Fantasy Football Week 3: Big Board and Advice for MNF

With Sunday having come and gone in Week 3 of the fantasy football season, it's time to look ahead to what should be one heck of a ballgame as the Kansas City Chiefs travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Packers.

Hopefully you're winning your matchup heading into Monday night. If you're not because you faced someone like Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman, blame it on the blood moon. Having said that, Freeman won't have a game like that again for, like, 130 years.

This Monday-night affair has a ton of fantasy ramifications. How will your players stack up?

Top 10 Big Board

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

Monday Night Big Board

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team
1	Randall Cobb	WR	Green Bay Packers
2	Aaron Rodgers	QB	Green Bay Packers
3	Jamaal Charles	RB	Kansas City Chiefs
4	Davante Adams	WR	Green Bay Packers
5	Travis Kelce	TE	Kansas City Chiefs
6	Jeremy Maclin	WR	Kansas City Chiefs
7	Alex Smith	QB	Kansas City Chiefs
8	Richard Rodgers	TE	Green Bay Packers
9	Eddie Lacy	RB	Green Bay Packers
10	James Jones	WR	Green Bay Packers

Quarterbacks

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith

Heading into Monday night, the Green Bay Packers cornerbacks are allowing over 15 yards per catch. On the flip side of that, Smith has only attempted a pass of 20 or more yards four times this season. In 2014, Chiefs wide receiver (then-Philadelphia Eagle) Jeremy Maclin was tied for fourth in the league in targets of 20 or more yards with 34.

Now, I get it. Different quarterbacks and different systems, but good lord, Smith—throw the ball deep. In a game where the Packers should be ahead for pretty much the whole game, Smith may be forced to throw. Let's hope we see some deep passes.

Projections: 24-of-36 passing, 240 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers

So some guy with the last named Rodgers is getting the start for the Packers on Monday Night Football. Anyone ever heard of him? Oh, that's right—he's the guy who hasn't thrown an interception at home since Week 13 of the 2012 season! 

Heading into this game, there is a lot of hype surrounding Chiefs rookie cornerback Marcus Peters, and rightfully so. However, only than the pick-sixes he's had, Peters has allowed three touchdowns on the season.

Rodgers doesn't need any more introduction. You're starting him.

Projections: 28-of-36 passing, 335 passing yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs

Running Backs

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Kansas City Chiefs Starter: Jamaal Charles

Charles has played in two consecutive prime-time games. Lucky guy.

Heading into Week 3, the Packers been relatively stiff against the run to all running backs not named Matt Forte, though they rank toward the bottom in terms of run defense, according to Pro Football Focus.

Charles will be heavily relied on in this game, and should see plenty of touches. Like Aaron Rodgers, you're obviously starting Charles.

Projections: 20 carries, 110 rushing yards, 1 TD; 5 receptions, 40 receiving yards, 0 TDs

Kansas City Chiefs Backup: Knile Davis

Stop being a vulture of rushing touchdowns, Davis. As we've seen through the first two games of the season, Davis isn't playing a ton of snaps, and recorded a mere eight in Week 2. Unless Charles was to sustain a serious injury and miss an extended period of time, Davis has almost zero standalone value. Davis is strictly a handcuff.

Projections: 4 carries, 15 rushing yards

Green Bay Packers Starter: Eddie Lacy

After leaving his teams Week 2 contest against the Seattle Seahawks with an ankle injury and being reported as questionable for Week 3, Eddie Lacy will apparently suit up for Monday Night Football, according to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky.

Not only will Lacy be less than 100 percent, he's taking on a stiff Chiefs defense that, according to Pro Football Focus, ranks as the second-stingiest run defense.

How effective will Lacy be in Week 3?

Projections: 15 carries, 70 rushing yards; 3 receptions, 15 receiving yards

Green Bay Packers Backup: James Starks

Close, but no cigar, Mr. Starks. With all the speculation surrounding whether Lacy would suit up or not, Starks was a sneaky play for fantasy owners, but that dream has come and gone with Lacy being active. If Lacy were to leave the game, that's a different story. However, like Davis, Starks will get some touches, but he's mainly a handcuff and a desperation play this week.

Projections: 6 carries, 25 rushing yards; 1 reception, 5 receiving yards

Wide Receivers

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Kansas City Chiefs: Jeremy Maclin

As mentioned previously, the Packers cornerbacks are prone to giving up the deep ball—especially Sam Shields, who has given up a long completion of 50 yards. This is the week, people! A Chiefs wide receiver will finally find the end zone as Alex Smith will throw a deep pass to Maclin. The drought is over! Maclin is a solid play with a solid matchup this week. Start him with confidence.

Projections: 6 receptions, 75 receiving yards, 1 TD

Kansas City Chiefs: Albert Wilson

Wilson is a bit of a mystery. For a guy who plays most of the team's offensive snaps, he doesn't receive a ton of targets. However, as mentioned before, the Packers cornerbacks are very beatable. Hopefully we see an uptick in targets for Wilson, who could become a sneaky points-per-reception player.

Projections: 2 receptions, 25 receiving yards

Kansas City Chiefs: De'Anthony Thomas

While he's been playing the amount of snaps you'd expect a third-string wide receiver to play, Thomas' upside is limited with his quarterback play. However, if you play in leagues where return yards count, Thomas has more upside in those formats.

Projections: 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards

Green Bay Packers: Randall Cobb

With the projection that Aaron Rodgers has four passing touchdowns, you know Cobb is going to get his fair share.

