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Hayden's unexpected fantasy football performances, waiver wire sleepers, and trade targets for Week 4 (2024). Can these NFL players sustain Week 3's success?
The third NFL Sunday of the season is now in the books, and there were many astonishing results. Minnesota blowing out Houston, Denver rolling to victory in Tampa Bay, and Carolina surging with Andy Dalton at quarterback were all surprising developments.
There were also a lot of unforeseen fantasy statlines this week. Dak Prescott, Saquon Barkley, and Kyren Williams all had very strong showings, but they were already expected to provide valuable support for their fantasy managers. Players who had lower projections but still put up excellent numbers deserve recognition.
Let's take a look at five of this week's unexpected boom performances, starting with a fifth-year tight end.
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Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
Bears tight end Cole Kmet had a troubling season debut in Week 1 when he caught just one pass for four yards. Last week he was better, but he still gained just 27 yards on five targets. Fantasy managers had become very concerned with Kmet's fantasy viability in an ineffective Chicago passing attack.
What a difference Week 3 made. In a game where Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams put the ball in the air a career-high 52 times, Kmet shined. With 10 catches on 11 targets for 97 yards and a touchdown, Kmet accumulated 20.7 half-PPR points. This makes him Week 3's TE2 ahead of Monday Night Football.
.@CALEBcsw hits a wide open @ColeKmet for 6!
📺: #CHIvsIND on CBS pic.twitter.com/XzuEre51pf
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 22, 2024
Wideout Keenan Allen missing the game with a heel injury certainly helped Kmet's numbers. The game script also worked in Kmet's favor, as Chicago never led in a 21-16 loss to Indianapolis. Still, the spike in production is a promising sign for Kmet's rest-of-season outlook for fantasy football.
Teammate and fellow TE Gerald Everett played more snaps than Kmet in Week 1, but his usage has fallen off since. Moreover, Kmet finished as the TE7 in half-PPR formats in both 2022 and 2023. With this most recent performance, Kmet should become a priority waiver addition for any fantasy managers searching for a tight end.
Calvin Austin III, Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers wide receiver Calvin Austin III did not do much in the first two weeks of the season. Entering Pittsburgh's Week 3 bout with the Los Angeles Chargers, Austin had caught just two passes on four targets for 13 yards on the year. Thus, he was largely off the radar for fantasy managers.
Austin is certainly on the radar now. On five targets, he made four grabs for a career-high 95 yards. The big highlight for Austin was a 55-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Justin Fields. Austin made the catch over the middle and used his elite speed to simply outrun the defense for six points.
Justin Fields TO CALVIN AUSTIN III. 55-YARD TD.
📺: #LACvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/IyvXrXm1pU— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
With a total of 17.5 half-PPR points, Austin stands as the week's WR11 through Sunday's games. Importantly, he played 37 of Pittsburgh's 68 offensive snaps according to PFF. This marks the first time this season his snap share has been above 50 percent. Austin's usage is something to monitor.
Austin is a player to look at picking up for WR-needy fantasy squads. However, until he can start to demonstrate more consistent involvement in the offense, it is fine to leave him on waivers. Austin will look to prove that his Week 3 showing was not a fluke next week versus Indianapolis.
Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
The biggest boom of the day, by far, belonged to Jauan Jennings. The 49ers receiver went nuclear, catching 11 of 12 targets for 175 yards and three touchdowns. With 41.0 half-PPR points, Jennings ranks as the week's WR1 by a large margin; the next closest WR is Malik Nabers with 24.2 points.
Can’t tell if that’s Jauan Jennings or 49ers legend Randy Moss.
📺: #SFvsLAR on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/4yn3FZbMTA— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
Jennings was the beneficiary of several key San Francisco absences. Deebo Samuel missed the contest versus the Rams with a calf injury and tight end George Kittle was out with a hamstring issue. With rookie receiver Ricky Pearsall sidelined after being shot in a scary August incident, it was on Jennings to step up.
Notably, Jennings led San Francisco in targets despite Brandon Aiyuk's presence. He also narrowly edged out Aiyuk to lead the team's wideouts in snaps. It is clear that when Samuel is unavailable, the 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy are willing to lean on Jennings early and often.
With Samuel likely to miss more time and Kittle still recovering, Jennings should be one of the top waiver targets this week. Although his usage will return to normalcy once his teammates are healthy, Jennings will be valuable for fantasy managers until then. He will try for another dominant outing next week versus New England.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
The Carolina offense was abysmal to begin the season. The team decided to go in a different direction at quarterback for Week 3, benching second-year passer Bryce Young for veteran Andy Dalton. The expectation was that the switch would help Carolina's weapons in fantasy, including running back Chuba Hubbard.
Despite this belief, the extent of the improvement was stunning. Hubbard totaled 90 scrimmage yards and no touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season. In Week 3, though, he went for 114 rushing yards, 55 receiving yards, and a receiving touchdown in a 36-22 victory over Las Vegas.
THAT'S A CHUBA HUBBARD TOUCHDOWN! LETS GOOOO 🗣️🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/eGvL3iHYff
— NFL Canada (@NFLCanada) September 22, 2024
Entering Monday, Hubbard ranks as Week 3's RB5 with 25.4 half-PPR points. This was the highest-scoring fantasy performance of Hubbard's four-year career so far. He showed strong efficiency too, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 11.0 yards per target. Any fantasy managers who kept faith in Hubbard were rewarded.
With Dalton at the helm, Hubbard should continue to produce. With teammate Jonathon Brooks still unavailable, Hubbard will remain the clear top RB in Carolina for Week 4. Hubbard should already be rostered in fantasy leagues, but if he is not, he should be acquired as soon as possible.
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders
When the Raiders needed to stage a comeback attempt in Week 2, quarterback Gardner Minshew II primarily relied on star wideout Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers. Receiver Tre Tucker was quiet, catching both of his targets for only 13 yards in the thrilling 26-23 win.
In Week 3, the Raiders again found themselves trailing and needing to pass. This time, Tucker was a much larger factor. He received nine targets, of which he caught seven. Tucker's receptions went for 96 yards and a score, earning him 19.1 half-PPR points and a WR7 ranking for the week before Monday.
Tre Tucker TD! @Raiders
📺: #CARvsLV on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/SNJ0td1Ivx— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
The speedy Tucker turned in a big play with a 54-yard reception, marking the longest catch of his young career so far. While the Raiders trailed for the entire second half, meaning the game script was very favorable for him, Tucker does have a real role for Las Vegas. He had a 91.9-percent route participation rate in Week 1, for example.
Like with Calvin Austin III, unless Tucker can replicate this performance, it should be viewed as an anomaly. Still, fantasy managers in deeper leagues or who desperately need a WR should look for him on waivers this week. Tucker and the Raiders will take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 4.
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