As they usually do, quarterbacks took center stage in Week 3. And this week had it all — the good, the bad and the ugly.

First, the good.

The Buffalo Bills rode into Minnesota as 16 1/2-point underdogs, but no hurdle was too high for rookie quarterback Josh Allen to clear.

Highlighted by an amazing leap he made over Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr, Allen directed the Bills to a stunning 27-6 victory. Although his passing numbers (15-for-22, 196 yards, TD) weren't overwhelming, Allen ran the ball 10 times for 39 yards and two scores against one of the most feared defenses in the league.

Next, the bad.

Sam Bradford and the Arizona Cardinals offense continued to struggle. And even worse for fantasy owners, it's been dragging fantasy stud David Johnson down. Bradford threw for 157 yards and two touchdowns before being replaced by rookie Josh Rosen for the final four minutes of the game.

Although Johnson did catch a touchdown pass from Bradford, he gained only 31 yards on the ground and a total of 116 rushing yards in three games. It may be time for the Cards to bench Bradford and start their rookie QB next week.

And finally, the ugly.

It didn't look Jimmy Garoppolo did anything serious on a third-down scramble, but a closer look at the video shows his knee buckling as he prepares to take a hit. The San Francisco 49ers are worried he might have torn his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that could knock their franchise quarterback out for the rest of the season.

C.J. Beathard replaced Garoppolo and would presumably be the starter the rest of the way. He saw some action last season as a rookie, but was not all that impressive — completing 55 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and six interceptions in seven games.

The loss of Garoppolo also means a significant loss of fantasy value for top receivers Marquise Goodwin, Pierre Garcon and George Kittle.

Breakout wideouts

The NFL is such a heavy passing league that occasionally a No. 2 wide receiver can have a monster game. A couple of this week's borderline fantasy starters will merit serious consideration in the weeks to come after their performances on Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley stole the spotlight from all-pro receiver Julio Jones by catching seven of his eight targets for 146 yards and three touchdowns. He also had one carry for nine more yards in becoming the top fantasy scorer among non-quarterbacks.

In the late game, Robert Woods of the Los Angeles Rams overshadowed more heralded teammate Brandin Cooks with 10 catches for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also carried the ball three times for 13 yards. With the Rams offense clicking on all cylinders, all three wide receivers (Woods, Cooks and Cooper Kupp) can be productive each week.

Backfields in motion

-- Rookie running back Rashaad Penny of the Seattle Seahawks looked to have gained the upper hand last week when he netted 10 carries to Chris Carson's six.

However, Carson stepped forward on Sunday, dominating the workload with 32 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown. he also caught a pair of passes for 22 more yards. Penny totaled five yards on three touches — and goes back to fantasy benches.

-- The Denver Broncos have demonstrated one of the more interesting (or in fantasy terms, horrifying) timeshares. A look at Sunday's box score shows undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay with just four carries for 20 yards and third-round pick Royce Freeman rushing for 53 yards and a TD on 13 carries.

Don't read a whole lot into those numbers. Lindsay played less than half the game after being ejected for throwing a punch in the second quarter. He's still in the Broncos' plans — especially with a potential shootout against Kansas City up next.

-- If the Eagles' Jay Ajayi is forced to miss any more time, Wendell Smallwood emerged as the go-to back on Sunday, carrying 10 times for 56 yards and a touchdown, and catching three passes for 35 yards.

Trendy sleeper Corey Clement had 16 carries for 56 yards, with three receptions for 19 yards.

Another amazing day

Speaking of the Chiefs, quarterback Patrick Mahomes extended his NFL record for touchdown passes through a third week — with three more against the 49ers.

His first one showed the improvisation of a veteran maestro, scrambling to avoid the rush and finding wideout Albert Wilson in the back of the end zone.

No Bell prize

The Le'Veon Bell dilemma deepens. The star running back's holdout extended for a third week as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepared to meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.

It's gotten to the point where the Steelers reportedly are listening to trade offers from other teams. It's hard to see another team picking up Bell's salary as a short-term rental for the rest of the season. But his trade value in fantasy continues to shrink as the standoff continues.

Early waiver wire

Fantasy owners who had Garoppolo as their starter will likely head to the waiver wire this week for a quarterback, even if they have a decent replacement already on their roster.

-- Fortunately, the Cleveland Browns have turned the keys to their offense over to rookie No. 1 draft pick Baker Mayfield after his impressive NFL debut on Thursday night. If you missed his exploits, Mayfield completed 17-of-23 passes for 201 yards in a win over the New York Jets. He didn't throw a TD pass or an interception, but he did show off his athleticism by catching a two-point conversion. At this point, consider him a fantasy backup or potential bye-week starter — with significant upside as he gains experience.

-- At this point, fellow rookies Josh Allen and Josh Rosen are still speculative pickups.

-- If Ridley's touchdown catch last week wasn't enough to get him claimed off the waiver wire, then his three-TD effort in Week 3 most definitely will.

-- Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd also scored in Week 2, then did even better this Sunday. With start receiver A.J. Green exiting in the third quarter with a groin injury, Boyd stepped up with 132 yards and a TD on six catches.

-- For big-play potential, check out Miami Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson, who scored on a 52-yard run and caught two passes for 74 yards and another touchdown.

-- Running backs were conspicuously absent from Week 3's top fantasy scorers. If the Eagles' Jay Ajayi is forced to miss any more time, Wendell Smallwood emerged as the go-to back on Sunday, carrying 10 times for 56 yards and a touchdown, and catching three passes for 35 yards.

Broad Shoulders Award

Our weekly honor for the player who most single-handedly carried his fantasy owners to victory goes to Saints running back Alvin Kamara.

Although he didn't score, Kamara racked up 66 yards on the ground and 124 through the air against Atlanta. He also was targeted an incredible 20 times by quarterback Drew Brees, catching 15 of them.

In fantasy leagues that award points for receptions, Kamara led all running backs with 34.0 fantasy points on the week — nearly 10 points more than anyone else at the position.

Although Brees and the Falcons' Matt Ryan scored more points overall (as did the Falcons' Ridley), Kamara was the rock fantasy owners could count on to deliver the goods.

Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner