MNF REAX + Post-Week 3 People’s Panic Meter: Time to drop Maye, Herbert?!

A.J. Brown was not mentioned in the Eagles' offensive performance discussion, though the Eagles' pass-catching group was heavily analyzed. The focus was on DeVonta Smith, Davian Wicks, and Makai Lemon as the primary pass catchers in the game.

Brown is part of an Eagles offense that is struggling with offensive line play; the line played a mediocre game in Week 3 after being a bigger problem in prior weeks. The Eagles' current offensive line is not at the level of their Super Bowl-winning unit when Hurts was a top-10 QB, and this line won't hit that potential again.

AJ Brown's absence is cited as a contributing factor to Drake May's poor performance, but Matt Harmon notes that even with Brown's return, it won't be enough to fix May's issues. The Patriots' offensive line injuries and overall dysfunction are the real problems.

Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated right thumb with no fracture, ligament, or tendon damage; he is expected to miss at least three weeks. Matt Harmon notes that Mayfield has played poorly to start the season, and the thumb injury won't correct his performance issues when he returns. The injury is particularly damaging because Mayfield advocated for his contract prior to the season, and the Buccaneers offense has looked terrible through three games.

Braylon Allen will step into a lead-back role with Breece Hall sidelined week-to-week; Justin Boone is excited about Allen as a waiver wire target. Allen has performed well in a complementary role, getting decent touches and goal-line work, and scored a touchdown in Week 3. The Jets offense is competent and moving well with Geno Smith playing good football, making this an attractive opportunity.

Breece Hall is considered week-to-week with a quad injury; this is the most significant injury among the grab-bag of news items. Hall's backup Braylon Allen will get an opportunity to start for however long Hall is sidelined.

Caleb Williams has played well but lacks the consistency of Case Keenum; Matt Harmon suggests Williams needs about 5-10% more of Keenum's consistency to elevate his game. Williams is dealing with a grade-two hamstring injury and the Bears may rest him through the Jets, Packers, and Falcons games to allow full recovery.

Case Keenum delivered an elite performance against Philadelphia: 247 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 1 rushing touchdown; 8.44 adjusted net yards per attempt (sixth-best game by a Bears QB under Ben Johnson); 10 of 12 against the blitz for 134 yards and 2 TDs; 10 completions on under-center play action (Eagles have 6 all season). Matt Harmon notes elite offensive play-callers relish backup QB performances where they can execute their scheme cleanly, and Keenum was completely in command of Johnson's system.

Case Keenum had a strong Monday night performance, bringing a well-designed Bears offense to life with consistency and accuracy. Matt Harmon notes it was a memorable game and credits Keenum with executing the offense effectively, though the question remains how long he can sustain this level of play.

Christian Watson grabbed at his hamstring in the final minutes of last week's game, a detail injury analysts flagged on social media. This warrants monitoring given Watson's prior history with hamstring and soft tissue issues. Watson is on track to be a potential league winner this year, but if he or Matthew Golden miss time (with Jaden Reed already out), Tucker Kraft would assume a larger role in the Packers passing game.

Colston Loveland was an inch away from scoring a touchdown but still only received 4 targets when Case Keenum threw 34 times. Matt Harmon notes the hard part is not just that Loveland is falling in rest-of-season rankings, but the entire tight end position is flying up rankings, creating 14+ tight ends with legitimate debate over Loveland. Harmon attributes the low target share to Kalief Raymond and Luther Burden being wide open underneath, making Loveland not a priority. Harmon recommends having a backup plan at tight end if possible.

DeAndre Swift picked up 84 rushing yards in the Bears' dominant 27-7 win over Philadelphia. Matt Harmon recommends starting Swift moving forward despite the backup QB situation, indicating confidence in his role and production.

Matt Harmon expresses total panic on David Montgomery, viewing him similarly to Ramondre Stevenson in current fantasy value. While Montgomery was drafted with preseason expectations of potentially being an RB2 in a Joe Mixon-style situation, the Texans offense has not materialized as expected. Woody Marks is heavily involved and the workload is shared; the rushing attack lacks juice and is not producing as anticipated.

