Soppe’s Fantasy WR Start-Sit Week 3 Players Include Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Jauan Jennings, and Others

Choosing the right wide receivers can make or break your fantasy football matchup in Week 3. This guide highlights trends, roles, and matchups that shape start-sit decisions. We’ll focus on usage, game environments, and paths to volume rather than chasing box-score noise.

A.J. Brown | PHI

I’m not sure if we are encouraged by the fact that A.J. Brown earned eight targets last week in Kansas City or disappointed that improved usage got us just 7.7 PPR points.

Regardless of how you feel about Week 2, I feel better about staying the course on Brown than I do other struggling stars like Brian Thomas Jr. or Nico Collins. In those other two situations, the offense is in flux, there are line concerns, and quarterback question marks.

None of that is really true in Philadelphia.

Brown’s 35 yards on 57 routes is obviously less than ideal, but he did have a handful of dud games last season, too; they just didn’t come back-to-back.

I’m not here to tell you that Brown will produce with Nacua-level consistency, but I still think he can finish the season with a top-20 stat line at the position, even after giving most of the field a two-week head start.

Adam Thielen | MIN

If you want to build an old guy narrative, be my guest. There’s a decent chance that the QB play for the Vikings is better this week than the previous two with Carson Wentz stepping in for J.J. Vigorously, but even if that pans out, I don’t see Adam Thielen (four targets on 43 routes this season) being the big winner.

Jordan Addison’s suspension will be paid in full at the conclusion of this weekend, and once we get confirmation that the third-year WR is back at practice, you’re free to move on from the place-holding Thielen.

Amon-Ra St. Brown | DET

The 2024 Lions weren’t shy about embarrassing you, and it’s good to see that the gas-down mindset didn’t leave town with Ben Johnson.

Detroit beat Chicago by 31 points over the weekend in a game that wasn’t even that close. Amon-Ra St. Brown was having a strong afternoon at the office before adding two short fourth-quarter scores, but none of us with him rostered are complaining about the cherry on top.

Amon-Ra St Brown gets his 3rd Touchdown!!

pic.twitter.com/jlwlDuLbGJ

— SportsCastProductions (@SportsCastProd) September 14, 2025

St. Brown picked up 34 yards on a crosser for the first play of the game and reached triple digits in receiving yardage before halftime. The argument could certainly be made that St. Brown’s floor/ceiling profile is as strong as any WR in the game, and while this is a tough matchup being played outdoors, I don’t see how you rank Detroit’s WR1 as anything but a Tier 1 option at the position.

Brandon Aiyuk | SF

The 49ers are hoping for a mid-October return for Brandon Aiyuk, a former first-round pick who had ranked 11th in the NFL with 2,357 yards from the start of 2022 to the end of 2023.

By getting some clarity on the health front in the first half of August, we were at least able to enter drafts with some sort of plan. Aiyuk is hanging out on your IR slot for the time being, meaning that he is not costing you a roster spot and thus isn’t taking much win equity off of your plate early on.

In a perfect world, his injury recovery would have taken us past the San Francisco bye week, but it doesn’t (Week 14 bye). That said, a fully functional Aiyuk coming down the stretch for an offense that needs an alpha WR in a favorable stretch (Titans, Colts, and Bears in Weeks 15-17) could be the piece that swings your fantasy postseason.

This injury was priced into Aiyuk’s cost at your draft, so there’s no point in trying to trade for him now. But what if his manager starts slow? What if panic mode sets in before we have a definitive return date?

I’m mentally noting who has Aiyuk rostered and tracking their status, preparing to pounce should the losses pile up. We are nearing the point in the process where a low-ball offer could be mutually beneficial, so keep your head on a swivel!

Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX

We aren’t far away from full-blown panic, and with a less-than-favorable stretch extended into the Week 9 bye, you might have to carve out some time this time next week to digest what will be a true deep dive on this situation.

Thomas’ career splits by starting QB

• Mac Jones: 19.3 PPG, 68.6% catch rate, 10.1-yard aDOT
• Trevor Lawrence: 13.9 PPG, 61.9% catch rate, 14.0-yard aDOT

He had a bad drop in the fourth quarter last week in the collapse against the Bengals and has managed to pull down just five of 19 targets.

Five of 19.

Since 2000, 318 times a player has earned 19+ targets in the first two weeks of a season, and this is the first in which that player didn’t catch at least six of them. In fact, the only other instances where the player in question didn’t reach eight receptions were Santonio Holmes for the Jets in 2012 and Kenbrell Thompkins for the Patriots in 2013.

Thomas did show well for himself in this matchup a year ago, and that’s all I have to hang my hat on with him at this point. He had a short touchdown in addition to a 30-yard catch in both games against the Texans in 2021, and right now, I’d happily take either or.

I’m starting him because I’m stubborn with my priors here. If you told me you were playing Jakobi Meyers over Thomas this week, I wouldn’t blame you even a little bit.

Calvin Ridley | TEN

I’ve been as encouraged as anyone by Cam Ward’s glimpses of promises through two career starts (his first career touchdown pass will be on highlight tapes for the next 50 years), but fantasy and reality are two different things.

Do I think the Titans have their guy to build around?

I think so, yes.

Do I trust him to support a player in my fantasy lineup?

Nope.

He’s completed just 50.8% of his passes thus far, and while he’s played two tough opponents (Broncos and Rams), we have no visual proof that he’s ready to put it all together for 60 minutes.

Calvin Ridley is the top receiver in this offense without much question and had a pair of 20-yard grabs in the first half against Los Angeles, but his production stalled, and I think we are destined to see a lot of that this season.

Efficiency is never going to project well, and if Elic Ayomane truly becomes a threat, we will begin to split a small pie into pieces, and that’s good for no one.

I’m on the direction of the Titans, and I actually enjoy watching them without being personally invested in their immediate success in any way.

Cedric Tillman | CLE

Cedric Tillman is moving up my ranks on a weekly basis, but even his positive vibes can’t get him into my top 30 at the position against a rolling Packers defense that has had an extra few days of prep.

Some will be fearful that Tillman’s aDOT is down 22.8% from last season, but I view that as a floor elevator. Given that I’m comfortable with the upside, I think this new role is a net positive.

Sunday’s touchdown was the result of the fantasy gods smiling down on us, and while that’s not sustainable, the high-end volume seems to be here to stay unless the Browns can figure out how to run the ball (3.6 yards per carry).

Tillman has scored over 16 PPR points in four of his past six games when playing at least three-quarters of the snaps, and I don’t see his snap share dipping below that any time soon.

CeeDee Lamb | DAL

CeeDee Lamb is my WR1 for the rest of the season, and he might be in a tier of his own.

I’m not sold that Dallas will have long-term success running the ball, and the NFL as a whole has yet to prove they have anything close to a solution for Lamb.

In both weeks this season, he’s racked up a 30-yard reception among his 7+ catches, and those games came against divisional opponents that see him twice a year, thus giving them a theoretical edge in scheming.

I’m bullish on George Pickens the rest of the way, and even I don’t see him cutting into what their WR1 does. For the season, Lamb has three more targets than any other Cowboy WR has and has been responsible for 40.4% of the team’s receiving yards.

It’s early, but teams that opened their draft with Lamb in the first round are positioned well to turn a profit this season.

Chris Godwin | TB

The Bucs activated Chris Godwin off the PUP list on August 21 (Week 7, fractured ankle), but it wasn’t until last Thursday that he returned to practice. The current estimation for his return to action remains the middle of October, but this is a situation that should be monitored weekly, if not daily.

This, of course, was baked into the draft day price tag on the 29-year-old. Unless something changes drastically, this will be the sixth time in seven years that Godwin has missed multiple games. But there is hope that the cautious rehab approach will result in him peaking at the right time for both the Bucs and his loyal fantasy managers.

Tampa Bay has a well-positioned Week 9 bye, which could allow Godwin to test his body to its limits in the second month of the season, knowing that an off week isn’t too far off.

In any event, you drafted him with the hope that he’d be a 1,000-yard pace player for a seventh straight season with consistent volume for you when he hits the field, and we have no real reason to think he won’t be.

His lack of touchdowns was a concern heading into last season, but five of his 50 catches in 2021 resulted in scores, giving us hope that we are looking at a WR2 down the stretch. The Bucs close the season with about as favorable a schedule as anyone in the league, giving him an even better chance to impact your fantasy season massively, even if he’s not doing that in the first month.

• Week 13 vs. Cardinals
• Week 14 vs. Saints
• Week 15 vs. Falcons
• Week 16 at Panthers
• Week 17 at Dolphins
• Week 18 vs. Panthers

Chris Olave | NO

I’m a Chris Olave fan, and I continue to believe the talent is there to be a difference-maker at this level, but I’m done standing in the way of this offense’s limitations.

Olave has earned double-digit targets in both contests, and yet, his next 15-yard grab will be his first of the season. He’s Garrett Wilson, his OSU teammate, who was drafted one pick after in 2022, with more volume and more volatility under center. But the overall profile is the same: a strong talent in a crippling situation.

Odd situations like this demand an unusual statistical chart, so let’s create one. Here are all the occurrences since 2000 when a receiver caught at least 13 passes through the first two weeks of the season and failed to reach 110 receiving yards in the process:

• Jarvis Landry (2017, just one game played): 78 yards
• Wes Welker (2010): 102
• Miles Austin (2013): 103
• Olave (2022): 108

Olave’s average depth of target is more than that of the other three names combined, and that further highlights how brutal a situation this is.