Cobb is a must-start every week, and the Chiefs will have their hands full with him.

Projections: 9 receptions, 110 receiving yards, 2 TDs

Green Bay Packers: Davante Adams

Like teammate Eddie Lacy, Adams was initially listed as questionable, but has been upgraded to probable, according to Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo.

Coming into the season, fantasy owners expected Adams to be a top-25 wide receiver, but it seems as though Packers wide receiver James Jones' return has been spoiling that fun.

Not this week.

Despite the injury, Adams will go out there against the Chiefs and post season-high receptions, receiving totals and catch his very first touchdown of the 2015 campaign.

Projections: 6 receptions, 75 receiving yards, 1 TD

Green Bay Packers: James Jones

If one had to guess a month or so ago how Jones would be doing at this point in the season, you'd probably wonder if he'd even be on a team. However, just two games into the 2015 NFL season, Jones has accounted for three of Aaron Rodgers' passing touchdown total.

While Jones will still have an acceptable game, it's time for him to share his touchdown-scoring load with Adams. Jones will still score double-digit fantasy points in points-per-reception formats.

Projections: 4 receptions, 75 receiving yards

Green Bay Packers: Ty Montgomery

While he's the clear-cut No. 4 wide receiver option in Green Bay over fellow wide receiver Jeff Janis, Montgomery's fantasy impact will be limited unless he's forced into action due to an injury. He's worth a bench stash.

Projections: 2 receptions, 25 receiving yards

Tight Ends

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Kansas City Chiefs Starter: Travis Kelce

There is a ton of star power in this game, and of course that includes Kelce.

It's fair to say he's arguably the No. 1 option in this offense. After a Week 1 performance that left fantasy owners in awe, Week 2 left a lot to be desired.

Going up against the Packers will never result in a 3-0 final score. The Chiefs are going to have to throw, and Kelce and Jeremy Maclin are the primary beneficiaries of that narrative. Additionally, with Packers linebacker Clay Matthews shifting to inside linebacker, expect more space to be open in the field for Kelce to run around like a wild gazelle.

Projections: 6 receptions, 65 receiving yards, 1 TD.

Kansas City Chiefs Backup: James O'Shaughnessy

After totaling over 50 yards receiving in Week 2, O'Shaughnessy has put himself on the fantasy radar. Obviously an injury to Kelce would bode well for his value, but it seems as though he's the No. 3 pass-catching option (seemed like it in Week 2) for this Chiefs offense. It will be interesting to see how O'Shaughnessy does over these next few weeks.

Projections: 3 receptions, 15 receiving yards

Green Bay Packers Starter: Richard Rodgers

Rodgers is a red-zone option for the Packers. It's easy to envision a scenario in which the Packers get inside the 5-yard line and throw a fade to Rodgers in the end zone. While he'll never overwhelm you with his receiving totals, Rodgers is a touchdown-dependent tight end option with upside each week because of his elite quarterback play.

Projections: 3 receptions, 30 receiving yards, 1 TD

Defense/Special Teams

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

Kansas City Chiefs Defense/Special Teams

So far this season, the Chiefs have faced the Houston Texans and quarterback Ryan Mallett and Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. While Manning is one of the best to ever play and not quite done yet, he's in the twilight of his career and threw three touchdowns against these Chiefs.

Say it with confidence: The Chiefs stand zero chance at stopping Aaron Rodgers. Hopefully you had a better option at defense this week.

PS: Marcus Peters will not being doing what he's doing in the above photo on Monday Night Football.

Projections: 34 points allowed, 2 sacks

Green Bay Packers Defense/Special Teams

While you can expect a Packers win in this contest, it will not be because of their defense. The Packers defense is very beatable and will allow a fair amount of points in what could become a bit of a shootout. While there may have been better options out there, you could do much worse.

Projections: 24 points allowed, 1 INT, 3 sacks, 1 FF

Best Sleeper Add

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

1. Richard Rodgers, TE, Green Bay Packers (Owned in 19.2 percent of ESPN Leagues)

While it's understandable that Rodgers' week-to-week outlook is rather sporadic, being owned in just 19.2 percent of ESPN leagues is somewhat low. As noted before, he's a red-zone target for the Packers and his team is quarterbacked by arguably the greatest signal-caller in the game. Oh yeah, almost forgot—he's scoring a touchdown on Monday Night Football.

Injury Report

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

With recent reports of Packers running back Eddie Lacy and wide receiver Davante Adams being upgraded to probable, the Packers should have a few more weapons for Monday Night Football.

Kansas City Chiefs 

Player		Status
Eric Fisher	OT	Probable

Despite being listed as probable, Fisher will start at right tackle for the Chiefs.

Green Bay Packers 

Player		Status
Eddie Lacy	RB	Probable
Davante Adams	WR	Probable
Morgan Burnett	SS	Out

While both skill position players will suit up, the Packers will be without strong safety Morgan Burnett.

Injury reports courtesy of ESPN.com.

Start or Sit?

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

James Jones, WR, Green Bay Packers

With Davante Adams likely to go, Jones' potential to be featured in your fantasy lineup has been called into question. While the projections don't have him scoring, he'll still post a solid fantasy day in points-per-reception formats.

Verdict: Start

Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

Coming into the game banged up and having yet to really post eye-popping numbers, Adams owners are showing a bit of trepidation when it comes to starting the wide receiver. As mentioned before, this is the week where Adams shows you why you drafted him.

Verdict: Start

All advanced stats courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Follow me on Twitter @RichardJanvrin.