Week 3 was full of fantasy surprises, disappointments, and—unsurprisingly—more injuries. Star receivers like Allen Robinson returned to form, while overachievers like John Brown came down to earth. Meanwhile, the injury bug struck again, taking out Tarik Cohen, Dallas Goedert, and DeSean Jackson, most notably. For those who escaped their respective games unscathed, there were plenty of noticeable breakout performances. Reflecting on last week’s games, who were the three players whose stock increased or decreased the most?
3 Up
1. James Robinson – RB – 30.9 PPR Points
Following a strong Week 2 showing against the Titans, many wondered if Robinson would be a one-hit-wonder behind Jacksonville’s subpar offensive line. He proved those doubters wrong on Thursday night, taking his 11 carries for 46 yards, while also securing six catches for 83 yards and two total touchdowns.
Robinson made the Jaguars front office look smart for releasing Leonard Fournette, further securing his job as their starter and locking in his spot as a low-end RB1 moving forward. Robinson has an intriguing matchup in Week 4 against a Cincinnati defense that is allowing 181 rushing yards per game, second-worst in the NFL.
2. Justin Jefferson – WR – 30.5 PPR Points
After Stefon Diggs’ departure from Minnesota, many were excited about Jefferson’s fantasy prospects as the Vikings’ apparent No. 2 receiver. The rookie failed to live up to the hype in his first two games but finally broke out on Sunday, racking up seven receptions for 175 yards and a touchdown.
The Vikings take on a tough Houston secondary this week, but Jefferson’s fantasy prospects have officially skyrocketed. The LSU product is a viable flex play moving forward.
3. Keenan Allen – WR – 30.2 PPR Points
Keenan Allen finished as WR6 (PPR) in 2019 but dropped in most fantasy drafts this year due to Philip Rivers’ departure. Allen showed why the Chargers gave him a lucrative extension on Sunday, catching 13 balls for 132 yards and a touchdown.
The star receiver has developed an immediate rapport with rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. With Week 1 starter Tyrod Taylor still recovering from a punctured lung, Allen’s fantasy prospects are trending up ahead of this week’s matchup against an average Tampa Bay secondary.
3 Down
1. Joe Mixon – RB – 8.5 PPR Points
Mixon has failed to live up to the hype after being a consensus first-round pick in fantasy drafts this year. The third-year workhorse has seen a large workload—19-plus touches in every game—but hasn’t been able to turn it into fantasy production so far.
A fair share of the blame for Mixon’s struggles can go to Cincinnati’s abysmal offensive line, but the sad truth is that Mixon may not be the elite fantasy back that most analysts expected him to be this year. With three tough matchups against Jacksonville, Baltimore, and Indianapolis awaiting him, it may be time to bench Mixon until he proves himself.
2. Mark Andrews – TE – 6.2 PPR Points
Andrews led Baltimore in targets (eight) on Monday night but was only able to come up with three catches. The star tight end had a case of the drops, fumbling a would-be touchdown in the third quarter that could have saved his night from a fantasy perspective. Instead, it was a forgettable night for Lamar Jackson’s favorite target.
Speaking of Jackson, he struggled on Monday, completing just 53.5 percent of his passes for 97 yards. Until the reigning MVP gets back on track, Andrews’ fantasy struggles will likely continue.
3. Gardner Minshew – QB – 9.2 Points
Minshew Mania was in full force heading into Thursday night’s game. Cam Newton and Josh Allen had both dominated the Dolphins from a fantasy perspective, and many expected Minshew to do the same coming off back-to-back 20-plus point weeks. Unfortunately for him, that wasn’t the case.
Minshew threw for 275 yards and an interception, while also coughing up a fumble. Thursday night games are often a fantasy nightmare, and Minshew just fell victim to the short week and a poor showing by his offensive line. It’s not time to hit the panic button yet, but his fantasy stock is trending in the wrong direction for now.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Jeff Pratt on Twitter @HotlineFantasy
Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