You’re not cutting Olave, but I’d certainly rather gamble on the quarterback situations in Tennessee for Calvin Ridley, San Francisco for both of their primary options, or any of the pieces in Buffalo that feel shaky.

This is a game of talent, opportunity, and efficiency. In a perfect world, when two of those boxes are checked, you can survive, but that’s not the case in New Orleans these days.

Christian Kirk | HOU

A strained hamstring has resulted in Christian Kirk missing the first two weeks of this season, and the team has expressed a desire to be cautious with a receiver who missed nine games last season. Nico Collins was on the shelf for over a month with a similar diagnosis last season, and that is likely to serve as a guiding light this time around (Houston has their bye in Week 6).

That shouldn’t significantly impact your fantasy roster. Kirk wasn’t drafted as a starter in most formats, and with bye weeks not a thing in September, the odds were slim that you were going to start him in the short term, even if at full strength.

If you have the luxury of an IR slot or deep benches, I’m still moderately bullish on Kirk being able to carve out a niche in an offense that I expect to prioritize the pass. But I understand that not everyone is in a league structured like that, and the fact of the matter is that Kirk is likely to be dead weight this month.

The “active but limited” designation is always in play with injuries like this, and that creates a headache greater than the potential reward. If one of these rookie receivers establishes himself, Kirk’s ceiling lowers significantly, so that’s how I’m treating this situation if I don’t have an IR spot available.

Are you bullish on either Jaylin Noel or Jayden Higgins? If so, cut ties with Kirk and look for upside elsewhere. Until that’s the case, I’d sit tight.

Cooper Kupp | SEA

Baby steps, but we saw some juice in the veteran legs of Cooper Kupp last week. Not only did he catch seven passes against the (vulnerable?) Steelers, but he earned a look downfield and was thrown to on 32.1% of his routes.

Not vintage Kupp, but not the semi-retired version we saw to wrap last season and in Week 1 this year (15 yards on two catches).

This is a pretty straightforward situation: keep Kupp on your bench and hope. The Seahawks could use a reliable WR2 next to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Kupp will be given every opportunity to earn that role.

Should he run away from Tory Horton for that role, we can have the flex discussion in favorable matchups as fantasy managers navigate byes and injuries (a Week 9 Sunday nighter in Washington with Seattle fresh off their bye could be a spot).

I’m encouraged, but watching from a distance for now. Kupp sits outside the flex discussion, even in deeper leagues, for me, even in what is clearly a good spot.

Courtland Sutton | DEN

I think we’ve got a problem brewing in Denver.

Not for the Broncos, but for fantasy managers.

Last season, it was all Courtland Sutton, all the time. For better or worse, we pretty much knew where Bo Nix was going with the ball, and it worked. Sutton thrived in a season where he posted a 29.8% third-down target share and had enough volume to fall into successful games, even on days where the per-target production lagged.

That’s not the case anymore.

Marvin Mims hasn’t yet taken the step forward that we had hoped, and Evan Engram is hobbling around, and yet, Sutton caught one of four targets for six yards in the disappointing loss to the Colts over the weekend.

That’s not good.

I like to look at third-down plays not because fantasy leagues reward more points for those looks but because they speak to the mindset of the quarterback and playcaller.

Who can we trust when we need to move the sticks?

Sutton leads the way with four targets, but Tyler Badie, Mims, and Troy Franklin all have three. His 22.2% share is obviously a big step back, and I think that’s at risk of getting worse with a healthy Engram and any development of the rookie skill guys that Sean Payton spent the summer gushing over.

We aren’t in full-blown panic mode, but in a tough spot. Sutton ranks as more of a middling flex for me this week with an arrow that’s firmly pointing in the wrong direction.

Darius Slayton | NYG

Darius Slayton had a 52-yard catch last week, but in a game where Russell Wilson was handing out targets like candy, I’m more concerned by the low usage than impressed by his ability to do the one thing we know he can do.

Three targets in a game where Wilson throws 41 passes is a bad sign, and if he didn’t sniff lineup viability in a game where Wilson produced maybe one of the top-10 stat lines of the season at the position, when is going to be the right time to play Slayton?

This just isn’t the type of player I have many shares of. My bench will have one boom/bust profile, but it’s almost always attached to an offense I trust more than I currently trust the Giants (Alec Pierce at this point checks that box, and Darnell Mooney at a higher level of this profile).

Darnell Mooney | ATL

Darnell Mooney from taking the field in Week 1, but after a few limited practice sessions ahead of Week 2, he was left off the final injury report altogether, giving managers hope that maybe he can work himself into viable flex value as fall creeps up and bye weeks become an issue.

Two catches for 20 yards last week may not move the needle for you, and it shouldn’t. Last week was a low-volume game, and if you took the cautious approach with Mooney, you were rewarded.

That said, he was on the field for 85.7% of Atlanta’s offensive snaps and earned a pair of off-target end zone looks.

Uncontested end zone looks are kind of like getting paid in compliments: they feel good, but don’t help the bottom line.

Mooney is a player I think can work his way into the flex conversation with time, but he’s not there yet for me. Over his last three games against the Panthers, his 14 targets have netted just 88 scoreless yards, and this very much profiles as a game where their big stars do all of the heavy lifting.

Davante Adams | LAR

With 21 targets, the Rams are trying to make Davante Adams (two-year, $44,000,000 contract) happen.

Matthew Stafford funneled seven of his first 13 targets toward the veteran and got him not one, not two, not three, not four, but five end zone targets, the last of which finally paid off in fantasy points.

The downward-pointing efficiency metrics show signs of Father Time looming, but if the usage is going to be anything close to what we saw, Adams is going to be a staple in lineups. He’s on the back end of my WR2 tier this weekend because of a tough matchup, but the downgrade isn’t nearly enough to move him to my bench.

DeAndre Hopkins | BAL

We love to see a name from yesteryear produce, and maybe DeAndre Hopkins has enough gas left in the tank to make a real impact on a Super Bowl run for the Ravens, but I’d be surprised if he continues to matter in our game the way he has through two weeks.

This season, D-Hop has scored in both games, but he’s also been on the field for just 25.2% of the offensive snaps in this run-centric offense. The limited usage he does get is with a direct purpose (his non-touchdown catch last week was initially ruled a score but overturned via replay). But he’s basically the receiver version of a touchdown vulture and you’re not considering that profile for your flex unless you’re awfully desperate.

I’m letting my leaguemates chase the name value here.

Deebo Samuel Sr. | WAS

One.

That’s the number of players who have 7+ catches and a touchdown in each of the first two weeks this season. Not a bad start for a player we feared was in danger of aging quickly.

Samuel’s usage may not be the same as it was in San Francisco, but his 4.7-yard aDOT tells me that Washington is sold on him having plenty of YAC gas left in the tank (79.1% of his receiving yards have come after the catch through two weeks).

With Austin Ekeler (Achilles) out for the season, short targets are Samuel’s to earn and that makes him a solid PPR flex until otherwise noted. Bill Crosby-Merritt has yet to record a catch on his 16 routes this season, putting Samuel in position to monopolize the horizontal attack that stands to be awfully efficient due to the athletic abilities of Jayden Daniels.

We did see his production trail off in the middle-to-end of last season and that deserves monitoring with time. For now, however, I think you’re feeling good about playing him and embracing a reasonable floor that stands to grow before it regresses.

DeMario Douglas | NE

Six receiving yards on eight targets.

DeMario Douglas scored in Week 1 (64.7% snap share), but if you were rostering him, it was supposed to be with the understanding that there was a usage floor to bank on (Week 2: 23.6% snap share). That his catch rate would be elevated due to his route type and that there was PPR upside to count on.

It’s not and I’m not sure that’s going to change any time soon. The Patriots are using their running backs (TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson had combined for 15 catches already) in that role and that figures to sustain given how explosive the rookie can be.

The way this roster has taken shape, Douglas has been boxed out of his “pencil me in for five catches and be on your way” role. Without that, we are looking at an undersized receiver as a part of an inconsistent pass game.

I’m not cutting him just for the sake of doing it, but I would rather roll the dice on the Packers’ WR depth chart if we are talking about players that could step into a meaningful role in a strong offensive environment.

DeVonta Smith | PHI

It was always going to be like this.

The Eagles won a Super Bowl last season and didn’t need much volume through the passing game to do it, so why would we assume any change?

Jalen Hurts has thrown as many passes this season as Joe Flacco has each week. That’s an extreme example to prove a point, but the fact that no Eagle has 10 targets or 70 receiving yards right now shouldn’t be as surprising as it’s being played up to be.

I was encouraged by DeVonta Smith’s big boy play last week (28-yard contested grab), but again, that catch has accounted for 40.6% of his yardage this season.

Better times are ahead, but don’t confuse “better” with “consistent”.

You drafted Smith, and in doing so, you committed to him during the good times and the bad. This is simply part of the process. It’s irritating to open the season in underwhelming fashion, but I encourage you to consider the timing exercise.

If these two duds happened in Weeks 10-11, would you bat an eye?

You’re angry because you’re 0-2 because of him, and I get it. Roll with the punches. I still think the stat line at the end of the season gets to roughly where you’d expect.

DJ Moore | CHI

The Bears are dividing up slot duties, which is taking usage away from DJ Moore and distributing it to nearly everyone else.

We saw Ben Johnson call three handoffs to his presumed WR1 in Week 1, but that dried up last week against the Lions (five catches for 46 yards).

Caleb Williams has yet to show much development when not throwing to Rome Odunze, and that’s concerning for a player like Moore, who makes his bones in the volume metrics, with touchdowns serving as icing on the cake.

