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The best and worst fantasy performances from Week 3
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The best and worst fantasy performances from Week 3

Week 3 of the NFL season brought us some of the best performances from wide receivers we have seen in recent seasons. A total of 17 receivers put up 20-plus fantasy points while three tallied 40-plus points on the week.

On the other end of the spectrum, tight ends had a dismal week of fantasy footballing. Only three players at that position went for 100-plus yards while another eight went for 50-plus yards.

In all, it was a pretty odd week of fantasy performances throughout the NFL. Here is your best and worst from the week that was.

Note: We will use a point-per reception (PPR) format to rank each player. The scoring comes from eDraft.com.

Best QBs

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Don't look now, but this ginger is on fire. Through three games, Dalton has put up eight touchdowns compared to one interception for an absurd 121.0 quarterback rating. He's also leading the NFL in adjusted yards per attempt at a ridiculous 10.7. With weapons all over the field, Dalton is in position for continued success.

On Sunday alone, the fifth-year quarterback completed 20-of-32 passes for 383 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. And while he did put the ball on the ground once, this was good enough for Dalton to finish as the top fantasy quarterback for the week. That's not a typo.

With A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert both playing stellar football, Dalton has the weapons to continue this momentum in the coming weeks. Though, it's going to be difficult against top-end defenses moving forward. In their three games prior to a Week 7 bye, the Bengals take on the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills — three of the top defenses in the NFL.

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

Newton doesn't need weapons. He's clearly taken that Superman nickname and brought it to life in realistic fashion. Without Kelvin Benjamin to rely on and with a group of substandard receivers, Newton still has his Panthers at 3-0 and in first place in the NFC South.

Sunday's performance against a bad New Orleans Saints defense showed everyone why we can't forget about Newton simply because the lack of skill-position options on the Panthers' offense. Connecting on two 11-yard touchdown passes to Greg Olsen, Newton found a way to finish as the second-best fantasy quarterback this week. It also didn't hurt that he put up 33 rushing yards and a score to go with the 315 yards through the air.

Though, let's be realistic here for a second. Anyone going up against the Saints defense is primed for a big fantasy day. New Orleans ranks dead last against fantasy quarterbacks through Week 3, yielding an average of 24.72 points per game.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

What Rodgers is doing right now hasn't been seen in the history of the NFL. After tossing five touchdowns in an impressive 38-28 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, Rodgers has thrown 10 touchdowns without a pick this season. Since the start of the 2011 campaign, he has 144 touchdowns compared to 25 interceptions. That's utterly insane.

Rodgers ended Week 3 as the top fantasy quarterback, going for 34.92 points against a darn good Chiefs defense. That has him as the top-ranked player at his position through three weeks, just ahead of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. With a game coming up against the San Francisco 49ers next week, there is no reason to believe that this will change.

Worst QBs

Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers

Fresh off a Week 2 performance that saw him put up nearly 400 yards of total offense en route to finishing as the second-best fantasy quarterback, Kaepernick regressed a great deal against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. It was so bad that he provided more fantasy points to the Cardinals defense than what he put up himself.

Overall, the much-maligned quarterback completed 9-of-19 passes for 67 yards with four interceptions. A garbage time second quarter touchdown (those do exist) is the only reason Kaepernick finished 29th among quarterbacks in fantasy points in a 47-7 loss to the Cardinals. If not for that, he would have legitimately put up the worst fantasy week for any quarterback in the NFL, Jimmy Clausen included.

Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles

Despite winning his first game as a member of the Eagles, Bradford's struggles were evident against the New York Jets on Sunday. A week after putting up the 30th-best fantasy performance at quarterback, Bradford followed that up with an improved ranking of 26 this week against the New York Jets.

Remember when Bradford was the preseason pick to have a breakout fantasy year? Well, that time surely has passed. He's thrown three touchdowns compared to four interceptions and is averaging 226 passing yards per game. In fact, Bradford's game averages in almost all major categories would be a career lows if the season were to end today.

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Stafford has been an unmitigated disaster through three games. Going up against the Denver Broncos in Detroit's home opener, Stafford completed 31-of-45 passes for 282 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. That was good enough for a 24th overall ranking among quarterbacks.

It's been a pretty bad stretch of fantasy performances for Stafford this year. He hasn't finished better than 16th in any of the three weeks up to this point, which is a major failure considering many were relying on him as a QB1 option heading into the season.

Best RBs

Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons

With Tevin Coleman sidelined due to a rib injury, this second-year running back made the most of his opportunities. Scoring touchdowns of two, three and seven yards out, Freeman racked up 141 yards and three scores on a whopping 30 attempts. He also added five receptions for 52 yards on five targets, making him the top overall standard and PPR fantasy running back this week.

It will be interesting to see how Freeman performs moving forward, especially if Coleman finds a way to get back on the field here soon. After all, Coleman was considered Atlanta's top running back prior to suffering the rib injury in Week 2.

Joseph Randle, Dallas Cowboys

Randle only put up 87 yards on 14 attempts against the Falcons this week. Normally, that wouldn't be a sign of a stellar fantasy performance. Fortunately for those of you who started him, he matched Freeman with three touchdown runs en route to the second-best fantasy performance among running backs.

