Good morning. What a gutting injury to Nick Chubb last night. It was obvious to everyone watching that Chubb will be out for a significant time, and Browns HC Kevin Stefanski confirmed Chubb is out for the season. Back in 2015, he had dislocated this same left knee and tore his MCL, PCL, and LCL with cartilage damage.

As of 5:00AM ET, Chubb had been discharged from a local hospital after a precautionary visit. Positive news as it implies there were not critical neurological or circulatory issues, per @jmthrivept. This is likely a multi-ligament knee injury, which has an average return time of 15 months, per @SportsMDAnalysis.

This is the type of injury that could impact Chubb’s ability to walk and puts his career in jeopardy.

Chubb is the type of player you can’t help but root for; hard worker, quiet and impressive. Athletes shared their support:

Week 2 Waivers produced week winners (Puka Nacua, D’Andre Swift, Kyren Williams & Zach Moss, conveniently all players we begged you to add) and losers (Joshua Kelley, who we also begged you to add…).

Waivers can make or break your season, so we spent the past two days reading every waiver wire article on the internet (we found 37) to pull the best stats, players and insights for you.

New here?

Join 10,000+ subscribers.

RANKINGS

Matt Stafford has attempted over 93 passes for 641 passing yards in a surprisingly competent Rams offense. And his stats will improve, as the talented QB has only thrown one TD pass. Cooper Kupp joins Hall of Famer Puka Nacua soon.

Saquon Barkley is reportedly out for 3 weeks with a high-ankle sprain, after which his production is expected to take a 20% hit.

Jerome Ford has league-winning potential in the RB1 role in Cleveland. He posted 106 rushing yards (6.63 YPC) and 25 receiving yards on three catches. Even if the Browns sign another RB, Ford is better. If Kyren Williams is the 1A, Ford is the 1B in waivers this week. Empty the FAAB clip.

Austin Ekeler is expected to miss Week 3 and could return in either Week 4 or 5, per @SportsMDAnalysis. There’s a 15% stats hit expected. He also is downgraded for putting managers in a dilemma over whether to start Joshua Kelley again…

Jahmyr Gibbs saw 7 carries and 9 targets in Week 2. His workload will expand as the season continues, especially with David Montgomery now injured.

STORY

Week 3 Waivers

Drop list: Michael Gallup, Chigoziem Okonkwo, JuJu, D’Onta Foreman, Allen Lazard, Darnell Mooney.

Hold list: Cam Akers, Rashaad Penny

Quarterback

Sam Howell ranks among the top 10 QBs in passing yards this season (501) and is coming off the best game of his career (299 yards + 2 TDs, no turnovers), per Nathan Jahnke of PFF. His ball placement has been incredible (video) and Howell was 7/9 for 128 and 2 TDs on throws 10+ yards downfield. The Eric Bieniemy effect is on full display with the Commanders 2-0, which is better than (all) my fantasy teams.

Jordan Love is someone many analysts recommend, but we don’t buy it. He’s scored 20+ points in two games without his top targets, yes, but his 6-TDs in 2-games will regress. He has yet to be top-20 in passing yards.

In deep superflex leagues, Jake Browning is the next man up for the Bengals QB role with Joe Burrow uncertain to play Monday due to his calf injury.

Running Back

Kyren Williams was highlighted in yesterday’s newsletter and is #1A waiver priority this week (60-70% FAAB). He’s worth acquiring by trade if possible, as he could be in line for an RB1 season. Reminder:

Jerome Ford was a popular RB in last year’s draft and now takes the RB1 role in Cleveland (40-60% of FAAB). There’s a chance the Browns acquire another RB, but Ford will be the 1A regardless. Pierre Strong Jr. will play a role, but we expect Ford to see 15+ touches per week. He has top-end speed and is a talented pass-catcher. Watch Matt Waldman’s film review on Jerome Ford the prospect (video).

Zach Moss should not be available in 60% of leagues, but thankfully (for you, not us) most people don’t read the Morning Huddle. Moss played 98% of the Week 2 snaps leading to 22 touches for 100+ yards and is the undisputed lead back until Jonathan Taylor returns (@SalVetriDFS). And there’s a non-zero chance Taylor is moved or sits longer than Week 5.

Roschon Johnson was “quiet yet efficient on Sunday, gaining 42 yards on six touches, catching both of his targets and playing 22 snaps while Khalil Herbert saw 32”, per Andy Behrens of Yahoo! Through two weeks, Johnson is top-10 in explosive run percentage, per Fantasy Points Data, and could unseat Khalil Herbert as RB1 in Chicago. Watch every touch he had in Week 2 (video).

Tyjae Spears “looks like something between old Browns Kareem Hunt (a backup RB with weekly intrigue) and old Alexander Mattison (the best handcuff in fantasy). He has been involved, efficient and visually impressive through two weeks. If anything happens to Derrick Henry, Spears would have RB1 upside”, per Matt Okada of NFL.com.

Kareem Hunt remains a free agent 👀 but isn’t as talented as Ford and would slot in as RB2. You don’t need to worry about Leonard Fournette or Darrell Henderson. Even if CLE signs another RB, Ford is the guy. Hunt is worth a flier in deep leagues.

Ty Chandler is worth watching, not because he’s good, but because of how bad Alexander Mattison has been. Mattison ranks last in explosive runs since 2021 and is averaging less than 3.3 YPC, but Chandler isn’t much better (career avg of 2.0 YPC).

• Gus Edwards averaged an impressive 6.2 YPC but was out snapped by Justice Hill 38-32. There’s a non-zero chance Edwards wins the lead RB job outright. There’s also a chance this is a gross committee all year.

