Fantasy Footnotes: Takeaways from Sunday's action

Every game day during the regular season, theScore's Justin Boone will provide his fantasy observations from around the league.

Packing a Punch

The Packers' offense uncharacteristically struggled last season with Jordy Nelson sidelined for the year. Coming off a difficult loss to the division-rival Vikings, some started to wonder whether Green Bay would ever regain its once-elite form.

Aaron Rodgers didn't tell everyone to relax this time. Instead, he just went out and threw four touchdowns in the first half of the Packers' 34-27 win over the Lions on Sunday.

It's no coincidence that Green Bay's offense returned to dominance in a game where Nelson finally looked like a healthy version of himself. Nelson and Rodgers connected six times for 101 yards and a pair of scores, toying with Detroit's secondary. Eddie Lacy also got in on the action, rushing 17 times for 103 yards.

The Packers are back ... as long as they aren't playing the Vikings' defense, but more on that later.

It Takes Two

It took a few weeks, but running backs finally broke through with a slew of multi-touchdown games Sunday.

Todd Gurley - After disappointing in the first two games, Gurley lowered the blood pressure of his owners with a 27-carry, 85-yard, two-touchdown performance.
Christine Michael - C-Mike has officially earned the moniker of C-Woke after punishing the 49ers for 106 yards and crossing the goal line twice.
Carlos Hyde - With the game well out of reach basically from the start, Hyde salvaged his outing with 105 total yards and two scores.
Jeremy Hill - Going up against the powerhouse defense of the defending Super Bowl champions, Hill carved out 97 yards and a pair of end zone visits.
LeSean McCoy - The Bills' lead back also overcame a tough opponent to deliver 116 total yards while reaching pay dirt on two occasions.
David Johnson - Not to be left out, Johnson topped 100 total yards and scored twice despite a negative game script. Johnson currently holds the title of best fantasy back, but Le'Veon Bell will return to challenge for the belt starting next week.

Instant Impressions

Lions fans are used to seeing their team in comeback mode, and that normally involved Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson going to work. On Sunday, Marvin Jones played the role of Megatron, hauling in six passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns while nearly helping the Lions tie the game in the fourth quarter. Jones looks like one of the best values from August drafts.
Avoiding any obvious hyperbole, the Vikings might have the best defense in the NFL right now. A week after holding Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to 14 points, Minnesota stifled the Panthers, picking off Cam Newton three times and holding Kelvin Benjamin off the stat sheet completely. Steer clear of the Vikings' defense in your fantasy matchups whenever possible.
If Emmanuel Sanders was unhappy with his lack of involvement in the Broncos' offense, he doesn't have a reason to be anymore. Sanders caught nine balls for 117 yards and - like everyone on Sunday - two scores. The sad part is he'd likely made his way to many fantasy benches prior to Week 3. His teammate Demaryius Thomas also eclipsed 100 yards and found the end zone.
Odell Beckham had seven catches for 121 yards against Josh Norman and the Redskins' defense, but it was Norman's team that got the win. We're lucky we get to see this battle twice a year now.
The Raiders' backfield has devolved into a true committee. Latavius Murray had 11 touches, while DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard saw seven each. Murray reached the end zone on a 22-yard burst, but this is going to be a difficult situation to decipher every week. If you're looking for a stash, Washington still appears to be the most explosive of the trio, but he'd need a Murray injury to break out.
Blake Bortles probably goes home at night and looks over box scores from last season when he was a top-five fantasy passer. He's been atrocious so far this year, his most recent embarrassment coming in the form of a three-interception debacle against the Ravens. His offensive line is dealing with injuries and the running game is non-existent. The only positive to glean from Jacksonville's offense: Allen Robinson climbed out of his early season hole with 57 yards and a pair of scores.
The Jets' passing game was about as bad as you could conceive of Sunday in Kansas City, as Ryan Fitzpatrick threw six interceptions. Things won't get any better next week when the Seahawks come to town.

Notable Performances

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Cowboys
30 carries, 140 yards; 2 receptions, 20 yards
Sometimes it's difficult to predict what will happen in fantasy and sometimes things go just as expected. It should be more of the same next week against the 49ers.

Terrelle Pryor, WR, Browns
8 receptions, 144 yards; 3-of-5, 35 yards; 4 carries, 21 yards, TD
Did anyone see this coming? Word spread Sunday morning that Pryor would be used as a part-time QB, spelling rookie starter Cody Kessler, and he nearly led the Browns to victory. Can't wait to see what Hue Jackson has planned next.

DeMarco Murray, RB, Titans
16 carries, 114 yards, TD; 5 receptions, 41 yards
Murray is running well and has more than justified the Titans' trade for him. He was rewarded Sunday with Tennessee's first rushing touchdown of the season.

T.Y. Hilton, WR, Colts
8 receptions, 174 yards, TD
With Donte Moncrief sidelined, Hilton took over Sunday, ending his performance with a 63-yard, game-winning score.