At this pace, he’s going to have to run hot in the scoring department to satisfy fantasy managers, and we don’t have signs of that coming.

Now, the Cowboys are coming off a disastrous defensive showing, and the Bears are expected to improve a little bit every week. It wouldn’t shock me if Moore put up 15 PPR points in this matchup, but with Odunze establishing himself as the top man in Chicago, I need to see proof of concept before I plug him in.

Moore is my WR32 this week, ranking behind players like Jakobi Meyers and Jauan Jennings, receivers that I trust to offer the type of floor that I assumed Moore would give us.

DK Metcalf | PIT

The DK Metcalf situation is a tough one to handicap.

It appears that Aaron Rodgers trusts him, and that’s a significant hurdle to clear. We can’t overlook that. Metcalf made good on a designed jump ball in the end zone against the Seahawks, and I’m sure that won’t be the last time we see something like that.

But we are also looking at a physically imposing receiver who has yet to see a deep target (153 players have seen a deep target through two weeks). He has a 5.5-yard aDOT, a mark that ranks behind Parker Washington and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Make it make sense.

Maybe we see Rodgers cut it loose this weekend (Christian Gonzalez has yet to make his season debut due to a hamstring injury), but the Arthur Smith system doesn’t traditionally encourage splash plays.

Metcalf is still a starter in all formats, but my antenna is up. If he assumes this role for the entire season, his gifts will not be maximized, and a top-20 season will be an uphill battle.

Dontayvion Wicks | GB

Dontayvion Wicks leads all Packer receivers in receptions through two weeks.

Romeo Doubs has half of the WR end zone targets.

Jayden Reed nearly scored in both games.

Matthew Golden has the type of draft capital that traditionally demands more usage over time.

So yeah, this team is great, but the lack of clarity they’ve given us at the receiver position is beyond frustrating.

Reed’s collarbone injury is going to keep him out for more than a month, thus giving us fewer mouths to feed, but don’t confuse “fewer” with “not many”. Tucker Kraft looked like a budding star in the domination of the Commanders on Thursday night and, for good measure, Malik Heath made the play of the night.

Wicks is deserving of a roster spot because of the fact at the top of this section, but he’s ranked outside of my flex tier against a Browns defense that can make things difficult for the most talented receiver rooms in the league (see Week 1, Bengals).

Wicks might be the right answer by season’s end as to who the most valuable Packers receiver was, but every week, that’s not something I want to invest in. Not now at least. Let’s see what this offense looks like sans Reed on Sunday and reevaluate.

Drake London | ATL

When you run for 218 yards and pound a team into submission like the Falcons did over the weekend to the Vikings, you don’t really need to extend your top receiver in a major way (three catches for a team-high 49 yards on just four targets).

Before the dud in Week 2, Drake London had seen at least 13 targets in three straight games, one of which happened to come against these Panthers (Week 18: 10-187-2 stat line with 271 air yards, the most by a player in a single game for the entire season).

If the way defenses plan to slow London is by letting this ground game thrive, we might have a problem, but I don’t imagine that will be the case consistently. The Michael Penix/Drake London/Bijan Robinson triple stack could prove to be a unique way to roster three individually popular pieces in DFS this week, and yes, I’m more concerned with my DFS darts than advising you on what to do with London.

You play him — every week. Penix has made it clear that his first, and second at times, read is to the big man out of USC.

Emeka Egbuka | TB

These ultra-talented receivers are taking essentially no time to assert their dominance at the professional level. Think about the WR1 in New York (Giants), Seattle, Los Angeles (both!), Carolina, Atlanta, and Chicago, to name a few.

There appears to be essentially no learning curve for how these kids are entering the pros, and Emeka Egbuka might end up being the cream of the crop.

Players in the 2000s with 3 TD receptions in their first two career games:

• Martavis Bryant (2014)
• Jahan Dotson (2022)
• Emeka Egbuka (2025)

Pace: 68 catches and double-digit TD receptions. WRs in the 2000s to do that as a rookie:

• Brian Thomas Jr. (2024)
• Jordan Addison (2023)
• Ja’Marr Chase (2021)
• Mike Evans (2014)
• Odell Beckham (2014)

Baker Mayfield isn’t shy about featuring his top playmakers, and while Mike Evans is still getting plenty of looks, a veteran like that is at risk of seeing his usage taper off with time. At the same time, Egbuka’s role might continue to grow for the next two seasons.

He seemed to be dealing with a nagging injury on Monday night, and that deserves monitoring, but with three impressive scores and crisp route running, he’s the rookie in this class, not Ashton Jeanty, that is a stone-cold lineup lock.

Garrett Wilson | NYJ

If I told you a week ago that Garrett Wilson would score nine PPR points, you would have been underwhelmed, and that would have been the right emotion.

If I told you a week ago that the Jets would complete 10 passes over the course of four quarters against the Bills, you would have been thrilled to know that Wilson managed nine PPR points.

He’s a great player, but we don’t play in a points-per-ounce-of-talent league.

Fields was never going to sustain what he did in Week 1 against the Steelers, but he’s nowhere near this bad either. Wilson is a player whose range of outcomes is wide every week, and I’m not sure that the matchup is overly predictive of what sort of day it’s going to be.

On paper, I like this matchup. The Bucs’ defense can be had, and having one fewer day to prepare should only help. That said, Fields’ inconsistencies through the air can never be ignored, and if Baker Mayfield turns this into a shootout, Tampa Bay could be putting pressure on a weak spot for this offense.

Taking all of that into account, Wilson is a low-end WR2 for me who is a good bet to reach double figures on Sunday, but unlikely to swing your matchup with a 20+ point performance.

Through two weeks, you’ve experienced the full Wilson experience. Buckle up for another 15 weeks of it.

George Pickens | DAL

Getting in at the best price is lovely, but getting in is the important part.

If you spent a seventh-round pick on George Pickens this summer, this PSA isn’t for you. You’re sitting pretty.

For everyone else, I’d be buying high-ish.

Pickens found the end zone last week in the goofy game of the season to date, but if you extend his two-game totals for a full 17-game season, we are looking at 68 catches for 833 yards and 8.5 touchdowns, numbers that I don’t think will be in the same zip code as where he finishes.

The Cowboys are using him to punish defenses opposite CeeDee Lamb, and it’s working. We just haven’t seen the box score explode just yet.

Pickens has drawn a defensive pass interference of 20+ yards in both games, setting up Dallas for scores without getting any fantasy credit. Be patient. This is a pass-heavy offense, and Dak Prescott clearly trusts him, making it only a matter of time, in my estimation, before Pickens turns into a weekly WR2 that you play without a second thought.

Average depth of end zone target

• 2022: 10.5 yards
• 2023: 16.6 yards
• 2024: 11.8 yards
• 2025: 16.6 yards

When Pickens hits, he’s going to hit big, and I want all PFSN readers to be in on the fun. He’s averaging two and a half end zone targets per game this season (and remember, DPI penalties don’t get logged as targets), up from his 0.49 per game rate for his career in Pittsburgh.

That number isn’t going to last, but it’s a signal of how Dallas wants to use him. They want him to pay the fantasy bills, and I’m willing to listen.

Pickens is a top 30 receiver for me this week, and I’m bullish on what the future holds.

Ja’Marr Chase | CIN

Is the Joe Burrow injury ideal?

Of course not, but if you’re holding a Ja’Marr Chase bag, relax, things will be different, but fine.

After Jake Browning took over last week, Chase brought in 10 of 11 targets for 128 yards. He had more first-down catches than all of his teammates combined from the backup QB and was heavily featured from the first snap he took.

Second-half script with Jake Browning:

• Chase Brown, 6-yard run
• Ja’Marr Chase, 25-yard catch
• Brown, 3-yard run
• Chase, 12-yard catch
• Chase, 12-yard catch

They say that blind people can hear better than most. When one sense weakens, another picks up the slack. That’s the dynamic I expect to take place here: a Burrow-less offense can pile up targets to their WR1 better than most.

He fell from WR2 this week to WR7 following this news for me, as I think the ceiling is lower, given the type of targets Chase will see in this offense. But the volume projection remains elite, and that keeps him as a WR1 across all formats until otherwise noted.

Jakobi Meyers | LV

Geno Smith was a mess on Monday night, throwing three interceptions, a few additional poor decisions, and even more missed opportunities.

The Raiders couldn’t move the ball on the ground (RBs: 13 carries for 41 yards).

The Raiders picked up 218 total yards of offense and scored just nine points.

That run out should have had a player like Jakobi Meyers sinking your week, but instead, he was WR33 in PPR formats and just keeps producing.

Jakobi Meyers might be your favorite receiver’s favorite receiver.

His average PPR finish over his past 12 games is WR27:

• 39 targets from Aidan O’Connell
• 33 from Gardner Minshew
• 22 from Geno Smith
• 21 from Desmond Ridder

He simply churns out profitable fantasy weeks for you, and no one wants to confess their love for the stability he provides.

He’s not one of the two most talented offensive weapons on his own team and, in a vacuum, I don’t think he’s the most gifted receiver in this game, but I do have him ranked a spot ahead of Terry McLaurin in my Week 3 rankings, and I’m not really sweating it.

It could go sideways, but from a process standpoint of betting on an elevated floor in a game that could be played at a higher tempo than what we saw last night, I feel good about the production I’ll get from Meyers’ 8-10 targets.

This class of receiver (and fantasy asset in general) is often underappreciated. We focus on the elite of the elite of the tragically disappointing. Put some respect on the names of those who grind every single week to keep your team competitive.

