Fantasy Football Week 3 Rankings: Latest Position-by-Position Rundown

Fantasy football isn't always fun. Owners found that out in Week 2 with the countless injuries that ravaged teams.

Between the countless decisions and switching players in and out of the starting lineup, fantasy can get monotonous. Thanks to an insane amount of shake-ups on rosters and waiver wire additions, this week has been anything but, making it a difficult one to predict.

Several tough matchups make the decisions even more difficult, but others are rising in the rankings thanks to easy tests this week. Regardless of the situation, some players like Peyton Manning and Marshawn Lynch will still be in for every league.

Before the full Sunday slate of games gets underway, here's a look at the positional rankings for Week 3 in fantasy football.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Drew Brees	NO	MIN
2	Andrew Luck	IND	@JAC
3	Aaron Rodgers	GB	@DET
4	Peyton Manning	DEN	@SEA
5	Matthew Stafford	DET	GB
6	Jay Cutler	CHI	@NYJ
7	Cam Newton	CAR	PIT
8	Tom Brady	NE	OAK
9	Nick Foles	PHI	WAS
10	Russell Wilson	SEA	DEN
11	Philip Rivers	SD	@BUF
12	Tony Romo	DAL	@STL
13	Kirk Cousins	WAS	@PHI
14	Colin Kaepernick	SF	@ARI
15	Andy Dalton	CIN	TEN

When it comes to polarizing figures in the NFL, Jay Cutler is as big as they come. But for fantasy owners, he's becoming a reliable option after a good start against the San Francisco 49ers.

Bears coach Marc Trestman spoke about his quarterback, per Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com:

"

I think Jay has had an excellent start to the season, minus one play. He led the way this whole week. He did it with his demeanor right after the game; he did it throughout the week in our building. The way he carried himself, the way he supported his teammates, the way he prepared for this game.

We all looked to him this week to see how he'd handle the adversity of last week, and he stood tall through the week.

"

This week, Cutler faces off against a porous defense in the New York Jets. Through two weeks, the Jets have surrendered an average of 21.29 points to fantasy quarterbacks, meaning Cutler is a safe bet for owners worried about the QB1 ahead of him.

As if they needed it, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck all face defenses they can trounce. Peyton Manning may not have the best matchup, but that's not going to stop owners who took him in either the first or second round from starting the elite signal-caller.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	LeSean McCoy	PHI	WAS
2	Arian Foster	HOU	@NYG
3	DeMarco Murray	DAL	@STL
4	Giovani Bernard	CIN	TEN
5	Alfred Morris	WAS	@PHI
6	Marshawn Lynch	SEA	DEN
7	Matt Forte	CHI	@NYJ
8	Eddie Lacy	GB	@DET
9	Knile Davis	KC	@MIA
10	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	@CAR
11	Zac Stacy	STL	DAL
12	Rashad Jennings	NYG	HOU
13	Montee Ball	DEN	@SEA
14	C.J. Spiller	BUF	SD
15	Andre Ellington	ARI	SF
16	Darren Sproles	PHI	WAS
17	Lamar Miller	MIA	KC
18	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	PIT
19	Bernard Pierce	BAL	@CLE
20	Stevan Ridley	NE	OAK

Regardless of who gets the start for the Kansas City Chiefs, both players look like top-10 fantasy backs.

Jamaal Charles was sidelined early in Week 2 due to an ankle injury, and Knile Davis more than filled the void with two touchdowns. Herbie Teope of The Associated Press noted Charles returned to practice on Thursday:

Davis is currently listed inside of the top 10, but that position could easily be Charles' if he starts. Depending on who gets the call, either player will be primed for a great performance against the Miami Dolphins.

