NFL week 3 reshaped fantasy rosters more than any week so far this season, ahead of Fantasy Football Week 4.
Three significant running back injuries — De’Von Achane’s torn ACL, Breece Hall’s quad issue, and Travis Etienne Jr.’s multi-week absence — have opened real workload opportunities, while a handful of receivers and a surprise starting quarterback situation in Chicago are worth sorting out before Week 4 lineups lock.
For the broader storylines behind these shakeups, see our NFL Week 4: 5 Things We Learned From the First Three Weeks.
Braelon Allen, RB, Jets — The clearest must-add of the week. With Breece Hall considered week-to-week with a quad injury, Allen steps into a significant role for a Week 4 matchup against Chicago’s run defense, which ranks just 16th against opposing backs.
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Dolphins — With Achane’s ACL injury likely season-ending, Gordon becomes Miami’s lead back. He already handled 17 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown plus 3 catches once he took over in Week 3, and he’s still rostered in a small fraction of leagues as of this writing.
Jaylen Wright, RB, Dolphins — Worth stashing alongside Gordon rather than instead of him. Wright was sidelined by a stinger and foot injury but has no indication of a long-term absence, and if Miami’s backfield becomes a committee rather than Gordon running away with it, Wright is the other name that matters.
Keenan Allen, WR, Colts — Alec Pierce’s move to injured reserve with a heel injury opened the door, and Allen delivered immediately: a season-high nine targets, 6 catches, 63 yards and a touchdown against Houston. Indianapolis faces Washington in Week 4, a defense that has allowed the most receptions to wide receivers in the league.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Jets — Five catches for 38 yards and a rushing touchdown in Week 3, rostered in under a fifth of Yahoo leagues, ahead of a Week 4 matchup against a Bears defense that’s been vulnerable to tight ends.
Bryce Young, QB, Panthers — Still only around half-rostered despite consistently usable weeks. He’s ranked as a top-15 Week 4 quarterback option by multiple outlets in a home matchup against Detroit.
Roman Wilson, WR, Steelers — Wilson has seen exatly six targets in each of his first three games, about as clean a sign of a locked-in role as it gets. He turned that into 3 catches for 60 yards and a touchdown against Cincinnati in Week 3, making him a viable FLEX play even in weeks he doesn’t find the end zone.
Chris Bell, WR, Dolphins — The rookie, who missed time with a college injury, looked fully healthy in Week 3, catching 4 of 6 targets for 67 yards and leading Miami in receiving against Kansas City. With Miami’s backfield in flux after Achane’s injury, the passing game could lean on Bell more than expected.
Mack Hollins, WR, Patriots and Jakobi Meyers, WR, Jaguars — Both put up splashy Week 3 outputs (14.7 and 19.4 fantasy points respectively) and are worth a look as low-rostered WR3/FLEX options if your bench needs depth at the position.
Quarterback: Trevor Lawrence (at Bengals) — Lawrence has scored 19-plus fantasy points in eight of his last nine games and gets a Cincinnati defense that’s been generous to opposing passers. Geno Smith (Jets, vs. Bears) is also in play after completing 31 of 37 passes for 321 yards and 3 touchdowns against Detroit in Week 3.
Running Back: Braelon Allen and Ollie Gordon II — Both covered above as waiver adds, and both carry legitimate starting value the moment they’re rostered given their expanded workloads.
Wide Receiver: Zay Flowers (Ravens, vs. Titans) — Rated by NFL.com as the league’s most explosive and efficient receiver when healthy this season, and a must-start WR1 against Tennessee’s struggling defense.
Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers, vs. Lions) is a strong start too, with 176 receiving yards on 18 targets through two weeks and a matchup against a Detroit defense that’s allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per opportunity to wideouts.
Tight End: Kenyon Sadiq (Jets, vs. Bears) — The same favorable matchup that makes him a waiver target makes him a confident start once rostered.
Quarterback: Justin Herbert (Chargers, at Seahawks) — Seattle’s defense has been one of the best in the league even in its Week 3 loss, and Herbert is worth sitting where you have another option.
Running Back: Green Bay’s backfield — Facing a quality Tampa Bay run defense in a poor time-share situation, none of Green Bay’s backs are trustworthy starts this week.
Wide Receiver: Jameson Williams (Lions, at Panthers) — Averaging just 1.2 yards per route run on 106 routes this season with a 16% target rate, Williams remains a sit despite a talented supporting cast around him.
Malik Nabers (Giants) is in the same boat — the issue isn’t his talent, it’s quarterback Jameis Winston, who hasn’t given him a consistent path to volume.
Ollie Gordon II, RB, Dolphins — A full workload over the next several weeks while Achane recovers could turn a Week 3 waiver pickup into a legitimate weekly starter by midseason, especially if Miami leans on the run behind a banged-up receiving corps.
Roman Wilson, WR, Steelers — Target-share consistency like his rarely stays under the radar for long. If Pittsburgh’s passing volume ticks up, Wilson has the profile of a receiver who jumps from FLEX to must-start within a month.
Geno Smith, QB, Jets — Already one of the season’s better fantasy quarterbacks through three weeks, with a schedule that sets up well over the next month for him to keep climbing weekly rankings.
Chicago’s quarterback situation remains genuinely unresolved as of this writing. Case Keenum started in place of the injured Caleb Williams and threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 3 win over Philadelphia — the full story on how Chicago got here is covered in our NFL Week 4 roundup
Head coach Ben Johnson has not named a starter for Week 4 against the Jets, with backup Tyson Bagent (now clear of the concussion protocol that kept him out in Week 3) also in the mix.
Don’t treat Keenum as a locked-in starter in deeper or two-QB leagues until Chicago’s decision is confirmed closer to kickoff.
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