Welcome back to the second installment of the Dynasty Nerds App League Week 3 Preview with recap. Our brand new league launched this offseason, and it continues to deliver plenty of excitement and insight as some of the sharpest minds on our staff battle it out week after week. I published an article detailing some of the interesting format nuances this league would employ earlier this year. You can find that article here.
This is our Week 3 Preview and Recap for the week that was. Who is hot? Who is not? We will break down the league standings, cover the individual matchups, highlighting which players came through for their managers and which ones left them high and dry. At the end of each article, we will feature an interview with one of the managers. This week’s interview will be with Matthew “Doc” Mitchell, our Mock Draft mastermind at Dynasty Nerds.
Week 2 Recap | Key Highlights, Duds, and Injuries
Highlights and Heroes
- Malik Nabers of the New York Giants exploded in Week 2, including a long highlight reel touchdown catch in the fourth quarter to take the Dallas Cowboys to overtime.
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield fought to a gritty win over the Houston Texans in primetime. Emeka Egbuka contributed a touchdown in the win and continued his rookie breakout.
Duds and Disappointments
- A week after having one of the best games in his career, Justin Fields had a rough outing before being forced out due to injury. His performance dragged down the rest of the Jets’ offense, including duds from Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson.
- The Kansas City Chiefs are off to an 0-2 start. With several key weapons either hurt or suspended, perhaps Patrick Mahomes can’t carry everything on his shoulders?
Injuries and Issues
- As we enter Week 3 and the first weeks of fall, quarterbacks are dropping like dead leaves. Joe Burrow is facing several months off after suffering turf toe in Week 2. Justin Fields is in concussion protocol, J.J. McCarthy is out with a high-ankle sprain, and it appears Brock Purdy will miss at least another week.
- Jayden Reed of the Packers broke his collarbone, which will keep him out of action possibly until November. In the same game, the Washington Commanders were hit hard. Austin Ekeler is out for the season with a torn Achilles, and Jayden Daniels is now reportedly dealing with a knee injury.
Week 2 MVPs | Top Fantasy Performers
This week, in honor of Week 2, let’s celebrate two Detroit Lions teammates. Jared Goff tore up the stat sheet in Detroit’s 52-21 drubbing of the Chicago Bears, finishing 23-of-28 passing, 334 yards, 5 passing touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
Meanwhile, Amon-Ra St. Brown was every bit the superstar on the receiving end of Goff’s passes, hauling in 9 catches for 115 yards and 3 touchdowns, even adding 7 rushing yards on 2 carries.
Together, this pack of Lions made fantasy managers everywhere very happy this week. Goff rebounded from a disappointing Week 1 performance for Jared Wackerly, while St. Brown reminded everyone why he’s one of the most reliable receivers in the league, helping Keith Ensminger to a dominating Week 2 victory over Garret Price.
Week 2 Matchups Recap | Head-to-Head Results
Keith Ensminger vs Garret Price
After a disappointing Week 1, Keith’s team exploded in Week 2 to a league-high score. Garret didn’t stand a chance facing off against big games from Amon Ra St. Brown, James Cook, and Bo Nix. Garret can at least take solace that leaving Russell Wilson on his bench wouldn’t have helped him to a win. Moving forward, the biggest questions Garret faces are what to do with the underperforming Colston Loveland and Michael Penix.
Jared Wackerly vs Jon Glosser
Another matchup, another lopsided score. Jared Wackerly’s team gets its breakout win over the winless Jon Glosser on the backs of mammoth games from Jared Goff and Ja’Marr Chase. Jon’s team is strong at quarterback with good games from Patrick Mahomes and Drake Maye, but the rest of his roster is a sinking ship. No other player on Jon’s roster broke double-digits for him in Week 2, including duds from Breece Hall and Sam LaPorta. Does Jon have any moves in his pocket to save his season, or will he be one of the first on the chopping block in the Dynasty Nerds App League?
Mychal Warno vs Matthew “Doc” Mitchell
If you were looking for close fantasy football contest, Week 2 was not the week for you. Doc won going away while Mychal’s team fell back to Earth. Mike’s two quarterbacks (Jalen Hurts and Geno Smith) combined for a total of 17 points in our scoring format, and it’s hard to win any week when that’s the case. Doc’s team remains undefeated and at the top of the Dynasty Nerds App League standings behind unlikely fantasy heroes Spencer Rattler and Wan’Dale Robinson.
Peter Monahan vs Nick Piovano
In our closest matchup of the week, Nick Piovano edged out Peter Monahan to move to 3-1 on the season. Tucker Kraft showed up for Nick this week and was the difference in the matchup, while David Njoku continues to underperform this year for fantasy managers, including Pete. It also doesn’t help that Pete’s squad was saddled with the Week 2 fantasy albatross that was Justin Fields. Without a second starting quarterback behind Josh Allen, Pete’s squad could be in for a rough stretch.
Rich Dotson vs Matt Cooper
Rich continues his early season success moving to 3-1 with a victory over Matt Cooper’s winless squad. In fact, Rich’s lineup has room to improve, as he’s been sitting Juwon Johnson in favor of Dallas Goedert. On the other side of the ledger, Matt’s lineup was filled with disappointing numbers from his quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and J.J. McCarthy to rookie phenoms Omarion Hampton and Travis Hunter. Time will tell if Matt’s rookie-laden roster can step up and keep him out off of the cutline.
Taylor Christianson vs John Hammersmith
The reality of fantasy football, the game we all love, is that so much of it is out of our control. Taylor’s team not only lost the battle in Week 2 but may have lost the war, losing both Joe Burrow and Jayden Reed to long-term injuries. Meanwhile, Matt’s lineup sailed the Malik Nabers ship on the high seas of fantasy bliss. If Nabers continues connecting deep with Russell Wilson, the sky is the limit on his 2025 fantasy scoring.
Trades of the Week | Dynasty Roster Moves
Keith Ensminger sends his 2026 1st for Keon Coleman
(Author’s note – Since I made this trade, I am probably the most qualified to write about it, aren’t I?)
(Editor’s note — Since I made this trade, I am probably the most qualified to edit it, aren’t I?)
On the heels of his Week 1 breakout, Keon Coleman came back to Earth in Week 2 against Sauce Gardner and the Jets. However, the drumbeat on Coleman has been steady throughout the offseason [Which Taylor guessed correctly], and I think, given my roster, my 2026 1st round pick will be late. Relatedly, and most importantly, the more I delve into the 2026 rookie class, the less I like it. I’d much rather roll the dice that Keon Coleman will be Josh Allen’s top receiving threat this season. [And I’ll roll the dice that Keith’s 1st is worth more than a WR3 with upside.]
Taylor Christianson sends Tetairoa McMillan to Mychal Warno for Cedric Tillman, Khalil Shakir, and his 2026 1st
We had a few trades this week, but I wanted to also highlight this trade. Taylor appears to be collecting 2026 picks, but at what cost? Is he already regretting this move only days later after seeing the dominating performance Tetairoa McMillan had for the Carolina Panthers in Week 2? [I’m not.] Depth is certainly a concern in a deep league such as this, and both Khalil Shakir and Cedric Tillman are worthy flex options. The key to this trade will be just where that 2026 1st round pick ends up.
Manager Spotlight Interview | Matthew “Doc” Mitchell (ReflipeWThenuz)
Q: So, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? What team do you root for? How long have you played Dynasty, and how long have you been with Dynasty Nerds?
A: This is my 9th year with the Nerds, and in that time, I have covered a lot of things! I have done college football content, and now, as a Senior Writer, I organize our mock drafts. I’ve been playing dynasty for 20 years, and I’m a Chicago Bears fan living in Bel Air, Maryland.
Q: If you had to grade your startup draft, what letter grade would you give it?
A: I give myself a rock-solid B+. I think in the end this will be a playoff team with a legitimate shot at taking home the crown in year 1. I feel a little thin at QB3 with only Spencer Rattler behind Burdy and Burrow. But, there is a chance Rattler could get a shot this year. Overall I’m extremely pleased with the results as they are right in line with what I was hoping to build.
Q: Give me your impressions of Week 2. Do you feel like any of the teams are better or worse than you thought going into the season?
A: I thought Week 2 went well for my squad personally. I was in desperation mode after losing George Kittle last week. That was one of the main catalysts for my trade with Taylor Christianson. Both of the players I got in that deal put up great points and helped give me another quality week. I’m really thinking depth is going to be a major factor in this league.
Q: Give me your own feelings about your Week 2 matchup and what we can expect from your squad moving into next week.
A: I felt really fortunate with my results from Week 2. My squad got some major contributions from the new pieces. Jake Ferguson and Wan’Dale Robinson were some of the standouts along with familiar names like Jonathan Taylor. Getting 25+ out of Spencer Ratler was also really nice. I think my team has some really nice depth and with Jacory Croskey-Merritt primed for a bigger role will have quality throughout the entire lineup. I look to keep the high-end production coming next week against Keith’s squad.
Looking Ahead | Nerds App League Week 3 Matchups
| Team | Record | Opponent | Opponent Record | Notes / Key Players to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor Christianson | 2-2 | vs Nick Piovano | 3-1 | Depth vs. Star Power |
| Keith Ensminger | 2-2 | vs Matthew “Doc” Mitchell | 4-0 | Last of the Unbeatens |
| Mychal Warno | 2-2 | vs Matt Cooper | 0-4 | Rookie Fever Breaking? |
| Peter Monahan | 2-2 | vs Jared Wackerly | 2-2 | Bringing Down a Giant |
| Rich Dotson | 3-1 | vs Garret Price | 2-2 | Clash of the Clans |
| John Hammersmith | 2-2 | vs Jon Glosser | 0-4 | This One’s for the “H” |
The Nerds App managers submitted their rookies, sleepers, MVPs, breakout candidates, and league predictions for the 2025 NFL season. Remember: You get to save one of the bottom three managers from being kicked out of the league, so make sure to stay tuned all season!
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