play0:50Eric Moody: Hunter Henry has cemented himself as a low-end TE1Eric Moody reacts to Hunter Henry’s nice fantasy game vs. the Steelers.
play1:11What to make of Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter in fantasyTristan H. Cockcroft explains why Brian Thomas Jr. is more of a WR2 and why fantasy managers should keep Travis Hunter on the bench for now.
play1:31Can Daniel Jones continue his trajectory as a top-10 fantasy QB?Daniel Dopp, Field Yates, and Stephania Bell break down Daniel Jones’ excellent start to the fantasy season.
Eric Moody: Hunter Henry has cemented himself as a low-end TE1Eric Moody reacts to Hunter Henry’s nice fantasy game vs. the Steelers.
What to make of Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter in fantasyTristan H. Cockcroft explains why Brian Thomas Jr. is more of a WR2 and why fantasy managers should keep Travis Hunter on the bench for now.
Tristan H. Cockcroft explains why Brian Thomas Jr. is more of a WR2 and why fantasy managers should keep Travis Hunter on the bench for now.
Can Daniel Jones continue his trajectory as a top-10 fantasy QB?Daniel Dopp, Field Yates, and Stephania Bell break down Daniel Jones’ excellent start to the fantasy season.
Daniel Dopp, Field Yates, and Stephania Bell break down Daniel Jones’ excellent start to the fantasy season.
Sept. 23: Gibbs and Montgomery run free against the Ravens
Sept. 22: Impact of CeeDee Lamb’s high ankle sprain
Sept. 22: Injury situations to monitor ahead of Week 4
Sept. 21: Early-game headlines: Daniel Jones delivers again; Pats can’t hold on to ball
Everything that happens in the NFL has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy football perspective. From position battles to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy football.
Our Fantasy Football Buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers and our NFL Nation reporters, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around the NFL.
Key links: Fantasy depth charts | Cheat Sheet Central Rankings | Projections | Join a fantasy league today
Dart, the Giants’ 25th overall pick out of Ole Miss, impressed in the preseason, completing 32 of 47 passes for 372 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, while adding 52 rushing yards and another score on six carries. Dart’s dual-threat ability gives the Giants a dynamic new look that contrasts sharply with Wilson’s style. With a strong supporting cast that includes Nabers, Wan’Dale Robinson, and deep threat Darius Slayton, Dart could immediately revitalize New York’s offense.
Eric Moody: Jahmyr Gibbs (26.9 PPR fantasy points) and David Montgomery (29.4) delivered matchup-winning fantasy performances Monday night against the Ravens. Gibbs set a season high in snaps and handled 27 touches, cementing his role as the lead back. Montgomery, meanwhile, played just 36% of the offensive snaps but produced the second-highest single-game output of his career on 13 touches.
The key takeaway is that this is Gibbs’ backfield now. He’s had at least 19 touches in two of three games, and in the other game he had a season-high 104 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. That makes this a great time for fantasy managers to consider trading Montgomery.
Mark Andrews caught all six of his targets for 27.1 fantasy points, fueled by two touchdowns. That’s good, but he was still sharing snaps and routes with Charlie Kolar and Zaire Mitchell-Paden. Andrews saw most of his playing time in 11 personnel and was used less often in 12 personnel. His usage is expected to shift again once Isaiah Likely returns.
Tristan H. Cockcroft: ESPN’s Todd Archer reports that Lamb’s injury, which the receiver initially attempted to play through, could cost him three to four weeks. High ankle sprains typically result in multiweek absences, so it’s no surprise that Lamb might miss that much time (or longer).
With the Dallas Cowboys’ defense performing as poorly as it has, Prescott should continue to handle hefty workloads, meaning Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin, who move up to the Nos. 2 and 3 roles at wide receiver, could have their moments against weaker opposing secondaries. In larger leagues — think 12-teamers and deeper — either or both could warrant a look, though neither should be remotely on a standard league radar against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4.
Stephania Bell: Lamb was the ball carrier on a 1-yard run when he got his left ankle caught up under a defender, forcing his ankle to rotate outwards relative to his lower leg while it was trapped against the ground. That Lamb was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain was not surprising given the mechanism of injury described above is typically associated with that injury.
Eric Moody: Hunter Henry has cemented himself as a low-end TE1
Eric Moody reacts to Hunter Henry’s nice fantasy game vs. the Steelers.
What to make of Brian Thomas Jr., Travis Hunter in fantasy
The following players suffered an injury in Week 3. Be on the lookout for updates as the week progresses.
Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Evans suffered a hamstring injury and could be seen limping off the field and on the sidelines. As he exited the field and walked into the tunnel, Evans threw his helmet, seemingly frustrated by the injury. Coach Todd Bowles said Evans is set to undergo an MRI on Monday. Evans missed three games last season due to a hamstring strain.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders: McLaurin left Sunday’s game early with a quad injury. Originally deemed questionable to return, McLaurin remained out for the rest of the game.
Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts: Pierce exited the game early to be evaluated for a concussion. He was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Tyrone Tracy Jr., RB, New York Giants: Tracy left the Sunday night game with a right shoulder injury that he sustained following a collision with a defender, and he was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Can Daniel Jones continue his trajectory as a top-10 fantasy QB?
Sunday’s first slate of action was fraught with inefficient play and sloppy surprises. Still, fantasy managers received a handful of confirmations.
Bhayshul Tuten’s shadow continues to loom large: The Jacksonville Jaguars rookie’s involvement surged on the heels of Tank Bigsby’s absence in Week 2. That trend continued in Week 3, as the rookie matched Travis Etienne Jr. with 3.5 yards per carry. Tuten scored for the second week in a row, this time via the ground. While Etienne received more opportunities, Tuten has earned a sizable role in the Jaguars’ backfield rotation. He’s currently still available in over 50% of ESPN fantasy leagues.
Tre Tucker, WR, Raiders 40.9 fantasy points Jonathan Taylor, RB, Colts 32.8 Jalen Hurts, QB, Eagles 29.04 Hunter Henry, TE, Patriots 29 Geno Smith, QB Raiders 26.06 Garrett Wilson, WR, Jets 24.4 Jordan Mason, RB, Vikings 23.6 A.J. Brown, WR, Eagles 22.9 Puka Nacua, WR, Rams 22.8 Nico Collins, WR, Texans 22.4
Eric Moody: The Giants are turning the page on their Russell Wilson era, naming rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart as the Week 4 sarter against the undefeated Los Angeles Chargers. Wilson’s inconsistent play through the first three games made the move inevitable. Wilson completed just 59.1% of his passes for 778 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Outside of Week 2’s 450-yard, three-touchdown performance (30.3 fantasy points) against the Dallas Cowboys, he managed only 328 yards on 50.7% passing with zero scores and two interceptions, including critical red zone mistakes that limited production for key playmakers like Malik Nabers and frustrated Giants fans, who even chanted for Dart late in Sunday’s loss to Kansas City.
For fantasy managers, Dart’s arrival changes the outlook. Nabers’ managers should be excited, as he posted career lows in receptions and receiving yards in Week 3 against the Chiefs. He remains a high-end WR1 against the Chargers, with upside now that a more aggressive quarterback is under center. Things are also looking up for Cam Skattebo, now the team’s lead back, who could see more carries, goal-line opportunities, and a bigger role in the passing game, firmly placing him on the RB2 radar. Dart’s rushing ability adds a further layer of upside for the offense, which also positions Robinson and Slayton as startable options in deeper leagues. Managers should monitor Week 4’s game against the Chargers closely, as Dart’s start could be the spark both the Giants and fantasy managers with New York players on their roster have been waiting for.
The Ravens had no answers, allowing 224 rushing yards, their most since Week 6 of 2017. Most of the damage came between the tackles, where the Lions gained 207 yards, the most they’ve had (and the most Baltimore has allowed) in a game since ESPN began tracking the stat in 2006. That’s something to keep in mind when starting running backs against Baltimore’s defense moving forward. Gibbs and Montgomery may not find as much room in Week 4 against a Browns defensive front that leads the league in run stop win rate.
Following Lamb’s initial departure from Sunday’s game, tight end Jake Ferguson ran 27 routes and caught 12 of 13 targets sent his way for a team-leading 19.3 PPR fantasy points (among 21.2 total for the day), a reminder that it’s not always the wide receivers who benefit from an injury to one of the top names on the depth chart. George Pickens, who had identical 17.8-point scores and receiving stat lines in the past two weeks, is the most logical benefactor, moving up to be quarterback Dak Prescott’s de facto No. 1 target. But Ferguson might stand to benefit most from a target boost for however long Lamb is out. Pickens is a weekly fantasy WR2, while Ferguson goes from being a borderline top-10 tight end to a clear member of that tier. That’s a big deal for the many of us in fantasy leagues who went the cheap route when drafting at the position.
The day after an injury like this — when the supportive tape has been removed and the adrenaline has evaporated — often brings the harsh reality that it will, in fact, take weeks not days to return to action. On Tuesday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters the team is considering an IR move for Lamb, which would require him to miss four games. There are two factors in determining time to return for the injury: First, the ligaments have to heal to the point where the ankle is stable and the athlete can comfortably advance the body weight over the foot on the ground. Second, the athlete has to be able to meet the demands of the position with minimal risk of injury recurrence. With high ankle sprains, the athlete often feels good walking around but deceleration and rotation, especially in the direction that simulates how the injury occurred, can take longer. Most athletes with an injury of moderate severity will report not feeling fully recovered until a minimum of four to six weeks.