The Rams game was when I was pretty sure FLEX Finder Week 3 wasn’t going to get there. I was correct to bet on Puka Nacua not playing in Week 3. I was correct that Terrance Ferguson would see plenty of targets as evidenced by Tyler Higbee’s final line. I was correct that the Rams would be able to impose their will on the Broncos, and yet, they barely featured Blake Corum at all to their own detriment, and they finally wound up trailing thanks to a pick-six.
This isn’t to make excuses for the picks — find me another column that correctly hit Keaton Mitchell last week! — but to say that through three weeks, all we’ve learned is that you can be right and wrong at the same time. That is the story of fantasy football in 2026.
Rules for this weekly article:
1) I will not recommend quarterbacks — There are plenty of good ones. You’re on your own there.
2) I will not recommend any running back who costs more than $5,000, wideout who costs more than $4,500, or tight end that costs more than $4,000 in DraftKings’ DFS slate — This was an easy cutoff for what a FLEX really is.
3) I consider any player who garners over 50 yards or scores a victory for the column — anything more you get out of that, well, great for you. Let’s set expectations low because we are combing for outliers.
▶ Running Backs
Alvin Kamara, NO — $5,000 — Travis Etienne‘s unfortunate hamstring injury leaves us with what appears to be a Kamara/Kendre Miller backfield split with trace amounts of CJ Donaldson. This feels absolutely unreal to say about a game against a team that started Cooper Rush as recently as Week 2, but the Falcons/Saints over/under has already risen from 45.5 to 48.5. That sort of game feels like a better fit for Kamara’s talents than Miller’s. I’d reluctantly consider Kamara a low-end RB2 here.
Kyle Monangai, CHI — $4,900 — The Jets have allowed a minus-2.8 percent rushing DVOA through three weeks, good for 25th-best in the league. I think that even undersells their successes since they were against the hapless Titans and a Packers offensive line that looks absolutely ghastly. The Bears would probably prefer to run with a backup quarterback under center. Monangai has at least 10 touches in every game this year even after a rough Week 3.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt, WAS — $4,800 — Rachaad White is banged up, Croskey-Merritt had huge volume last week (20 total touches), and he faces a Colts run defense that has offered zero resistance to any non-Nick Caley coached offense in the first three weeks of the season. The broader trends haven’t been encouraging for Croskey-Merritt, but this week’s game feels like a smash spot.
Kaleb Johnson, GB — $4,600 — The Buccaneers are starting a rookie UDFA quarterback. Johnson has seen his snaps rise from 0 to 16 to 24 in three weeks as the Packers watch MarShawn Lloyd fail to get anything going. Perhaps the Bucs are a good enough run defense that it doesn’t matter, but I see the ascending volume and a likely Green Bay-heavy game script and believe that good things could happen here for Johnson.
▶ Wide receivers
Keenan Allen, IND — $4,500 — Really didn’t think we’d find our way here this week, but Allen got nine targets against the Texans last week, scored, and is in a Shane Steichen offense against a defense that nearly let Sam Darnold throw for 400 yards last week. Do not construe this as an endorsement that I love relying on older receivers; the price is just too good.
Mack Hollins, NE — $4,000 — And I really didn’t expect to be writing about Mack Hollins again this year after the Patriots brought in Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown this offseason, but here we are. The Bills have been a flammable secondary so far this year, Doubs has struggled to build chemistry with Drake Maye, with just 11 targets in three weeks. Hollins had nine last week and has matched the FLEX Finder 50-yard philosophy in both of New England’s two games where they actually had to throw the ball. Josh Allen is on the other side of the ball, I think points will be here.
Chris Bell, MIA — $3,700 — One of the last cuts for Week 3’s Stock Up, Stock Down (I didn’t think anyone would want to read two sections on the Dolphins) was Bell’s impressive game against the Chiefs. With Caleb Douglas not coming anywhere close to returning last week, and De’Von Achane hurt, I think we might see more of a turn towards the passing game. The Vikings are an intimidating matchup to play into as 11.5-point home favorites with a sub-40 over/under. The last time I watched Bobby Slowik coordinate against the Vikings, it was the first day of the end of C.J. Stroud‘s media-granted franchise quarterback card. The fact that I’m still willing to play into this tells you I either really believe in Bell’s talent or I’m stupid. Both things could be true.
Kalif Raymond, CHI — $3,600 — Ah yes, the Bears will find their highly-drafted fantasy targets eventually, you type, and then you look at the box score and Colston Loveland has four targets while the unheralded Raymond goes 6/90/1. He’s yet to return a game with a bad line and has 21 targets in three games. I’m not saying he can’t bust here — maybe Tyson Bagent starts and he hates Raymond-accessible throws or something — but I don’t understand this price.
Pat Bryant, DEN — $4,200 — To be honest I don’t love anyone after this top four, so if I’m going to chase here I want to chase with someone who I think is super talented and should have a big role. The snap count rose for Bryant over the last two weeks despite inconsistent results. I think the 49ers secondary is gettable, the game has a decently high 47.5 over/under. It’s three weeks, but the 49ers have allowed just 28.3 yards per game to WR1s so far. per FTN. WR2s? 59.7.
▶ Tight ends
Kenyon Sadiq, NYJ — $4,000 — After seeing AD Mitchell’s hand in a near-cast at practice on Friday and him missing Wednesday, I’m leaning on the side of him not playing. I also just don’t know why the Jets would go away from what we saw in Week 3? I have a mind-blowing Lions stat to throw in the next capsule here, so I don’t think Sadiq is going to score 15 fantasy points every week, but the Bears defense does not scare me, broadly speaking.
Darren Waller, CAR — $3.200 — One of the most disgusting things to happen this past week was the Cleveland Browns holding Carolina’s wideouts in check after Jalen Coker left with an injury. The Panthers had three different tight ends finish in their top four receivers, along with Brycen Tramane. Coker’s status is up in the air. The Lions just let Sadiq blow up their defense in Week 3 and have allowed an average of 117 yards per game to tight ends in three weeks. I don’t know how the split will go, but Waller is the tight end of the three I most trust to find the paint.