The Cowboys running back situation has been somewhat of a hot topic around the fantasy football world over the past several weeks. With Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar expected to get some touches, most people were avoiding Randle as a starting option heading into the year. Three weeks into the season, and it's readily apparent that he is the top dog in Dallas. After all, the third-year running back has attempted 48 of the Cowboys 72 rushes through three games.

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings

Peterson may have only finished sixth among running backs in fantasy points, but his performance against the San Diego Chargers was worthy of an inclusion in this article. Peterson ran the ball 20 times for 126 yards and two scores, including a ridiculous 43-yard touchdown run to give Minnesota a two-score lead early in the third quarter.

By virtue of his performance on Sunday, this future Hall of Fame running back leads every player at his position in rush attempts and rushing yards through three weeks. Yeah, it didn't take long for Peterson to regain his status as the best running back in the NFL. In terms of fantasy football, he's the third-best player at his position, behind the aforementioned Devonta Freeman and Jamaal Charles.

Worst RBs

Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

Hill, who was benched in Week 2 after fumbling twice, played in only 21 snaps for the Bengals in their win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The primary reason for this, at least according to head coach Marvin Lewis, was because Giovani Bernard is considered the better option for Cincinnati when the team is playing from behind.

Without actually seeing the field on a consistent basis, Hill put up 21 yards on 12 attempts. That performance made him irrelevant from a fantasy perspective. And after finishing Week 1 as the fifth-best fantasy running back, Hill ranks 76th in that category over the past two weeks. Add in the emergence of Bernard as a solid option in Cincinnati's offense, and Hill's fantasy stock is in deep decline.

Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks

After entering Sunday's game against Chicago dealing with a calf injury, Lynch exited in the second quarter with an injury to his hamstring. Considering Seattle didn't necessarily view the Bears as much of a threat in this one, it made sense for the team to give Lynch some rest. Though, that couldn't have sat well with fantasy owners around the fake football world. Overall, Lynch put up just 14 yards on five attempts.

Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated on Monday that Lynch underwent an MRI following the game and will be reevaluated this week. While the hamstring injury isn't considered serious, it does add some concern over Lynch's durability moving forward this year. Anytime a running back his age deals with multiple injuries, we have to take note. Through three weeks, Lynch is the 29th-best fantasy running back. That's not something most of us envisioned heading into the season.

C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos

Yet another top-end fantasy running back dealing with injuries, Anderson put up 18 yards on eight attempts Sunday night against the Detroit Lions. The 2014 breakout star missed most of the first half while getting evaluated for a concussion — yet another injury concern for a running back that hasn't been anywhere near 100 percent this season.

It's definitely showing up from a fantasy perspective. Irrelevant in fake football this past week, Anderson is now the the 54th-best fantasy running back heading into October. Unfortunately for those of you who rostered him, it makes little sense to sell low on Anderson. Instead, you probably should ride it out and see how he performs moving forward.

Best WRs

A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals

Green put up a ridiculous 44.70 fantasy points in one-point PPR leagues this past week. That was made possible by the 10 receptions he put up for a career-high 227 yards and two touchdowns. All said, Green was one of 17 receivers to put up 20-plus fantasy points in Week 3. Yeah, this position has been dominating the fantasy world through three weeks.

For his part, Green seems to have found a renewed connection with an improved Andy Dalton in Cincinnati. And considering the Bengals' top-notch skill-position group, it's going to be extremely hard for opposing teams to completely zone in on Green moving forward this season. That makes him a fantasy dynamo as the 2015 campaign continues.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Yet another player that tallied 40-plus fantasy points this week, Jones caught 12 passes for 164 yards and two scores against a Cowboys defense that simply didn't have an answer for him all game. Interestingly enough, Jones also led all NFL receivers with a whopping 20 targets in Week 3.

The thing to look at moving forward here are those targets — 46 of them through three weeks. With Matt Ryan playing darn good football and the Falcons offense showing some sense of balance, Jones will continue to receive a ton of targets in the passing game. The success he finds in those targets should continue to be relatively high with opposing teams unable to throw multiple defenders his way on a consistent basis. After all, there is a reason Ryan targeted him 20 times on Sunday.

Steve Smith, Baltimore Ravens

At 36 years old, this might be Smith's final season in the NFL. If he follows through with that promise, Smith is making sure that his swan song is made up of legendary stories of forcing opposing defensive backs into looking foolish. That much was the case on Sunday against Cincinnati.

As Joe Flacco's only consistent receiving threat, Smith was targeted 17 times on Sunday. He came down with 13 receptions for 186 yards and two touchdowns — numbers that were good enough for the veteran to rank second among receivers in fantasy points.

Without any other receiver to rely on, Flacco will likely continue to target Smith at the same rate we have seen over the first three games. Considering the receiver ranks fifth at his position in fantasy points, this is a great sign.

Worst WRs

Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles

Matthews was completely shut down by the contingent of corners thrown his way by the New York Jets on Sunday. While some of that had to do with horrendous quarterback play from Sam Bradford, it all counts the same in the fantasy football world.

