What a second week of football. Each week this column will analyze a player at each position rostered in 50 percent of Yahoo leagues or less. For reference, the threshold used for Wins and Losses in this article will be if the quarterbacks can score at least 17 points, if the tight ends can score at least eight PPR points, and if the rest can score at least 10 PPR points. Here are the Week 3 streamers.
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Week 3 Streamers: Zack Moss, Rashid Shaheed, and More
Week 2 Recap
Quarterback
- Ryan Tannehill (TEN) v LAC – 21.04 points – W
- Sam Howell (WAS) @ DEN – 21.26 points – W
- Derek Carr (NO) @ CAR – 7.72 points – L
- Totals – Week: 2-1 / Year: 3-3
Running Back
- Kyren Williams (LAR) v SF – 28.00 points – W
- Joshua Kelley (LAC) @ TEN – 3.90 points – L
- Zack Moss (IND) @ HOU – 20.70 points – W
- Totals – Week: 2-1 / Year: 2-4
Wide Receiver
- Puka Nacua (LAR) v SF – 33.10 points – W
- Zay Jones (JAX) v KC – 0.00 points – L
- Rashid Shaheed (NO) @ CAR – 10.30 points – W
- Totals – Week: 2-1 / Year: 3-3
Tight End
- Hayden Hurst (CAR) v NO – 5.00 points – L
- Hunter Henry (NE) v MIA – 17.20 points – W
- Luke Musgrave (GB) @ ATL – 4.50 points – L
- Totals – Week: 1-2 / Year: 2-4
- Grand Totals – Week: 7-5 / Year: 10-14
Week 3 Streamers
Quarterback – Kenny Pickett (TEN – 31%) @ LV
Sure Kenny Pickett looked like one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL in Week 1, but so did Ryan Tannehill and look at how much different Week 2 was for him. He didn’t do the same 180 that Tannehill did but the matchup was much tougher. Pickett finished with 222 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Ultimately though, this one is purely about the great matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders defense is not good and the setup looks pretty solid. Right now, this game has a 44-point combined total with a close spread as the Pittsburgh Steelers are favored by one point and have a 22.5-point implied team total. This one is also being played in a dome, which is another nice boost for passing offenses. On top of it all, Pickett can chip in some fantasy points with his legs too. Add it all up and Pickett looks like one of the better Week 3 streamers if you’re in a pinch at quarterback.
Honorable Mentions – Matthew Stafford (LAR – 35%) @ CIN, Desmond Ridder (ATL – 5%) @ DET
Running Back – Zack Moss (CHI – 50%) @ BAL
After all the offseason drama regarding Jonathan Taylor, fantasy managers were left wondering who was going to take the job and run with it in Taylor’s absence. I think after Week 2 we have a definitive answer. Zack Moss missed Week 1 because of a broken hand but that didn’t stop the Indianapolis Colts from feeding him in Week 2. He was about as much of a workhorse as it gets handling all but a single snap. Evan Hull was placed on IR after the opening week and Deon Jackson was all but phased out after a dreadful performance last week. Moss took advantage with 18 carries for 88 yards and a score while also catching all four of his targets for an additional 19 yards. Sure the matchup against the Houston Texans was about as good as it gets and the matchup this week against the Baltimore Ravens will be tougher, but that usage is too good to ignore. It’s hard to find “workhorse” running backs with this level of usage and that makes him one of the best Week 3 streamers out there.
Zack Moss played 55 of 56 snaps per @NextGenStats
– 18 carries, 4 targets
– 107 yards, TD
– 20.7 fantasy points— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) September 17, 2023
Honorable Mentions – Matt Breida (NYG – 2%) @ SF, Jerome Ford (CLE – 16%) v TEN
Wide Receiver – Rashid Shaheed (NO – 50%) @ GB
As of this writing, Rashid Shaheed still hasn’t played on Monday Night Football so the perception of this play (and him in general) could swing after that performance. Ultimately, I don’t think it should even if he has a bad game. Heading into the season, Shaheed was a sleeper going a bit under the radar, probably more than he should have been. He was coming off a rookie season with extremely promising underlying metrics. Shaheed’s YPRR (2.59) trailed only Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, and Justin Jefferson regarding rookie-year YPRR since 2008. It was more of the same in Week 1. Shaheed caught five of his six targets for 89 yards and a touchdown and chipped in 11 yards on two carries. His YPRR (3.56) was once again ELITE trailing only Tyreek Hill and Brandon Aiyuk in the opening week. It seems pretty clear at this point that he’s an explosive and efficient playmaker and one that the New Orleans Saints are making an effort to get the ball in his hands. This is the last call for Shaheed but for now makes for one of the best Week 3 streamers.
Top Rookie WR Seasons by YPRR [Since 2008]
1 Odell Beckham Jr, 2014 (2.75)
2 Victor Cruz, 2011 (2.69)
3 Justin Jefferson, 2020 (2.66)
4 RASHID SHAHEED*, 2022 (2.59)
..
6 Ja'Marr Chase, 2021 (2.44)
7 CHRIS OLAVE**, 2022 (2.42)
8 AJ Brown, 2019 (2.42)*WR72 by ADP
**WR14 by ADP— Ryan Heath (@QBLRyan) March 10, 2023
Honorable Mentions – Josh Reynolds (DET – 12%) v ATL, Tank Dell (HOU – 5%) @ JAX
Tight End – Jake Ferguson (DAL – 38%) @ ARI
Jake Ferguson came into the 2023 season with a little bit of sleeper appeal but mostly in deeper leagues. After all, he was stepping into a position in which Dak Prescott made Dalton Schultz fantasy relevant and Ferguson is arguably a more athletic tight end. After Week 1, the surface stats didn’t look very good while the underlying metrics were possibly better than any other tight end in the NFL. Fast forward to Week 2, the underlying metrics fell back a little but the surface stats were better. He caught three of his four targets for 11 yards and a touchdown. It would be nice to see his route participation increase a bit as he’s been below 60% each week, but the TPRR (32%) and target share (18%) are both very promising. This week he gets a beautiful matchup against the Arizona Cardinals who are not a good defense whatsoever. That combined with the underlying metrics are what makes him a great Week 3 streamers candidate and if he can get a higher route participation, look out.
Honorable Mentions – Zach Ertz (ARI – 10%) v DAL, Hayden Hurst (CAR – 35%) @ SEA
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Main Photo: Andrew Nelles – USA Today Sports
