Fantasy Football: 4 Bold Predictions for NFL Week 3

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Football is one of the most intense, exciting sports on the planet. The source of the now-ubiquitous saying "Any Given Sunday," the NFL is a place where even struggling teams have a chance to topple the best in the league. Anything can happen when you play only 17 regular season games a year.

That uncertainty is a huge driver behind the excitement the NFL generates each and every season. What's more fun than watching something totally unexpected unfold before your eyes?

That's why, this year, we'll be bringing you some bold predictions to watch for in each week the 2025 NFL season.

All NFL betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL Bold Predictions for Week 3

Jordan Mason Rushes to a Top-10 Fantasy Finish

Through two games, Jordan Mason has enjoyed most of the rushing workload in the Minnesota Vikings' backfield -- logging 12.0 carries per game, compared to Aaron Jones posting 6.5 rushing attempts per contest. After Jones (hamstring) was placed on IR, Mason could be thrust into a workhorse role.

We saw Mason take advantage of a heavy workload with the San Francisco 49ers in 2024, finishing with three top-10 weekly finishes in half-PPR leagues from Week 1 to Week 4. Will he step up with an increased role once again?

Mason's been efficient, sporting 0.60 rushing yards over expectation (RYOE) per carry -- per NFL Next Gen Stats. He's yet to produce flashy fantasy numbers with only 8.0 and 4.8 points in each game. Positive regression for touchdowns could be waiting as Mason has a 75.0% red zone rushing attempt share but has yet to score. An increased role without Jones in the lineup should be enough to finally fuel a breakout performance from Mason.

Week 3's matchup may cause pause, as the Cincinnati Bengals have allowed only 3.7 yards per rushing attempt (9th-fewest), -0.04 expected points added (EPA) per carry (12th-fewest), and the 8th-lowest rush success rate. However, much of this is elevated by holding the Cleveland Browns to 2.0 yards per carry in Week 1. Keep in mind the Browns had the highest pass-play rate in 2024 and currently have the third-highest mark this season, and Cleveland was without Quinshon Judkins in the opener. While the Jacksonville Jaguars had 42 passing attempts compared to 27 rushing attempts, they still had success on the ground by logging 5.1 yards per rushing attempt in Week 2.

I'm not buying this Bengals rush D, and the unit could be without rookie defensive end Shemar Stewart (ankle). Stewart is a work in progress when it comes to rushing the passer, but he's made an immediate impact against the run. We could see Cincinnati's run defense take a step back without Stewart constantly maintaining edge.

The Vikings are expected to insert Zavier Scott into the RB2 role while Jones is out. Mason should still get the lion's share, though, as our fantasy football projections have him forecasted for 16.6 rushing attempts. That volume paired with potentially finding the end zone could lead to a big day for Mason.

Packers Hold Joe Flacco to 180 Passing Yards

Joe Flacco has totaled 45.0 passing attempts per game, leading the Cleveland Browns to the third-highest pass-play rate. After leading the league with 38.9 passing attempts per contest in 2024, the Browns have somehow leaned into the pass even more.

This is not something I expect to keep up, though. Cleveland spent a second-round pick on Quinshon Judkins and fourth-round selection on Dylan Sampson. Everyone under the sun knows an offense needs balance, and after last week's 41-17 loss against the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland could finally rely on the run more often. Plus, asking a 40-year-old Flacco to make over 40 passing attempts per game probably won't lead to success.

Judkins made his NFL debut last week and played well with 61 rushing yards on 10 carries (6.1 yards per rushing attempt). Despite a 26.4% snap share, Judkins' 10 carries still led the Browns, and his volume should only increase after posting 2.24 RYOE per carry.

