UPDATE: 9:45 p.m. Saturday
Plenty of roster decisions have already been made on the eve of Week 4. Particularly in Washington, where quarterback Jayden Daniels and No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin have been ruled out of Sunday’s game in Atlanta. This makes WR Deebo Samuel a better play, and QB Marcus Mariota a decent streaming option for those needing a last-second boost at the position.
The Jets got good news when QB Justin Fields made it through the concussion protocols, making him a great starting option against Miami’s poor defense. And San Fran QB Brock Purdy is also expected to return versus Jacksonville.
Two notable receivers are expected back Sunday: Kansas City’s Xavier Worthy and Tampa Bay’s Chris Godwin. And Giants WR Malik Nabers will also, after being considered a bit questionable for the debut of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The list of questionables we’ll be looking for in the morning include Chicago RB D’Andre Swift, Commanders RB Jacory Croskey-Merrit, Carolina RB Chuba Hubbard, Steelers RB Jaylen Warren and four pass catchers: the 49ers’ Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall, Carolina rookie Tetairoa McMillan and Baltimore tight end Isaiah Likely.
ORIGINAL POST: 8:00 a.m. Wednesday
If they still adorned milk cartons with faces of the missing, this fall’s packaging would be covered with mugshots of Kansas City Chiefs.
The dwindling dynasty stands at 1-2 and facing a showdown with 1-2 Baltimore. It’s hard to determine just who is most to blame for the Chiefs’ offensive struggles. QB Patrick Mahomes is 13th in the league in passing yards, 20th in touchdown passes. TE Travis Kelce has just 10 receptions, and RB Isiah Pacheco has but 92 yards.
They’re not the only ones sparking fantasy maven panic. Here are some prominent players who have come up empty through three weeks:
Ashton Jeanty (Raiders RB): Probably still the best of what is turning into a mediocre rookie running back class. Just 144 rushing yards with one TD. More concerning, he has only five receptions so far.
Chase Brown (Bengals RB): Wasn’t producing much even before Joe Burrow’s departure. Has only 93 rushing yards and a single touchdown for an offense that waved the white flag last week in Minneapolis.
Brock Bowers (Raiders TE): Top-ranked tight end has 14 catches for 179 yards, but most of that came in the early part of Week 1 before injuring his knee. He just hasn’t been 100 percent since.
Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter (Jaguars WRs): Neither of the Jags’ feature wideouts has impressed yet, combining for only 17 catches and 191 yards, which would be merely OK stats for a single receiver.
Marvin Harrison Jr. (Cardinals WR): Former top draft pick has never been lower than after his critical drop cost Arizona a Week 3 victory in Santa Clara. Just one touchdown among his 10 catches for 142 yards.
Calvin Ridley (Titans WR): Only eight catches for 11 yards and zero TDs, as former Falcon has been surpassed in the Tennessee pecking order by Chig Okonkwo and one of this week’s deepest sleepers you’ll read about in a few paragraphs.
Sitting stars
First, we’d start zero Jaguars against the 49ers defense this week, and RB De’Von Achane is the only Dolphin we’d feel totally safe with against the Jets. … Seattle RB Kenneth Walker III will lose a chunk of carries with the expected return of Zach Charbonnet. … Cleveland’s great defense will put a crimp on Detroit’s offense, especially on WR Jameson Williams and TR Sam LaPorta. … Baltimore WR Zay Flowers has cooled off and will remain so against Kansas City. … Three quarterbacks we also expect to chill a bit are Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers against the Vikings in Dublin, Tampa’s Baker Mayfield versus Philly and, yes, Indiana Jones will come down to earth against the Rams.
Matchup game
Two Vikings we especially like Sunday in Ireland: RB Jordan Mason and returning WR Jordan Addison. … Denver RB J.K. Dobbins will be running through Cincinnati’s defense. … New England’s meager defense will be great news for Carolina RB Chuba Hubbard and rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan. … Houston WR Nico Collins will finally break out against the Titans. … Chiefs backup receiver Tyquan Thornton will keep getting open against Baltimore’s disappointing defense. … Quarterbacks we especially like this week include Carolina’s Bryce Young against the Patriots, Denver’s Bo Nix versus the Bengals and Green Bay’s Jordan Love, in a bounceback game against the Cowboys.
Injury watch
Week 3 saw season-ending injuries to Cards RB James Conner (making Trey Benson the starter) and Chargers RB Najee Harris (boosting Omarion Hampton’s prospects). … Dallas WR CeeDee Lamb could miss the next three to four weeks. … Same for Giants RB Tyrone Tracy. … Tampa Bay is losing WR Mike Evans for a few weeks but is getting Chris Godwin back. … And three injured quarterbacks may return this week: Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, 49ers’ Brock Purdy and Jets’ Justin Fields.
Deepest sleepers
We’ve got two receivers worth grabbing this week. Las Vegas’ Tre Tucker is tied for the NFL lead with four touchdown catches, three of them last week against Washington. … And Tennessee’s Elic Ayomanor has emerged as Cam Ward’s favorite target over the past two weeks with 11 receptions and two TDs.
The Thursday pick
Seahawks at Cardinals (-1½)
Pick: Cardinals by 3
You can hear Kevin Cusick on Thursdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on X — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.
