NFL Week 3 Monday Night Football Preview

Two high-flying offenses will take the field on Monday Night Football. The Baltimore Ravens already gave us one of the best games in recent memory when they fell 41-40 to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. They will look to get a high quality win this week against the Detroit Lions. Detroit suffered their own loss in Week 1, but followed it up by demolishing the Chicago Bears.

The last time these two teams met was in 2023. Baltimore won that matchup 38-6, so Detroit will be looking to at least put up a fight this time. The Lions didn’t have to play Derrick Henry in that game, though. There are multiple elite players on both teams but they’re not the only names to know tonight.

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MNF: Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens (-4.5) O/U: 53.5

Fantasy Football Players to Watch

Mark Andrews – TE, Baltimore Ravens

Is Mark Andrews finished? Once one of the league’s top tight ends, Andrews has only been targeted 4 times this season, catching 2 passes for a paltry 7 yards. It’s not like he isn’t out on the field and running routes; he’s just not getting targeted. 30 years old isn’t young by any means, but we saw signs of decline last season. Fellow TE Isaiah Likely looked like he was taking over last season, but Andrews strung together enough good performances to keep him relevant in fantasy football.

The problem is that Likely has been hurt this season and will be out again this week. Andrews was still posting 4+ target games consistently last season with him on the field, but is having trouble without him. Could it be that having the younger Likely on the field opens up Andrews even more? It’s possible, but it doesn’t seem like the full story. The insanely high point total suggests a lot of scoring, which could mean that both teams will need to pass the ball. This could be the week where Andrews finally goes off, but Likely is expected to return next week. If Andrews can’t prove it this week, it’s going to be almost impossible to keep starting him in fantasy. Name value can distort your views and ruin a week, so be cautious.

Rashod Bateman – WR, Baltimore Ravens

At this point in his career, it’s safe to say that Rashod Bateman will not “break out.” He can still be serviceable, if not good. In 2024, Bateman had his best season yet, drawing 72 targets and gaining 756 receiving yards and 9 TDs. It was hard not to do well when the Baltimore Ravens’ offense was performing at historic levels. This season, he has seen a noticeable dip in production despite playing about as much as usual. A two-game sample size isn’t indicative of his future, though.

Bateman drew four targets in each of his games in 2025 but hasn’t turned them into much yet. Still, he’s second on the team in targets but a ways away from Zay Flowers (20 targets). This game is a great opportunity to keep things going and emerge as a viable fill-in for desperate fantasy rosters. The more points that are projected in a game, the better the chance that the second, third, and fourth options will eat. The actual target percentages may not change, but the volume should increase. Monday Night Football presents a beautiful opportunity for Bateman to truly take off this year. The Lions’ pass defense has not been anything special this season, ranking 20th in both EPA and DVOA.

David Montgomery – RB, Detroit Lions

Even at 28, Montgomery is still doing it. The former Bear has carried the ball 11 times in each of his two games to start 2025 with opposing results. In a two-score loss to the Packers, ‘Knuckles’ only managed 25 yards, though he did catch all 4 of his targets for 18 yards. In last week’s blowout win against the Bears, he impressed with 57 yards and a TD, while catching his lone target for 4 yards. Jahmyr Gibbs is the better player on both sides of the ball, but there’s no reason to keep him out there all the time. Risking injury or simply gassing a young star is not something the Lions seem intent on.

While not game-script proof, there is enough of a split between rush attempts and routes run for a bit of a floor to exist for Montgomery. This week’s game is highly unlikely to be a blowout, and the Ravens’ defense is good. However, their run defense has left a lot to be desired to start the season. Baltimore will also be missing LB Kyle Van Noy and DL Nnamdi Madubuike. If the Lions can keep this game mostly close, we could see a healthy RB mix on Monday Night Football. The upside will always be capped while Gibbs is there, but this isn’t as dead a matchup as many think.

Isaac TeSlaa – WR, Detroit Lions

TeSlaa was a name that the fantasy football community watched heading into the 2025 draft. After an uber-efficient 2024 at Arkansas, TeSlaa was drafted in the 3rd round by the Detroit Lions. How much he would be used on an elite team with two great receivers was the biggest question. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams are under contract until 2028 and 2029, respectively. Sam LaPorta and Jahmyr Gibbs are young receiving threats too.

Usage has been expectedly limited. TeSlaa has only been targeted once in each of his first two games while playing under a quarter of offensive snaps. He did catch both targets, and they were spectacular grabs. At the very least, you can say that he has made the most of his extremely limited opportunities. It will be difficult, if not impossible, to become the team’s WR2 barring injury. However, TeSlaa can surpass veteran Kalif Raymond and cement himself as the clear WR3. Trusting him in fantasy will still be a challenge. This is the type of game where they may have to pass often to keep up with Baltimore, but the volume may be limited when they’re blowing out teams like in Week 2.