B/R's Week 3 PPR Fantasy Football 2025 Player Rankings
Well, we made it all of two weeks into the 2025 season before it began.
Carnage.
Chaos.
A plethora of pandemonium.
Frankly, it's not unusual. Every year there are players who fail to meet expectations early in the season. And every single season guys get hurt. But in the moment, it always feels bigger than it is. Like every player who has been a dud or got hurt is on your team.
It's enough to make a fantasy manager hyperventilate.
Well, this column is the paper bag that will help them catch their breath and log a win in Week 3-- position-by-position PPR rankings, breakout and bust candidates, sleeper picks, and top overall flex options.
Quarterbacks
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Injuries are a sad fact of life in the NFL and in fantasy football. But what happened to the quarterback position in Week 2 was just depressing.
Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals is effectively done from a fantasy perspective—he's out three months after surgery to repair a toe injury. J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings could miss a month with a high-ankle sprain. Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders (knee) and Justin Fields of the New York Jets (concussion) are both iffy for Week 3.
It's not just those players sitting out, either. It's the ripples that sends up and down the offense.
Pass the tissues.
Week 3 Quarterback Rankings
Players to Watch in Week 3
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (at BAL) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,400]
Goff lit up the Chicago Bears last week to the tune of 334 yards and five touchdowns, and in Week 3 he faces a Ravens defense that was 31st in pass defense a year ago and has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (at CHI) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,900]
Prescott rebounded in Week 2's shootout win over the New York Giants, throwing for 361 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Chicago's pass defense is so bad that it made J.J. McCarthy look good in Week 1. That ain't easy, folks.
Players to Avoid in Week 3
Patrick Mahomes II, Kansas City Chiefs (at NYG) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,500]
The Giants are not good on the back end—see last week's gonzo game against Dallas. But New York can get after the quarterback, and the Kansas City offense is in absolute shambles. At least Mahomes will probably lead the team in rushing—again.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (vs. DAL) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,600]
After the Cowboys were shredded by Russell Wilson of the New York Giants to the tune of 450 passing yards last week, this would appear a gravy matchup. But fantasy confidence in Williams' ability to take advantage of that matchup is shaky—at best.
Week 3 Sleeper
Russell Wilson, New York Giants (vs. KC) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,300]
Wilson's 450 passing yards last week against the Cowboys was a career-high. The Giants can't run the ball effectively. And two games into the season, the Chiefs have given up the ninth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Running Backs
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Raise your hand if you picked James Cook of the Buffalo Bills to be fantasy football's No. 1 running back after two weeks.
After tying for the NFL lead in rushing scores last year with 16, Cook has picked up right where he left off a season ago, finding the end zone three times already on the ground. Cook is also averaging 5.2 yards per carry and has surpassed 100 total yards in both games.
With a floundering Miami Dolphins team next up that is allowing 139 yards per game on the ground, there's little reason to think Cook won't keep cooking in Week 3.
What? Too on the nose?
Week 3 Running Back Rankings
Players to Watch in Week 3
Breece Hall, New York Jets (at TB) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,000]
After an offseason of talk of a split backfield in New York, Hall has been the clear lead back for the Jets this season. With Justin Fields in the concussion protocol and Tyrod Taylor looking likely to start, New York will lean on Hall and the ground game that much more in Week 3.
Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings (vs. CIN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,400]
With Aaron Jones Sr. sidelined at least a month with a hamstring injury, Mason will have the Vikings backfield to himself against a Bengals team allowing more PPR points to running backs than any team in the AFC.
Players to Avoid in Week 3
Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders (at WAS) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,700]
The Raiders apparently drafted Jeanty sixth overall so that he could watch Zamir White from the sidelines—Jeanty had just 11 carries in Week 2 against the Chargers and draws a Commanders team surrendering the seventh-fewest PPR points to running backs this season.
Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers (at CLE) [DraftKings DFS Value: $7,000]
Jacobs is only averaging 3.6 yards per carry this year, but he has found the end zone in both games. The sledding won't be easy Sunday—the Browns are barely allowing 45 rushing yards per game and just put the clamps on Baltimore's Derrick Henry.
Week 3 Sleeper
Rachaad White, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYJ) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,100]
After being invisible in Week 1, White had a much larger role in week 2—12 touches for 67 yards and a touchdown. The Jets are 24th in the league in run defense, allowing 138.5 rushing yards per game.
Wide Receivers
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So, um, things are getting a little dicey at wide receiver two weeks into the season.
The top two wideouts drafted in most leagues (Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings) will be playing with backup quarterbacks for the foreseeable future. Brian Thomas Jr. of the Jacksonville Jaguars developed T-Rex arms last week in Cincinnati. Search parties have been called out to try to locate A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles.
As Chase showed last week, it only takes one big game to restore order to the universe. But quite a few fantasy managers are considering taking up day-drinking (responsibly, of course).
It's five o'clock somewhere.
Week 3 Wide Receiver Rankings
Players to Watch in Week 3
Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders (vs. LV) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,800]
McLaurin is another big-name pass-catcher who has opened the 2025 season on the side of a milk carton. This is an excellent get-right spot—no AFC team has given up more PPR points to wide receivers this year than the Raiders.
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions (at BAL) [DraftKings DFS Value: $5,900]
Williams had just two receptions last week against the Chicago Bears, but one was a 64-yard touchdown catch. The Ravens were 31st in the league against the pass last year and sit in that exact same spot two games into 2025.
