Fantasy Football Week 3 Cheat Sheet: Waiver, Rankings, Projections and More

Football fans will hear a lot this week about the pressure beginning to mount on 0-2 teams. That's even more true in the fantasy realm because the regular season is shorter. There's only a limited amount of time to get back on track.

Another thing Week 3 represents is a slight change in philosophy. Whereas in the first few weeks it's common to go the conservative route by relying on the higher draft picks, there should be enough information now to go elsewhere if some of those mid-range starters are struggling.

Aside from the truly elite, must-start options, more thought should go into the secondary and fringe lineup decisions. With that in mind, let's check out some different areas of interest for the final slate before bye weeks become a factor.

Top 5 Skill-Position Rankings

Rank	QB	RB	WR	TE
1	Matthew Stafford	LeSean McCoy	Brandon Marshall	Jimmy Graham
2	Drew Brees	DeMarco Murray	Dez Bryant	Delanie Walker
3	Aaron Rodgers	Arian Foster	Jordy Nelson	Rob Gronkowski
4	Andrew Luck	Marshawn Lynch	Calvin Johnson	Julius Thomas
5	Jay Cutler	Giovani Bernard	Andre Johnson	Antonio Gates

A notable absence from the quarterback section is Peyton Manning. While he will probably crack the top five in every other game, facing the Seattle Seahawks is the worst-case matchup. That doesn't mean he should be benched, but just don't expect him to carry a team like he usually does.

It's hard not to get excited about DeMarco Murray. It seems the Dallas Cowboys are finally committing to the run, as he's racked up 51 carries through two weeks. In turn, he's the top-ranked fantasy running back. Health remains a concern, but for now he's a top-tier option.

In recent years, the Green Bay Packers featured an offense that liked to spread the ball around. It made more players fantasy viable but limited their overall upside. Jordy Nelson is bucking that trend by clearly becoming the favorite option for Aaron Rodgers.

He put up 26 points in Week 2 to push a lot of teams to victory. As Pro Football Focus notes, the high volume of targets makes him an ideal No. 1 fantasy wideout:

"

Through 2 games Jordy Nelson has 30 targets - 5 more than any other WR. On pace for 240 on the season

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 15, 2014"

Antonio Gates is quickly re-establishing himself as a great option at tight end. Left undrafted in many leagues as fantasy owners expected the rise of Ladarius Green, he's put up 35 points through two weeks, while his position mate has just two. Play the veteran with confidence while he's on a roll.

Sleeper Projections

Position	Player	Team	Projection
QB	Ryan Tannehill	MIA	18
RB	Fred Jackson	BUF	14
WR	Greg Jennings	MIN	13
TE	Travis Kelce	KC	11
D/ST	Texans	HOU	13
K	Dan Carpenter	BUF	12

Ryan Tannehill has been merely average through two weeks (12.5 points per game). He should enjoy a more productive outing against a Kansas City Chiefs defense that's giving up 240 yards per game through the air with five touchdowns allowed and no interceptions.

The Buffalo Bills are 2-0 because they are playing smart, pounding it on the ground with Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller while letting the defense handle the rest. Expect more of the same on Sunday, which makes Jackson a solid start against a San Diego Chargers run defense that ranks in the middle of the pack.

There are probably a lot of frustrated fantasy owners after Greg Jennings had just one catch for four yards in Week 2. He's a good bet to bounce back, however. The Minnesota Vikings go up against the New Orleans Saints in a game in which they will likely have to throw a lot to keep up.

Given the lack of depth at tight end, there aren't nearly as many sleeper options as there are at other positions. That said, Travis Kelce made a couple key grabs for the Kansas City Chiefs last week and continues to carve out a niche for himself in the offense. Look for him to find the end zone in Week 3.

The Houston Texans' defense still isn't getting enough attention. The unit ranks second through two games and now gets to face a struggling New York Giants offense. Given Eli Manning's propensity to turn the ball over, it's a very promising fantasy matchup.

Those looking for a streaming option at kicker this week shouldn't look any further than the current top scorer. Dan Carpenter is averaging 14.5 points per game, and there's no reason to believe the Bills' offense will suddenly become more dynamic once they get into scoring range.

Waiver-Wire Targets

Position	Player	Team
QB	Kirk Cousins	WSH
RB	Ahmad Bradshaw	IND
WR	James Jones	OAK
TE	Larry Donnell	NYG

Kirk Cousins entered the game in relief of Robert Griffin III and posted 18 fantasy points against the Jacksonville Jaguars. With no timetable for the latter's return, the Washington Redskins quarterback is a solid reserve option. It wouldn't be a total surprise if he ends up keeping the job, either.

Head coach Jay Gruden is confident the offense is in good hands, as he told reporters:

"

I feel like we can win any game with Kirk Cousins. Kirk is a special guy. He started four games last year and didn't have great success, but obviously has a skill set that I feel like is very much suited for what we do. He can handle it mentally, and obviously, physically. I feel that he can make every throw in the book and we are going to move forward with Kirk.

"

As expected, Trent Richardson is once again failing to impress with a per-carry average below four. It's led to additional touches for Ahmad Bradshaw, who turned them into 21 fantasy points on Monday night. He's definitely worth flex consideration moving forward.

James Jones is a top-10 fantasy receiver through two weeks. It shows the unpredictable nature of the game. Although he shouldn't be expected to maintain that level of play all season, he's seeing enough targets to make him a reliable matchup play.

Lastly, Larry Donnell wasn't even on most fantasy radars coming into the season, but he's getting constant looks for the New York Giants. And at a position where a lot of people are looking for an upgrade, his 19 points in two weeks is attractive.