Fantasy Football News

Indianapolis Colts rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell grabbed just one of his four targets for 30 yards in the team's Week 2 loss. Now he and the Colts gear up to host the Chicago Bears in a Week 3 matchup on Sunday. Despite not stuffing the stat sheet, Mitchell has racked up nine targets in his first two games, nearly connecting with QB Anthony Richardson on multiple deep passes. Despite the favorable usage, the Colts will welcome back WR Josh Downs (ankle) back into the rotation, and it's unclear how affected Mitchell's snap share from the first two weeks will be. On top of that, Chicago has done a decent job of quieting down receivers, allowing the 12th-least fantasy points to the position. Fantasy managers might want to keep Mitchell on the bench in Week 3, waiting to see how the playing time splits up between the receivers now that Downs is making his season debut.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce held up his hot start to the season in Week 2 when he caught five catches for 56 yards and another touchdown. Pierce has been a mainstay in the Colts offense so far and has been on the receiving end from multiple deep shot passes from QB Anthony Richardson. He now gears up for a home matchup against the Chicago Bears, a team that's allowed the 12th-least fantasy points to the position. While Chicago's No. 1 piece in the secondary in Jaylon Johnson will likely be more focused on Michael Pittman Jr., it does open up the opportunity for Pierce to produce. That being said, he doesn't provide an incredibly safe floor with the limited passing volume by this Colts offense. Combining all that, fantasy managers in deeper leagues can look to Pierce as a boom-or-bust FLEX option in Week 3, hoping he can catch a few deep passes from Richardson.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is coming off an incredibly productive Week 2 showing, running the ball 12 times for 103 yards. He also grabbed two of his four targets for another 32 yards in the air. He now gets ready for a Week 3 home matchup against the Chicago Bears. The Bears have been in the middle of the pack defending the run this season, allowing the 15th least fantasy points to RBs. Despite the average matchup, Taylor can make up for that with his high-end volume. Taylor has seen an 88.9% opportunity share this season, the fourth most amongst all backs. With all that in mind, Taylor is a strong start again in Week 3, and managers in all formats can target him as an RB1.

Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo has been one of the more reliable kicking options over the last few years. Koo looks to continue that in 2024 as he has yet to miss a kick through two weeks of the season. He connected on all three of his field goal attempts during last week's win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He should continue to get chances if this offense can continue clicking like they did in Week 2. The Falcons should be able to move the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs who rank in the middle of the road in terms of defense. Fantasy managers should feel comfortable with Koo as their kicker for Week 3.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is coming off of a weak Week 2 showing, throwing for just 204 yards, one touchdown, and totaling three interceptions. He also ran the ball four times for 37 yards on the ground. He now gears up for a matchup with the Chicago Bears, a team allowing the sixth-least fantasy points to opposing QBs this season. While on paper the matchup isn't great, Richardson and the Colts' offense is expecting WR Josh Downs (ankle) back in action, a key piece for them in the receiving game last season. As always, Richardson's rushing upside makes him an elite fantasy quarterback week in and week out, and this week isn't the exception. While Richardson doesn't provide as safe of a floor as some of the other top-tier QB options with his low passing volume, he still makes for a strong start in all formats in Week 3.

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (hip) has been cleared to play ahead of the Week 3 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. The young back opened up the week as a limited participant, but it appears he's fully healthy now. The Falcons continue to use a run-heavy approach, which is good news for Allgeier. However, Bijan Robinson is the lead back and the primary option in the running game. Last week, Allgeier did rush nine times for 53 yards in the win over the Philadelphia Eagles. He's averaging 6.2 yards per carry this season, which is great to see. However, the weekly volume is unknown and Allgeier is barely involved in the passing game. That being said, Allgeier is at best a boom-or-bust RB4 for Week 3.

