Week 3 Studs/Duds
Three weeks in, some of the league's biggest names are finally cashing in, while a few are still searching for answers. Here are the four risers and four fallers you need to know about.
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Now, on to the picks…
🔥 QB Stud: Tyler Shough (NO)
Shough keeps stacking strong outings, and Week 3 was his loudest yet despite a 35-27 loss to the Raiders.
Completed 29-of-42 passes for 255 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, adding a 36-yard run on his only carry
Through three games, he has 917 passing yards, eight passing TDs, and a game-winning QB sneak that sealed the Week 2 upset in Baltimore
The Chris Olave connection is real: the duo combined for 24 catches, 352 yards, and 4 TDs over their final three games together last season, and ETR's Evan Silva pegged Olave at 18 PPR points per game with Shough under center
The Saints finished 28th in scoring in 2025 and his summer outlook came with question marks, but Shough is answering them one touchdown at a time.
🧊 QB Dud: Drake Maye (NE)
Last year's MVP runner-up turned in his worst performance yet in a lopsided loss to the Jaguars.
Completed just 14-of-29 passes for 199 yards and two interceptions, adding two fumbles (one lost) and only 18 rushing yards
Now has six interceptions and one passing touchdown through three games, a jarring drop for the passer who led the NFL in completion rate (72.0%) and yards per attempt (8.9) last season
Without A.J. Brown (ankle), New England has no one to threaten secondaries, so defenses are stacking the box and turning the Patriots into a one-dimensional offense
Ball security was already a summer concern after four fumbles in last season's Divisional Round. Maye's legs keep him in the top-12 conversation against Buffalo, but he's a shaky start for now.
🔥 RB Stud: Jahmyr Gibbs (DET)
The Lions' backfield has belonged to Gibbs alone so far this entire young season, and he's making the most of it.
Rushed 20 times for 99 yards and two scores against the Jets, adding 7 catches for 65 yards and the game-winning 11-yard touchdown grab
Up to six touchdowns and 463 scrimmage yards on the season, with at least five catches and 113 scrimmage yards in every game
Played the true workhorse role from Week 1, ceding just three touches to backup Sione Vaki in the opener while setting career highs in carries and touches
He already holds the NFL record for most touchdowns in a player's first three seasons, and he's off to a pace that suggests he's still getting started. He remains the overall RB1 heading into Week 4 against Carolina.
🧊 RB Dud: Chase Brown (CIN)
Brown's workload is as secure as any back in the league, but the production isn't following.
Managed 13 carries for 61 yards and 2 catches for 8 yards against a Steelers defense that entered the week allowing the 7th-most fantasy points to running backs
Handled 71.4% of Cincinnati's RB opportunities, yet has only one touchdown through three games and just 10 catches for 32 receiving yards
The summer research flagged the risk: the Bengals ranked 29th in rushing yards last season and made no significant offensive line additions
Volume keeps him in the fringe RB1/RB2 range against Jacksonville, but until the high-value touches show up, he's a floor play rather than a difference-maker. Up next: a wide receiver who helped rewrite the NFL record book.
🔥 WR Stud: Drake London (ATL)
Michael Penix is back under center, and so is the Drake London that fantasy managers drafted.
Caught 9-of-10 targets for 194 yards against the Packers, even though he didn't record his first catch until three minutes into the second quarter
He and Bijan Robinson set an NFL record for a WR-RB duo each topping 150 yards in the same game, now with three such performances
The QB difference is stark: he managed only 6 catches for 80 yards in two games with Cooper Rush, even while playing 60 of 61 snaps in the opener
We knew London was notably better with Penix than with other quarterbacks, and Week 3 proved it. He's back in the WR1 ranks against the Saints, and the buy-low window has officially closed.
🧊 WR Dud: Tetairoa McMillan (CAR)
Last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year had his quietest day as a pro when the Panthers needed him most.
Caught just 2-of-5 targets for 17 yards against a Browns defense that had been allowing the 7th-most fantasy points to receivers
With Jalen Coker (quad) leaving midway and Xavier Legette (knee) inactive, Cleveland keyed on McMillan while fill-in Brycen Tremayne led the team with 83 yards
Target competition remains the season-long theme: Coker led the team in Week 1 with 138 yards and two touchdowns, and this offense may be too spread out for McMillan to reach his ceiling
The talent isn't in question, since he posted a 72.3% success rate vs. man coverage as a rookie, per Reception Perception. A Week 4 date with the Lions offers an immediate bounce-back spot.
🔥 TE Stud: Brock Bowers (LV)
If anyone expected rust from Bowers in his season debut, he didn't get the memo.
Caught 10-of-13 targets for 116 yards and a touchdown in the win over New Orleans, showing no ill effects from his Week 1 meniscus trim
Lined up all over the formation, winning on out routes, crossers, and sideline verticals before scoring from the slot in a game that tied the NFL record with six total tight end touchdowns
The runway is wide open, since he led all tight ends with a 40.5% red-zone target share last season and the Raiders added no major veteran receivers after trading Jakobi Meyers
Summer projections called for 100+ catches and 1,150 yards from a healthy Bowers, and Week 3 showed exactly why. Treat him as the overall TE1 against the Chiefs.
🧊 TE Dud: Dalton Kincaid (BUF)
After a blistering start, Kincaid's Week 3 was defined by the plays that got away.
Caught just 2-of-3 targets for 38 yards and lost a fumble in the win over the Chargers
Two potential big plays slipped away: one ball was jarred loose by a hard safety hit, and another was poked out from behind after he broke three tackles near the end zone
A sharp drop from Weeks 1–2, when he totaled 12 catches for 225 yards and a touchdown and led all tight ends in air yards in the opener
Kincaid still ran the second-most routes of any Bills receiver and has no snap restrictions this season, so this looks like a blip rather than a trend. He remains a locked-in TE1.
That’s the list. Keep your eye on these guys to find out whether Week 3 was a blip, or the start of a larger trend.
-Joe
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