Fantasy Football Week 4: Fact or Fiction on Week 3's Top Superstars

Week 3 of the NFL season was full of huge performances by some unlikely sources, turning many fantasy matchups on their heads and surely frustrating owners everywhere.

Some performances weren't surprising, like big weeks from A.J. Green, Maurice Jones-Drew and this year's early-season fantasy MVP, Robert Griffin III. 

But other performances were shockers indeed. From a few quarterbacks who have yet to consistently prove their fantasy worth to a slew of running backs who had huge breakout games, I've identified 10 fantasy stars from Week 3 worth looking at more closely.

Was their Week 3 production a sign of things to come or simply a mirage? Are they players worth owning or simply flashes in the pan owners should avoid?

Only one way to find out—to the slides!

Heath Miller, Pittsburgh Steelers

Stats: Eight receptions for 60 yards and two touchdowns

Analysis: Heath Miller has been really good this year, at least for a tight end. He's now scored four touchdowns on the season and has 36.9 fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues after three weeks.

But is it sustainable?

It's actually pretty hard to say. I'm never a believer in trusting touchdowns as an indicator of future value, but Miller does have 18 targets after three weeks. Still, history suggests Miller is unlikely to continue producing at this rate.

He's a nice TE2, but I'm not ready to designate him a star at the position just yet.

Verdict: FICTION

Mikel Leshoure, Detroit Lions

Stats: 26 rushes for 100 yards and one touchdowns, four receptions for 34 yards

Analysis: I think Mikel Leshoure is a legitimate fantasy starter moving forward as your flex or RB2. The Detroit Lions are going to see a lot of two-deep and soft coverages in an effort to keep Calvin Johnson from beating the team deep, so an added emphasis on the run is in order for the Lions this year.

Will Matthew Stafford still throw the ball around? Probably. Do I love Leshoure as a third-down back? Not really. But he's clearly the starter in Detroit and justified that decision on Sunday. Don't expect huge things from him, but he should offer solid numbers for your team.

Verdict: FACT

Christian Ponder, Minnesota Vikings

Stats: 21-for-38 for 198 yards and two touchdowns, seven rushes for 31 yards and a touchdown

Analysis: Sorry, but I just can't trust Christian Ponder yet. His 23-yard touchdown run added 8.3 points to his fantasy tally, and the Minnesota Vikings aren't going to become a high-powered passing attack anytime soon.

There's no question Ponder is playing well. He's certainly an improved quarterback and hasn't thrown an interception yet on the season. But I wouldn't put him anywhere close to the ranks of the league's QB1 options just yet.

Verdict: FICTION

Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans

Stats: 29-for-42 for 378 yards and two touchdowns, four rushes for 35 yards

Analysis: Either you believe Locker's lackluster performances in the first two weeks as an indication of where he is as a quarterback, or you believe his Week 3 showing against the Detroit Lions is a sign of things to come.

I tend to side with the former. 

Until this Titans team can actually run the ball with some success, expecting Locker to put this offense on his back is a big ask. He may have torched a poor Lions secondary, but let's see how he looks when the Houston Texans come knocking this weekend.

Verdict: FICTION

Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens

Stats: Six receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns

Analysis: Of the two primary wide receivers in Baltimore, Torrey Smith is the one I'd rather have, not Anquan Boldin. He's more explosive, a bigger deep threat and will probably attract less double-teams moving forward. 

I don't think he'll be scoring 20 or more fantasy points very often, but he should remain a nice flex play and occasional WR2 moving forward.

Verdict: FACT

Andre Brown, New York Giants

Stats: 20 rushes for 113 yards and two touchdowns, three receptions for 17 yards

Analysis: It's not that I don't think Andre Brown is a stud or that he won't have a role in the New York Giants backfield going forward. It's that Ahmad Bradshaw is still a very good player and is going to get his touches when he's healthy.

If Bradshaw can't stay healthy, Brown is a definite fantasy stud. But if this is a running-back-by-committee situation, both players will see their fantasy value wane.

Verdict: FICTION

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

Stats: 28-for-39 for 382 yards, three touchdowns and one interception

Analysis: Joe Flacco shouldn't be this viable of a fantasy option early in the season, if for no other reason than the Baltimore Ravens are a far better team when they build the game plan around Ray Rice, not Flacco.

It was true last year, and it's been apparent in the past two weeks that when the Ravens become too pass-oriented, the offense suffers. Flacco is going to get plenty of chances to throw the rock around, I imagine, but until he proves he's consistent—and that the team isn't better off allowing Rice to be a workhorse—I'll continue to doubt his viability as a weekly fantasy starter.

Or as an elite quarterback, for that matter.

Verdict: FICTION

Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

Stats: 17-for-30 for 290 yards, four touchdowns and one interception

Analysis: This one is pretty simple, folks—the Texans are first and foremost a running team, and a darn good one at that. Matt Schaub is going to have his big games where he takes shots down the field off of play action or against a stacked box, but trying to predict which games he'll do just that will be an infuriating task.

He's not a bad guy to have available on your bench, but that's the extent of his value at this point.

Verdict: FICTION

Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

Stats: 36-for-49 for 384 yards and four touchdowns, one rush for eight yards

Analysis: Quite simply, Ben Roethlisberger is playing like a boss this year, and the Steelers suddenly can't seem to run the ball. With 904 yards, eight touchdowns and just one pick through three games, Big Ben looks poised to have a big season.

While I think the Steelers will get back to the running the ball after this week's bye with the likely return of Rashard Mendenhall, Roethlisberger looks like a solid option for owners playing matchups with their quarterbacks for the rest of the season. 

Verdict: FACT

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

Stats: 33 rushes for 233 yards and a touchdown, six receptions for 55 yards

Analysis: Yes, we've all been waiting to see if Charles would finally show up for fantasy owners who took a chance on him after he tore his ACL last season. No, I don't think anyone expected him to blow up quite like this after rushing for just 90 yards in the first two weeks.

While I still have reservations about his knee, there's no reason to think Charles can't return to RB1 status this year. I wouldn't bank on him scoring 33 fantasy points each week, but I think the first two weeks were more an aberration than Week 3 was.

He's a big-play threat every time he touches the ball, plain and simple. He's back.

Verdict: FACT

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