Heading into Week 3, the Pittsburgh Steelers had some questions to answer in regard to their offense. The Steelers offensive coordinator was getting plenty of heat all week as his offense sputtered out of the gate to start the year off. The passing offense barely cracked 200 yards passing behind quarterback Kenny Pickett over the first two games. The run game didn’t seem to be doing much either, as Najee Harris saw just 16 rushing attempts over the first two games. As for the Las Vegas Raiders, they had their concerns. Heading into Sunday Night Football with a 0-2 record was already concerning. Jimmy Garoppolo’s start to the season wasn’t a great take-off either. And the Raiders offense hasn’t been one of the best in the league either after two weeks of football.
Week 3 is the beginning point for where teams see what they are made of. Some teams face adversity and have to shake through it, other teams have to continue to push through injuries and make adjustments. The same can be said for fantasy managers and their teams. With nearly a quarter of the fantasy season done, fantasy managers need to make adjustments and evaluate their fantasy rosters. The Steelers/Raiders Sunday Night Football game is a prime example of some of these narratives.
Quarterback Analysis
Many wondered during the offseason whether or not Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett could produce on the field. Will he be able to level up the skill positions that the Steelers have those fantasy managers invested in this offseason? It looks like, at least for this week, Pickett answered the call. Pickett finished the game with 18.5 fantasy points against the Raiders’ defense. He finished inside the top 15 among fantasy quarterbacks for Week 3. Not only that but Pickett continued to show glimpses of progress as an NFL quarterback like this 72-yard strike to wide receiver Calvin Austin:
Kenny Pickett has arrived. pic.twitter.com/chmyRBEDtN
— Jared Beamer (@JBeamer234) September 25, 2023
The Raiders’ Jimmy Garoppolo wasn’t all bad himself. While he didn’t have a titanic fantasy game, he was able to get the ball to one of the best wide receivers in the game, Davante Adams. Garoppolo was able to finish inside the top 20 among fantasy quarterbacks with a 17.7 fantasy point game against a very good Steelers defense. Jimmy G tossed 324 yards and two touchdowns on the day. He possibly could’ve had a better game if not for the three interceptions he threw in the game. Speaking of wide receivers.
Adams continues to be quarterback-proof and even I must admit that might early season Davante Adams take is looking a bit shaky, especially after Week 3’s game.
Hot Take 🔥: I don't believe Davante Adams will be a Top 5 Fantasy WR in 2023.
The Raiders overall situation has changed. Going from Derek Carr to Jimmy Garoppolo is a huge drop.
That's one big drop of production that will impact Adams this year…#PhinestHotTakes pic.twitter.com/D4Uis9p3jg
— William Spencer III (@hype_phinest) August 2, 2023
Adams was one of the few bright spots in the Raiders’ offense as he was peppered with targets all night as he finished 13 of 20 (sheesh) for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Adams finished just three points behind Keenan Allen for Week 3 as both are the top 2 wide receivers for Week 3 at 45 and 42 fantasy points on the week. Yeah, I might just have to hold this husky L for that Adams take.
Filthy footwork from Davante Adams for his second TD! 🤩
📺: NBC & @peacock
— Rotoworld Football (@rotoworld_fb) September 25, 2023
Skill Player Analysis
Jakobi Meyers may not have had the biggest night either but it’s worth noting that Meyers has been really good despite playing second fiddle to Adams on the team. Meyers saw 12 targets against the Steelers and finished with 15.5 fantasy points. He might be a wide receiver that you should be trying to get on your fantasy teams if you can.
Back to the Steelers, George Pickens continued to be involved in this offense again this week. Pickens caught four passes for 75 yards on six targets which is pretty decent. That gives Pickens 11.5 fantasy points on the night. Pat Friermuth got in on the fun catching a touchdown and posting 41 yards on four targets as well.
The run game for both teams has been a bit puzzling. For the Raiders, the 2022 rushing leader hasn’t had any good games as of yet. Against the Steelers, Josh Jacobs did rush for 62 yards but he only averaged 3.9 y/a in the game. But he didn’t find the endzone. Jacobs has yet to have a hundred-yard performance or score a touchdown for the first three weeks of the season. Jacobs currently stands as the RB18 for fantasy. Steelers running back Najee Harris is also struggling for fantasy managers too. Harris went 19 for 65 yards (3.4 y/a) against a Raiders defense that has allowed 19.8 FPPG against opposing running backs. It was a perfect matchup, at least on paper, for the Steelers back to get involved since he saw so much more work than he has in previous games. Harris currently sits outside the top 25 among running backs this week at the RB34.
Conclusion
The Steelers and Raiders have provided some things to think about moving forward for fantasy lineups. Big concerns over the running back position should stand out. Both Josh Jacobs and Najee Harris were selected at the top of fantasy drafts this offseason but have yet to be able to produce. These could be roster cloggers moving forward if these trends continue to remain true for these backs. As far as pass catchers are concerned, George Pickens is still seeing enough work to be fantasy-relevant. So is Jakobi Meyers. These players could be worth trading for if you’re lacking depth on your rosters.
Sunday Night Football provided affirmation on Davanta Adams and George Pickens. Next Sunday Night Football game we get the New York Jets against the Kansas City Chiefs which was going to be Aaron Rodgers against Patrick Mahomes instead of Zach Wilson.
