My son -- who is less than a month into middle school -- asked me to share my most embarrassing moment. We were in the kitchen, clearing plates after dinner and casually chatting about Brawl Stars (natch) when he, out of nowhere, fired off the inquiry. It took me by surprise. Partially because I wasn't sure how to narrow down the decades of foibles while still keeping the conversation age-appropriate. And also, because I was worried that, perhaps, he had done something truly blush-inducing.
I wanted him to know that it was OK to be clumsy, sometimes with our bodies and sometimes with our words. And that everyone -- from Shohei Ohtani to the Skibidi Toilet Guy -- has felt fire on their cheeks and dread in their bellies after committing a gaffe of some sort. That's part of the human experience. It builds character and also allows fantastic room for levity and relatability. Not that I expected an 11-year-old boy to grasp that sort of gravity.
I ended up telling him a story about how -- as a painfully insecure 15-year-old -- I slipped on a patch of black ice in my high school's parking lot and completely biffed it right in front of my crush. How I laid on my back paralyzed with awkwardness until said crush came over, asked me if I was "OK," and then handed me the granola bar that had apparently flown out of my pocket, saying "I think you dropped this."
My kid, eyes wide with shared humiliation, howled with uncomfortable laughter and then, once he finally stopped screaming "noooooooo," asked whatever happened to the crush. I told him the truth. That the guy never spoke to me again. But that a classmate of mine had witnessed the whole episode, came over to help me up, and that she is now whom my son refers to as "Auntie Carolyn." Out of that wonderfully sloppy situation, I (quite literally) fell into one of the most genuine and enduring friendships of my life.
Obviously, not every "most embarrassing moment" can be tied with such a quaint bow. Truthfully, those "other" stories are for when he's in his twenties (maybe thirties). Regardless, it's worth acknowledging that even in the most bungling of occasions, that which you are not focused on can ferry deliverance. And this is what I thought about while watching football on Sunday. The play (at least during the first slate of games) was widely undisciplined, fraught with penalties and maybe a few profane exclamations.
Where have all the starters gone, I wondered. Some, like Aaron Jones Sr. and James Conner, have been sidelined with injuries. Others, like Drake London and Brian Thomas Jr., are victims of subpar QB play. In nearly every situation, however, a solution has been discovered... even if it's not the one we saw coming or had hoped would materialize.
Sometimes, we have to fumble towards Option B before realizing it was better than the original plan all along. We can choose to remain stubborn and locked in on the story we initially told ourselves, or we can admit that we tripped and need some unexpected help getting upright again. Each week (to some degree) is an exercise in dusting ourselves off and shifting perspective. So, let's check our egos, dig in, and get messy.
Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Baker Mayfield redemption arc has quickly become one of my favorite narratives in professional football. The embodiment of pluck, Mayfield brings barrel-chested terrier energy to every drive, daring defenders (and critics) to doubt him. Largely cast as a potential "bust" heading into the fall, Mayfield is currently the virtual game's QB10 overall, having posted better than 17 fantasy points in each contest so far this season.
Nothing stops this man from producing! Not the loss of his crackerjack OC, his Pro-Bowl OT, or even his most versatile WR. To that last point, Emeka Egbuka has stepped in brilliantly for Chris Godwin. Even in a limited capacity, and in a game in which the rookie recorded a 59% snap share, Mayfield was able to feed and connect with Egbuka to the tune of six grabs and 85 receiving yards.
Even more impressive, Mike Evans' early exit (hamstring) didn't prevent Mayfield from posting 233 passing yards in Week 3 (QB8). With Evans set to miss a handful of weeks, Mayfield still can't be discounted. He did, after all, average over 19 fantasy points per game (clearing 18 fantasy points in three of four efforts) when Evans and Godwin were both sidelined from Weeks 7-10 of 2024.
Additionally, Mayfield's legs have helped to buoy his fantasy stats. The 30-year-old currently ranks fourth at the position in total rushing yards (116), behind Patrick Mahomes (125), Lamar Jackson (118) and Jalen Hurts (117). That rushing production has also remained superbly consistent, as Mayfield is the only quarterback to have managed at least 33 rushing yards in all three games this season. Likely to get both Tristan Wirfs and Godwin back, Mayfield offers investors low-end QB1 consideration versus a susceptible Eagles secondary in Week 4.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders: This one stings. Not many were as high on Jeanty as I was heading into the season. I am, however, still bullish on his talent and volume. Jeanty has logged 47 rushing attempts (T-RB10), the same number as Bijan Robinson. But, obviously, his production has been deeply disheartening.
Much of this issue can be attributed to the Raiders offensive line. Interestingly, while Jeanty has recorded 96 rushing yards after contact (RB12), his 1.02 yards before contact ranks 38th at the position. Per Next Gen stats, the Raiders o-line has managed a "run block win rate" of just 65% (worst in the NFL). It should also be noted that Jeanty has faced the 2nd-, 3rd-, and 11th-best defenses in "run stop win rate" so far this season.