Marshawn Lynch faces a difficult defense but has been known to step up at home in pressure situations. As for the top three, each one is obvious, with any player capable of putting up a 20-point performance in Week 3.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Calvin Johnson	DET	GB
2	Brandon Marshall	CHI	@NYJ
3	Jordy Nelson	GB	@DET
4	Dez Bryant	DAL	@STL
5	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	@SEA
6	Andre Johnson	HOU	@NYG
7	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	@NYJ
8	Cordarrelle Patterson	MIN	@NO
9	Randall Cobb	GB	@DET
10	Antonio Brown	PIT	@CAR
11	Percy Harvin	SEA	DEN
12	A.J. Green	CIN	TEN
13	Keenan Allen	SD	@BUF
14	Jeremy Maclin	PHI	WAS
15	Mike Wallace	MIA	KC
16	Reggie Wayne	IND	@JAC
17	DeSean Jackson	WAS	@PHI
18	Michael Crabtree	SF	@ARI
19	Pierre Garcon	WAS	@PHI
20	Larry Fitzgerald	AZ	vs SF

One receiver making a surprise visit inside the top 10 this week is Cordarrelle Patterson. The Minnesota Vikings wideout has a great matchup this week and will look to exploit it on the ground and through the air.

Ian Kenyon of Bleacher Report provides a look at the versatility from Patterson:

Patterson exploded in Week 1 with a total of 128 yards and a touchdown but was dismal last weekend. The New Orleans Saints are allowing the seventh-most points to running backs (25.40) and second-most to receivers (29.45).

The usual can be expected from players such as Calvin Johnson and Jordy Nelson, but expect another tough week for Antonio Brown. Going against the Carolina Panthers, his spot in the top 10 is debatable, as he will certainly be tested on Sunday night.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Jimmy Graham	NO	MIN
2	Julius Thomas	DEN	@SEA
3	Rob Gronkowski	NE	OAK
4	Dennis Pitta	BAL	@CLE
5	Greg Olsen	CAR	PIT
6	Zach Ertz	PHI	WAS
7	Jordan Cameron	CLE	BAL
8	Vernon Davis	SF	@ARI
9	Charles Clay	MIA	KC
10	Antonio Gates	SD	@BUF

Remember that time before the fantasy draft when it was difficult to figure out who the backup tight end should be on your roster? Those who wound up with Zach Ertz have to be pretty happy through two weeks.

Early in the season, he has been sensational with limited receptions. Gil Brandt of NFL.com takes a look at his yards-per-catch average through two weeks:

Ertz has seven receptions for 163 yards and a touchdown in just two games. Going up against a Washington Redskins defense that allowed 13.10 points to Jacksonville Jaguars tight ends last week, Ertz should have another good game.

Along with Ertz, Charles Clay and Dennis Pitta also have great matchups. All three should put up good numbers but still won't likely be in the same realm as Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski or Julius Thomas.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent
1	Justin Tucker	BAL	@CLE
2	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	OAK
3	Steven Hauschka	SEA	DEN
4	Dan Bailey	DAL	@STL
5	Nick Novak	SD	@BUF
6	Mason Crosby	GB	@DET
7	Adam Vinatieri	IND	@JAC
8	Cody Parkey	PHI	WAS
9	Graham Gano	CAR	PIT
10	Shayne Graham	NO	MIN

Teams that tend to flake out in the red zone typically have pretty consistent kickers. Then again, franchises that score touchdowns on a consistent basis will put up a great amount of PATs. Predicting kickers is nearly impossible, so just roll with what you've got and hope for the best.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Unit	Opponent
1	Patriots	Raiders
2	Bengals	Titans
3	Panthers	Steelers
4	49ers	Cardinals
5	Texans	Giants
6	Cardinals	49ers
7	Seahawks	Broncos
8	Broncos	Seahawks
9	Ravens	Browns
10	Colts	Jaguars

Much like kickers, defenses shouldn't require too much thought. For units that have a good matchups this week like the New England Patriots and Houston Texans, it's an obvious start.

Owners who selected the Seattle Seahawks early, rolling with them might be tough after their Week 2 performance. But there's a reason why they are the No. 1 defense in the league, and they will look to prove it against the Broncos.

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