Montgomery is sharing the workload with Woody Marks in the Texans offense, which lacks the rushing juice of previous years. Matt Harmon compares him to Ramondre Stevenson as a touchdown-or-bust RB3 in startable range, but not expecting much more production. The Texans offense is non-functional without Nico Collins and Jaden Higgins, and their outside receiver group is among the worst in the league without them.

Matt Harmon expresses total panic on Montgomery, noting the Texans defense is not a top-2 or top-3 unit (ranking 5-7 in defensive rankings), which undermines the bull case that Montgomery would consistently benefit from positive game script as a lead back. Even when Nico Collins returns and matchups improve (Cowboys, Titans, Jags, Giants in next four weeks), the defense's mediocrity limits script advantage.

Miami Dolphins RB Devon Achane suffered a torn ACL against the Chiefs in Week 3 and will miss the remainder of the season. Justin Boone had a gut feeling in the offseason that Achane, a smaller back with big workloads, would break down; while the injury occurred early with normal workloads, it's catastrophic for fantasy managers. Achane is the engine of the Dolphins offense and his absence brings down the entire unit.

DeVonta Smith has been balling through the first three weeks of the season. Matt Harmon notes the 50-50 balls to Smith continue to work and he had an awesome catch as an X receiver in the Monday night game. Harmon says 'The one thing that's been working is just the, the 50, 50 balls to Devante Smith just continue to work.'

Drake London is mentioned in the context of the Chargers' offensive struggles, but no specific fantasy take is provided beyond the general dysfunction of the offense.

Drake Maye ranks 34th among 37 qualifying quarterbacks in points per game this season; only three QBs score lower: Kyler Murray (injured week 1), James Winston, and Cooper Rush. Matt Harmon notes Maye is playing poorly and that A.J. Brown's return may not be enough to fix the underlying issues, as Maye is making problems for himself.

Drake May is in coping corner for Matt Harmon. The rookie showed a strong floor last year, never finishing lower than QB17 in nine outings with 85%+ snap share, and scored over 14 fantasy points in all but one game last season. This year, he's been under 13 fantasy points in all three games. Despite offensive line injuries and AJ Brown's absence, May should be playing better. He looks discombobulated and is QB34 in points per game (37 QBs qualify), ahead of only Kyler Murray, James Winston, and Cooper Rush. Harmon would drop May if he weren't concerned about overreacting to a rookie's struggles, but he's benching him and streaming other quarterbacks.

After a big week 1, Likely was expected to be a breakout tight end, but Matt Harmon is now viewing him as a tight end streamer rather than a consistent starter. The Giants' offensive collapse following Jackson Dart's injury has downgraded Likely's outlook significantly.

J.J. McCarthy was traded from the Vikings to the Giants for a 2027 fifth-round pick; Justin Boone is not optimistic about his prospects. McCarthy is still at a rookie level, hasn't shown anything close to Jackson Dart's level, and lacks the extensive NFL experience of successful second-chance QBs like Baker Mayfield or Geno Smith. Moving from Minnesota's good coaching to a messy Giants situation is not ideal for his development.

Jadarian Price is stuck in a timeshare and Matt Harmon rates his panic level at only some panic, not total panic. Harmon's reasoning is that as a rookie running back, he wasn't expecting Price to be great early in the season; typically, rookies show improvement in the second half of the season.

Jalen Hurts scored 1 rushing touchdown but the Eagles offense was largely dysfunctional. Matt Harmon notes Hurts threw an interception where there were no routes available on the right side of the field, forcing him to stare down quick hitches to the left. The Eagles are 30th in success rate vs. the blitz (35%), 32nd in screen yards (negative 12), and 32nd in under-center play action completions (6 all season). Harmon describes the offense as 'not exactly the same way that they were losing in the previous couple of seasons, but it's pretty close to that.'

Jalen McMillan is hurt again and may be a lost year; he came into the season already dealing with an injury and has now suffered another setback. The Buccaneers' offensive dysfunction makes it difficult to get excited about any receivers on the team.