There's no sugar-coating Jeanty's situation, but there could be room for optimism in Week 4. The Bears rank 22nd in "run stop win rate," which could provide the rookie with a boost in efficiency. Furthermore, Chicago has allowed the 6th-most receptions to RBs (16), allowing for a potential up-tick in passing game usage. Maybe I'm grasping at straws, but given the matchup, I'm willing to roll out Jeanty as a high-end RB2 on Sunday. Fingers crossed.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, RB, Washington Commanders: Remember when Croskey-Merritt's ADP spiked, as he shot up draft boards ahead of Javonte Williams and Jordan Mason? It's amazing how much can change in just over a month. In the team's first game without Austin Ekeler (Achilles), Washington's backfield only seemed to become muddier. JCM, Chris Rodriguez, and Jeremy McNichols each recorded 21 snaps. They also each ran between three and five routes. Croskey-Merritt and Rodriguez did evenly split four goal-to-goal carries, but the workloads remained remarkably (if not alarmingly) equal.
It is important to note that JCM is a rookie and, therefore, offers managers long-term upside. Still, at the current moment, he's not trustworthy enough to start, particularly against an improved Falcons defense that has held opposing RBs to fewer than 80 scrimmage yards per outing. Jayden Daniels (knee) potential return would, obviously, provide the offense a boost, but until there's more clarity "Bill" is no more than a TD-dependent flex.
Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: Talk about the best option hiding in plain sight, Keenan Allen leads the Chargers in catches (19) while Quentin Johnston tops the team in receiving yards (239). They've both caught TDs while McConkey has not. Even more concerning, McConkey ranks third in aerial opportunities with 21 looks as opposed to Allen's 26 and Johnston' s 24 targets. Lest one was to believe that Pat Surtain II negatively impacted McConkey's production in Week 3; per NFL Next Gen Stats, McConkey lined up against the Broncos' star CB on only five of his 52 routes. Instead, Surtain largely covered Johnston, trailing the WR on 42 of his routes.
It's troublesome that on such a pass-happy offense, McConkey has logged just 154 receiving yards (WR31). In fact, Los Angeles has registered the eighth-highest designed pass rate (66%) in the NFL with 75% of the squad's yards coming through the air (fourth-most). Najee Harris' absence (Achilles) could open up more opportunities for the second-year receiver, but as 6.5-point favorites at New York, it's unlikely he'll garner a massive boost. As such, he figures to languish on the WR2/Flex bubble, offering investors WR30(ish) value in Week 4.
Elic Ayomanor, WR, Tennessee Titans: Calvin Ridley, who? Despite being prioritized by Brian Callahan, Ridley has remained woefully inefficient, struggling to build rapport with Cam Ward while registering four drops thus far into 2025. Instead, it's been Ayomanor who has maintained chemistry and flashed upside in Nashville. The rookie has bested the vet in numerous categories, drawing three red zone targets to Ridley's one, averaging 10.9 FFPG to Ridley's 6.4, and managing a 59% catch rate to Ridley's 36% (despite also logging a deeper aDOT of 12.8 yards, compared to Ridley's 11.3 aDOT).
Given his college pedigree (and Field Yates' enthusiastic approval) perhaps the fantasy community should have seen this coming. The Stanford product did, after all, rack up 13 grabs, 294 receiving yards and 3 TDs after halftime against a Travis Hunter-led Colorado defense in 2023. Nevertheless, Ayomanor's professional future remains bright. Even with Callahan turning over the play calling duties to QBs coach Bo Hardegree, the Titans receiving corps remains shallow -- Tyler Lockett appears to be a shell of his former self, managing eight targets on 72 routes over three efforts -- and desperate for juice. Ayomanor may not garner starting appeal this Sunday, but with bye weeks fast approaching, the 22-year-old needs to be preemptively rostered. He's currently availing in nearly 80 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.
RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos: If only Sean Payton enjoyed shiny (and shifty!) new toys as much as the fantasy community. Harvey, who was drafted 60th overall by the Broncos and 74th overall by virtual investors, has logged 16 total fantasy points three games into his first professional campaign. His usage has remained frustratingly static, suggesting no more than a complimentary role while J.K. Dobbins stays healthy.
Meanwhile, the former Charger has continued his unlikely comeback campaign, moving from one AFC West contender to another. Averaging over 15 fantasy points per game (RB12), Dobbins has accounted for nearly 55% of Denver's rushing opportunities. He's also impressed with his chances, registering seven runs of 10 or more yards (tied for first among RBs with Jonathan Taylor and James Cook) while finding the end zone in three consecutive outings. The 26-year-old should build on those numbers in a likely positive game script (the Broncos are 7.5-point favorites) against the Bengals on Monday night. Dobbins is currently the ESPN consensus ranked RB14. Harvey, on the other hand, is the group's RB39.
Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets: Despite NFL bloodlines coursing through his veins, Jason Taylor's progeny has largely flown under the radar in redraft circles. A reliable chain-mover who recorded just one drop in 2024, the LSU product ranks 13th at the position in snap rate (79%), ranking above Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Brock Bowers, Jake Ferguson, and T.J. Hockenson. His routes run and targets drawn have additionally increased since the start of the season. Interestingly, these numbers coincide with Josh Reynolds' (hamstring) absence.
With Reynolds expected to sit again in Week 4, Taylor figures to remain involved. Even better if Justin Fields clears the concussion protocol, as Fields has demonstrated a penchant for targeting his tight ends in the end zone. In fact, when Fields was his team's starter (from the beginning of 2022 through Week 6 of 2024), he threw the 5th-most passing scores to tight ends, behind only Mahomes (Kelce), Jackson (Andrews), Jared Goff (Sam LaPorta), and Brock Purdy (George Kittle). Finally, the matchup at Miami certainly helps, as the Dolphins have allowed the third-most fantasy points and 2 TDs to opposing TEs thus far into 2024. An admitted sleeper, Taylor could be the position's next big surprise in Week 4.