Matthews tallied six receptions for 49 yards and zero scores in Week 3. While the reception numbers were decent, there was simply no vertical threat for the Eagles on Sunday. That led to a No. 43 ranking among fantasy receivers. Considering Matthews was being relied on as a top-end WR2 entering the season, this was a major disappointment.

With the way Bradford is playing, I am not too sure there is room for much improvement from Matthews here. The good news is that he might be able to keep you afloat with high reception numbers. Through three weeks, the second-year pro has 22 catches.

Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills

Injury after injury. Watkins was dealing with a calf issue Sunday against the Miami Dolphins — something that kept him from action in the second half. This led to yet another substandard fantasy performance from the second-year receiver.

All said, Watkins put up just one catch on two targets in Week 3. This brings his three-game total to seven receptions for 99 yards and a score. Until Watkins can prove that he's able to remain healthy, he's a risky start in year-long leagues.

As it relates to his most recent setback, Bills head coach Rex Ryan left open the possibility that Watkins may sit next week against the New York Giants.

Golden Tate, Detroit Lions

After putting up a huge performance in his first season with the Lions last year, Tate has struggled getting going in 2015. That continued with a five-catch, 57-yard performance against the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football — a performance that saw him rank 45th among receivers in fantasy points.

With Matthew Stafford playing below-average football at quarterback, Tate becomes a questionable start moving forward this season. That's only magnified by the return of a healthy Calvin Johnson, who has racked up 34 targets in three weeks.

Best TEs

Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers

With Kelvin Benjamin out for the season, many expected Olsen to put up some huge fantasy numbers. Unfortunately, those expectations were muted in a big way during the Panthers first two games, as the Pro Bowl tight end tallied just seven receptions for 81 yards without a score.

This all changed Sunday against a bad Saints defense. Nabbing multiple touchdown passes of 11 yards, Olsen put up the best fantasy performance among tight ends in Week 3. All said, the former first-round pick caught eight passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Now that it's rather obvious Cam Newton doesn't have a reliable option at wide receiver, Olsen should remain a top-end fantasy tight end moving forward. If he continues to receive the 11 targets he saw on Sunday, that will be all but guaranteed.

Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks

Finally. With so much drama surrounding Graham after two lackluster performance to open his Seahawks career, the talented pass catcher broke out big time against a bad Chicago Bears defense on Sunday. Finishing as the third-best fantasy tight end on the week, Graham caught seven of the eight passes thrown in his direction for 83 yards and a score.

This might just be an early example of what to expect from Graham. While his numbers are likely going to decrease from his Saints days, Graham is the most-talented pass catcher Russell Wilson has in Seattle. It's now all about the quarterback continuing to get his tight end involved in the passing game.

Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills

Clay has a chance to be a fantasy dynamo with Tyrod Taylor under center in Buffalo moving forward this season. After putting up seven catches for 62 yards in his first two games with the Bills, Clay broke out big time Sunday against his former team. The veteran tight end caught five passes for 82 yards and a score.

The reason I am so high on Clay this year is two-fold. First off, he has a strong-armed quarterback under center that can get him the ball down the seam. Secondly, Clay's 6-foot-3, 243-pound frame presents a tremendous mismatch against smallish corners and less-athletic safeties. In short, he should continue to rank among the top-10 fantasy tight ends on a consistent basis moving forward this season.

Worst TEs

Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers

After catching eight passes on 13 targets in his first two games of the season, many figured Davis was back as a top-end receiving option in San Francisco's offense. Unfortunately, his Week 3 performance looked much more like what we saw during a disastrous 2014 campaign.

Davis caught a grand total of zero passes on two targets against a swarming Arizona Cardinals defense. To add insult to injury (almost literally), Davis suffered a minor knee injury in the game. We tried pushing Davis as someone that had reinvented himself, but that idea may have gone the way of the fish after a horrendous Week 3 outing.

Jordan Cameron, Miami Dolphins

While Charles Clay found a way to put up a stellar performance against his former team, the guy called on to replace him in Miami did next-to-nothing.

Cameron caught just three of the eight passes thrown in his direction for 16 yards without a touchdown — numbers that saw him finish 27th among fantasy tight ends for the week.

Much like everything going on with the Dolphins right now, Cameron is hard to figure out. He was dealing with injuries earlier in the year, but did find a way to play a vast majority of the game on Sunday. One of the most-gifted pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, Cameron needs to find a way to build a relationship with Ryan Tannehill moving forward.

Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears

In no way is this a surprise. Having to catch passes from Jimmy Clausen against an angry Seattle defense on the road, Bennett tallied just four receptions for 15 yards on five targets. That's obviously not going to get it done from a fantasy standpoint.

Unfortunately for those of you who bought stock in Bennett, it's hard to see him living up to preseason fantasy expectations with the dumpster fire the Bears currently have going on at the quarterback position. That's the harsh reality of the situation.

Check out Vincent's other work on eDraft.com and follow him on Twitter @VincentFrankNFL.

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