Fact or Fiction Week 3
Welcome back to Fantasy Football: Fact or Fiction Week 3! I am joined once again by my counterpart, Dustin Brown, as we break down some stats that we determine are fact or fiction.
Fact or Fiction – Week 3
Tyreek Hill will finish the season as the WR1 in fantasy football.
Dustin: Fact
While Justin Jefferson is a beast and you can make a case for him as the WR1, Tyreek Hill is playing on another level this season. However, Jefferson’s consistency is an advantage over Hill and that will likely be the major factor in the race for WR1 in fantasy football this season. Hill has 25 receptions to go with 427 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Jefferson is currently sitting at 27 receptions for 458 yards and one touchdown. This race could be the most exciting in fantasy football this season.
Erika: Fact
Honestly, I think this boils down to the Miami offence vs. the Minnesota offence. Reigning champ Justin Jefferson is a bright spot for Minnesota, but right now the offence isn’t clicking. Miami on the other hand is dominating. Through two weeks, Hill is the number one wide receiver with 59.5 PPR points. And he didn’t slow down in week 3, racking up 157 yards and a touchdown on the dominant win against the Broncos. While the season is just starting, Miami and Hill look to be dominating.
C.J. Stroud will have the best fantasy output of all rookie quarterbacks.
Dustin: Fact
CJ Stroud has been playing out of his mind this season and has the third most passing yards in a rookie quarterback’s first three games in NFL history. He only trails Cam Newton and Justin Herbert in that stat. While Anthony Richardson is also performing during his rookie campaign, a concussion has derailed his season so far.
Erika: Fact
When looking at the QB landscape this season, Stroud is hands down the best rookie thus far. Richardson is a close second, but that is because of what he can do on the ground game. Stroud has the talent in the passing game, already throwing for 906 yards, 4 touchdowns and no interceptions. The Texans may not have the best offence, but having Stroud in their lineup could put them over the edge this year and put him at the top of the rookies.
Puka Nakua will win Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023.
Dustin: Fiction
Don’t get me wrong, Puka Nacua is performing at an extremely high level in his first two games of the season. He also has the most receptions through a rookie’s first two games (25) in NFL history. However, Cooper Kupp will return this season and take targets away from him. And with the way C.J. Stroud is playing for the Houston Texans, I think it is a tall ask that Nacua can continue his high output and outlast Stroud.
Erika: Fiction
While I love Puka, I honestly don’t think his usage is sustainable. Cooper Kupp is also expecting to return this season, which will affect Puka’s time on the field. I do believe he will still be a factor in the offence, but when it comes to offensive rookie of the year, I don’t think he will have the numbers by the end of the season. At the moment, C.J. Stroud has the leg up on OROY, but there is a lot of football left to be played.
Sam LaPorta will finish top-5 among all tight ends in fantasy football.
Dustin: Fact
Sam LaPorta has all the tools to be a top-5 tight end, and I think it will happen for him in his rookie season. He set an NFL record for most receptions by a tight end through the first three games (18) and is tied for the second-most yards (186). If the Detroit Lions continue to use LaPorta all over the field and he continues to get open, he will finish in the top-5 for fantasy tight ends this season.
Erika: Fact
LaPorta is already surprising fantasy managers. Through the first three weeks, he already is beating records. The Lions have been favouring the tight end, and his usage looks to be sustainable. With the tight-end landscape this season, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for LaPorta to finish the season in the top 5.
The Miami Dolphins-Buffalo Bills game-winner in Week 4 will win the AFC East.
Dustin: Fact
The Miami Dolphins routed the Denver Broncos in Week 3 by a score of 70-20, and they look to be hitting on all cylinders. The Buffalo Bills’ defence is no slouch — nor their offence — but the Dolphins will leave Buffalo with a highly-contested win in Week 4, and win the AFC East this season. Whether it be too many Josh Allen turnovers or too much Tyreek Hill, expect the Dolphins to take control of the AFC East next weekend and not look back.
Erika: Fiction
This boils down to this: there is a lot of football left to play. While the Patriots and Jets may not compete for the top spot in the AFC East, it will be a shootout between the Dolphins and Bills. The Bills have 3 more AFC matchups after this week, and the Dolphins have 4. The week 4 game between the two will be entertaining, but it is too early in the season to determine the winner of the AFC East.
For our complete list of rankings, check out our Rankings Page.
Erika Brown
Erika Brown is a fantasy football writer for The League Winners. A journalism graduate from Oklahoma State University, she enjoys watching OkState football games and writing about college football.