Week 3 Fantasy Football Recap (2021)

Jorge Edwards

As I do each week I’m going to breakdown for you some interesting takeaways from the previous week’s slate of action that I believe you should be paying attention to more in order to help give you a competitve edge in your fantasy football matchups going forward!

And with that creative-less intro here is my 4-EYED WEEKLY RECAP from Week 3!

Quarterback: Derek Carr is playing like he did in 2016 when he was considered an MVP candidate. Let that sink in!

Capping off his Week 3 performance with 386 passing yards, two touchdowns, and 22.24 fantasy points, Derek Carr leads the league in passing yards, is 2nd in passing attempts, 9th in total QB fantasy points, and 9th in fantasy points per game with 23.8. He’s top 5 in highest aDOT or average depth of target passing which bodes well for his weekly passing yardage upside.

Look, everyone, I know we’re all enamored with wanting mobile quarterbacks on our rosters so we can benefit from their rushing yards total, BUT you don’t need a mobile quarterback to get QB1 production. As long as Carr is able to maintain his passing attempt and yardage volume, that QB1 range is where you should see Carr for the foreseeable future!

Running Back: What is going on with Myles Gaskin?

What would your reaction be if I told you a running back that ranks SECOND in breakaway run percentage, 11th in PFF elusive rating, and 7th in receiving targets is only averaging 8.5 fantasy points per game in half-PPR scoring?

via GIPHY

Yes, those are my sentiments exactly.

Well, that happens when you rank as the RB35 in rushing attempts and have a 55.5% snap percentage at the position on your team. In Week 3, Gaskin had 19 total touches which are by far the most he’s had all season. You would think that many touches would be enough to be fantasy-relevant, to be honest. In 2020, when Gaskin had a minimum of 16 touches he averaged 16.4 fantasy points per game.

So what went wrong this past week?

It’s the same thing that’s been wrong all season. Miami’s offensive line ranks dead last in the league in pass-blocking and his running back counterpart Malcolm Brown is the best-rated pass-blocking running back on the roster. THAT is the reason why Gaskin is only on the field 55.5% of the time.

I gotta be honest, I’m not sure if you are going to see a bounce-back this season for Gaskin. Sure, he might blow up for a big game here or there, but to be counted on as a weekly FLEX candidate given the state of this Dolphins offensive line and offense as a whole… I dunno. You may want to cut bait and try and pull off a trade once he finally has a “blow up” game before his value tanks entirely.

Wide Receiver: Who IS Hollywood Brown so far in fantasy in 2021?

Going back to Week 12 of the 2020 season, “Hollywood” Brown has averaged, in half-PPR scoring, 14.3 fantasy points per game. In those 9 games, he’s tallied 8 touchdowns. Both these facts are fantastic. However, how sustainable is that really in a low-volume passing offense? I get it his target volume is increasing this year but based on his 10.2 yards per target this season combined with a 25% reception percentage on deep passes of 20 yards or more he’s truly still a long TD or bust option at wide receiver. Until that reception percentage gets a huge bump or his target percentage goes higher to compensate for the number of drops you basically are praying for him to score a touchdown for you each week making him more of a Best Ball/DFS play than a weekly FLEX/WR3 for you in season-long fantasy football.

Tight End: Dawson Knox is balling, yo!

In Week 3, Dawson Knox put on 12.9 fantasy points on 49 yards, 1 TD, and 4 receptions in half-PPR scoring which landed him as the TE8 on the week. On the season, Knox is the TE6 in fantasy points per game. With games against the Texans and Chiefs, both of which are in the bottom of the pack in terms of defensive coverage ranking, given the over/under for these games likely being somewhat high look for Knox to carry on his hot streak over the next couple of weeks!

Edge Rusher (DL/OLB): No Bradley Chubb, no problem for Von Miller!

Despite concerns that Von Miller might not have “it” anymore in terms of fantasy relevance in IDP, Von Miller continued his impressive start to the 2021 fantasy football season tallying a sack, a QB hit, and a couple of tackles with 26.3 win % against opposing blockers this past week for a total of 14 IDP123 fantasy points. As a defensive lineman eligible player, in IDP123 scoring, Miller ranks as the DL6 on the season in fantasy points per game with 18.7. With other defensive pass rushers on the Broncos like Shelby Harris helping to create defensive mismatches for Miller, his hot streak should continue in terms of IDP fantasy relevance. HOWEVER, his lack of tackle upside is something to keep an eye on as the season progresses and he faces tougher competition.

Defensive Back: Cash in on Kenny Moore, QUICK!

7 solo tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 2 passes defended, and an interception later and Kenny Moore’s 28 fantasy points outing in Week 3 netted him as the DB5 in all of fantasy football in Week 3 as well as DB3 on the season in IDP123 scoring. Tied for 7th among cornerbacks in receptions allowed on the season opposing offenses can’t help but look Moore’s way given his 118 NFL QB passer rating allowed when targeted. With a PFF grade of 42.5 in coverage, Moore is the top targeted slot cornerback in the league, and for a good reason.

As of right now, I’d insert him into your IDP DB spot with confidence going forward UNTIL you start to hear rumblings that his poor play might put his starting role in jeopardy. Then, flip him for a strong safety DB ASAP. Until then enjoy the fantasy production.

Linebacker: Great….NOW Kenny Young decides to not get kicked out of a game and go off in fantasy!

Yes, I’m being bitter. In Week 2 versus Indy, I was so SURE Kenny Young was going to have a monster outing. That level of confidence then quickly exited my body when he gently grazed an official after disputing a call on the field. One ejection for Young later and I was S.O.L. at my LB2 spot.

For those of you that kept the faith with him this past week, however, you were blissfully rewarded with his 8 solo tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 2 assisted tackles, sack, QB Hit, forced fumbled, and 34 fantasy points in IDP123 scoring. He has an interesting matchup coming up against Arizona this week. He might not get the QB pressure and sacks on Kyler Murray as he did with Tom Brady, but he should have a decent tackle floor against Arizona assuming the Cardinals choose to have a balanced offensive game plan.

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