The Green Bay Packers' defense is scary across the board, giving up the second-lowest pass and rush success rates. Protecting Flacco will be a major challenge as Green Bay has Pro Football Focus' ninth-best pass rush grade, and Micah Parsons should be a full-time starter moving forward after posting a 68.1% snap rate in Week 2. Cleveland's left tackle Dawand Jones has a dreadful 43.0 pass block grade while right tackle Jack Conklin (elbow) missed last week and is questionable for Sunday.

I don't expect the Browns' offense to have much success anywhere, but limiting possessions by chewing the clock is likely their best bet to keep it close. Flacco's passing attempts could finally take a step back, and this should lead to a low passing yardage total considering he's logging only 5.4 yards per passing attempt. Furthermore, Sunday will likely feature short passes due to Cleveland's pass protection concerns.

Judkins is one of the only positives for this offense right now. Common sense says the Browns will begin to lean on the rookie more often, leading to a dip in the passing game. Give me Flacco to total no more than 180 passing yards, going far under his 237.6-yard projection.

Hunter Henry Totals At Least 12.0 Fantasy Points

Similar to last season, Hunter Henry should be looking at a significant role with the New England Patriots. We saw that in Week 1 with the veteran tight end receiving eight targets and a 30.7% air yards share. However, he had only three targets and a 10.1% air yards share in Week 2.

Which version of Henry will we get in Week 3?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a vulnerable pass defense right now, allowing the fifth-most yards per passing attempt (9.3), eighth-most passing yards per game (eighth-most), fifth-highest EPA/db, and fourth-highest pass success rate. New England's Drake Maye has been efficient with 0.15 EPA/db and a 5.6% completion percentage over expectation (CPOE), providing confidence to air it out.

Furthermore, Pittsburgh allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game against tight ends in 2024, and this trend has continued thus far as they are giving up the eighth-highest mark in 2025. Maye's attention could be turned to his tight end with the Steelers' secondary featuring cornerback Jalen Ramsey. The receiving unit is still lacking with Stefon Diggs touting a limited 55.3% snap share as he recovers from a torn ACL.

Henry's large workload should return considering he has an 89.4% snap share. After posting a 30.0% red zone target share in 2024, he has only a 14.3% share early in the 2025 campaign. Once again, this feels bound to increase -- especially when Pittsburgh ceded the eighth-most touchdowns to tight ends a season ago.

The Steelers featured heavy zone coverage last week, and Henry posted a 74.5 PFF receiving grade versus zone coverage in 2024, compared to 64.7 when seeing man.

Across the board, this looks like a great matchup for Henry. I'm expecting the vet tight end to smash his 7.1-fantasy point projection and reach at least 12.0 points.

Rome Odunze Repeats Top-5 Weekly Ranking

Rome Odunze enjoyed a breakout fantasy outing in Week 2, racking up 11 targets, seven receptions, 128 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. After producing 28.3 fantasy points and a WR4 finish, will Odunze keep providing elite numbers for fantasy managers?

I'm not sure if Odunze will truly become a top-five fantasy receiver over the long haul, but he has a chance to turn in another monster performance against the Dallas Cowboys. Odunze against Trevon Diggs appeared on our wide receiver-cornerback matchups to target in Week 3. Diggs has stumbled out the gate with a 50.7 PFF coverage grade.

Dallas' secondary, as a whole, is extremely vulnerable, as it has allowed the second-highest EPA/db, fifth-highest pass success rate, and most yards per downfield target. Odunze has the workload to feast -- enjoying a 29.9% target share, 47.0% air yards share, and 60.0% red zone target share. His 50.0% downfield target share should be highlighted with the Cowboys ceding the most yards per downfield target. Plus, quarterback Caleb Williams boasts an 86.9 passing grade on attempts of 20 or more yards.

Our projections have Williams as QB3 for Week 3. After Dallas surrendered 422 passing yards and 9.6 yards per passing attempt against the New York Giants, a stack of Williams and his top target Odunze could lead to a ton of success in NFL DFS on Sunday.

Backed by a healthy 10.0 targets per game, Odunze's production could carry over to Week 3.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.