TO CLOSE

Relive some of the best moments of the third week in the NFL, including a big surprise in Minnesota and another performance by Patrick Mahomes.
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The first round of goodbye weeks has wreaked havoc on fantasy football teams.

So no Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey or Jordan Reed, among others, with the Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins who got the week off.

In addition, Jimmy Garoppolo, the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, was injured at the end of the season. Let's see which actors on the line of waiver could bring some relief.

Recommended bids based on a free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) of $ 100 for the season.

BEST BETS

WR Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons ($ 46). We mentioned Ridley as a speculative choice last week … so if you speculated, you won the jackpot. The rookie will not score three touchdowns each week, but in addition to the great Julio Jones, he will have plenty of opportunities. If he's still available, he'll have to pay a lot considering that he's a great fantasy player after three weeks. In the priority leagues of exemption, it is worthwhile to use the claim n ° 1.

Week 3 to take away:Several recruits up

QB Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns ($ 18). His talent was not in doubt. The only question was when he would have had the chance to start posting it. If starter Tyrod Taylor had not suffered a head injury last Thursday, we could still ask ourselves this question.

But now, the time for rookie choice # 1 has arrived. With the offensive weapons Mayfield has around him and the precision he has shown in his NFL debut, he has the potential to be a fancy quarterback of high flying. The owners of Garoppolo feel free to spend more or less five dollars.

WR Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers ($ 15). The Chargers' attack is good enough to support several starters in fantasy, and Williams deserves to be on the list after his two-touch blast against the Rams. He has the size to be a possession catcher and the speed to be deep. The depth chart on the fly behind Keenan Allen has been muddled, but Williams now looks like No. 2.

RB Javorius Allen, Baltimore Ravens ($ 12). Alex Collins may be the starter, but he can not compete with Allen. The Ravens like to go to Allen in the red zone – he has a touchdown on the ground in each of his first three games. In addition, he also played a role in the passing game, with a TD that was received last week as well.

REPLACEMENTS

WR Albert Wilson, Miami Dolphins ($ 6). Do not get carried away by the two long touchdowns during the second week. He is not going to throw a lot more passes this season and he is not enough on the field to be a regular receiver. However, he has a catch of at least 20 meters each game, so the potential of the big game is still there. Think of him as Tyreek Hill-lite.

QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills ($ 5). Apart from Case Keenums and Andy Daltons, who always seem to be available on the wire of waiver, Allen may be the best consolation prize for fancy owners needing QB who miss Mayfield. There will be growing difficulties in Buffalo – especially if RB LeSean McCoy is less than 100% – but Allen showed a knack for making things last week. His 10 passes and two touchdowns on the ground suggest more sensations than what we see.

TE Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers ($ 5). Last week, Jesse James had a big game. This week, McDonald's high-handed arm en route to the end zone allowed him to win 112 yards of winnings. Do not expect the same thing in the fourth week against the Ravens.

RB Wendell Smallwood, Philadelphia Eagles ($ 4). Shameless Loop: If you listen to our pre-game Facebook Live show, you've heard about Smallwood (in addition to Corey Clement) for the third week. As long as beginner Jay Ajayi is limited, Smallwood and Clement will continue to share functions.

SPECULATIVE PICKUPS

WR Ryan Grant, Colts of Indianapolis. There is a lingering question of whether the strength of QB's Andrew Luck's arm is back to the pre-operative phase. Grant will not beat anyone against T.Y. Hilton, but he is Luck's second pick and he caught a TD pass last week.

QB Josh Rosen, Arizona Cardinals. Another first-round pick choice of this year's draft, Rosen has not had a successful career start as Mayfield or Allen. True, he was asked to take a horrible attack and take it to a winning drive in the final minutes. Maybe it would have helped to have his best weapon on the ground for a crucial third conversion.

Rosen will need time to develop. But until the cardinals can have David Johnson on the track, there's no reason to give Rosen a place on a fantasy list.

Seattle Seahawks defense / special teams. As the weeks begin, we will see more fantasy teams seeking to broadcast defenses. Seattle faces Rosen and the Cardinals and should be able to force the youngster to make several turnovers.

Maybe still available on last week's list: WR Tyler Boyd, RB Chris Ivory, RB Aaron Jones.

Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner

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