Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections: 5 Players Sure to Rack Up Big Points

Fantasy Football can be rewarding, but it can also be frustrating. Whether your early-round picks aren't playing well, the injuries are beginning to mount or you made the wrong lineup decision, sometimes you just want to bang your head against a wall.

Heading into Week 3 some interesting things are already beginning to happen. A select few owners have decided to bench Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson based on his slow start, while Cam Newton has gone from fantasy afterthought to being owned in 99 percent of ESPN leagues.

While digging around the waiver wire to find a great sleeper is a fun way to burn some time at work, you should always go with the more proven commodities at this point in the season. Two weeks isn't a large enough sample size to start benching your stars.

Here are five players that are sure to rack up big points and shouldn't be left on the bench.

QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick (Buffalo)

Ryan Fitzpatrick has led the Buffalo Bills offense to nearly 40 points per game through two weeks and is quickly becoming a must-start fantasy player in Chan Gailey's quarterback-friendly offense. His strong start should continue against the New England Patriots on Sunday.

The Patriots allowed Chad Henne to score 29 fantasy points in Week 1 and Philip Rivers to score 14 last week, which bodes well for Fitzpatrick. As does the fact that the game has all the makings of a shootout for first place in the AFC East.

The emergence of David Nelson to replace the traded Lee Evans is the main reason the Bills were able to comeback against the Raiders last week and should help Fitzpatrick remain a hot fantasy commodity moving forward.

Prediction: 24-of-38 for 255 yards and two touchdowns

RB: Chris Johnson (Tennessee)

Chris Johnson is being placed on the bench by 0.5 percent of owners in ESPN leagues and eight percent of owners in Yahoo! leagues. That's just ludicrous. Nobody should be benching the Tennessee Titans running back after just two weeks.

His holdout during the preseason cost him practice time, but Johnson should be getting close to full fitness. In Week 3, he's going up against a Denver Broncos defense that has allowed 260 rushing yards so far and looks like a perfect opponent for a breakout performance.

You drafted Johnson early in the first round because you expected him to lead your team to the playoffs and beyond. His disappointing start will soon be a thing of the past as he'll start performing at a high-level again. You don't want him on the bench when that happens.

Prediction: 25 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown

RB: Ryan Mathews (San Diego)

The presence of Mike Tolbert in the San Diego Chargers backfield makes Ryan Mathews a roller coaster fantasy player. It's especially frustrating when Mathews does all the heavy lifting throughout the drive and Norv Turner brings Tolbert in near the goal line.

That said, you can't afford to leave him on your bench against the lowly Chiefs. Kansas City has given up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. The makes both San Diego backs fantasy worthy in Week 3, but Mathews is more likely to have a huge game.

The time share has been even so far, but Mathews is gaining 4.5 yards per carry while Tolbert is averaging a dreadful 2.1. If that split continues, Mathews should see his playing time increase. If he can stay healthy, he'll be a top 10 back at season's end.

Prediction: 18 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns

WR: Roddy White (Atlanta)

One of the more disappointing fantasy players through two weeks is Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White. The seventh-year UAB product has scored just 14 points and is averaging less than eight yards per catch.

With a pivotal division game against Tampa Bay in Week 3, he'll need to step up. Don't be deceived by Tampa Bay's strong ranking against opposing WRs (12th) because they took advantage of a weak Vikings passing game in Week 2. The Lions fared well against them the previous week.

White had 11 catches against the NFC South rivals last season, but didn't have a touchdown. The previous season he had two TDs in the same number of catches, showing just how volatile that stat can be during the course of a single game.

Prediction: seven catches for 88 yards and a touchdown

TE: Rob Gronkowski (New England)

With Aaron Hernandez injured, Rob Gronkowski will handle all of the tight end duties for the New England Patriots in Week 3—and that's a lot of duties. He's averaging 17 fantasy points per week, and there's no reason that shouldn't continue against the Bills.

Like mentioned on the Fitzpatrick slide, this game is going to be a shootout, and Tom Brady doesn't lose many of those. Gronkowski has become one of Brady's favorite targets, especially in the red zone, and should take advantage of a question set of Buffalo linebackers.

It's also a homecoming game for the second-year tight end who grew up in the Buffalo suburb of Williamsville. He's maintained during the week that the trip is simply business, but you know he'll want to put on a show in front of friends and family.

Prediction: six catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns