Week 3 NFL Hobby Overreactions: The Las Vegas Raiders Are 3-0
In this story:
While injuries derailed Week 2 of the NFL season, most of the quarterbacks stayed upright by the end of Week 3. Three teams remain undefeated this season, but it's the silver and black that's shockingly unblemished thus far, leading to a handful of notable ripples in the card market.
Kirk Cousins Likes... That The Raiders Are Undefeated
For such an illustrious franchise, decades of poor GM decisions and coaching malpractice have tanked one of the most historic teams in the entire league. You can quibble about how we got here, but there's no debating this statement; for just the third time in the past 25 years, the Raiders have started an NFL season 3-0.
The feat also marks the first time a team with the No. 1 overall pick in the past draft has started a new year undefeated through three weeks, which puts a wrench in a bit of a hobby dilemma. We know that Fernando Mendoza is eventually the team's heir apparent, but what was supposed to be a predictable entry point midway through the year has become more complicated.
You just can't bench Kirk Cousins anytime soon given the team's definitive success, which means Mendoza's value stagnates further. That said, there's an argument to be made both ways, however. The Indiana product is buoying an otherwise lackluster 2026 rookie class, and any immediate playing time will likely skyrocket his value and, as a result, potentially others. But the sustained success, particularly in Klint Kubiak's offensive scheme, has been a direct byproduct of Cousins playing exceptionally well, with three touchdowns in each contest to date.
Is it as simple as assuming Mendoza can replicate that production when he eventually plays? If so, we'd be talking about one of the better rookie debuts in recent memory, especially if it's coupled with a handful of wins. That would also boost the market for the team's cornerstone offensive pieces like Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers, who have both had week-winning moments through the early portion of September.
It's a difficult mindset to have for easily the most expensive rookie in the advent of Topps' significant licensed push into the football space, but the long game might end up being the most lucrative for Mendoza collectors. It sure seems to be that way for the Raiders.
RBs Do Matter and The Card Market is Noticing
Bijan Robinson has 467 total yards through the first three games of the season. His 2023 RB draft mate, Jahmyr Gibbs, has 463 total yards and six touchdowns in the same span. The duo trail OJ Simpson in the 1973 season (491 total yards) and Emmitt Smith in 1995 (474 total yards) for the most combined yards through three games to begin the season since the NFL merger.
Both backs have been exceptional to begin the year, carrying otherwise moribund franchises. Jared Goff and the Lions have at least been generating tons of production, but calling the defense like a sieve would be a compliment to the culinary appliance, given Detroit has allowed the most passing yards through three games, and the second-most total yards to date. Meanwhile, Michael Penix's return reinvigorated the offense in a Thursday night thrashing against the Packers last week; Atlanta had failed to reach the red zone in any possession through the first two weeks of the season despite Robinson's heroics.
The hobby has taken note, as Robinson's 2023 Silver Prizm PSA 10 has multiple sales at or around $220 after selling for $150-180 throughout the summer. Perhaps baking in Detroit's potential playoff chances, Gibbs' similar 2023 Silver Prizm PSA 10 sold for close to $200 during the summer and now has multiple sales at or close to $300 in the span of 60 days.
While the duo's historic start to the season could obviously hit a snag at some point, running backs could finally be starting to make waves in a hobby that has historically dismissed their value.
Josh Allen Can Do No Wrong
One of the themes of 2026, from a card perspective, has been targeting "GOATs". Great for the two or three Scrooge McDucks who have piles of money lying around, but the everyday person has largely been priced out of the Tom Brady and Michael Jordan markets for some time.
Patrick Mahomes has already cemented himself as a modern-day GOAT, but Josh Allen has an equally impressive regular-season resume to boast as well, and he could be situated on one of his best teams in recent memory. The decision to fire head coach Sean McDermott and replace him with offensive coordinator Joe Brady was seen from the outside as a perplexing move, but through three weeks, Buffalo is undefeated, and the offense continues to hum despite a difficult schedule to open 2026.
Yet the card market hasn't shown much optimism in the star quarterback. It's often repeated that for Allen's card value to get close to some of his current peers, specifically Mahomes, he'd need to make and/or win the Super Bowl. That Josh Allen is currently the odds-on favorite to win the MVP and the Bills have the second-shortest odds (+750, with the Rams at +650) to win the Super Bowl would normally be a cause for a significant spike, but the market continues to be cautious.
There's obviously a bit of positive movement as the graphic above showcases, and that could still change more if the team is undefeated come Week 9. That would mean victories over the Rams, Ravens, and Raiders in upcoming weeks, two of which could also have major seeding implications for a team that would love to showcase its new stadium in the brightest of postseason lights.
That would also mean the majority of the hurdles would be out of the way, as the Bills project to face only four teams with a record above .500 from mid-November onward. 2026 might be the true test of how much one player's sustained success can have on their card market, even if postseason glory escapes them.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Joe is an almost psychotic Wisconsin sports fan and long-time card collector. He has been producing videos, podcasts and articles across major sports and fantasy publications since 2015, and is likely the only person you know who has an Isaiah Simmons card collection.