Jalen Daniels is an interesting prospect who won the number two QB job and carries himself with poise both on and off the field. He can run and scramble a little bit and doesn't seem to get rattled often. With Baker Mayfield playing poorly, the bar is set low, so Daniels could look decent when he gets his opportunity. He's an undrafted player who earned the backup job, which is impressive. However, he's unlikely to be a complete fix for the Buccaneers offense.

Jaden Higgins was a potential breakout candidate this year and was positioned to pair with Nico Collins to create significant firepower in the Texans passing attack. However, the Texans are now operating without both receivers, severely limiting the offense's production potential. The outside receiver group is among the worst in the league without Higgins and Collins.

Jaden Reed is already out, creating a depth chart gap in the Packers receiving corps that could benefit Tucker Kraft if Christian Watson or Matthew Golden also miss time.

Jalen Wright was out in Week 3 with a stinger and foot injury but is now day-to-day and may return to practice; his status is uncertain for upcoming games. If Wright returns, the Dolphins backfield will remain a committee situation with neither back expected to produce at Achane's level.

Justin Herbert, like Drake Maye, is making problems for himself and contributing to his team's offensive struggles. Matt Harmon groups Herbert with Maye as a QB creating self-inflicted issues beyond scheme or supporting cast.

Justin Herbert is QB32 in points per game and is in coping corner for Matt Harmon. The Chargers face a brutal schedule with Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, bye, Rams, Texans, and Ravens in the next six weeks surrounding the bye. Herbert threw an inexcusable interception to Chauncey Carter-Johnson and is picking up where he left off poorly from last season. Harmon would actually drop Herbert and stream a quarterback instead, as there are so many good quarterbacks available that you don't need to deal with Herbert's poor play and difficult schedule.

Justin Jefferson avoided a long-term injury and has a chance to play on Sunday; this is positive news after the injury scare.

Kalief Raymond was the leading receiver with 7 targets and had explosive plays. Matt Harmon notes Raymond has a real deal role in the Bears offense—'if anybody has the Amon Ross St. Brown role of this offense, it's actually the guy who wears number 14.' Raymond plays the slot for most snaps in 11 personnel and plays about half the snaps outside 11 personnel alongside Luther Burden. Harmon acknowledges Raymond is 32 years old and there's a chance he fades as the season progresses, but currently sees no reason for Ben Johnson to dial back his role. Raymond played the second-most snaps of all pass catchers.

Kyler Murray is one of only three quarterbacks below Drake May in points per game (QB35+), having been knocked out in the first week of the season. He's among the worst-performing quarterbacks this year.

Luther Burden scored a touchdown and was heavily involved early in the Bears' offense. Matt Harmon notes this was his best game of the season (first two games were rockier) and recommends starting him as a WR3 with upside. Burden plays about half the snaps outside of 11 personnel; he has 4.45 air yards per target and is capable of getting downfield. Harmon expects him to eventually get going down the football field.

Makai Lemon has not fully figured out his role in the Eagles offense and has not been a needle mover for the team. Matt Harmon notes Lemon had a Texas route (a cheat code for great receivers) but 'didn't do anything with it.' Harmon is frustrated that Lemon is being used on design touches and screens rather than his strengths—out cuts and over-the-middle routes where he excels. Harmon says 'they're almost like trying to justify his presence on the field by like, Oh, let's get him these easy button touches. But I don't really know that he's going to do anything with those consistently.' From a dynasty/panic standpoint, Harmon is not freaking out given Lemon's offseason injuries and slow-start profile, but 'he just hasn't really been a needle mover for this team yet.'

Lemon is being used for easy-button touches to justify his presence on the field rather than being deployed in the role where he excelled at USC (out routes); Matt Harmon notes he hasn't been a needle mover for the Eagles yet and they're desperate for another playmaker beyond DeVante Smith. Harmon would prefer the Eagles run more out routes—Lemon's college strength and Jalen Hurts' accuracy—rather than the current approach.

Malik Nabers' situation worsened with the Giants trading for J.J. McCarthy to replace injured Jackson Dart; McCarthy is a rookie-level player who hasn't shown much and is moving from Minnesota's good coaching ecosystem to a messy Giants situation. Justin Boone is not excited about McCarthy for fantasy and notes that Nabers, unlike Justin Jefferson, won't sugarcoat McCarthy's performance in media. The Giants offense is not in a great spot with this transition.

Nabers is in a dire situation with Jackson Dart's injury removing the quarterback elevating talent around him; the Giants offense lacks a competent QB with Jameis Winston also underperforming. Nabers is dealing with a long-term shoulder issue (unrepaired since LSU, aggravated in week 2) that may lead to season shutdown by week 11 for surgery, with hopes to emerge as his best self in 2027. Matt Harmon is at total panic on Nabers, ranking him low-end WR2 range despite his talent level, because the New York environment makes high-end outcomes impossible.

Matthew Golden is mentioned in the context of Packers receiver depth; if he misses time alongside Christian Watson (with Jaden Reed already out), Tucker Kraft would see an expanded role in the passing game.

Nico Collins is out, and the Texans offense is non-functional without him. Matt Harmon notes the outside receiver group is among the worst in the league without Collins and Jaden Higgins. The offense will be better when Collins returns, but the lack of depth at receiver is a significant constraint on the passing attack.

Quentin Johnston (QJ) is in coping corner for Matt Harmon due to the Chargers' offensive dysfunction. The entire offense is underperforming, and there's nothing going right for the team.

Rhamondre Stevenson remains the lead back in New England's committee despite Travon Henderson's strong week 2 performance (fumble by Stevenson, big run by Henderson). Stevenson was over 50% of snaps in week 3, and the speaker expects this lead role to continue rather than Henderson taking over. Stevenson was drafted as RB25 and still belongs in that range.

Rhamondre Stevenson faces improved run-defense matchups ahead after tough early-season defenses (Seahawks week 1, Steelers and Jaguars weeks 2-3). Upcoming matchups against Bills, Raiders, Jets, Bears, Dolphins, and Packers are not nearly as tough, creating potential for Stevenson to find the end zone and move into RB2 range in favorable weeks, though he remains a high-end RB3 overall.

Matt Harmon expresses optimism about Ramondre Stevenson's potential to turn things around, suggesting there is reason for cautious optimism about his fantasy outlook.

Saquon Barkley had 15 carries for 82 yards but did not score a touchdown in the Eagles' 27-7 loss to Chicago. Hayden Winks notes the run game was actually working in this game but 'it's still just didn't matter' given the overall offensive dysfunction. The Eagles are 28th in running back success rate (34%) this season.

Matt Harmon is ranking Saquon Barkley around RB12-14 for the next two weeks (Rams and Jaguars matchups) due to the Eagles' offensive line struggles; he notes Barkley only had two receptions in Week 3 and will lose some tush-push touchdown opportunities. However, Harmon emphasizes this is a box-score problem, not a talent decline—Barkley still looks awesome and ranks high in forced missed tackles.

Ted Hurst is an interesting stash but can't be trusted without clarity on the Buccaneers' quarterback situation. The offense is too uncertain to get excited about any players until the QB situation stabilizes.

Travis Etienne has a hamstring injury with an uncertain timeline for return; he will miss some time but the exact duration is unclear.

Tucker Kraft is recovering from a serious injury with managed snap counts and pitch counts, limiting his early-season production. Despite 84% route share in week two (up from 47% week one) and 72% last week with eight targets in week three (12th among tight ends through three weeks), Matt Harmon characterizes him as a low-end tight end one rather than the mid-range tight end one he was drafted as, with the caveat that he could improve as he gets further removed from injury. Harmon places him in 'total panic' territory for now but not a drop candidate, expecting better days ahead, particularly with a favorable Buccaneers matchup coming up.

Matt Harmon says Kraft is not a set-it-and-forget-it starter right now and recommends checking the waiver wire for streaming options until he becomes fully operational; however, Harmon would not drop him outright. Kraft has favorable upcoming matchups (Bucks, Bears, Cowboys, Lions, Panthers) and the Packers offense should be concentrated without Jane Reed, but Harmon suggests considering waiver wire alternatives this week depending on available options.

Zach Ertz ran 13 routes and played 18 snaps in Week 3 but caught only one pass for nine yards; the Eagles are forced to run 11 personnel on every snap due to the state of their tight end room. At this point in his career, limited production is expected, especially after signing just before the week began.