Bo McBrayer brings the spice with his Week 3 fantasy football advice, giving you the musings and information you need to keep your lineups “hot-n-ready.”

Like most people who create fantasy football content, I have a day job. I am a licensed hearing care provider and manage a hearing aid center. While most of my clients are retired, they range between 18 and 103 years old. I meet some of the nicest people and greatest storytellers while also helping them ward off dementia by rehabilitating their auditory cortices.

One of my new favorites is a man about 70 whose smile lit the path into my office through his tinted glasses.

He had gone completely blind in adulthood and had his guide cane he affectionately called the “shin tester.” When his evaluation was finished, I had to tell this blind gentleman that he also had severe hearing loss and would need hearing aids.

He sat there for a good 10 seconds, let out an exasperated breath, then burst into a beaming smile. I asked him what he thought about this news, and he replied, “Two senses down, three to go. Pretty soon, I’m going to be senseless!” We then shared a hearty laugh, and I got to work fitting him with some devices.

A couple of weeks later, I was installing those “new ears” and giving him modified instructions. “Wear these during every waking hour. That is, unless you’re swimming or showering. I would say in the case of wearing hearing protection, but I think you’d make the whole shooting range nervous.” It was another shared laugh that made both of our cheeks hurt. If there was ever a time when nobody wanted me to write about football and stuff, I’d be perfectly content sharing those types of moments with my clientele and their loved ones.

Week 3 is about the point in the season when a line is drawn between proactive and reactive fantasy managers.

We’re all hurting, so quit whining.

Your bench wasn’t fortified with players with avenues to meaningful contributions? How tragic. Even the most downtrodden roster is not quite dead yet. I once started 0-4, then a few waiver pickups and a key trade later sprung me into winning out through the championship. Chill. It could be argued that you shouldn’t even really care about your team’s record through two weeks. Pull up a chair, and I’ll tell you who I’m keeping tabs on in Week 3.

~ Check out our Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings ~

Week 3 Fantasy Football: Autumn Spice & Jasmine Rice

Stroud-ed in Mystery

Why not start with a battle of 2-0 squads? The Houston Texans already look the part after their turbo rebuild in 2023. C.J. Stroud has been smart and more polished through two games, but his numbers have been a bit modest. Joe Mixon is hurt, thanks to another hip-drop tackle. I think there’s still a lot for Cam Akers to showcase on the heels of two ruptured…heels.

Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale are here, too, but Akers is the most well-rounded of the bunch. This Ryan Slowik offense is teeming with Shanahan genius. Stefon Diggs looks razor-sharp, as does Nico Collins.

Don’t panic about Tank Dell. He will have his games. Stroud will be tested this week, but look for Houston to lean on the running game nonetheless.

Minnesota completely stifled Brock Purdy last week but surrendered a great deal of rushing yardage to Jordan Mason. The Vikings’ defense better bring that same energy against Stroud and the Texans.

On the offensive side of the ball, the story has been Sam Darnold‘s renaissance. He has been the best version of himself since fighting at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Who knew the Jets and Panthers would do more to ruin a quarterback than develop him? It helps to have Justin Jefferson, who says his bruised quadriceps wouldn’t keep him out of Week 3. Jordan Addison is also nearing his 2024 debut.

This might be the week we get the Ty Chandler explosion game, in which he carves a huge chunk out of the pie he shares with Aaron Jones.

Dat’s Who

The New Orleans Saints are playing unbelievable football.

Seriously, I cannot believe it. I refuse.

When they obliterated Carolina, I gave a disingenuous smirk like Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones.

They then dismantled the supposedly good Cowboys.

Fine.

Dropping a 40-burger on that defense has seized my undivided attention. Klint Kubiak has singlehandedly deglazed the frying pan where Dennis Allen was caramelizing and exhumed the time capsules that contained MVP contender Derek Carr and COVID-19 Christmas Alvin Kamara. We haven’t even seen them need to percolate down the field with Chris Olave and Taysom Hill.

Maybe the Eagles will be the first team to avoid getting tear-dropped by Rashid Shaheed. Perhaps he will do it again. New Orleans is known for those powdery sweet beignets, but this offense is acting like another white powder fuels it.

There was no way the Falcons were going to touch the ball again. That is until the Eagles dialed up a little high percentage pass to Saquon Barkley in the flat.

One good squeeze, and it’s curtains for Atlanta.

Oopsy-poopsy! Fourth down. Clock stopped.

Primetime Kirk Cousins straight out the wheelchair for the win? Yikes. That’s the kind of loss that lights a fire under a team, especially one with as much promise as the Eagles. Jalen Hurts won’t have A.J. Brown this week, but DeVonta Smith is ready to explode for a massive game at the Caesars Superdome.

Johnny Wilson is a really sneaky DFS play this week who no one will have. Handing the Saints their first loss of the young season will ultimately come down to Saquon (again). This game will have a raucous vibe to it that I’m eagerly anticipating.

Mazda-rati Marv

Most football fans are drawn to games with the highest shootout potential. Detroit at Arizona is one glistening example on the Week 3 slate.

While both teams are 1-1, they each enter the week in a groove on offense. The hosting Cardinals were nearly flawless on Sunday. In fact, Kyler Murray‘s passer rating was flawless, and he punched the clock on the “Feed Marv” job. Marvin Harrison is a very special player and will again be the showcase against a suspect Lions secondary.

Trey McBride is an elite TE who has been part of that tier’s suspiciously mediocre fantasy production. It won’t last. The Lions don’t have a soul who can match up with McBride unless Brian Branch can clone himself to double-cover the hulking TE.

Even Greg Dortch and Michael Wilson have safe floors in a game that might reach a 70-point total score.

I love this Lions offense.

We are really only griping that they have too many elite weapons to support multiple breakout performances each week. Jared Goff hasn’t been very sharp so far and doomed Detroit with his turnovers last week. Amon-Ra St. Brown is still my favorite to be WR1 overall this season, so relax. I will never quit on Jameson Williams. He is this era’s Desean Jackson. Enjoy the ride.

The freaking out about Sam LaPorta is pretty annoying. He is healthy and still really good. When that levee breaks, your salty tears will be cleansed. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs have been a tad more cannibalistic so far than in 2023, but they’re both plenty startable in all formats.

Again, quit whining. This game will have some serious fantasy football fireworks.

Drake’s Slay Flambé

It would help to see a bit more from the Falcons along the lines of that final drive in Philadelphia. Darius Slay disintegrated into ashes on that post-shimmy to the out by Drake London. The drive had rhythm, something Kirk Cousins has seldom shown under the lights. The drive was exciting, especially with the finishing red zone muscle flex.

The Falcons could stay scary, and it would be a windfall in fantasy. Bijan Robinson is headed for a 2,000-yard season from scrimmage, and it’s like you don’t even care. I did scream at Kirk Kohl’s cash quite a bit since he was having trouble seeing a 6-foot-6 unicorn as wide open as Creed’s arms all game.

Tape never lies. Kyle Pitts will be a league winner by season’s end. Apparently, getting away from the Bears was really helpful for Darnell Mooney, who looks explosive as Atlanta’s flanker.

Even Ray-Ray McCloud has done some things, but I’ve decided not to chase those points. Atlanta is built well to handle the visiting Chiefs this week. Run the ball effectively to keep the curly-headed assassin on ice.

Sure seems easy with a guy like Bijan back there.

Betting against Patrick Mahomes is a great way to go broke and go all Kerouac on everyone’s asses. He has been a bit squirrelly in the early going, with nearly a 10% rate of turnover-worthy plays to lead the NFL through two games. He must not be worried.

Mahomes’ mustachioed security blanket has barely seen more screen time than his girlfriend. Patrick will still need to be mindful of getting the ball to Travis Kelce this week.

Jessie Bates lurks everywhere. Any thought of leaning on the power run game is drawing ire without Isiah Pacheco for the foreseeable future.

UCLA rookie thumper Carson Steele was scooped on waivers by anyone with a lot more free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) than made sense. I like him plenty, but it seems much too obvious for an Andy Reid gambit.

Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy might even earn a couple more rushing attempts each to supplement the running game.

I also don’t really like Samaje Perine or Kareem Hunt at all this season, nor do I think Clyde Edwards-Helaire will offer much help upon his return. If any coach can piecemeal a winning offense together against a game opponent like Atlanta, it would be Reid.

Find more spicy advice from Bo McBrayer on X (formerly Twitter) @Bo_McBigTime & up your kitchen pantry game with his custom spices and sauces at hotboxbatch.com.