Bears' David Montgomery highlights a quartet of smart flex decisions for week 3

Yahoo Fantasy analysts Matt Harmon and Dalton Del Don offer a pair of running backs and receivers to flex in the third week of the 2022 NFL season.

Video Transcript

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MATT HARMON: It's week three in the NFL, and we're going to help you make some smart decisions, courtesy of NerdWallet. NerdWallet helps people make smart choices every day with their side-by-side comparisons of top financial products. And you know you can rely on us to help you make some smart player choices. So let's jump into some flex decisions here, starting with our options at running back. Dalton, get us started, man.

DALTON DEL DON: Maybe not the most exciting option, but I'm going to go with David Montgomery at home against the Texans. Montgomery was quietly fourth in snap percentage and target percentage among all backs last week. Only Nick Chubb saw more red-zone carries.

Now this week, he gets a Houston defense that's allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to running back since the beginning of last season. 4.7 yards per carry this year. Bad weather contributed to week one, but Chicago has been by far the most run-heaviest team in football. This week, they're actually home favorites.

I was a Khalil Herbert guy at draft tables, but Montgomery has admittedly looked terrific. He ranks top 10 in rush yards over expectation. He's a smart play in a favorable matchup this week.

MATT HARMON: Man, let's make this just a dead zone running back special here. Because I've been starting to think that we're underrating a guy like Miles Sanders, who also went in that running back dead zone in drafts. He was a guy-- he even told us before the season don't draft me in fantasy, right?

But so far, he's actually been a pretty good pick. He's playing really well right. Now he's seventh in the NFL in yards after contact per rush attempt. He's also getting, I think, more opportunity than people realize. 35 touches through two games, that's top 10 at the running back position.

And, Dalton, even more importantly-- he's not going to get a ton of pass-catching usage, but he has gotten some good usage around the goal line. Three goal-line rushes so far. The highest that anybody has is Jamaal Williams and Antonio Gibson with four, by the way. What a strange couple names there. So Miles Sanders kind of sneakily playing really well in an offense in Philadelphia that looks awesome right now. I mean, that's pretty much what we're looking for in our fantasy running backs.

DALTON DEL DON: Yeah, I like it a lot. I got Drake London as my next pick, wide receiver. Matchup in Seattle this week. The rookie has been extremely impressive, I mean, considering the Falcons have been so run-heavy. And he missed all practices throughout-- right up until week one, basically. London, despite that, somehow ranks top five in target share among all receivers, not just rookies. Top 10 in yards per route run.

I mean, he's faced the Saints and the Rams. He led the entire league in first-down target percentage last week. I mean, there's some risk that Kyle Pitts is going to blow up one of these games, but it's simply impossible to ignore the stats that London is putting up right now. This week, he gets a Seattle pass-funnel defense allowing 7.8 YPA, ranks 30th versus the pass, yet top 10 against the run in DVOA. You have to love the Drake this week.

MATT HARMON: Dude, Drake London, a stone-cold baller. That guy is so good. The Drake London can't separate haters and losers are in shambles right now with the breakout rookie's performance. If you're looking for kind of perhaps the next breakout rookie-- there's been Drake London. There's been Garrett Wilson as well. I think Chris Olave could be next in line.

He's a guy that is a little riskier this week, obviously, because Jameis Winston is banged up. But I still think the opportunity looks awesome for Chris Olave right now. He's running out as pretty much a pure starter for the Saints in their 11 personnel packages, even supplanting Jarvis Landry in week two in terms of routes run. He's seventh in the NFL in air yards share with 45%, but he actually leads the NFL in total air yards with like 372.

I mean, it's absolutely unbelievable, the deep, high-equity targets that Chris Olave has gotten so far. And that was his game coming into the NFL. He was a great route runner, like a pro-ready guy. We've seen that so far. But he also is a guy who could burn down the field. So, man, if we're talking about a player who could be that next breakout rookie, Dalton, I think that Chris Olave could be that guy. And I think you kind of want to get in a little bit ahead of the action here and maybe start him this week.

Be sure to get those guys on your rosters for week three. And if you need to make a financial choice, make it a smart one with NerdWallet. The smartest decision for all your financial decisions.