Jalen Coker | CAR

I was excited about Jalen Coker early in the draft process this summer, thinking that the second-year receiver had a real chance to earn meaningful targets in a developing offense. That optimism grew after the Adam Thielen trade, but a day later, a “significant quad injury” landed him on IR.

That means Coker will miss at least the next three games, and all reporting out of Carolina has a mid-October return as the most optimistic. I still believe there’s something in this profile, but Xavier Legette will have every chance to earn more work. That leaves Coker as a drop in all formats — unless you can stash him in a free IR slot. Even then, the odds are strong that a player with a clearer path to production will go down this month.

I’m not selling all of my Coker stock because Carolina gets New Orleans and Tampa Bay in Weeks 15-16, but you can buy back in after Halloween and likely not experience any loss in value.

Jalen McMillan | TB

Jalen McMillan showed up in spurts as a rookie, but scoring on 21.6% of receptions isn’t stable. Nor was the 17.8-yard average depth of target on those touchdowns.

There were plenty of holes to poke in this profile. Still, the drafting of Emeka Egbuka has him fighting for playing time and thus a non-factor in most formats when healthy, which clearly isn’t the case after a scary injury this preseason (currently on IR with an absence that extends beyond the required four games, viewed as the most likely outcome).

There is some athletic ability here, which means spike plays are bound to happen, but I do not expect the route/target count to be high enough to garner our interest. If this turns into a WR rotation, we can adjust. But for the time being, McMillan is a player who holds contingent value when active, and that’s about it.

You’re not going this direction unless you have an IR spot burning a hole in your pocket.

Jameson Williams | DET

I suppose you want me to come here and say that everything is fixed. That the panic after Week 1 was overblown and that Jameson Williams’ trajectory as a strong weekly option is back.

I can’t do that, I’m sorry.

His first two targets of the second half on Sunday went for 108 yards and a touchdown. The 64-yard catch-and-run felt like a touchdown left on the field, and his 44-yard score on the next drive was exactly what you drafted him hoping for.

Splash plays are certainly a part of his profile, but outside of those two targets in short order, he was held without a catch, this coming after he turned five targets into 23 yards during the opener in Lambeau.

He’s going to be involved in this offense, and after the Amon-Ra St. Brown explosion in Week 2, the odds are good that he sees less attention over the top this week than last. I still think the season-end numbers will look fine. But the narrative entering this season was that he was capable of providing a reasonable floor to complement the single-play upside, and I’m not buying it until I see it.

The defensive strategy across the NFL over the past five seasons has been to limit the chunk plays, and the Ravens are prioritizing that at a high level. Since Week 11 of last season, this is a top-5 unit in both deep ball YPA and touchdown rate. If they can continue that trend, Williams could let you down in a similar way as Week 1.

He’s my WR32 this week, ranking behind Jauan Jennings and George Pickens, two receivers I often see ranked behind him, but two that project to be more stable this week for me.

Jauan Jennings | SF

It was only one game, but I was much more encouraged by what I saw from Jauan Jennings than Ricky Pearsall in the Mac Jones version of this offense.

WR details, Week 2:

• Jennings: 19.9 PPR points (+23.7% relative to expectation), 10.0 aDOT, 9.6 YAC
• Pearsall: 9.2 PPR points (-10.6% relative to expectation), 15.3 aDOT, 0.0 YAC

You could sell me on the big play upside tilting toward Pearsall, but through two weeks, the Cardinals have allowed the sixth fewest deep completions on the fifth lowest completion percentage.

Now, that’s obviously a stat that is propped up by sub-par competition (Saints and Panthers), but this Arizona defense is trending in the right direction, and the desire to take away those chunk plays is a league-wide trend.

The shoulder seemed to be a non-issue for Jennings last week, and as long as we avoid the “his body is struggling to recover” reports as this week wears on, I have Jennings 10 spots higher than his teammate in my WR ranks and squarely in the flex conversation.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba | SEA

Nacua, CeeDee Lamb, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Those are the three WRs who have finished top-15 at the position in each of the first two weeks this season, and it’s hard to say JSN’s name doesn’t belong in that tier.

I don’t think any of us doubted the potential in this profile, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who feared a bit of a learning curve in a new role with a new QB.

Last season, Smith-Njigba was hyper-efficient (100 catches on 137 targets), operating mainly as a slot threat next to DK Metcalf. With that support gone and Cooper Kupp in, it was natural to think that he’d kick outside more, a naturally less efficient spot on the field.

Well, that’s been true. The first part. He spent 77.4% of his routes in the slot last season and is at 26.3% through two weeks this year. As for his efficiency numbers? They are nearly identical to his marks in 2021, and that’s something only the elite can pull off.

I’m not sure he can sustain that for 17 games, but he’s off to a great start and was always going to be a lineup lock.

Could he turn out to be the sleeper key that was needed at the drafts this summer?

Jayden Higgins | HOU

This Texans team is having trouble funneling targets to a proven monster in Nico Collins, so there aren’t really enough scraps for the surrounding parties.

Jayden Higgins is an interesting prospect that might have fantasy upside one day, but that day isn’t likely to be Week 3.

Or Week 4.

Or Week 5.

They have a Week 6 bye; otherwise, I’d keep going. Right now, he ranks fourth among receivers in routes run for this team, and while he seems to be the rookie WR they trust the most, that’s a low bar to clear with Jaylin Noel being more of a special teamer.

This summer, Higgins was a cheap way to bet on a C.J. Stroud bounce-back season. Process-wise, I think that made sense, but as new information presents itself, we are allowed to pivot.

I’m dumping the big-play rookie and looking for someone with a more impactful role to add to my bench instead (e.g., a Troy Franklin type in Denver or even Tory Horton in Seattle).

Jayden Reed | GB

Fantasy football can be cruel at times.

For a brief moment in time on Thursday night, Jayden Reed’s managers were thrilled. It looked like he hauled in a beautiful 39-yard touchdown on Green Bay’s first drive against Washington, not just a 10.9-point play, but some signal that his three deep targets in the season opener weren’t a fluke.

Those vibes didn’t last long.

At the end of the play, he crashed to the ground, and the yellow flag graphic appeared on the broadcast.

Offensive holding, 10-yard penalty, no play.

That hurt us, but Reed was hurting too. He was holding his right shoulder in a way that communicated that everything was not OK.

Here is the play on which Packers WR Jayden Reed broke his collarbone. pic.twitter.com/8PnRMA9IRk

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2025

He never returned to the game, and even then, we optimistic Reed managers were convincing ourselves that it was as much the game situation (Green Bay largely controlled things from start to finish) and depth at the position. That the Packers were taking it easy with their presumptive WR1.

Nope.

Matt LaFleur gave us the broken collarbone diagnosis in the post-game news conference, and the current timeline is Halloween-ish.

That’s brutal.

Green Bay does have its bye during that stretch (Week 5), so that’s a positive, but for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, it’s hard to imagine them being very aggressive with Reed’s return to play, not to mention his return to peak performance.

Obviously, you IR him if you can, and I think you hold him at the end of your bench if you can’t. He’s part of a WR committee in Green Bay, and that’s annoying, but his early-season usage patterns suggested some skill growth, and there are targets begging to be earned in this offense.

The end-of-season schedule for the Packers is brutal, as they face the Broncos and Ravens during the fantasy playoffs, but the version of Reed that we’ve seen for one game and one drive this season would still be a flex option in those spots.

For those keeping track at home, Matthew Golden and Romeo Doubs tied for the WR lead in routes run for Green Bay after Reed left the game on Thursday night.

Jaylen Waddle | MIA

The 18-yard touchdown was great to see in the second quarter last week, as it was a good reminder that Jaylen Waddle is a multi-faceted WR capable of special things at all three levels.

There are concerns left, right, and center in Miami these days, and a short rest game in Buffalo probably isn’t the cure to fixing them, even if there were some positive signs last week against the Patriots.

As long as Tua Tagovailoa is under center, there is upside to chase, and that’s why both Waddle and Tyreek Hill remain flex options for me this week. If you go that direction, however, you must understand the range of outcomes that are in play.

• Week 1 at IND: 7.0 PPR points (9.1 expected points)
• Week 2 vs. NE: 17.8 PPR points (9.9 expected points)

Waddle had a nearly identical end-of-game expectation in each of the first two weeks, but obviously two very different results. His aDOT in Week 1 was just 4.4 yards, but it shot up to 17.7 in Week 2.

If the Dolphins don’t know how they want to use him, how are we supposed to operate with confidence?

Jaylin Noel | HOU

The 53-yard punt return late in Monday night’s game against the Bucs was impactful and put his speed on display, but he’s not a part of this passing game on a regular basis and this rotation will only get more difficult to crack when Christian Kirk returns.

I don’t think he’ll ever be the 80-1,194-8 player he was during his final season at Iowa State, but he is a name I’m interested in long-term if this offense can develop.

In redraft leagues, no thank you. In a buy-low dynasty deal? I’ll co-sign it.

Jerry Jeudy | CLE

Am I allowed to be disappointed in a player who has a 25+ yard grab and eight targets in both games this season?

This is my article, and I make the rules, so yes, I am allowed to be mad, and I am!

Jeudy hasn’t been a top-30 receiver in either of the first two weeks this season despite the Browns leading the world in pass attempts. I thought that in getting Joe Flacco under center, we’d not only pick up some volume, but also some efficiency.

Hasn’t been the case.

Jeudy posted a 62.1% catch rate last season despite the Cleveland team cycling through various quarterbacks, and this season so far?

56.3%

We are being asked to determine if the volume is more stable or the efficiency more concerning, and to be honest with you, I lean towards the latter.

No team in the NFL is going to average 46.5 passes per game for four months, so banking on that is statistically silly. I’d love to pencil in some regression in the right direction in terms of catch rate, though I’m not sure I can.

His slot rate has been more than chopped in half from where it stood a year ago, and his aDOT is ticking up. Neither of those is great when considering projected efficiency, and given that we aren’t sure how this quarterback situation will play out over time, this feels like an awfully risky stock to buy.

I think I just talked myself into it. If you want to gamble on a player like Calvin Ridley in an offense with more upside at the QB position, I’m in. If you really want to get ahead of the curve, what about Jeudy and your RB2 for Matthew Golladay and a top 10-ish running back?

Hit up our Trade Analyzer with your best ideas, but from a strategic perspective, I’m in favor of both options.

Jordan Addison | MIN

Jordan Addison has one more week of suspension caused by a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. He’s proven himself plenty worthy of waiting on, but he is a major regression candidate (TD on 8.2% of his career targets) and is missing out on a favorable run to open the season.

Even with concerns about consistency, there’s no denying the pedigree at play here and the system bump he gets from being tied to Kevin O’Connell. Remember that, like Rashee Rice, we are not talking about an injury situation where a ramp-up period needs to be penciled in.

If you liked Addison before his injury, you should like him even more after. I was a touch more skeptical than the field during draft season, and that’s why I won’t rank him as a flex option next week against the Steelers in Dublin, but I’m open to the idea of him working himself into that conversation sooner than later.

Josh Downs | IND

I’m never going to turn my nose up at six catches for 51 yards, but Josh Downs has totaled just eight grabs on 11 targets for 63 yards and zero scores during this Daniel Jones heater.

I have a hard time thinking we aren’t in the midst of the best ball this offense is going to give us this season (I’ll stop short of labeling them the 2024 Saints, but you get the idea), and they’ve been able to do it without much help from their receiver room.

Uh-oh.

What happens when the scoring dries up? When, not if. This team isn’t going to average 31 points per game, but they also aren’t going to be taking usage away from Jonathan Taylor or Tyler Warren anytime soon.

For my friends who play in AFC South-only leagues, it’s Downs over Michael Pittman this week for me. But outside of that, I’m not interested in playing any Indy receiver until we see them prioritized in a manner that they haven’t been during this surprisingly hot start.

Joshua Palmer | BUF

I feel like this entire division is made up of receivers that you could talk yourself into when forced, but would never look to do it when your roster is reasonably full.

The Bills spent the offseason talking up Joshua Palmer, and he’s delivered a 32-yard catch in both wins this season. He’s an athletic 6’1″ 25-year-old who is attached to Josh Allen: it’s not hard to see some weekly upside.

That said, I have to see the target earning from him. He was never really given the chance to do so during his final two seasons with the Chargers, thus making it a skill I’m doubting until proven otherwise.

That part also concerns me. It concerns me that the Chargers, knowing that they were going to embrace a high PROE this season, elected to move on from Palmer. They spent a third-round pick on him in 2021 and know him better than anyone.

They didn’t mind letting him walk, and it’s not as if the Bills have excelled at adding big-time receivers to this Allen-led juggernaut in the past (i.e., Amari Cooper).

I’m skeptical. Roster him if you want a piece of this offense. I can’t blame you there, I’d just do it with measured expectations.

Justin Jefferson | MIN

Does it feel to anyone else like Justin Jefferson just has the difficult level on football life turned up to All Madden?

He’s had a revolving door at the quarterback position year over year lately, and now, it’s week to week. McCarthy is going to miss 2-4 weeks (2-3 games), and that means Carson Wentz gets to add his name to the list of quarterbacks responsible for getting Jefferson the ball.

I think you’re okay here.

It’s been a minute since we’ve seen Wentz in a real role, but in 2021, with the Colts. His WR1 averaged nearly twice as many PPG as his WR2 and was targeted on 24.2% of his routes. Michael Pittman is obviously no Jefferson, so I’d expect Minnesota’s All-Pro to earn even more volume and do more with it.

Jefferson falls from a high-end WR1 to a low-end WR1, something that shouldn’t impact your decision-making in a redraft environment.

Kayshon Boutte | NE

Kayshon Boutee earned eight targets on 44 routes in Week 1, but just one on 22 in Week 2.

Yeah, he’s one of “those” players.

This offense lacks a true difference maker at the pass catcher positions, and that opens the door for a player like Boutee to make an impact (his one target was a 16-yard touchdown on New England’s second drive last weekend against the Dolphins), but asking him to sustain it for stretches of time isn’t wise.

This is exactly the type of player I like having on my bench.

With Drake Maye positioned to develop on the fly, you could sell yourself on the upside of his receivers whenever you’re in a pinch. It’s not as if you’re having to squint to see the potential: this team was expected to be a playoff team this season.

Low-volume weeks are going to happen, especially if the Pats’ run game can remain productive. That said, this is an offense that can hang 30 points in the right spot, and that’s enticing if you’re in a roster pinch.

The Steelers defense might be terrible, but I’m not jumping to that conclusion just yet. Boutee won’t be ranked as a viable flex option for me until we get into bye weeks (they start in Week 5, which will impact the number of reliable options at my disposal).

Keenan Allen | LAC

I don’t want to say that Father Time is on his heels, but in the battle that the 33-year-old Keenan Allen is fighting this season, the veteran receiver has certainly thrown the first punch.

This is the first time in his storied career that he has caught a touchdown pass in each of the first two weeks of a season. The score on Monday night was a nice non-verbal communication moment with a QB he clearly trusts, Justin Herbert.

I think the production is here to stay.

The touchdowns have helped Allen finish as a top 20 PPR receiver in each of the first two weeks this season, and while I don’t think he scores every week, the 8.5 targets he’s averaging appear sticky with how this offense is functioning right now.

Quentin Johnston is going to make some big plays, and Ladd McConkey is going to lead this team in targets, but there’s very much a niche, chain-moving role available, and Allen is as good as anyone in those spots.

He’s unlikely to see much (if any) of Patrick Surtain this week, and that’s huge. Sign me up for another 5+ catches and 60+ yards, production that lands him inside of my top 30 at the position in Week 3.

Keon Coleman | BUF

I’m not sure we’ve learned a damn thing about Buffalo’s passing game through two weeks.

The season opener was that bonkers game against the Ravens, in which the team came back from the dead with a Derrick Henry fumble and deflected touchdown passes.

Not sustainable.

Week 2 in New York saw the Jets systematically demotion. Josh Allen got his face bashed, and the Bills ran the ball 43 times.

I had Keon Coleman as a preseason sleeper, and I stand by that, but asking for consistent production is probably a bit much. He’s been productive for one quarter this season (22.5 PPR points in the fourth quarter of Week 1), but he really didn’t have many opportunities last week to show us signs of growth.

This is a great matchup, obviously, but it carries the same game script concern that Coleman fell victim to last week. I have both primary Buffalo receivers ranked in the WR30-40 range, a tier where I’m comfortable flexing them if needed, but don’t feel obligated to play them.

Khalil Shakir | BUF

In what felt like a good spot against the Jets (Sauce Gardner presumably on Keon Coleman and thus leaving vacated space), Khalil Shakir was held without a catch in the first half last week and finished with just a single reception on two targets.

What gives?

This is an interesting two-game sample. I’m buying into Shakir being the consistent threat he’s proven to be over time, because his slot usage has remained in the same range as it always has.

But …

It’s only an 11-target sample, so do what you will with it, but Shakir’s aDOT is 10.3 yards thus far (2024: 5.6). I don’t think that’s sticky, especially if Coleman takes the step forward that we expect, but it’s at least worth tracking.

I still think Shakir is a rich man’s Wan’Dale Robinson, and I realize how insane that could sound after the Giants’ slot machine broke the Week 2 slate.

If I could acquire Shakir for Robinson today, I’d do it without thinking twice.

This Miami matchup is going to be a get-right for plenty of players this season, and I think there’s a chance we see that come to fruition for Shakir. I have him ranked just ahead of DJ Moore in my WR3 tier for Week 3.

Kyle Williams | NE

Kyle Williams may have dominated at Washington State last season (70-1,198-14), but it’s clear that the Patriots don’t think the third-round pick is ready for the bright lights of the NFL.

New England laid an egg in Week 1 but got back on track last week and has playoff aspirations. For me, that means they are less likely to push through a developmental curve, which is why there are eight routes (one target) for Williams thus far.

If this season were to go sideways, Williams could see his opportunity count spike, but by the time that’s the case, he’s burned a hole in your roster for multiple months.

You took a shot at your draft on an unknown, and that’s fine. It’s also fine to think differently now that we have more information.

Williams should be a free agent in all redraft formats.

Ladd McConkey | LAC

Ladd McConkey probably needs to play more than 18 games as a professional before I use the word “inevitable,” but it certainly feels that way.

For his career, all he’s done is haul in 88-of-121 targets and offer weekly consistency at a level well beyond his years. After catching all five of his targets on Monday night, he’s up to nine straight games with at least five receptions, and that’s good for the three longest active streak in the league.

To open the game, Justin Herbert completed 5-of-10 passes. He was 3-of-3 when throwing to his WR1 and 2-of-7 when making the poor decision of looking elsewhere.

The graceful aging of Keenan Allen and the spike plays of Quentin Johnston would have scared me in 2024, but with Jim Harbaugh opening up this offense, I’m not the least bit concerned.

