Fantasy Football Week 3 Rankings: Matchups We Love and Player Stat Projections

Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season is off and running.

The San Francisco 49ers opened the slate with their 30-12 triumph over the visiting New York Giants. Fantasy football managers with exposure to San Francisco's side of that contest already have a leg up on the competition. Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey popped for triple-digit scrimmage yards and a score, George Kittle had seven receptions for 90 yards and Brock Purdy authored his first 300-yard performance in a regular season game.

For anyone who played a member of the Giants, though, you're probably looking for a way out of the hole this contest created for you. No one on New York cleared 20 rushing yards or 35 receiving yards. It was rough.

Still, that was just one of 16 games on the slate, so there are myriad opportunities to either make up ground or maintain momentum. Let's dive deeper into this schedule with PPR rankings and a player with the best matchup at each of the three marquee positions.

Quarterback

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings scrambles out of the pocket during at Lincoln Financial Field on September 14, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Top 10

1. Patrick Mahomes, KC (vs. CHI)

2. Jalen Hurts, PHI (at TB)

3. Lamar Jackson, BAL (vs. IND)

4. Josh Allen, BUF (at WAS)

5. Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (vs. DEN)

6. Kirk Cousins, MIN (vs. LAC)

7. Justin Herbert, LAC (at MIN)

8. Joe Burrow, CIN (vs. LAR)

9. Trevor Lawrence, JAX (vs. HOU)

10. Justin Fields, CHI (at KC)

Best matchup: Kirk Cousins vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Cousins may not need a favorable matchup to post bonkers numbers in fantasy. Both of his first two outings featured better than 340 passing yards with a combined six touchdown passes and only a single interception.

The football gods have given him a juicy matchup anyway against a Chargers defense allowing the second-most fantasy points to the position, per Yahoo. L.A.'s ranking might be skewed a bit by Tua Tagovailoa's Week 1 eruption, but this defense couldn't bother Ryan Tannehill in Week 2, as he completed 83.3 percent of his passes and threw for 246 yards after failing to clear the 200-yard mark in three of his four previous games.

Projected stats: 317 passing yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions

Running Back

Set Number: X164422 TK1

Football: Las Vegas Raiders Josh Jacobs (8) in action, runs the football vs. Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium. Denver, CO 9/10/2023 CREDIT: Jamie Schwaberow (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X164422 TK1)

Top 20

1. Bijan Robinson, ATL (at DET)

2. Tony Pollard, DAL (at ARI)

3. Josh Jacobs, LV (vs. PIT)

4. Derrick Henry, TEN (at CLE)

5. Kyren Williams, LAR (at CIN)

6. Travis Etienne, JAX (vs. HOU)

7. Joe Mixon, CIN (vs. LAR)

8. Kenneth Walker III, SEA (vs. CAR)

9. Jahmyr Gibbs, DET (vs. ATL)

10. Aaron Jones, GB (vs. NO)

11. James Cook, BUF (at WAS)

12. Rhamondre Stevenson, NE (at NYJ)

13. Javonte Williams, DEN (at MIA)

14. Miles Sanders, CAR (at SEA)

15. Isiah Pacheco, KC (vs. CHI)

16. Raheem Mostert, MIA (vs. DEN)

17. Alexander Mattison, MIN (vs. LAC)

18. Jerome Ford, CLE (vs. TEN)

19. Zack Moss, IND (at BAL)

20. Brian Robinson Jr., WAS (vs. BUF)

Best matchup: Josh Jacobs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The running back position has proved a bigger headache than expected, as injuries have decimated its top tier. But it also hasn't helped that a few early-round selections have fallen short of expectations. Josh Jacobs is one of them. His 28 carries have yielded an almost impossibly low 46 yards, and he hasn't done enough as a pass-catcher (seven receptions for 74 yards) to compensate for that tough-sledding.

Few players need a get-right game more than him, and this could be the perfect matchup to make it happen. The Chargers have allowed the most fantasy points to running backs and been shredded by every one they've faced: Christian McCaffrey (169 scrimmage yards and a score), Nick Chubb (10 carries for 64 yards before his injury) and Jerome Ford (131 scrimmage yards and a touchdown).

Projected stats: 83 rushing yards, 24 receiving yards, one touchdown

Wide Receiver

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings runs the ball during at Lincoln Financial Field on September 14, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Top 20

1. Justin Jefferson, MIN (vs. LAC)

2. Tyreek Hill, MIA (vs. DEN)

3. Davante Adams, LV (vs. PIT)

4. Ja'Marr Chase, CIN (vs. LAR)

5. Stefon Diggs, BUF (at WAS)

6. Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET (vs. ATL)

7. Puka Nacua, LAR (at CIN)

8. CeeDee Lamb, DAL (at ARI)

9. Keenan Allen, LAC (at MIN)

10. DeVonta Smith, PHI (at TB)

11. Chris Olave, NO (at GB)

12. A.J. Brown, PHI (at TB)

13. Jaylen Waddle, MIA (vs. DEN)

14. Calvin Ridley, JAX (vs. HOU)

15. Mike Evans, TB (vs. PHI)

16. Michael Pittman Jr., IND (at BAL)

17. Tee Higgins, CIN (vs. LAR)

18. DK Metcalf, SEA (vs. CAR)

19. Mike Williams, LAC (at MIN)

20. Chris Godwin, TB (vs. PHI)

Best matchup: Justin Jefferson vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Justin Jefferson is unstoppable regardless who he's going up against. He is heavily discussed in opponents' game plans, and he still carves through one defense after the next. Of the 25 passes sent his way, 20 have resulted in catches spanning a combined 309 yards.

It's possible his numbers could still improve on Sunday. That's when he'll go toe-to-toe with a Chargers defense allowing the most fantasy points to receivers—by a mile. Tyreek Hill went for 215 yards and two scores against them in the opener. Jefferson's stat line could be just as absurd.

Projected stats: Nine receptions, 142 receiving yards, two touchdowns