SCN Challenge Week 3 Wrap-Up and Week 4 Preview

SCN Challenge standings tighten after Week 3

The SCN Challenge continues to blend fantasy football and card collecting into a season-long competition that runs through the Super Bowl. A few weeks into the NFL season, the early chaos has started to settle and waiver wire moves are beginning to shape the standings.

After Week 3, Trent moved back into first place and held the top spot before waivers finished processing because he did not make any moves. His lead has been powered by a 2025 Panini Prizm Tyler Shough Silver Auto PSA 9, which climbed 60% over the first three weeks. Trent also has four cards up more than 20%, with only one card in the negative.

The author of the update sits in second place, but the gap is wider than it first appears. The Tyler Shough card in that portfolio is up 16.8%, which does not provide the same boost as Trent’s top card, even though every card in that lineup is currently positive.

Jason Otero of The Ballcard Show rounds out the top three after falling from first to third. He did not move either of his hero cards, a Caleb Williams Optic Red Pandora PSA 10 and a Matthew Stafford Topps Finest PSA 10.

Week 3 waiver wire move creates debate

The biggest storyline from Week 3 came from a waiver wire decision that triggered some discussion inside the competition. After Week 2, the author moved Caleb Williams Purple Shock PSA 10 in favor of a 2023 Jaxson Smith-Njigba Prizm Green Scope Auto PSA 9. At the time, the Card Ladder values were close, with Caleb at $200 and Smith-Njigba at $195.

Once the card was loaded into the Card Ladder collection used for the SCN Challenge, the value jumped to $685. After review, Jeremy, described in the update as the competition’s Benevolent Dictator, ruled that the swap had to stand because the Card Ladder value for the raw card was significantly higher than the PSA 9 version.

The move did not count against the season-long limit of five moves, but it did force a change in strategy. Smith-Njigba had been viewed as a short-term play because of a favorable schedule and a strong start to the season, but the revised plan needed a card with more immediate upside.

Patrick Mahomes becomes the new short-term target

To replace the Caleb Williams card, the author shifted to a 2025 Topps Chrome Patrick Mahomes Blue Wave /150. The Card Ladder value on the Mahomes card remains below the Caleb Williams card that was traded in, but the reasoning is tied to the Chiefs’ upcoming schedule and the possibility of a quick rise in value.

Related coverage includes SCN Challenge Week 3: Trent Reclaims First Place as Waiver Moves Shake Up the Standings.

Kansas City faces the Raiders and Chargers in the near term before the schedule becomes tougher. The hope is that a few strong performances from Mahomes could push the Blue Wave parallel closer to the $300 range. The update notes that a true-blue version sold for $400 shortly after release, which provides a reference point for the card’s potential if Mahomes heats up.

Whether the trade proves successful will depend on how the next few weeks unfold, but the move reflects the kind of short-term value hunting that has become central to the competition.

Week 4 outlook for the SCN Challenge

Looking ahead to Week 4, Jesse Gibson remains at the bottom of the standings and needs a strong rebound from either C.J. Stroud or Jordan Love to get his portfolio moving in the right direction. He is currently in a distant last place, with only Gary LeMaster and Mike Gioseffi also sitting in negative territory alongside him.

Gary needs a bounce from his Matthew Stafford card, while Mike is looking for a rebound from Drake Maye. The update points out that Jordan Love and Drake Maye have been the two biggest losers in the competition so far, and their market performance has reflected the disappointment on the field.

With Week 4 approaching, the focus shifts to whether the main SCN hosts can climb out of the negative and whether the standings will change again as more waiver wire moves and player performances reshape the portfolio race.

What to watch next

• Trent enters Week 4 in first place behind a strong Tyler Shough card performance.
• The author’s new Patrick Mahomes Blue Wave /150 card becomes the key short-term play.
• Jason Otero slips to third after standing pat with Caleb Williams and Matthew Stafford.
• Jesse Gibson, Gary LeMaster, and Mike Gioseffi are all looking for rebounds to improve their positions.
• Jordan Love and Drake Maye remain the weakest performers by market movement in the competition so far.

The SCN Challenge will continue to track how each portfolio changes as the season moves forward and the next round of results comes in after Week 4.