense appeared with Dalton under center over Bryce Young. Finally able to string together lengthy drives and give their defense time to breathe, Carolina decimated the Raiders 36-22 in a game where the final score didn’t relay how lopsided the contest was. Hubbard will continue to see the majority of carries for Carolina until the explosive Brooks returns from IR.

Wide Receivers

DUD: Mike Evans (WR – TB) – I was tempted to list Brandon Aiyuk here out of spite, but Mike Evans makes the list instead after producing just 3.7 points in a full PPR. I discussed Evans during my segments with Bob Harris and Mike Dempsey on Sirius XM last week, noting that he would be squaring off against shadow coverage by Patrick Surtain, one of the top cornerbacks in the league. It turns out that his reputation is well-earned. In a game where Tampa Bay trailed the entire duration, Evans came away with just three total targets and could not see a shred of sunlight against Denver’s secondary. Baker Mayfield was under constant duress and had little time to throw the ball, taking seven sacks and averaging under five YPA. Better days are ahead for Tampa Bay, and I don’t envision many repeat performances of this paltry stat line for future Hall of Famers.

STUD: Jauan Jennings (WR – SF) – Sigh. That sound you hear is everyone who started Aiyuk and expected a significant breakout game, only for Brock Purdy to flip us the bird and pivot to Jennings instead all game long. Jennings finished with 11 receptions on 12 targets for 175 receiving yards and three touchdowns, torching the Los Angeles Rams secondary at will. Rather than shifting coverage his way, the Rams decided to double-team Aiyuk instead, to their own detriment. Even though Jennings will be touted as a must-add play by writers making knee-jerk waiver wire columns, I’d envision this as more of a fluke than a repeatable effort. Jennings benefitted from both Deebo Samuel and George Kittle being out, along with the Rams focusing on stopping Jordan Mason and the running game. Tip of the cap for Jennings to perform well when called upon to do so, but I wouldn’t overreact here.

Tight Ends

DUD: Take your pick.

Honestly, I’m not sure how to even view this position any longer for fantasy purposes. Every single top option per draft ADP has continually failed this year, and it is puzzling as to why. One would think, with the prevalence of defenses shifting to cover-2, that dink-and-dunk tactics would benefit tight ends being copiously targeted. Not so much.

Travis Kelce? Four catches, 30 yards. He has yet to eclipse seven points in any week this season.

Sam LaPorta? Two catches, 36 yards, and a knee injury to boot. His season-high is 8.6 points.

Kyle Pitts? Two catches, 59 yards.

Trey McBride? Three catches, 25 yards, and a concussion.

Mark Andrews? A goose-egg.

I’m just throwing my hands up in the air at this point. Be it a fundamental shift away from the position, defensive attention, or just rust from a lack of preseason snaps to gel, this is about as ugly as I can honestly remember things being in a long time.

STUD: Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI) – I alluded to Goedert’s breakout game earlier but wanted to touch briefly upon it again here. Goedert was expected to play a more significant role in the offense this week following A.J. Brown’s status, but he came into an even more prominent role once DeVonta Smith suffered a brutal hit and was forced out for the remainder of the game. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has great trust in Goedert, as he looks his way during pressure situations and key third-down conversions. Should Smith miss any length of time with his concussion, Goedert would creep into the must-start TE1 tier immediately.