Week Three Fantasy Football Winners
Week Three was a week like no other. Scott Hanson of NFL RedZone was speechless when three game-winning field goals were blocked at the same time during the “Witching Hour”. The Jets overcame a 23-6 deficit, taking a lead with less than two minutes remaining, thanks to a Will McDonald IV blocked field goal returned for a touchdown. Baker Mayfield added his third consecutive game-winning drive of the season, making Jets’ head coach Aaron Glenn look like a fool for celebrating the late lead-taking touchdown and presumed win too early. The Rams were set to take the lead over the Eagles after an Eagles second-half comeback, but fell victim to the blocking frenzy, having two kicks blocked and the final returned for a touchdown as time expired. Lastly, the Browns and Packers were surprisingly in a tight game down to the wire, where the Browns blocked a Green Bay game-winner, leading to a game-winner of their own as time expired to upset the 2-0 Packers. That, along with a slew of defensive touchdowns and one-score games, 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting NFL seasons in recent history. Below are some stars who had themselves a day, and others who performed well above their expectation, increasing their stock value for future weeks in fantasy football.
RB Jordan Mason - (23.6 Fantasy Points)
Jordan Mason was one of the most drafted backup running backs. The 26-year-old RB stepped up early in 2024 for the injured Christian McCaffrey, notching three 100-yard performances in the first four games for the 49ers. Mason was signed by the Vikings but was set to play a small role behind Aaron Jones. However, after an injury to Jones in a loss to Atlanta, it was time for Mason to shine, and he did. The Vikings, led by backup QB Carson Wentz, came out of the gate guns blazing. Mason contributed 116 yards and two scores on 16 carries, leading the Vikings to a blowout win over the Bengals. As long as Jones is out, Mason is a very high-end RB2 with RB1 potential.
RB Cam Skattebo - (24.1 Fantasy Points)
Cam Skattebo is the league's newest human wrecking ball. With over five missed tackles in the first half against a very strong Chiefs defense, Skattebo took advantage of a Tyrone Tracy injury. Tracy finished with nine total touches before dislocating his shoulder, allowing Skattebo to come in with 10 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown, combined with six catches for 61 yards. The bruiser from Arizona State didn't break away from the Chiefs but made the defenders pay during tackle attempts. Skattebo’s method to his madness is not a conventional way to play football, which may hurt his long-term value, but for now, it looks to be a valuable piece in early or close game situations that allow more running, and even more valuable if the Giants get inside the five-yard line.
WR Tre Tucker - (40.9 Fantasy Points)
After how Geno Smith played against the Chargers in Week Two, the Raiders' offense looked like a huge red flag. Davante Adams is gone, Ashton Jeanty is not living up to his hype, Brock Bowers hurt his knee in Week One, and the list goes on. However, one of the bright spots is third-year receiver Tre Tucker. Tucker played in all but one game in his first two years, but never recorded more than 600 yards and three touchdowns. In the three games in 2025, Tucker is on pace to easily break 1,000 yards and maybe double-digit touchdowns, thanks to his 145-yard, three-touchdown performance in an always trailing game against the Washington Commanders. It will be challenging for Tucker to recreate this performance, but now, fantasy managers know that he can do so.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs - (26.9), RB David Montgomery (29.4 Fantasy Points)
In a potential Super Bowl LX matchup, the Lions came into Baltimore on Monday Night Football and absolutely ran all over the Ravens. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery each had two touchdowns, but the real story here is the freedom to have an easy five or more yards per carry on almost every handoff. Granted, the Ravens were down two big defensive linemen, but it doesn't excuse the tear that Sonic and Knuckles went on. Gibbs only finished with 67 yards on the ground, but added 32 on five receptions. On the other hand, Montgomery finished with 151 yards on 12 carries. The play of the game that caused fans to start exiting M&T Bank Stadium was a 72-yard rush from Detroit’s 15-yard line to Baltimore’s 13-yard line, late in the third quarter. Both Sonic and Knuckles proved their worth to start in fantasy lineups, and should remain starters even against teams that have a solid run defense.
RB Johnathan Taylor - (32.8 Fantasy Points)
Due to his injury history over the last handful of seasons, Jonathan Taylor has been a sneaky late first-round pick, or in some cases, an early second-rounder. However, in the first three weeks of 2025, Taylor has recorded two RB1 performances, including a 102-yard, three-touchdown day against their rivals in Tennessee. Granted, the Colts have been on a tear offensively and played three easy defenses, so the real test will be Week Four’s cross-conference matchup against the LA Rams. Taylor is still worth the start, even if he produces a lackluster performance against the Rams or another team in the future.
WR Courtland Sutton - (23.8 Fantasy Points)
Courtland Sutton had an amazing rapport with QB Bo Nix in 2024 with 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns, leading many to believe they would only build off that. Additionally, Sutton signed a deal in the offseason that will keep him in Denver for a few more years. In 2025, Sutton had two great games on either side of a poor performance, recording 19.1 in Week One, but less than three fantasy points in Week Two versus the Colts. In Week Three, Sutton caught six of his eight targets for 118 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown on fourth-and-short. Sutton was responsible for 77% of Bo Nix’s passing yards in the loss to the Chargers, cementing his role as WR1 in the Denver offense. Sutton should be an easy start in Week Four versus the Bengals, who are still led by backup QB Jake Browning.
TE Hunter Henry - (29.0 Fantasy Points)
Hunter Henry recorded the only touchdowns for the Patriots in a 21-14 loss to the Steelers in the early window of Sunday. Even without the two touchdowns, Henry still would have posted a very respectable 17 points on his eight receptions for 90 yards. However, his outlook for the near future can be deceiving, as in Week Two, Henry almost threw up a goose egg, and in Week One, he ranked middle of the pack of all tight ends as TE15 with 10.6 fantasy points. I would be wary of relying too much on Hunter Henry, but right now, he holds a better ceiling and is a better option than most tight ends.
TE Mark Andrews - (27.1 Fantasy Points)
When drafting this article on Monday afternoon, I did not expect to put Mark Andrews on this list as he recorded fewer than three combined points in the first two weeks of 2025. Just like 2024, Andrews was off to a slow start, but turned up the heat earlier than he did last year. Andrews caught all six of his targets for 91 yards and two touchdowns, including a contested diving catch in the front corner of the endzone. It was a sigh of relief for the Ravens Flock that Andrews is contributing to the offense, but it was not enough as the Ravens still lost 38-30 to the Lions. Isaiah Likely should be returning in the next few weeks, which should give Lamar Jackson a new target and hopefully open up the field for Andrews in the coming weeks. I am on the fence about starting Andrews in my own leagues, as the Ravens love to play around with usage rates of their offensive weapons.
Vikings Defense - (37 Fantasy Points)
Each fantasy league does its defensive scoring differently, so 37 points from a defense may not be what your league saw, but there are facts that owners can’t ignore. The Vikings only allowed 10 points, 171 yards, scored two defensive touchdowns, recorded four sacks, and forced five turnovers, not including two fumbles that were recovered by the Bengals. Granted, this was against a team that just lost their star QB for at least three months and doesn’t have a QB with a stellar reputation of coming in and handling the pressure. Jake Browning is now 4-4 as a Bengals starter, which is better than some, but it doesn’t help that Carson Wentz stepped in for the injured J.J. McCarthy and proved he could still play in the NFL. I doubt the Vikings would replicate this performance against any team remaining on their schedule, but kudos to anyone who lucked out and started this defense on Sunday. If one is feeling lucky, the Vikings are playing the Steelers in Ireland and then traveling to London to play the Browns in their third consecutive AFC North matchup. The lack of offensive firepower could prove beneficial for the Vikings' defense, but it will be hard to score 37 points again.