Players to Avoid in Week 3
Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals (at MIN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,100]
Higgins was OK with three grabs for 56 yards and a score. But jake Browning's progressions appear to be "chuck the ball in the general direction of Ja'Marr Chase and hope for the best." The Burrow injury hurts Higgins—significantly.
Garrett Wilson, New York Jets (at TB) [DraftKings DFS Value: $6,200]
Wilson caught seven passes for 95 yards in a score in the season opener, but his numbers dipped last week against the Bills. Now he'll be playing with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback against a Tampa Bay team that held Nico Collins in check last week.
Week 3 Sleeper
Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (vs. Kansas City) [DraftKings DFS Value: $4,700]
After exploding vs. Dallas for eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown last week against the Dallas Cowboys, Robinson is ninth in PPR points among wide receivers heading into Sunday night's matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tight Ends
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If the wide receiver position is a little dicey, the tight ends are cataclysmic.
The No. 1 option heading into the season (Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders) is hurt, and while he played in Week 2 he clearly wasn't 100 percent. The longtime king at the position (Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs) is apparently trying to make at least one staggeringly bad play per game—and hitting his quota.
Fantasy managers who drafted Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals or Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers are pleased two weeks into the season.
The rest of us? Aggrieved. Irked. Piqued, even.
Week 3 Tight End Rankings
Players to Watch in Week 3
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (at SEA) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,900]
All Johnson has done two games into the season is amass 21 targets, 13 catches and score at least 15 PPR points in both contests. Johnson has quietly become an every-week starter at tight end—especially in a plus matchup like this week's trip to Seattle.
Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons (at CAR) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,900]
Pitts hasn't posted big numbers so far this season, but he has been targeted 13 times through two games and faces a Carolina Panthers team this week that has allowed the third-most PPR points to tight ends in 2025.
Players to Avoid in Week 3
Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens (vs. DET) [DraftKings DFS Value]
Apparently, Andrews has decided that he no longer plays football in the month of September. For the second straight season, Andrews is nowhere to be found on the stat sheet—he has two catches for seven yards on the season.
Evan Engram, Denver Broncos (at LAC) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,700]
Engram was supposed to be the new "Joker" in Sean Payton's offense in Denver. As it turns out, the joke is on fantasy managers—Engram has been a non-factor with the Broncos and caught a single pass last week in Indianapolis.
Week 3 Sleeper
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders (at WAS) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,000]
This is admittedly a "Hail Mary" play. But if the Raiders decide to shut Brock Bowers down for a week or two, Mayer's fantasy value would skyrocket—folks forget how highly-regarded he was coming out of Notre Dame.
Team Defenses and Kickers
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Remember when 50-plus yard field goals were a big deal?
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
In 2025, 50-yard kicks are nothing. Per Mike Sando of the Athletic, through 14 games in Week 2, 15 successful kicks were made from 50-plus yards—the third most since 2000. Two more were made in Monday night's double-header.
Partly it's the rule changes involving the balls used for kicks. Partly it's that kickers are just stronger than they used to be.
But Brandon Aubrey of the Dallas Cowboys hit a 64-yard field goal to force overtime Sunday against the New York Giants—and it would have been good from 70. Cam Little of the Jaguars hit a 70-yarder in the preseason.
The NFL record for longest field goal is living on borrowed time.
Week 3 Team Defense Rankings
Week 3 Kicker Rankings
Players to Watch in Week 3
Indianapolis Colts Defense (at TEN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,300]
The Colts have some talent on defense, but this is strictly a matchup play—two games into the 2025 season, the Titans look a lot like a team being led by a rookie quarterback. Said rookie quarterback (Cam Ward) has been sacked 11 times.
Jake Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. LAR)
Elliott has been fairly quiet this season, although he has hit on all three of his field goal attempts—including a 58-yarder. This season, the Rams have given up the third-most fantasy points to kickers.
Players to Avoid in Week 3
Baltimore Ravens Defense (vs. DET) [DraftKings DFS Value: $3,200]
The Lions had trouble moving the ball at Lambeau Field, but dropped a 50-burger on the Chicago Bears in Week 2. The Ravens put it on Cleveland last week, but the Baltimore pass defense remains the same problem it was in 2024.
Cam Little, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. HOU)
Little is this writer's new favorite kicker after his preseason exploits, and he's a perfect 6-for-6 on field goal tries this season. But the Texans aren't letting kickers have any fun this year—31st in fantasy points given up to the position.
Week 3 Sleeper
Cincinnati Bengals Defense (at MIN) [DraftKings DFS Value: $2,400]
Are the Bengals a good defensive football team? Nope. But the Minnesota Vikings will be starting Carson Wentz under center Sunday, and it's entirely possible they will also be rolling out a third-string left tackle.
Overall Player Rankings
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This list of the top players overall for PPR leagues in Week 3 can assist fantasy managers with "flex" lineup decisions. It does not, however, contain quarterbacks—if you play in a "superflex" league and have a viable second quarterback, he goes in that spot.
Given the carnage under center in Week 3, that's easier said than done though.
This is an easy time of year to come unglued, especially if a fantasy squad comes out of the gate 0-2. This analyst has a few (I know—it's stunning). But one of those 0-2 teams is among the league leaders in points—there were just a couple of bad beats. With injuries also taking a toll, many fantasy managers are standing on a ledge, ready to jump.
Don't.
All it takes to get back to .500 is stringing a couple of wins together. If a few slow starters warm up, you could be sitting at 4-2 in a month and wondering why you were freaking out before.
It's a long season.
Besides, there will plenty of time to freak out if Week 3 goes sideways too.
Week 3 Overall Rankings
Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.
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