McConkey is going to be a top 20 receiver for me every week, and this week is no different despite a tough matchup on paper.

Luther Burden III | CHI

Luther Burden has turned 14 routes into two receiving yards through two weeks and is clearly not in Ben Johnson’s immediate plans.

I’m open to the idea that things change over time, but we will get signals of that well ahead of time. Right now, this is a shaky offense with five pass catchers running well ahead of him.

I don’t care what you think of Burden as a prospect, this role isn’t worth our time. Use this roster spot on a player with a cleaner path to work in an offense with a higher floor. Not all rookies hit the ground running, and Burden is the latest example.

Malik Nabers | NYG

Malik Nabers is coming off the best game of his young career (37.7 PPR points) and has established himself as one of the greatest forces of nature in the league.

Tough matchup? Don’t care.

Shaky QB projections? Not worried.

Nabers is a highlight waiting to happen and will get every chance to showcase his talent. He’s seen at least 10 targets in 12 of 17 career games, and it feels like they aren’t throwing his way enough.

Multiple 165+ receiving yard games within their first 17 NFL contests (active players):

• Ja’Marr Chase
• Justin Jefferson
• Malik Nabers

That’s the tier Nabers has put himself in, and if Russell Wilson can deliver league-average play every week, we are looking at a real threat to lead the position in scoring.

If the G-Men make a change under center, I’ll have to move some things around, but the impact wouldn’t change my expectations for their alpha receiver in a meaningful way.

Whatever you paid for Nabers this summer is going to feel like a bargain entering the 2026 season.

Marquise Brown | KC

What do you mean Hollywood Brown isn’t going to set the single-season targets record?

After seeing 16 looks in the season-opening loss to the Chargers, Brown was one of four Chiefs to see 5-6 targets. He filled in one-for-one for Xavier Worthy in that first game, but with a week to adjust, Andy Reid opted for a flatter target distribution.

The Giants just allowed four Cowboys pass catchers to clear 14.5 PPR points last week, and while I don’t think that’s going to happen again this week, I do think attacking New York through the air will be a common approach.

If Worthy plays, there’s not a discussion to be had here, as Brown will rank as a WR4 for me. Should the speedster sit again, a double-digit PPR showing is very possible, and Brown would threaten WR3 territory in my ranks.

Marvin Harrison Jr. | ARI

Football is a funny game. Isn’t it?

Harrison Jr. runs hot on six targets in Week 1, scores 18.1 PPR points, and gets excited about a second-year prospect.

In Week 2, he draws a 38-yard pass interference penalty and sees a short end zone fade deflected late.

If he isn’t grabbed on the bomb and converts the 50/50 ball, he finishes with 65 yards and a touchdown, nearly identical to his Week 1 showing in New Orleans (71 yards and a TD).

The 49ers aren’t as bad on the defensive end as they were last season, but this isn’t an elite unit either. I expect the Cardinals to have success in this spot, and that has their top receiver sitting as a top 15 option for me this week and a reasonable DFS target.

Marvin Mims Jr. | DEN

Troy Franklin had a big Week 2. Outside of him, five Broncos have four to seven catches through two weeks, and Marvin Mims Jr. is a part of that mess.

After some spike plays in 2024, our collective hope was that Sean Payton would scheme up favorable spots for a specific skill set, but that’s pretty clearly not the case.

All is not lost, however. His 23-yard touchdown last week came on the first drive and was all air yards, a sign that maybe he’s worked his way into the scripted set of plays. I still think the target hierarchy in Denver is TBD, and that gives me hope that Mims can develop into a flex option as the season progresses.

I’m not expecting big things in this divisional matchup, but I’m not selling my shares.

Matthew Golden | GB

I can’t say this with 100% certainty, but I don’t remember a rookie receiver having as many carries as catches through two weeks that I’ve remained more optimistic about than Matthew Golden.

The raw numbers are … well, underwhelming. Despite running a route on 63.2% of Love dropbacks this season (third on the team, second among receivers), Golden has two catches for 16 yards.

But hear me out.

He had a 33-yard end zone target on fourth down during Green Bay’s first drive on Thursday night, and while a good play from the defender broke it up, we are talking about taking a high-impact shot to a rookie in an effort to set the tone for the game.

You have my attention.

Love has been more aggressive through two weeks than we’ve seen at any point in his career, and that was apparent with another bomb directed Golden’s way later in the first half.

Incomplete.

The production hasn’t been there, but the shot plays have been, and with them handing him the rock twice against the Commanders, they clearly want the 23rd overall pick to be a factor sooner than later.

The urgency received a bump post-game when we got confirmation that Reed had broken his collarbone and could miss up to two months. By no means does that make Golden a must-start, but if the Packers want him to be involved and the depth chart is now cooperating, this is the time to acquire the speed demon at a reasonable price (17.0 yards per catch last season at Texas).

Packer routes run following the Reed injury:

• Tucker Kraft: 26
• Romeo Doubs: 22
• Golden: 22
• Dontayvion Wicks: 19
• Malik Heath: 7

The trade pitch is easy: two catches in two games and a bye coming up. The odds of you playing Golden in the short term aren’t great, so if you’re dealing with a 0-2 team, you can lean into their desperation.

Do it quickly. The Browns are a tough matchup this week, but after that, they get the Cowboys, Bengals, and Cardinals, with the Week 5 bye thrown in for good measure. Golden might never be a player you’re flexing with high levels of confidence because I’m not sure what the ceiling is when it comes to targets per game, but an upside player in a good offensive environment with an elite pedigree?

That profile has a way of being useful over the course of a long season.

Michael Pittman Jr. | IND

Josh Downs has assumed the slot duties among Colt receivers as this group looks to work around Tyler Lauletta’s immediate excellence.

If you told me that entering the season, I would have been running away from Michael Pittman Jr., but he’s caught 9-of-12 targets for 114 yards and a score when lined up outside of the slot.

Betting on Daniel Jones continuing to play at this high a level is dangerous, but Mr. Dimes earning himself an extended leash is great for all of the Indy pass catchers. Pittman is unlikely to crack my top 35 at the position until we get into bye weeks and/or injuries factor in more, but he’s not sitting far outside of that and has the type of stable role that I like to load my bench with.

I feel good about penciling him in for 10-12 points in any given week with Jones playing QB, and that’ll settle in the WR40 range more often than not.

Mike Evans | TB

We are nearing a “get off while the gettin’ is good” situation with Mike Evans.

The 32-year-old can obviously still play; you don’t earn 19 targets through two weeks if you can’t, but Emeka Egbuka certainly looks like the better option, and when Chris Godwin returns, I can’t help but think that Evans’ target share could be at risk.

He’s caught five balls in both games this season, but his longest gain is 22 yards. Egbuka is the more dangerous downfield option and is being featured in scoring situations, something that drove Evans’ value for years (NFL leader in end zone targets from 2023-24).

It is worth noting that he’s essentially been shadowed by a strong corner in both weeks thus far, and Sauce Gardner could make it three weeks in a row.

By “worth noting,” I mean “worth noting to your trade partner during negotiations.” Those matchups could allow you to explain away a bumpy start, especially if a big game happens in the near future. Should that occur, we are looking at a sell candidate that you can get out of before any real loss occurs.

Stay tuned.

Nico Collins | HOU

We got the first target of the game thrown to Nico Collins and an early touchdown that was a work of art against the Bucs on Monday night.

Off to the races after a down Week 1, right? Right?!?

Wrong.

Houston simply cannot protect C.J. Stroud for long enough to make the breakout Collins season a realistic outcome. He was tackled on the one-yard line on a red zone slant, and while the effort was there with end zone targets galore in an effort to finish that position, no luck.

Collins is a locked-in fantasy starter who has seen 35 targets over his last three meetings with the Jaguars (27 catches across those contests, all of which saw him reach triple figures in terms of receiving yards), but the upside is lacking.

There’s not much you can do. Trading him would be selling low, and I certainly don’t recommend that.

I take that back, there is something you can do.

Divine intervention.

Join me in the pre-bedtime ritual of looking to the sky and wishing time to throw into existence for Stroud. If we get that this weekend, or any weekend, I think he’s a threat to lead the position in scoring.

Pat Bryant | DEN

Pat Bryant came to Denver and was immediately expected to do big things, given Sean Payton’s success with that general profile in the past.

Our expectations weren’t fair, and the kid running just 10 routes through two weeks has reminded us of that.

Payton knows he has a win-now team on his hands, and that has him taking a slow approach with his rookie class. I’m more confident that RJ Harvey will work himself into a role that means something to us over time than Bryant, especially after Troy Franklin essentially looked like the player we wanted Bryant to be last weekend.

You can safely cut ties here. If things begin to tick up as time passes, there will be plenty of chances to get ahead of the curve: he’s not playing enough to have the type of spike week that would make him a waiver priority.

Puka Nacua | LAR

The Rams know how they want to use Nacua.

Opponents know how the Rams want to use Nacua.

It doesn’t matter.

His aDOT and target metrics through two weeks this season are nearly identical to what they were last season, and there’s nothing anyone can scheme up to stop him (18 catches on 20 targets up to this point).

Puka Nacua is ridiculous pic.twitter.com/EpKevtK8Lg

— ThatsGoodSports (@BrandonPerna) September 14, 2025

Oh, and they continue to work on creative ways to get their best player in space. His slot usage is up with Cooper Kupp now in Seattle, and he’s carried the rock 10 times in his past seven regular-season games (45-yard TD on Sunday).

Watching Nacua play can be a nerve-racking experience because his body always seems to be in harm’s way, but at the end of the day, every day, he’s putting up 15+ PPR points with slate-breaking upside.

Rashee Rice | KC

Rashee Rice has been suspended for the first six weeks of this season for a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy, and with a Week 10 bye, you’re looking at a fantasy star that needs to hit the ground running in a month when you get him back.

Rice showed well physically in camp, and when he’s back on the active roster, there’s no conversation to be had. Over his past 13 healthy games, his 17-game pace was 110 catches and eight scores, a line that makes him an unquestioned asset in all formats.

READ MORE: What Happened to Rashee Rice? Breaking Down Why the Chiefs WR Isn’t Playing in Week 1 vs. the Chargers

With Travis Kelce at the mercy of Father Time and Xavier Worthy’s role only set to regress, Rice is the pass catcher to trust in this offense when at full strength, and it’s not close in my opinion.

If you roster Rice, you have the opportunity to play him every week. Survive in the short term and thrive in the long term. I’m told this is what parenting is like, but I cannot confirm.

If you don’t, I’d suggest actively rooting against the team that does. Not that “rooting” does you any good, but you will want to keep tabs on that team: if that team stubs its toe out of the gates and doesn’t feel as if it can survive the entirety of this suspension, you might be able to buy low on a potential league winner:

Week 12 vs. Colts

Stat to track: Second-highest short pass passer rating allowed in 2024 (only the Patriots were worse).

Week 13 at Cowboys

Stat to track: Highest short completion percentage allowed last season (78.5%, league average: 73.5%).

Week 14 vs. Texans

Stat to track: Allowed a league-high 6.1 yards per catch after the reception last season (NFL average: 5.3).

Week 15 vs. Chargers

Stat to track: Last season, 50 of Mahomes’ 66 passes thrown against the Chargers traveled less than 10 yards downfield (75.8%, the highest mark of his career against the divisional opponent, career rate prior vs LAC: 65.4%).

Week 16 at Titans

Stat to track: Sixth-highest touchdown rate allowed on short passes.

Week 17 vs. Broncos

Stat to track: Mahomes played against them once last season, and he threw 31 passes no more than five yards downfield, the third highest.

Rashid Shaheed | NO

Rashid Shaheed saw plenty of volume in Week 1 (nine targets against the Cardinals) and scored, by his standards, a unique touchdown on Sunday against the 49ers.

Some would call that making the most of a bad situation; I see it as keeping your selling window open.

Shaheed TD reception lengths for his career before this:

• 19
• 34
• 39
• 43
• 45
• 53
• 58
• 59
• 68
• 70

The tough part of this is that I think Shaheed is a talented player with a bright future. I just don’t believe that the future really starts in 2025.

Spencer Rattler finished with good counting numbers in Week 2 (73.5% complete with three touchdowns), but, per our QBi metric, he didn’t approach one of the 15 best performances of the week.

Last week felt like a best-case scenario, and I’m more than willing to trade away any beneficiaries. His current production dwarfs that of Darnell Mooney and Matthew Golden, but those are two receivers I’d personally take in a one-for-one deal.

Rashod Bateman | BAL

Rashod Bateman’s “thing” in his breakout 2024 was that he was Baltimore’s Rashid Shaheed: a big play waiting to happen that could rack up double-digit points on a single target.

It worked last season (16.8 yards per catch with nine scores), and if you benefited from it, more power to you.

It’s not happening this season, and that shouldn’t be overly surprising, considering that he was largely a fantasy afterthought for the first three years of his career. The field stretch is averaging just 0.57 yards per route this season and has cashed in just 49.7% of his expected points.

And the Ravens have scored 81 points.

They don’t need Bateman to put points on the board, and he seems to be at more risk of losing usage (Isaiah Likely will eventually return, and Devonté Walker or Tylan Wallace could build on what they did Sunday) than gaining it.

We have an extended sample of Bateman being a below-average target earner at the professional level: there’s no statistical reason to burn a roster spot in this fashion.

Ricky Pearsall | SF

There’s a lot to like in the profile of Ricky Pearsall, but under Mac Jones last week, Jauan Jennings appeared to be the one receiver worthy of our trust.

Jennings held a 5-4 edge in receptions over Pearsall, but he was +4 in the targets department and projects better due to the quality of the opportunities.

Against the Saints, half of Pearsall’s targets came 15+ yards downfield and didn’t gain any ground after the catch (Jennings: 9.6 yards per catch after the reception). In the right spot, that can be valuable; I’m just not sure this is one of those situations, as opponents have averaged under seven air yards per throw against Arizona since the start of last season (fifth-lowest).

I’ve got Jennings in the top half of my 30s at the position while Pearsall settles in toward the back end of the 30s at the position, alongside names like Stefon Diggs and Week 2 star Wan’Dale Robinson.

Rome Odunze | CHI

Is Rome Odunze the best receiver in Chicago?

Is Rome Odunze the third-best receiver in the offensively loaded NFC North?

I think both are destined to be true this season if they aren’t already. Through two weeks, Odunze is the only Bear with a touchdown reception (three), leads the team in receiving yards by 51, and has more catches than any of his teammates have targets.

The touchdown he scored on Chicago’s final possession of the first half was symbolic of everything we wanted to be true. The Bears took Caleb Williams and Odunze both inside the top 10 of the 2024 draft, the dream being that they’d help facilitate each other’s development and form a feared tandem for years to come.

Odunze is the only player (barring Keenan Allen) with six grabs and a touchdown reception in both weeks this season. I don’t just rank him as the best receiver in this offense; I have him as my WR21, ahead of names like Tee Higgins and Mike Evans, whom you drafted a handful of rounds ahead of him.

You may have missed the big Odunze game in Week 2 because you were too stubborn to move off of your priors. I wouldn’t make that error again.

Romeo Doubs | GB

Romeo Doubs leads the Green Bay receivers in route share (he’s run a route on 75.4% of Jordan Love dropbacks through two weeks), and while he’s not yet at 100 yards for the season, he’s made impactful plays in both of their victories.

In Week 1 against the Lions, he had a pair of 20+ yard grabs (including a 48-yarder), and on Thursday night, he scored his first touchdown of the season, a play where the Packers cleared out his side and bet on him to win on a slant route inside the five-yard line.

We saw glimpses of his potential in 2022 (eight touchdowns), showing that his Nevada numbers (TD on 11.6% of his collegiate receptions) weren’t just the product of lower-level competition, and it’s very clear that the Packers trust him.

But should you?

First half stat lines, Week 2:

• Tucker Kraft: 3 catches for 89 yards
• Malik Heath: 1 catch for 37 yards
• Dontayvion Wicks: 3 catches for 33 yards
• Doubs: 3 catches for 28 yards, TD
• Chris Brooks: 3 catches for 27 yards

The Jayden Reed injury (out 6-8 weeks with a broken collarbone) opens up usage, and Doubs has as good a shot as anyone to pick up the slack. That said, we are still in the part of the schedule where all 32 teams are in action, and while the Browns franchise might be in disarray, their defense can still hang.

Doubs ranks outside of my flex range for this week, but if he can earn targets at a reasonable rate, I could see that changing when the Packers travel to Dallas next Sunday night.

Stefon Diggs | NE

Stefon Diggs has 10 catches for 82 yards this season, production that hasn’t really moved the needle during this uneven start for the Patriots.

Kayshon Boutte has been the attention grabber, but Diggs actually holds the end in expected PPR points through two weeks, and his high catch rate (83.3%) is likely to be stable as long as his aDOT stays below eight yards (currently: 7.6).

This season, we’ve seen 11 of Diggs’ 12 targets come when Drake Maye sets up in the ‘gun, a play structure that typically leans into Diggs’ route running more than anything.

I don’t think we’ll see many spike weeks from the 31-year-old, but could he consistently flirt with 10 PPR points and serve as reasonable lineup depth as injuries pile up?

I think it’s possible.

Tee Higgins | CIN

Tee Higgins’ first chunk play of the season came last week as he turned in a 42-yard touchdown where he turned an on-point Jake Browning pass into success. It was a vintage effort where he survived a three-man collision and walked into the end zone, reminding us of the good times he had in 2023 with QB2 under center.

2023 metrics from Browning:

• Higgins: 11.0 PPR PPG, 2.6 points per target, 16.6 aDOT
• Ja’Marr Chase: 10.1 PPR PPG, 1.9 points per target, 9.0 aDOT

In this specific matchup, I fear that we are looking at a WR7 or WR37 finish from Higgins. The overly aggressive Vikings make running deep routes difficult, but they also leave open advantageous spots on those splash plays if they can’t get to the quarterback.

I lean towards the latter.

We saw a very focused Bengals offense with Browning under center in Week 2, speeding up the process and asking him to get the ball out more quickly than Burrow typically does.

That type of scheme can beat Minnesota, so I think there’s some potential for a Cincinnati offense that may be overlooked with Burrow on the bench. That said, history suggests that those looks are on the way out, much like Chase’s, thus causing Higgins to slip outside of my top 20 at the position for the first time this season.

Terry McLaurin | WAS

Terry McLaurin was a fourth-round pick this summer, but he has yet to gain 50 yards, a touchdown, or a 15-yard grab in 2022.

That’s not great, but I’m not really concerned at all and still view him as a weekly starter in all formats.

In watching the Commanders, Jayden Daniels still clearly trusts McLaurin. I’m willing to write off the slow start due to some poor variance (his average depth of target is more than a yard higher than last season, likely a result of the Deebo Samuel acquisition) and an offensive environment that has yet to look nearly as potent as they were a season ago (39 points scored through two weeks).