• Justice Hill “gained 53 yards on 14 touches on Sunday against the Bengals. We heard plenty of offseason noise about the Ravens actually throwing to their running backs in 2023, so it feels notable that Hill caught three balls in Week 2”, per Andy Behrens of Yahoo!

Matt Breida is an uninspiring, volume-only play. Rookie Eric Gray hasn’t done enough to unseat Breida as the immediate backup. New York will likely deploy a backfield committee with Breida, Gary Brightwell, and Gray.

Jeff Wilson averaged 13.6 points in 6 healthy games with Miami, which would have ranked ahead of Kenneth Walker III and Travis Etienne in 2022.

Craig Reynolds is tempting but doesn’t feel right. With starter David Montgomery out, Reynolds is expected to see decent volume on a talented Detroit offence.

Wide Receiver

Nico Collins racked up 27.6 fantasy points against the Colts. Only three players have more air yards than Collins’ 279 this season, per Matt Okada of NFL.com. He leads the NFL in percentage of team air yards (66%) and is WR17 in team target share (26%).

Josh Reynolds is the No. 2 to Amon-Ra St. Brown in the Lions' prolific air attack, which has Reynolds averaging over 17 FPPG. Which might actually be sustainable… He has Goff’s trust and Jameson Williams isn’t expected back until Week 7.

Tank Dell earned a team-high 10 targets Week 2 and played 79% of snaps. Hand selected by their QB, Dell has done nothing but impress since OTAs. Solid week 1 statline in very limited use as WR4, but bumping up into 3 WR sets now with Noah Brown on the IR. Dell is electric with the ball, and the Texans have every incentive to get him on the field.

Marvin Mims only saw two targets and played just 14 snaps on Sunday, but he caught both of those targets for 113 yards and a touchdown. A 4.38-speedster, Mims averaged 19.5 yards per catch over three collegiate seasons at Oklahoma, so field-flipping plays are nothing new. Now he just needs volume, which historically comes to rookie WRs later in season.

Jayden Reed scored two touchdowns in Week 2, led the team in targets (eight), and saw a target on 47 percent of his routes. Christian Watson isn’t a lock to return next week, but will be back this season. Add, hold and/or sell.

Tutu Atwell is quietly averaging 16.6 FPPG and 8.5 targets/game this season. Puka Nacua (rightfully) gets the attention, but Atwell is worth adding. “Twelve of Atwell's 13 receptions this season have resulted in first downs, as he's generally seeing high-yield downfield chances (13.4 ADOT)”, per Andy Behrens of Yahoo!

Kadarius Toney has earned 10 targets on just 26 routes this season for a 33% target rate. For context, Tyreek led the NFL with a 34% target rate in 2023.

“Toney caught all five of his targets in Week 2 and looked like his classically untacklable self on a few of those catches. It's still a bit of a pipe dream, but Toney has insane upside if he can develop into a proper WR1 in Kansas City”, per Matt Okada of NFL.com. Plus, a Toney breakout would confirm my priors.

Tight End

Hunter Henry is a focal point in NE. “A tight end putting up 50-plus yards and a TD in a game has only occurred three times thus far: Henry in Week 1, T.J. Hockenson in Week 2 … and Henry again against the Dolphins”, per Matt Okada of NFL.com.

Zach Ertz was mentioned last week but remains a must-add. Ertz leads all TEs in usage through 2 weeks with 18 targets and has earned a team-high 30% of the Cardinals targets (@SalVetriDFS).

DEEP DIVES

Handcuff RBs

The idea is you pick up players the week before everyone adds them off the waiver wire. Last week, the perfect pickup was Jerome Ford or Tank Dell.

This week's deep dives (ownership % via ESPN):

RB Sean Tucker (2.6%): Saw 8 touches on 17 snaps in Week 2 but is the clear backup to Rachaad White. The UDFA is a non-factor but would step up if White were to miss time. Some think Tucker has a chance to win the starting job outright, as White ranked bottom 5 in yards after contact/attempt in 2022. His only competition for the backup role, Chase Edmonds, is out for 2-4 weeks.

RB Keaontay Ingram (1.9%): He is behind James Conner, who has missed 3+ games in five straight seasons since becoming a starter. Ingram would be back to own in Arizona if Conner misses time, and we have recently seen how valuable handcuff RBs are.

TE Cade Otton (1.1%): After a quiet two-catch opener, Otton bounced back to co-lead the Buccaneers in catches while checking in second in targets. The second-year TE played every snap (6/6 for 41 yards) and fantasy managers can count on Otton playing most games this season as he becomes a trusted underneath option for Baker Mayfield.

QUICK SLANTS

📖 Read Injuries to Monitor in Week 3 by Matthew Freedman of FantasyLife.

📖 Read Dynasty Roundup by Jeff Bell of Footballguys. Snippet:

“Buy low candidates like Kyle Pitts, Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, Jahmyr Gibbs, or Treylon Burks are in frustrating situations. The talent is proven, but temporary conditions can feel permanent when production does not follow… Managers would be reluctant to sacrifice those young building blocks, but their eyes will be much more open to aggressive offers than they were two weeks ago.”

📖 Read How to Win One Million Dollars Playing DFS, a thread of by @ScottBarrettDFB of Fantasy Points.

🎙️Listen to ProFootballDoc explain Chubb’s Injury here.

🎙️Watch The QB School on Jalen Hurts’ Week 2 performance against the Vikings (video) highlighting how the Eagles are finding themselves with a new Offensive Coordinator.

Tweet of the Day

Before we say goodbye, send your good wishes to Nick Chubb and his family. We’ll fill you in with every update, but prayers up! 🙏 He’s an amazing athlete, the nicest dude and hardest worker. Let’s all appreciate our health in this moment, folks. It’s our biggest asset!