Three Up, Three Down: Week 4

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on both of us. We're at the point in the 2024 season where we must realize that some of our preseason hopes and dreams are just that. There's a lot of season left to play, but the picture gets clearer every week.

Three Up

WR Rashee Rice, Kansas City

Rashee Rice’s inclusion on this list shouldn’t be shocking. He’s currently the WR2 in PPR scoring. He plays on a great offense with the league’s best quarterback. But it’s probably time for us to discuss Rice as one of the league’s premier fantasy receivers. He got off to a slow start last year as a rookie. Through Week 11, he was a part-time player and averaged 4.6 targets per game. His usage while on the field was elite, but his inability to garner a meaningful snap share made his fantasy production obsolete. From Week 12 onward, Rice rarely left the field, and his usage maintained the same per-route usage that piqued our interest. Since Week 12 (including playoffs), Rice is averaging 9.4 targets and 19.74 PPR points per game. That would rank inside the top-eight fantasy receivers in every season in NFL history. With Travis Kelce’s age showing and Isiah Pacheco and Hollywood Brown likely out for most of the season, the offense will continue to flow through Rice. His slants and screens are used as an extension of the run game. But a blossoming route tree has allowed him to run go routes and posts, raising his weekly ceiling. Looking at Rice’s body of work since the midway point of last season, there’s almost no reason to keep him out of the elite tier of fantasy wide receivers.

WR Malik Nabers, NY Giants

Marvin Harrison Jr. was touted as this class’s best receiver, but Malik Nabers quickly put the label up for debate. He joins Anquan Boldin and Puka Nacua as the third player in NFL history to record 25 targets and 250 receiving yards in their first three NFL games. Nabers is pulling a ludicrous 37.8% target share, which is by far the highest in the NFL. He’s displayed the versatile skillsets you want to see from an alpha receiver: downfield routes, contested catches, sideline awareness, after-the-catch abilities, and more. His presence has breathed life into Daniel Jones. It’s opened up underneath routes for Wan’Dale Robinson. It’s allowed the Giants to run the ball more effectively. A brutal Week 1 loss to the Vikings suddenly makes a bit more sense, as the Giants have looked more formidable in their last two contests. But all of this works because of Nabers. He is making a quick name for himself as one of the league’s best playmakers. Nabers is a must-start option going forward, and a strong argument can be made for him to be inside the position's top ten going forward.

The Panthers Offense

After Week 1, The Carolina Panthers found themselves in this column's “Three Down” section. After optimism that Dave Canales could resuscitate Bryce Young, it became painfully apparent that Young wasn’t ready. Two weeks of horrendous play from Young was all Canales had to see before anointing Andy Dalton their Week 2 starter. Almost immediately, Canales’ offensive vision was apparent. Dalton threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns. He fit throws into every level of the field. Adam Thielen caught a touchdown before leaving with an injury. Diontae Johnson and Chuba Hubbard both had career days. The Panthers may come down to earth. But it’s good to know that Diontae Johnson and Chuba Hubbard belong in our lineups again. There’s also newfound hope for anyone rostering Jonathon Brooks or Xavier Legette.