Percentage of targets coming on third down this season:

• McLaurin: 53.8%
• Ertz: 38.5%
• Samuel: 22.2%

Better times are ahead. McLaurin is actually ahead of where he was this time a year ago, a season in which his stock took off in a favorable Week 3 spot.

Will history repeat itself?

You’re getting too cute if you sit McLaurin for a flavor-of-the-week type this week.

Tetairoa McMillan | CAR

The Panthers may not have a fully functional offense yet, but they appear motivated to showcase Tetairoa McMillan and put the league on notice for years to come.

He has more receiving yards than any two of his teammates combined and has 59.4% of their WR receiving yards while earning 35.2% of the WR targets. This feels an awful lot like 2024 Brian Thomas Jr.: a solo act in a tepid offense that hopes to develop its franchise quarterback overnight by way of drafting an alpha receiver.

Only time will tell if that plan works (I’m not sure Jaguar fans are supporting it today), but for our sake, this structure allows McMillan to thrive weekly despite playing in an offense that appears destined to have more downs than ups in 2025.

The rookie has yet to score or see an end zone target, but that’s the price of doing business here. You’re going to sacrifice absolute ceiling for a rock-solid volume floor, and I think you take that trade-off every time from your WR2.

The Falcons’ defense has looked sharper this year than last, but if 5-68-0 is the floor (his Week 1 performance), I have no problem labeling him a top 20 player at the position.

Travis Hunter | JAX

Liam Coen mentioned in the offseason that Travis Hunter would be used more as a receiver than anything. In Week 1, that was 100% true, but he backpedaled a bit after the win against the Panthers, telling us that his role on the defensive end would “increase”. Vague, yes, but enough to scare us after his word was proven gold just a week earlier.

As it turns out, he was again telling the truth, and we simply had a meltdown for no reason. He said what he said. He didn’t say that offensive usage would come off his plate, simply that the defensive involvement would increase.

• Week 1 vs. CAR: 39 offensive snaps (27 routes) and 6 defensive snaps
• Week 2 at CIN: 42 offensive snaps (27 routes) and 39 defensive snaps

What worried me a touch was the 5-57-1 stat line that Dyami Brown put forward in Cincinnati last week.

He’s not going to overtake Hunter as the WR2 in this offense, but if Trevor Lawrence can develop a connection with him, there’s a world in which the Jags look for ways to keep him on the field more often.

Combine that with the fact that Hunter appeared to get shaken up a bit at one point during this game, and we have a path to where this experiment could go south.

We aren’t there. Hunter has earned 14 targets through two weeks and is very clearly a player they are trying to get involved with the easy button targets (aDOT: 6.5 yards). This offense as a whole is a bit broken right now, and that’s subtracting from everyone’s bottom line, but I’m OK holding tight on this unicorn.

Hunter checks in as a mediocre flex for me this week against a stingy defense. If Derek Stingley Jr. ends up focusing on Brian Thomas, we could see the creativity of Coen shine through in ways to feature Hunter, unlike what we’ve seen thus far.

He’s not a must-start by any means right now, but he is a must “sit tight and be patient” player, a sentiment I have for most humans when trying to do something that most view as impossible.

Tyquan Thornton | KC

Tyquan Thornton is a one-trick pony, but that one trick happens to be disproportionately valuable to us.

He was put on this Earth to take the top off defenses. Playing in an offense with a generational quarterback gives a skill set like that hope of getting home a few times a season.

He almost cashed in a deep look in Week 1, and in Week 2, after Patrick Mahomes missed him on what should have been a 75-yard score, he hauled in a 49-yard touchdown to keep the Chiefs alive against the Eagles.

The problem is simple: Thornton’s role stands to regress as the season progresses. When this receiver room is full, I’m not sure we’ll see more than a handful of vertical routes from him, and that would make him unplayable.

In the short term, however, he’s playing three-quarters of the snaps and filling an important role: healthy and active pass catcher.

Thornton doesn’t profile as a big target earner, and that’s going to keep him out of my top 50 most weeks. We just saw the Giants get lit up by Dak Prescott, and they appear to be the type of defense where opponents prefer to attack through the air.

Until we see a healthy version of Worthy, Thornton is a viable roster stash in redraft formats, but starting him is a step I’m not willing to take. If you have that feeling in your gut that a big play is coming, consider him in a DFS Showdown tournament.

Players like this are fun, but we often get caught up in chasing the huge day, forgetting that it may cost us two, three, or four weeks of dead space to get any return on that investment.

Tyreek Hill | MIA

The 47-yard catch for Tyreek Hill against the Patriots was little more than an arm punt that found its way into his arms.

I’m not asking him to give it back, but if not for that play, he would have nine catches for 102 yards and zero touchdowns this season.

Miami scored 27 points last week against a New England defense missing Christian Gonzalez. While the Bills’ defense isn’t healthy, they’ve proven the ability to keep plays in front of them at a high level (eighth-lowest opponent aDOT since the beginning of last season).

Hill reached triple figures in the receiving yardage department last week, which may result in some regaining trust. I’m not there yet.

Adam Schefter reported over the weekend that the ‘Fins aren’t interested in dealing their WR1 this season, and that has me thinking that this could be an opportunity for you to sell. Point to the big play as a sign of things to come and maybe get out of the Miami business while the getting is good.

It’s risky, but given his current market cost, I think you have more to gain than lose by exploring those options.

Wan’Dale Robinson | NYG

Like we’ve said for years, play Wan’Dale Robinson when you need upside and big plays.

40% of Wan’Dale Robinson’s career 30+ yard catches have come today

Sunday’s explosion was a good reminder that, as my friend Matthew Berry says, “this is a funny game played with an oblong ball. Goofy stuff happens”.

If you told me Robinson was lining up in a college game this weekend, I’m not sure I would give you an 8-142-1 projection, but that’s what he did in the craziest game of Week 2 in Dallas. Heck, we weren’t even 100% sure he was healthy entering this game after an ankle injury cost him reps during the week.

The important thing here is not to overreact. Entering this season, Robinson was a floor elevator that was good as a flex option when you felt good about the rest of your roster and just wanted your ship to be steady.

That’s what he was entering last week, and that’s what he’ll be entering next week. The Cowboys were missing Daron Bland last week and have an offense geared to get into those types of shootouts. The Chiefs are healthy on defense and show no interest in a track meet.

Robinson was good for six catches and 55 yards in Week 1 against the Commanders, a stat line that is much more likely to be what we get on Sunday than the outlier of outlier games he’s fresh off of.

Xavier Legette | CAR

I think we can be done here in standard-sized leagues.

Xavier Legette was a first-round pick in 2024, but struggled with consistency as a rookie and hasn’t really shown signs of growth through two weeks this season.

Of course, there’s a quarterback component to everything receiver-related, but even when Bryce Young was playing the best football of his life (late last season or in the fourth quarter on Sunday), Legette hasn’t come along for the ride.

His only game with 60 receiving yards last season came against the vulnerable Bengals in September, and as Carolina nearly pulled off the comeback of the season on Sunday, Legette turned eight targets into negative-2 yards.

That’s close to unbelievable when you consider that his teammates turned 45 targets into 330 yards. Tetairoa McMillan led the way in his second game as a pro, Hunter Renfrow was on his couch a month ago and scored twice, and Brycen Tremayne, he of the 75-catch four-year college career, totaled 48 yards and one splash play.

If not in that exact spot (trailing big against a shaky defense with Coker out), when?

If you were rostering Legette and hoping for upside, you can move on. He was a dart throw on draft day, and it’s clear that he’s not viewed as a 2025 difference-maker by a team that is grasping for hope for the upcoming seasons.

Xavier Worthy | KC

It took until Friday, but the Chiefs ruled out Xavier Worthy for Week 2 with a shoulder injury that cost him all but three snaps in the season opener.

His ability to get on the practice field at all last week puts him in a position to return this week, something that didn’t seem likely given the optics of the injury.

So, can you trust him in this spot?

The Chiefs did get him two opportunities (one rush and one target) before the injury, and the fact that his replacement went on to see 16 targets against the Chargers points pretty strongly to how this team plans to use their talented receiver in his second season while Rashee Rice serves his suspension.

Of course, there is plenty of risk in betting on a loose shoulder, as it could impact how he plays and how Andy Reid deploys him. I have him ranked as more of an “if you need upside” flex play than a surefire option, but this is a pass-centric offense playing against a defense that can shut down the run.

You’re likely playing him if you have him, but don’t be afraid to consider other options if you feel like you’re already favored in your Week 3 matchup.

Zay Flowers | BAL

Zay Flowers has five career games with 7+ catches while posting 75+ air yards, and two have come this season.

I expressed tremendous optimism in this space last week about Flowers showing signs of developing into an alpha target earner. Although this is a low-volume offense, I continue to be impressed.

We know that Todd Monken is a tactical genius, so it’s not lost on me that Flowers was in a position to be targeted on four of Lamar Jackson’s first six throws over the weekend.

It would appear that Father Time is catching up with Mark Andrews, and that only furthers my confidence in my Flowers position. He’s the only Raven right now with 100 receiving yards (he has 218). Heck, he’s the only Raven with 5+ receptions.

The way this offense is constructed, it doesn’t need to have a WR who is on fantasy radars. But when a player produces at this level and is a perfect schematic fix, who are we to argue?

Flowers has moved to a top 20 receiver for me the rest of the way and a top 15 guy in what could be a very exciting conclusion to the third week of the season.