Jerick McKinnon, RB, Vikings
16 carries, 45 yards; 1 reception, 2 yards
Minnesota's defense will keep the Vikings in every game, meaning McKinnon will get opportunities to grind out yards. He out-touched Matt Asiata 17-7, which should continue. Bigger days are on the horizon for McKinnon when better matchups arrive.

Jarvis Landry, WR, Dolphins
7 receptions, 120 yards, TD; 2 carries, 16 yards
Landry didn't receive nearly enough preseason love. He's emerged as one of the most consistent wideouts in the game. He's seen 10-plus targets in every outing this season.

Charles Sims, RB, Buccaneers
13 carries, 55 yards, TD; 6 receptions, 69 yards
Sims was a wonderful gift for fantasy owners, but one that won't be here for long, since Doug Martin's only slated to miss a few weeks.

DeAngelo Williams, RB, Steelers
8 carries, 21 yards; 4 receptions, 23 yards
The Steelers trailed the whole game and were unable to get anything going against a stout Eagles front seven. Fantasy owners have to feel let down since this was Williams' final start before Le'Veon Bell returns in Week 4.

Shane Vereen, RB, Giants
11 carries, 67 yards, TD; 2 receptions, 28 yards
The Vereen-Orleans Darkwa combo filled in admirably for Rashad Jennings. Darkwa had 62 total yards and a touchdown of his own. Both are potential flex plays if Jennings misses more time.

Jameis Winston, QB, Buccaneers
36-of-58, 405 yards, 3 TDs, INT; 4 carries, 13 yards
Winston rebounded from an off-game against the Cardinals, posting an excellent fantasy line versus the Rams. Mike Evans and Adam Humphries each topped 100 yards, while Vincent Jackson continues to fade into the background.

Kenyan Drake, RB, Dolphins
9 carries, 37 yards; 2 receptions, 11 yards
Reports came out Sunday morning that Drake would start for the Dolphins, but this turned into a group effort, with Jay Ajayi, Isaiah Pead, and Damien Williams also siphoning touches. Ajayi even scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime. If Arian Foster remains sidelined, this is a situation to stay away from if you can.

Steve Smith, WR, Ravens
8 receptions, 87 yards
It's unbelievable that Smith is even back on the field, let alone starting to look like his old self again. He's worthy of being in fantasy lineups, which is something we didn't expect to say after his season-ending injury a year ago.

Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings
7 receptions, 70 yards, TD
The red-zone reindeer has shown an instant connection with Sam Bradford and is a big part of the Vikings' offense in 2016.

Injury Ward

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks
Wilson's reportedly dealing with a high ankle sprain in one leg and a sprained MCL in the other, but he expects to play in Week 4. Seattle's offense was definitely humming Sunday - Doug Baldwin accounted for 164 yards and a touchdown, and Jimmy Graham exactly hit the 100 mark plus found the end zone. Fantasy owners don't want to hear it, but the Seahawks need to rest Russ.

Jeremy Langford, RB, Bears
Langford was carted off during the Sunday nighter with an ankle injury. Rookie Jordan Howard was already infringing on his work prior to the injury, so this might be a problem for his job security.

Dez Bryant, WR, Cowboys
Bryant suffered a sprained knee in the win over the Bears, but was able to play through it and even scored a touchdown. He's headed for an MRI on Monday.

Jordan Cameron, TE, Dolphins
Cameron left with a possible concussion, which would be a serious injury for a player who has a history of them.

Jared Cook, TE, Packers
Cook was in a walking boot after the game and is believed to be dealing with a ankle injury. He continues to tease fantasy owners with his talent.

Waiver Wire Targets

Jordan Howard, RB, Bears
Whether Langford is hurt or not doesn't change the fact that Howard has outplayed him this season. The rookie has a chance to take this backfield over.

Kenneth Dixon, RB, Ravens
Justin Forsett and Terrance West are not long-term options at the position. Dixon has league-winning upside and should be owned in all leagues before news breaks that he's ready to return from injury.

Terrelle Pryor, WR, Browns
Who doesn't want a receiver that can run or throw for touchdowns as well?

Dwayne Washington, RB, Lions
Washington is another intriguing name that was added in many leagues last week. Up against a solid Packers run defense, Washington fared better than teammate Theo Riddick and will have a steady role as a between-the-tackles runner and goal-line back. With Ameer Abdullah likely out for the year, Washington could be a fantasy factor.

Wendell Smallwood, RB, Eagles
With Ryan Mathews sidelined for unexplained reasons, Smallwood went to work racking up 17 carries, 79 yards, and a touchdown in a surprisingly easy victory over the Steelers. The rookie is worth a speculative add in an offense that is proving more fruitful than expected.

Jamison Crowder, WR, Redskins
The Redskins have several talented receivers, but Crowder is emerging as a reliable weapon in Washington.

Joe Flacco, QB, Ravens
Flacco hasn’t erupted for a monster fantasy day yet this season, but in Marc Trestman’s offense he's guaranteed a high volume of pass attempts. He'll be a decent streamer next week in Oakland.

Cameron Brate, TE, Buccaneers
With Austin Seferian-Jenkins out of the picture, Brate exploded with five catches, 46 yards, and two scores.