BIG 3 VIDEO - Rodgers/Siemian, A. Brown, Pryor, K. White, RBs w/ 2 TDs win Week 3.

DAILY DIVE VIDEO - Carson Palmer, Dwayne Allen, Riddick/Ivory/Sproles.

 

Odell Beckham Jr. reached 3,000 yards in his 30th game, faster than any other player – ever. ODB won the battle with Josh Norman in Week 3 as he caught six balls for 107 yards on nine targets. After scoring 25 times his first two seasons, ODB is still looking for his first score of 2016.

LeGarrette Blount generated 105 rushing yards in Week 3. He gained 84 of those yards after contact which means he gained less than one yard, on average, per carry before he was hit. The line needs to improve in their run blocking.

Amari Cooper keeps dropping passes, and that’s a big time concern for those that are expecting Cooper to be an elite performer and not just a good one.

Kirk Cousins is a limited football player; you will never hear me say otherwise. Same time, I love the anger some folks have directed at Cousins. What were you expecting from him folks? Seriously. Sure he has three scores in three games but if he tosses three his next game that would be six in four for a pace of 24. That ain’t bad. More than that, it’s rare to see people utter bailing from a guy who has thrown for 296 yards in all three of his outings. You do realize he’s on pace to throw for 5,274 yards, right? That number has only been bettered twice in league history.

Eric Decker had scored or caught 80-yards of passes in 18-straight games going into Week 3. He lost that streak in epic fashion as Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed six picks against the Chiefs. In the disastrous outing, Decker caught 1-of-6 targets for a total of 31 yards. #ItsNotMyFault

Justin Forsett averaged 0.7 yards after contact in Week 3 while Terrance West was at 2.0. West seems like the better player right now. The return of Kenneth Dixon can’t happen quick enough.

Melvin Gordon became the first runner for the Chargers since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 to score a rushing touchdown in the first three games of the season. Gordon has scored four times on 54 carries this season in a remarkable start to the season for a guy who didn’t score a single time last season. Oh, and the Chargers o-line stinks and Gordon isn’t exactly shifty (he broke just one tackle in Week 3). Consider selling Gordon.

Jimmy Graham went for six grabs, 100 yards and a score against the Niners including a long gainer in which he went up and took it from a defender, even if he didn’t show an explosive jump in doing so. Graham had one game with 100-yards last season and the last time he went for 100-1 was Week 2 of the 2014 season (he actually went 118-2). He was all over the field and utilized, finally, by the Seahawks in Week 3. He’s back on the TE1 radar. Start him with confidence now. #ImNearlyBack

Todd Gurley gained 85 yards with two scores in Week 3. The line of the Rams simply didn’t help him at all as Gurley generated 60 of those yards after contact. He’s still looking for the big hitters that are his hallmark.

T.Y. Hilton went off in Week 3 for eight grabs, 174 yards and a score. Hilton has now scored once in eight regular season games. #ThatsNotGood

Adam Humphries, not Vincent Jackson, is the #2 option for the Bucs behind Mike Evans. Humphries has seen his catch totals for three to six to nine and his yardage totals have also jumped each week (34, 67 and 100). Not much in the way of touchdown upside, but the pass catching option is trending upwards in a big way at the moment. #CheckWaiversForMyName

Please tell me something. Why do I continue to get questions about whether or not to start Jarvis Landry, even in PPR setups? I mean, what does a guy have to do before you folks get it. Landry always starts in PPR. There is no question about that. None. Landry has seen at least 10 targets all three games this season. Landry has caught seven passes all three games this season. Stop asking if you should start Landry or not. If you aren’t starting Landry you simply don’t understand football, simple as that.

Jerick McKinnon is clearly the back to own ahead of Matt Asiata with the Vikings. Against Carolina though the Vikes ran for 58 yards on 24 carries. There’s just nothing to see with this running attack right now. McKinnon is just a flex option… unless you’re desperate at the running back position.

DeMarco Murray forced seven missed tackles in Week 3. He looks like a boss out there. In three outings with the Titans he’s rammed the ball down defender’s throats at a 6.0 YPA clip. Note though that he’s averaging a mere 14 carries a game through the weeks. He has been a PPR monster though with at least five grabs in each contest.

Jordy Nelson had a nice game in Week 3 as he caught six passes for 101 yards and two scores. Note that 49 of those yards came on a pass play where the Lions tried to cover him with a linebacker. That’s never going to work. I’m still not convinced that Nelson is all the way back, despite all the touchdowns.

Cam Newton was not good in Week 3. The o-line let him get sacked eight times, but Newton also took a safety when he simply refused to get rid of the football. Newton continues to get by on sheer athleticism, though he continues to lack the refinement necessary to be an elite NFL quarterback. He struggles with pressure and doesn’t really elevate the play of his teammates. He’s a lockdown QB1 in fantasy with those legs, but is he really an elite NFL quarterback? How can Kelvin Benjamin get one target in a game? How is that possible? It’s not if your quarterback really knows what he is doing.

Terrelle Pryor was everywhere in Week 3 as he became the first player since Frank Gifford in 1959 to catch 120 yards of passes, to throw for 30 yards and to rush for 20 yards. Pryor threw five passes, completing three, for 35 yards, and he also ran the ball four times for 21 yards. It was as a pass catcher where he went nuts as he caught eight ball for 144 yards. He also saw a massive total of 14 targets against the Dolphins.

Theo Riddick had 10 carries for nine yards in Week 3. He finished the first half with six carries for (-11) yards so at least he was better in the second half. #UhHuh

Aaron Rodgers threw for four scores in Week 3 and the people rejoiced. He still threw for only 205 yards and has now averaged 233.6 passing yards at a 60.3 percent completion percentage his last 19 starts. By the way, Rodgers entered this season with a 65 percent completion percentage for his career. #NotBuyingItYet

Trevor Siemian became the first quarterback in league history to throw for 300 yards, four scores and no picks in his first start on the road. Siemian hit 23-of-35 for 312 yard and four scores after he entered the game having thrown for an average of 222 yards and 0.5 scores with 1.5 picks a contest. This was the first game that he impressed for the Broncos and even in the great effort he still made a couple of awful throws, ones that competent NFL quarterbacks simply have to hit.

Shane Vereen cannot catch. He has hands of stone, remarkable considering the role he fills. Doesn’t matter now though. Vereen has a torn triceps and has been placed on the I.R. meaning that even a best case scenario would require him to remain on the sidelines for at least two months.

Carson Wentz is the first rookie quarterback in league history to throw 100 passes without being picked off. #NotTheSecondComingOfJoeMontanaThough

Tyrell Williams had six grabs for 69 yards in Week 3. He’s the better own than Travis Benjamin. Williams has seen 15 targets since Kennan Allen went down, the most on the Chargers. #IShouldntBeOnWaivers

 

Don’t forget to give Jeff Mans’ Game Recaps a read as well for more football insights as to what happened on the gridiron in Week 3.

 

Ray Flowers can be heard Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday, 8 PM EDT, Wednesday 7 PM EDT on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 9 PM EDT on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).