FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode: 5 Moves You Need to Make Ahead Of Week 3 (Ep. 1710)
Hosts: Ryan Wormley & Tara Roberts
Date: September 16, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into five essential moves fantasy football managers should consider ahead of Week 3. Hosts Ryan Wormley and Tara Roberts break down actionable buy, sell, and drop recommendations with strategic reasoning, offering both immediate and rest-of-season perspectives based on the latest NFL developments. The focus is on leveraging early trends and capitalizing on shifting player values to get an edge in fantasy leagues.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Buy Jordan Mason (Minnesota Vikings RB)

[01:38–04:00]

• Opportunity: Jordan Mason is emerging as the likely "three-down" back due to Aaron Jones’ injury and Mason's superior ground performance.
• Rationale: Even before the injury, Mason looked better than Jones as a runner, with the Vikings showing more trust in his workload.
• Receiving Upside: Unlike his limited pass-catching days with the 49ers, Mason has displayed enough promise in the Vikings' system to suggest three-down capability.
• Vikings Offense: While the offense, led by rookie QB JJ McCarthy, has had its struggles ("seven out of eight quarters" have been rough, [03:32]), upcoming favorable matchups (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh) create a buy window.
• Quote (Tara, 02:28):
  "When he comes into the game, it just looks different, it feels different. He's got a different boom to him in, in terms of his ground game there."

2. Sell James Conner (Arizona Cardinals RB)

[04:03–06:26]

• Timing is Key: Sell before the backfield situation “becomes a disaster.”
• Snap Share Concerns: Conner played a reduced share (30/55 snaps vs. Benson’s 25), with Benson earning more targets. It validates offseason hints of a committee.
• Age & Durability: At age 30, regression is due, and the risk of injury or role reduction increases.
• Upside Handcuff: Trey Benson is a speculative buy, as he could inherit the lead role if/when Conner is sidelined.
• Quote (Tara, 05:36): "I feel like James Conner's age kind of snuck up on us. Like sometimes we forget he's 30...not everybody can be Derrick Henry."

3. Drop Colston Loveland (Chicago Bears TE)

[07:09–09:49]

• Disappointing Output: Despite being a hot rookie pick, Loveland’s usage and production are worrying.
• Offensive Scheme Limitation: The Chicago offense, similar to Ben Johnson’s Detroit system, squeezes tight end targets when multiple strong receivers are on the field (DJ Moore, Rome Odunze).
• Depth Chart: Cole Kmet is still out-snapping Loveland, and there’s insufficient volume left for the rookie to be dependable.
• Rest-Of-Season Decline: He's now TE22 in updated rankings, having fallen six spots post-Week 2.
• Quote (Tara, 07:14):
  "You've got to cut the cord with Colston Loveland...I was very worried about him heading into the season, and this is showing exactly why I was worried."

4. Shop DJ Moore (Chicago Bears WR)

[09:49–11:41]

• Shift in Role: Rome Odunze is dominating target share, outpacing DJ Moore in opportunities.
• Moore’s Floor vs. Ceiling: Still a capable flex or WR2, but the days of Moore being the clear WR1 in Chicago might be over.
• Best Practice: Don't sell in a panic—shop for value and see if anyone in your league still values Moore as a top receiver.
• Quote (Tara, 09:57):
  "It's Rome Odunze's time right now. He is absolutely dominating when you look at target share in that offense...DJ Moore's target share has not exceeded 20%."
• Added Note (Ryan, 09:54):
  "I think the football gods are raining on their parade enough."

5. Buy Low on Breece Hall (New York Jets RB)

[12:16–14:59]

• Reason for Optimism: Despite a down Week 2 (10 carries, 29 yards), Hall dominated snaps and remains the clear RB1.
• Scheme Fit: The Jets are adopting a Detroit-style committee, but Hall is the explosive "lightning" option. Encouraging Week 1 usage (19 carries, 100+ yards).
• Braylon Allen Not a Threat: Other backs (Braylon Allen, Isaiah Davis) are not encroaching on Hall’s primary role.
• Opportunity: His current production lull provides a buy window for a player with RB1 upside.
• Quote (Tara, 12:27): "This is Breece Hall's backfield. He dominated the snap share. It's very clear Hall has value in competitive games and games where the Jets are playing from behind."
• Addressing Concerns (Ryan, 13:58):
  "The Bills run defense just got completely run over in Week one...Do you make anything of what happened, or is this just kind of like the game got away from the Jets early?"
• Response (Tara, 14:33): "Weird anomalies happen...it was just a game where they struggled as a whole."

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On Jordan Mason:
  "It's a good opportunity before we get a very upside fantasy performance where we see Jordan Mason as a three-down back to go ahead and get in there and buy Jordan Mason." (Tara, 02:22)

• On Trey Benson:
  "He's a high-upside handcuff. I think it's perfectly fine to go out and acquire him as well." (Tara, 06:21)

• On Loveland:
  "This is just not a situation, even with significant volume from Caleb Williams, where you’re going to be able to rely on Colston Loveland on a week-to-week basis." (Tara, 08:17)

• On DJ Moore:
  "Now, at the end of the day, Rome Odunze is an incredible guy and DJ Moore is still going to have a pretty solid floor...But now he's a flex player who you'll be thinking about: am I starting him or somebody else that has a little more upside?" (Tara, 11:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Buy Jordan Mason Discussion: 01:38–04:00
• Sell James Conner Recommendation: 04:03–06:26
• Drop Colston Loveland Analysis: 07:09–09:49
• DJ Moore Shop Around Talk: 09:49–11:41
• Buy Low Breece Hall Segment: 12:16–14:59

Overall Tone & Takeaways

Throughout, Tara and Ryan combine measured optimism with realistic expectations, advising listeners not to cling to preseason biases. Their analysis balances data with context (snap counts, offensive trends, player age/usage) while maintaining an approachable, slightly humorous, and honest tone. This episode is a sharp, actionable companion for any fantasy football manager looking to tweak their roster heading into an important early-season week.

For deeper rankings and up-to-date analysis, the hosts recommend visiting:
fantasypros.com/rankings