Three weeks is plenty of time to see monumental changes in the ever-evolving National Football League. Of course, Tom Brady’s injury was a huge blow, in fantasy and reality alike, but a multitude of other changes can and will take place for the remainder of the year. Gus Frerotte, Ronnie Brown and Rudi Johnson were some of the biggest beneficiaries of Sunday’s changes, as all three saw their fantasy stocks soar.

Injuries open doors immediately for opportunities in fantasy, but ineffecitiveness can do the same, albeit at a much slower pace. With a little projection, one can see backup Brady Quinn taking the reins of Cleveland’s offense by the end of September, Drew Stanton doing the same in Detroit, or New York’s Steve Smith emerging in the face of constant double teams on star wideout Plaxico Burress.

Timing is a big key — grabbing Quinn too soon can cost you waiver wire position and leave you at risk for being forced to drop him. Attempting to grab Quinn too late would mean the second-year quarterback had already emerged, and your rival managers will beat you to the punch.

Meanwhile, a change in offensive philosophy led to a surprising 38-13 Miami win over New England and a huge day for Brown.

The “Wildcat” formation that Dolphins quarterback coach David Lee used with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at Arkansas, according to the Miami Herald, put the ball in Brown’s hands in the shotgun. The formation took New England off guard and was a central factor in Miami’s monumental upset. It also provided considerable optimism in fantasy, as offensive creativity could yield plenty more big days for Brown.

Some other top changes and storylines heading into Week 4:

Lane Kiffin out?
Threat level has been elevated from orange to red after Sunday’s 38-14 loss to Atlanta, the Oakland Tribune has reported. An official announcement could come as soon as today, which would mean what exactly in fantasy? While a change certainly couldn’t make things worse, the same limitations - young QB, porous D-line, underachieving secondary - will lead to similar results for the next head coach.

Gus Frerotte in
While Frerotte didn’t light up the scoreboard in Week 3, he did lead the Vikings to their first win of the season, 20-10 over previously unbeaten Carolina. His steady hand and abilities in the vertical passing game can help turn Minnesota’s season around, and the weapons around him make for a nice backup in fantasy.

Patriots pummeled by the Dolphins
A 38-13 loss to the Miami Dolphis was a “Shock to the System,” says the Boston Globe. It was a shock to all of our systems, as Ronnie Brown ran (and passed) all over New England and helped snap the Pats’ 21-game regular season win streak. Life without Brady has officially begun, meaning every, single game will be a whole lot more interesting.

Cutler, Rivers, Rodgers among top QBs
Entering Week 3 action, nobody could have predicted that youngsters Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers would rank 1-2-3 among fantasy quarterbacks. Cutler has been the most impressive, but Rivers and Rodgers have been surprising in their own right. Rivers is making a huge rebound from offseason knee surgery, and Rodgers is putting together arguably a better stat line than predecessor Brett Favre.

Westbrook out of lineup?
NFL scoring leader Brian Westbrook turned his ankle in the first quarter of Philadelphia’s 15-6 win over Pittsburgh, causing an early exit and likely Week 3 loss for all his fantasy owners. Correll Buckhalter did an admirable job replacing him and could very well get the chance again this Sunday. Westbrook was in considerable pain and declined to talk to the media after the win, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Derek Anderson to Brady Quinn?
Has Derek Anderson been bad enough to make a move to backup Brady Quinn? It’s nearing that time, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer has reported that nobody’s job is safe in Cleveland. Anderson has been a big problem, throwing for 405 yards, two TDs and five INTs in three Browns losses, but he hasn’t gotten much support. Anderson won’t likely lose the job in Week 4, but another poor performance could prompt the change.

Drew Stanton in for Detroit?
Quarterback of the future talk in Detroit has centered around third stringer Drew Stanton, rather than backup Dan Orlovsky. The Detroit Free Press reported in the preseason that starter Jon Kitna’s job could eventually be in jeopardy, and that’s without taking into account the sprained knee Kitna suffered on Sunday. Keep an eye on Kitna’s status for this weekend; any missed time could open the door permanently for Stanton.

Rudi Johnson over Kevin Smith
Within the same story above, teammates were singing the praise of veteran running back Rudi Johnson, who carried the offensive load with 131 total yards and a touchdown. Coach Rod Marinelli called Johnson the “hot hand” as he shoved rookie Kevin Smith to the side and had his biggest day since 2006. Bad news for Smith, who has gotten off to a mediocre start, even with a direct threat to his job.

Eli ranked ahead of Peyton
We had our doubts about Eli Manning’s explosiveness, given his newfound sense to protect the football and take fewer chances. But, we had even more doubts about older brother Peyton’s ability to bounce back from knee surgery and lead the Colts. Turns out, doubts over Peyton’s health were more justified, as Eli has outplayed Peyton and led his team to a 3-0 record. Big-game heroics are becoming routine for Eli, says the New York Post’s Steve Serby.

Ricky Williams to Ronnie Brown
The biggest story of Week 3 was the five-touchdown effort of Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown, who officially overtook Ricky Williams on the team’s depth chart. Sunday’s performance was proof that a.) Brown wouldn’t be giving up the job anytime soon, and b.) Williams will still get work (he had 16 carries for 98 yards).

Brown is by far the most explosive, and is looking fully recovered from a knee injury that ended his 2007 season early. The Miami Herald talks about the “Wildcat” formation the Dolphins deployed, which features Brown lining up at quarterback. Confirmation that Brown will be the centerpiece of the team’s offense was nearly as good a news as the fact he scored five TDs.