Good Surprises, Bad Surprises from Fantasy Football Week 3

People might have felt like they had a decent grasp on things after the first two weeks of the season, but Week 3 proved that this league is as unpredictable as ever right now.

With injuries rampant around the league, a number of backups have been able to step up. A couple of those names found their way onto the list.

Let's start off with three good surprises from this week, and then finish it off with the disappointments. 

Good Surprises

Austin Davis, QB, St. Louis Rams

Nobody outside of St. Louis had any clue who Austin Davis was just a few weeks ago. But after Sam Bradford was lost for the season back in August, Davis was called on to lead the Rams in 2014.

So far, it's hard to say he's done anything other than a solid job, and he was very good in Week 3 against Dallas.

Davis threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns, making the few fantasy owners who started him very happy while everyone else scrambles to the waiver wire to secure him as their new backup this week.

Joe McKnight, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

A former top high school recruit who disappointed at USC, McKnight has been largely an afterthought as an NFL player. But he showed flashes of that old explosiveness in Week 3.

With Jamaal Charles out, the Chiefs were forced to shift gears a little bit offensively against Miami's tough defense. As the backup to Knile Davis on Sunday, McKnight did his damage in the passing game, as he only had one carry for three yards.

McKnight caught six passes for 64 yards, which would have been a good game for him by itself. But he also scored on two of those receptions, making him one of the highest-scoring receivers of the week.

Jordan Matthews, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Anyone who follows the Eagles knew that it was just a matter of time before this happened. Just three games into his NFL career, Matthews has proved that he's more than worthy of a second-round pick.

Eight catches and 59 yards is solid, but like McKnight, Matthews really topped things off by scoring two touchdowns.

Those kinds of multiscore games will obviously be few and far between, but Matthews has upside as a third wide receiver from here on out and is a must-add in all formats.

Bad Surprises

Now let's move on to a few of the biggest names around the league who inexplicably turned in awful performances in seemingly great situations on Sunday.

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Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions

Stafford presents a good buy-low option for anyone who is looking for a quarterback, and his Week 3 dud is a big reason for that.

His 246 passing yards is nothing to sneeze at, but he failed to throw a touchdown while turning the ball over three times (two interceptions and a fumble lost).

He obviously didn't get fantasy owners anything on the ground, so they were instead left with a few measly points from their quarterback instead of the big game that was anticipated.

Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers

I think I speak for everyone when I say that this Packers-Lions game was a massive disappointment from a fantasy standpoint.

Nelson had a massive game last week, and he completely failed to build on that against a weak Detroit secondary in a matchup that could have produced a lot of points.

Five catches for 59 yards and no touchdowns is a far cry from expectations for an elite No. 1 receiver in a juicy matchup like this one.

LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

What the heck happened here? For the life of me, I honestly can't figure it out. Against a shaky Washington defense in a shootout, McCoy should have had a monster day.

And he even got 21 touches! But rushing for 22 yards on 20 attempts is something you won't see from Shady again this year, and his one catch for zero yards is pitiful as well.

Darren Sproles wasn't the problem here, either, as he had a bad game as well. McCoy simply couldn't find any space to run, and owners who took him in the top three (including myself) just have to hope that this is a one-time disappointment.