Fantasy football sizzlers, fizzlers: Khalil Herbert fills the void for Chicago Bears
The next-man-up mentality is strong in the NFL. And several players took it to heart this week, with some impressive results. Whether it was taking over for an injured starter, stepping up in place of a suspended superstar or overcoming low preseason expectations, fantasy football managers are reaping the rewards.
These players saw their fantasy values increase or decrease most based on their performances in Week 3:
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Sizzlers
RB Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears: Filling in for the injured David Montgomery, the 2021 sixth-round selection exploded for 169 total yards and two touchdowns in a win over Houston. Herbert caught both of his targets and remains fumble free for the season in a game that ultimately should herald his arrival to the NFL.
WR DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles: Smith may already be looking forward to facing the Commanders again in Week 10. In the first act, Smith caught eight of 12 targets for 169 yards and a touchdown. It's scary to think how dominant the Eagles could be in the rematch.
WR Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals: Brown figured to attract most of QB Kyler Murray's attention with DeAndre Hopkins suspended, but his first two weeks as a Cardinal were relatively quiet. In Week 3, however, Murray force-fed him an astounding 17 targets, leading to 14 receptions and 140 yards against the Rams.
QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: Lawrence engineered yet another convincing underdog victory, connecting on 28 of 39 passes for 262 yards and three TDs. He's already halfway to last year's touchdown total (12) with only one interception.
QB Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks: Apparently, Seattle has been waiting to let Geno cook as he erupted vs. Atlanta for 325 yards passing and two touchdowns. Perhaps the most telling stat is Smith completing passes at a 77% rate, higher than Tom Brady (65%) and Aaron Rodgers (72%).
Fizzlers
RB Darrell Henderson, L.A. Rams: The loud clicking noise right before kickoff was the sound of the Rams switching from Henderson to Cam Akers as the lead back. Fantasy managers were stunned by Henderson's paltry four carries, while Akers had 12 for 61 yards and a score.
RB Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins: It was against Buffalo, but Mostert could manage only 11 yards on 10 total touches. Backfield mate Chase Edmonds didn't produce much more yardage but got into the end zone twice.
WR D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers: While QB Baker Mayfield hasn't really excelled as the Panthers new starter, Moore has been almost invisible in getting a mere six targets each week. Against the Saints on Sunday, he had one reception for 2 yards.
WR Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos: Denver has a new offense and a quarterback who is struggling to implement it. Jeudy has been one of the victims of these growing pains, with only seven catches in three games, including two on Sunday for just 17 yards.
TE Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals: Joining the high-powered Bengals offense, Hurst was a popular sleeper pick in drafts. However, the opportunities -- especially in the red zone -- have not materialized. He caught one pass for 7 yards vs. the Jets.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football stock watch: Khalil Herbert up, DJ Moore down
