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Justin Carter looks at some of the top early performers in the 2024 NFL season. Are these players fantasy football holds or sell-high options at this time?
We're three weeks into the NFL season, and we have a few surprising names near the top of the fantasy scoring leaders. Let's talk about some of those names.
To be clear, we're focusing on names that may or may not stay near the top. Jauan Jennings is the overall WR2 in half PPR, but we know that's not going to be sustainable. But what about guys like Malik Nabers and Saquon Barkley? Are they going to stick up there?
Should you sell high on these players who are near the top of the fantasy leaderboards or ride it out?
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Saquon Barkley - Philadelphia Eagles - RB1
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is off to a strong start to his Philly tenure, with 100-plus scrimmage yards in all three of his games so far.
Week 3 was supposed to be the moment his momentum came crashing down against a Saints defense that looked good through two games. And the Saints defense indeed held the Eagles to 15 points on Sunday, but it couldn't hold Barkley down.
In the 15-12 victory, Barkley carried the ball 17 times for 147 yards and two touchdowns while also catching four passes for nine yards.
Notably, he played at least 80% of snaps for the third game in a row. The Eagles aren't platooning Barkley with Kenneth Gainwell as people expected. They're treating Barkley like an elite RB1. And so far, that's what he is.
Sell High?
Nah. Hold onto Barkley at this point. He looks like the best version of himself and is dominating the backfield touches. All 17 of the running back carries in Week 3 went to him, for example. You might be able to get a lot for him right now, but wouldn't you rather just have an elite player?
Alvin Kamara - New Orleans Saints - RB2
A lot of Alvin Kamara's production this season came in Week 2 when the veteran Saints running back found the end zone four times. Still, he has over 100 scrimmage yards in every game, so it isn't just that one game that's got him right near the top of the fantasy leaders.
24 different RBs are seeing a touch on more than 25% of their team's offensive plays after 3 weeks. Alvin Kamara leads the pack with 41%, and Jonathan Taylor isn't far behind. High-touch RBs like these can be game-changers. Who's in your lineup this week?
(via @kyle_borg) pic.twitter.com/rT4GdQkoFB
— IKB (@ikbdotgg) September 24, 2024
One concern coming into the year with Kamara was that Jamaal Williams would get the goal-line work, but while that was true against Carolina in Week 1, Week 3 saw Williams play just 10 offensive snaps, with one carry for a loss of one yard.
It seems that the Saints want to have Kamara on the field as much as possible right now, and with how the team's offense has looked in two-thirds of the games so far, that's good news for the five-time Pro Bowler.
Sell High?
This could go either way. Kamara looks the best he has since 2020, but I'm not as confident he keeps it up as I am with Barkley. Still, he's a high-upside play every week on your roster and you can just set him in your lineup without needing to think about it. If you get a great deal, take it, but don't be afraid to just ride with him.
Kyren Williams - Los Angeles Rams - RB3
And now we get to one of the most divisive players around, Rams running back Kyren Williams, who leads the NFL with five touchdowns from scrimmage this season, including four on the ground.
But Williams is also averaging just 3.0 yards per carry. Sean McVay is running him into the ground, leading to plenty of scoring opportunities, but I'm just not sure how sustainable it is. Blake Corum has been a non-entity in Los Angeles so far, but if Williams can't start generating more yardage, he's going to lose opportunities at some point.
Sell High?
I'll keep this short: yes. Someone in your league will fall in love with the touchdown numbers and will ignore that he isn't generating many yards per touch.
Malik Nabers - New York Giants - WR1
It's ridiculous how many targets Daniel Jones is throwing the way of rookie Malik Nabers, 37 of them already this season. To put that in some perspective, only one other player is in the 30s in targets, and that's Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Despite being a rookie, the Giants already understand how good Nabers is and that the best way for this offense to operate is to get him the ball as much as possible. Even better, the Giants are trying to get him the ball down the field as well.
Only three players have 300+ air yards over the last two weeks:
Marvin Harrison Jr.
Malik Nabers
Rome Odunze— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 24, 2024
There shouldn't be much of an end in sight to the Giants throwing the ball to Nabers over and over and over, but at some point, defenses will have to adjust. I would expect a dip in production for Nabers at some point.
Sell High?
This is kind of up to you and your league. Nabers is a WR1 play going forward, but if you get a killer offer for him, you should consider it because I think he fades more toward the lower end of the WR1 tier.
Dallas Goedert - Philadelphia Eagles - TE1
After two mediocre showings to start the year, Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert exploded in Week 3, catching 10 of his 11 targets for 170 yards. It was a monster game for the veteran tight end.
However, the fact that one game alone propelled him to the overall TE1 spot among the scoring leaders speaks more to the issues at the tight-end position this season. Injuries and ineffective play have made it a complete crapshoot.
Considering DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown are banged up, Goedert has a shot to continue playing a major role in this Eagles offense going forward.
Sell High?
Normally, I'd say yes, but the tight-end position is such a disaster. Goedert can give you a decent floor with a high ceiling, so you might as well stick with him.
Jayden Daniels - Washington Commanders - QB2
I am hearing all the hype about Jayden Daniels right now. Maybe it's because I have a group chat with two Commanders fans and an LSU fan in it, or maybe it's simply that he's been incredible to open his rookie campaign.
Despite not throwing a touchdown pass in his first two starts, Daniels had the Commanders at 1-1 entering Monday night's game against the Bengals thanks to his rushing ability and the accuracy of his passes.
Jayden Daniels just played the game of his life. Set an NFL record for the highest completion percentage in a game EVER for a rookie. Had more total touchdowns than incompletions. And what does he do when asked about it? He gives All THE GLORY TO GOD. He gets it. He TRUSTS GOD. pic.twitter.com/UQuz1qDxjs
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 24, 2024
In the Cincy game, Daniels was immaculate: 21-of-23 for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also added 39 rushing yards and a score. His rushing ability gives him a high floor and a high ceiling in fantasy.
Sell High?
I've never really found the QB trade market to be worthwhile in fantasy, so I'm personally voting to hold onto Daniels and just roll with it. He might struggle at some point, but if he stays healthy, then his rushing ability keeps him as a QB1 play even if he starts to miss on some passes.
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