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney is coming off a decent performance, but a game that could've been much bigger. Mooney and quarterback Kirk Cousins haven't quite been on the same page early in the season. Luckily, Mooney was able to salvage his value last week with a 41-yard touchdown. He hauled in three of his seven targets for 88 yards and a TD in the win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. The hope is that Mooney can build off that during Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Mooney is technically the No. 2 option on this offense, but they've struggled to move the ball through the air. Mooney does carry some flex appeal, but is more of a boom-or-bust deep league option.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick has been elevated from the practice squad ahead of the Week 3 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Patrick is back on the active roster for the second week in a row. Last week, Patrick hauled in two of his four targets for 12 yards in the loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 30-year-old can only be elevated one more time following Sunday's game, after which the Lions have to sign him to the active roster if he want him to play. Patrick might end up sticking on the team as depth, but probably won't have much of a role behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams in this offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Vita Vea (knee) is currently listed as doubtful ahead of the Week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos. Vea missed the first two practice sessions of the week before getting in a limited session on Friday. The superstar tackle suffered a MCL sprain during the Week 2 win over the Detroit Lions. It sounds like the Pro Bowl nose tackle might be able to play through the issue, but we'll see if the Bucs decide to take the cautious approach instead. If Vea sits, Greg Gaines would likely be asked to step up and start against the Denver Broncos. The loss of Vea would be a significant blow to the Bucs defense that is already dealing with a handful of injuries.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby (shoulder) is considered questionable ahead of the Week 3 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. Bigsby was limited in practice all week due to a lingering shoulder issue that he suffered last week. At first, Bigsby was considered active for Week 3, but now has been downgraded to questionable on the injury report. Bigsby rushed 12 times for 73 yards in the season opener, but saw little action in Week 2 due to his injury. Travis Etienne Jr. is the lead back, but it seems like the Jaguars do want to involve Bigsby as well. Bigsby will fall into the RB3 conversation if cleared for Monday's game.

New Orleans Saints tight end Taysom Hill (chest) has been downgraded to doubtful for Sunday's matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. The veteran tight end left the Week 2 win over the Dallas Cowboys with a chest injury and spent time at a local hospital getting tests done. Thankfully, he avoided a significant injury. However, Hill was a limited participant in practice the past two days, making him a likely longshot to play against the Eagles. Juwan Johnson will see an uptick in targets and snaps, with Hill likely out of the lineup.

San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (hamstring) has been ruled out ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The star tight end showed up on the injury on Thursday, putting his status for the Week 3 contest in doubt. The injury couldn't have come at the worst time for the 49ers, with Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) and Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf) missing this week's game. Brock Purdy now must lean heavily on Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Jordan Mason against Los Angeles. Fantasy players are left scrambling for a last-minute tight end replacement off the waiver wire. Unfortunately, Kittle's backup, Eric Saubert, isn't a variable replacement option in standard-size leagues.

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts began the season by catching all three targets for 26 yards and a touchdown versus the Steelers. Unfortunately, he struggled in Week 2 against the Eagles, amassing three grabs for 20 yards. Fantasy managers had high hopes for Pitts coming into the 2024-25 campaign. However, the 23-year-old hasn't met expectations. With that in mind, most of the tight ends around the National Football League have struggled this season. Still, Pitts' upside is higher than most in Week 3, with a favorable matchup on tap versus a Chiefs defense that has allowed more fantasy points to opposing tight ends than any team this season. Keep the 2021 No. 4 overall pick starting in all fantasy formats.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has been decent in his first two games with his new team. He had a rough start to the season, throwing for 155 yards, one touchdown, and two picks versus the Steelers. However, the veteran signal-caller turned it around in the Week 2 meeting with the Eagles, tossing for 241 yards and two touchdowns while completing 69.0% of his attempts. Under normal circumstances, Cousins isn't always a lock to considered a starter in fantasy lineups from week to week. But with guys like Justin Herbert (ankle) and Jordan Love (knee) battling injuries, Cousins may be a safer option against a Chiefs defense that has struggled against opposing quarterbacks this season.

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody is in Los Angeles this week to face the Rams. The former third-round pick struggled with accuracy and field-goal opportunities in 2023 but has been productive in the young season. He currently sits in a three-way tie with New Orleans' Blake Grupe and Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell behind leader Brandon Aubrey for the second-most fantasy points per game among kickers due to a career day in Week 1, when he hit six of six field goal attempts. Even without Deebo Samuel Sr. (calf), Christian McCaffrey (Achilles), and probably George Kittle (hamstring), the 49ers offense figures to spend a good amount of time in Rams territory. The Rams' defense appears to be vulnerable after allowing four touchdowns and two field goals to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2. Moody is a Top-3 option on Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has underperformed through the first two games of the 2024-25 campaign, amassing 165 yards off 32 carries, adding nine catches (10 targets) for 68 yards. Even worse, the 2023 No. 8 overall pick is still without a touchdown this season. Without question, fantasy managers had expected more from Robinson. Still, he was taken early in nearly every fantasy draft for a reason, so he remains a must-start versus the Chiefs on Sunday night. While the Kansas City defense has been solid against opposing running backs this season, there is no way to justify keeping Robinson on fantasy benches.

San Francisco 49ers tight end Eric Saubert is expected to step in for George Kittle when the team is in Los Angeles to face the Rams in Week 3. Saubert, 30, spent time with six other teams before signing with San Francisco this offseason. In Week 2, Saubert saw his snaps increase as Kittle experienced cramping throughout the afternoon. The journeyman caught two of two targets for 26 yards in that one. Saubert has only two career touchdowns and has never eclipsed the five catches for 36 yards he put up as a member of the Denver Broncos in Week 5 of 2023 versus the Indianapolis Colts. If anyone can take statistical advantage of Kittle's absence, it could just as easily be fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who sometimes runs routes out the tight end position and has shown adequate ball skills and awareness for modest production in fantasy. Both Saubert and Jusczcyk could contribute in DFS if angling for a touchdown at rock-bottom prices, but one can surely do better in redraft formats regardless of league size.

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the New York Giants are "more likely to be selling than buying come early November." As a result, Graziano speculates that running back Devin Singletary could be on the way out. The 27-year-old is currently the clear-cut option at the position. He's been decent in the Giants' first two games of the 2024-25 campaign, logging 26 carries for 132 yards and one touchdown. Singletary has also averaged a respectable 5.1 yards per carry, adding five receptions for 15 yards. However, if the Giants continue to struggle after their winless start, the team could trade Singletary, who has a few years left on his current deal. With that in mind, Tyrone Tracy Jr. is worth stashing, with the rookie in line to take over as the No. 1 option out of the backfield if the Giants deal Singletary. Tracy hasn't done much for the Giants so far. But that could change in the months ahead.

According to NFL Media's Tom Pelissero, Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (ankle) won't play in Sunday's game against the Vikings. The 28-year-old had a massive Week 1 performance versus the Colts. Unfortunately, he injured his ankle in Sunday night's clash with the Chicago Bears. The former Bengal was listed as doubtful, so the latest update won't surprise fantasy managers. However, with NFL Media's Ian Rapoport also reporting Mixon is "week-to-week," nobody can say for sure if he'll return when the Texans play the Jags in Week 4. For those fortunate to have claimed Cam Akers off the waiver wire, he's a must-start in any fantasy format. While there's a chance Dare Ogunbowale gets Akers' leftovers out of the backfield, he doesn't offer the same upside for fantasy managers.

According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, the Chargers are optimistic quarterback Justin Herbert (ankle) will be available for Sunday's game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. The signal-caller is battling a high-ankle sprain, which is never an easy injury for anyone. However, he's currently questionable, so there's still a chance he'll be out there after missing practice on Wednesday and Friday (and logging a limited session on Thursday). Herbert has played better than most expected through the first two contests of the 2024-25 campaign, throwing for 274 yards, three touchdowns, and one pick while completing 67.4% of his attempts. On the other hand, even if he's available, the injury could still impact his abilities on the field versus a capable Steelers defense. With that in mind, managers should consider another fantasy quarterback for Week 3. Herbert will test the ankle during warmups. But if he can't suit up, Easton Stick will presumably be under center. Unfortunately, Stick's presence may not be good news for Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston. Yet, it may mean more rushing chances for J.K. Dobbins.