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Week Three Takeaways: The Best In The AFC North

CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 22: Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) hauls in a 7-yard touchdown pass as Pittsburgh Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds (34) defends during the second quarter of the National Football League game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns on September 22, 2022, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

Week Three is in the books for the AFC North! We must focus on the top takeaways now that we have film and statistics to study. No longer can we rest on our offseason takes of who will succeed and who will fail. We now have an entire two weeks of NFL football to study. We can lead our team to a fantasy football title by focusing on weekly top takeaways! The fantasy season will move quickly, and in a dynasty, it is essential to acquire players before they break out or unload players before they falter.

George Pickens Shows Out

George Pickens already has the catch of the year in Week Three of the 2022 season. It will be hard for anyone to top this one. The rookie laid out completely horizontally and reached behind his head to grab the ball with his fingertips. After seeing this catch, Odell Beckham Jr is the first thing out of most people’s mouths. And they are correct; the catch was similar to Odell’s rookie highlight. He combined the highlight with a career-high seven targets. This 2021 receiver class is all breaking out. Is Pickens the next one?

Joe Mixon Is Not A Bellcow

Joe Mixon’s usage is something that dynasty managers need to be paying attention to. In a Week Three victory over the Jets, Mixon saw 12 carries compared to nine by Samaje Perine. And despite out-targeting Perine seven to two, it was Perine who saw the valuable targets and was able to find the endzone. This is quite a departure from the first two weeks where Mixon saw all of the work exclusively. This past Sunday was the first win for the AFC Champs, so perhaps this split is part of some offensive adjustments? Something very critical for dynasty managers to keep an eye on. 

David Njoku TE1 Season

David Njoku truthers were rewarded Thursday Night with an outstanding performance in a pivotal AFC North matchup. Njoku had quite a night, commanding ten targets and catching nine of them for 89 yards and a touchdown. He and Amari Cooper were the entire Browns passing attack on Thursday. The two accounted for 190 of the 220-passing yards Jacoby Brissett put out. We have another eight games before Deshaun Watson returns, and this offense looks competent. You have to imagine things will be taken to the next level with Watson. Buy now if you can.

Mark Andrews TE1 Overall

Mark Andrews has been dominant this season. In Sunday’s victory over the Patriots, Andrews commanded a 45% target share. Through three weeks, he is averaging an almost 40% target share, which is one of the highest in the league. He is the TE1 overall and has scored enough fantasy points to be a top-five receiver in any half-PPR format. His production comes at the expense of Rashod Bateman, who saw just four targets this past week. The Ravens play the Bills next week in what is sure to be a high-scoring affair.

Information is the most powerful tool any dynasty fantasy football manager possesses. If you can stay on top of the correct information more than your league-mates, you will come out on top. The AFC North is home to many fantasy relevant players. Be sure to check back with us, as we will be breaking down takeaways from every division this week. And be sure to come back next week, as we will be doing the same for all 18 weeks of the 2022 NFL season!


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I hope you enjoyed this piece in our Winning With Vegas series. For more content like this, follow me on Twitter @DanT_NFL. DMs are always open for any questions, comments, or craft beer recommendations!

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