Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings: Projecting Top QB Performances

The one position that translates well between real and fantasy football is the quarterback.

Because the NFL has become so heavily reliant on the passing game, a quarterback that puts up large numbers is certainly at a major competitive advantage.

Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints emulates this well, as he is their main offensive threat to move the chains at a high rate. In addition, Brees faces a vulnerable Kansas City Chiefs defense this week.

With that matchup, does Brees take the No. 1 quarterback fantasy spot of Week 3?

Well, with some other top gunslingers like Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady playing against much stronger defenses, Brees certainly could finish as such. To that end, let's find out which quarterbacks will finish as the top fantasy performers this weekend.

5. Tony Romo, Cowboys (vs. Buccaneers)

Last Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers performed well against Eli Manning...until the fourth quarter.

Well, Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys has similar capabilities and is also backed by a strong ground game and defense.

The Bucs are still quite young outside of Ronde Barber, and Dallas' receiving corps are capable of consistently beating single coverage. Tampa Bay also lacks a dominant pass rush, so Romo will have time to dice up the secondary.

With DeMarco Murray slamming on the ground, Dallas will easily set up play action to attack downfield.

Projection: 26-of-42, 315 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions.

4. Robert Griffin III, Redskins (vs. Bengals)

Last Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals were shredded by Brandon Weeden of the Cleveland Browns.

This Sunday, the Bengals face an even more explosive quarterback and offense in the Washington Redskins—led by Robert Griffin III, of course.

His mobility alone will buy time in an out of the pocket and allow him to take advantage of any broken plays. The Bengals will need to keep him contained to keep him from making things happen with his feet, but that only opens up the zone coverage even more.

RG3 may not launch downfield too often; however, Washington's receivers get solid yards after the catch.

Projection: 24-of-35, 290 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, 50 rushing yards, one touchdown.

3. Matt Ryan, Falcons (at Chargers)

If the Atlanta Falcons want to remain undefeated, then Matt Ryan must be unleashed like never before in Week 3.

The San Diego Chargers field an opportunistic defense and experienced secondary capable of slowing Atlanta down.

On the flip side, the Dirty Birds present—arguably—the NFL's best receiving targets and a reliable ground game in short-yard situations. To win, the Falcons must perform an offensive blitzkrieg of the Bolts' defense.

In other words, come out blazing from the opening kickoff and force Philip Rivers to outplay Ryan. Atlanta's defense is significantly improved from 2011, so pushing the pace favors the Dirty Birds quite well.

Projection: 30-of-45 for 310 yards, four touchdowns, one interception.

2. Drew Brees, Saints (vs. Chiefs)

Over the course of two weeks the Kansas City Chiefs have allowed 75 points and have yet to record an interception.

So as you can see, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints have every reason to feel confident this week.

Not to mention that Brees is the key factor in New Orleans' offensive production. Therefore, he will need to burn K.C.'s defense all over the field to get a win. We have to remember that the Chiefs do present a capable pass rush, so anticipate Brees utilizing quickly developing plays and sprint outs.

This will get Kansas City moving in one direction or another which, in turn, also helps take pressure off the ground game. Nonetheless, the Chiefs have yet to prove their ability to slow any offense down, and Brees will spread the field as usual.

Projection: 34-of-47, 335 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions.

1. Matthew Stafford, Lions (at Titans)

The Tennessee Titans field one of the NFL's worst overall defenses, and the Detroit Lions' offense is quite the contrary.

For one, Tennessee has given up 72 points in two games and an average of 403 total yards per contest.

Talk about a mismatch for Matthew Stafford and company.

Last Sunday, Detroit faced the NFL's best defense in the San Francisco 49ers and performed better than in Week 1. Now, the Lions get a much easier challenge in Tennessee, and Stafford is looking for an expected road win.

Simply put: Detroit is hungry for a win after losing in Week 2, and Stafford is due for a big game.

Projection: 36-of-50, 350 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions.

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