Week 3 tight end fantasy pivots lean toward volume and matchup. Juwan Johnson is the clear TE1 with elite route involvement and double-digit targets, setting a high ceiling against Seattle. Jake Tonges has seized the 49ers’ Week 3 start, leveraging a favorable Cardinals matchup. T.J. Hockenson should rise with extra targets in a favorable clash. Mark Andrews and Kyle Pitts carry risk after slow starts, while Tucker Kraft remains a risky but intriguing week-3 option with upside in a Packers offense that is leaning into his breakout stretch.

Week 3 starts hinge on role and opponent, with Johnson’s workload a standout edge, Tonges in a plug-and-play scenario, and Hockenson presenting a dart-throw upside play if the game plan tilts his way. Pitts and Andrews require price-conscious rostering given early-season patterning, while Kraft’s spike weeks keep him in the streamer conversation. Carolina’s weak TE defense and Cleveland’s softer matchup for Kraft are key elements for Week 3 decision-making.

The tush push is the NFL’s most infamous short-yardage weapon, and the Eagles have turned it into a near-automatic conversion since 2022. They’ve run it 116 times, turning most into first downs and touchdowns, a number others mimic but seldom rival. Yet a growing chorus wants it banned. Falcons coach Raheem Morris questions its legality, while league leaders debate safety versus tradition. The play’s success—about 85% for tush pushes vs roughly 67% for non-tush attempts—has teams rethinking whether a single, explosive formation can redefine a season.

Key to Philadelphia’s edge: Hurts’ exceptional lower-body strength, the offensive line’s explosive surge, and an evolving scheme that added a second passer and layered options. Other teams can replicate only if they have the personnel and risk tolerance. The debate isn’t just tactical; it’s about player safety, coaching philosophy, and whether a single play should shape a franchise’s approach to fourth-and-1.

The conversation extends beyond Philly: some teams study and imitate, others push back on principles or safety. As the league weighs the future of a play that can crown drives quickly, fantasy managers should monitor which teams stay committed, which adapt, and how changes in rules could alter the short-yardage game entirely.

Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving and Rachaad White sparked a late game-winning drive to lift the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Houston, sending TB to 2-0 and dropping the Texans to 0-2. Mayfield showed clutch poise while Irving and White fueled the offense in crunch time, hinting at a versatile backfield that'll be fantasy relevant in the weeks ahead.

In the other primetime-like matchup, the Chargers smothered Geno Smith in his home Raiders debut, snagging three interceptions and holding Las Vegas to nine points. The staunch defensive effort puts a spotlight on Chargers D/ST viability and raises questions about Seattle’s passing attack and Raiders’ week-to-week ceiling.