Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings: Breaking Down Each Position
Injuries took their toll on a few lineups in Week 2 of the NFL season. While those casualties are unfortunate for the individuals who were injured and the teams that have to find replacements, the events have created opportunities for others to step up.
At least one of these opportunities might create a breakout fantasy star for Week 3 and beyond. Here's a look at the Week 3 schedule and positional rankings for the upcoming slate of football.
| Washington | NY Giants |
| Atlanta | Dallas |
| Indianapolis | Tennessee |
| Oakland | Cleveland |
| Cincinnati | Baltimore |
| Jacksonville | New England |
| New Orleans | Carolina |
| Philadelphia | NY Jets |
| Tampa Bay | Houston |
| San Diego | Minnesota |
| Pittsburgh | St. Louis |
| San Francisco | Arizona |
| Buffalo | Miami |
| Chicago | Seattle |
| Denver | Detroit |
| Kansas City | Green Bay |
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Quarterbacks
| 1. | Carson Palmer | ARI |
| 2 | Ben Roethlisberger | PIT |
| 3 | Tom Brady | NE |
| 4 | Andrew Luck | IND |
| 5 | Peyton Manning | DEN |
| 6 | Brandon Weeden | DAL |
| 7 | Derek Carr | OAK |
| 8 | Andy Dalton | CIN |
| 9 | Joe Flacco | BAL |
| 10 | Aaron Rodgers | GB |
| 11 | Philip Rivers | SD |
| 12 | Russell Wilson | SEA |
| 13 | Teddy Bridgewater | MIN |
| 14 | Ryan Tannehill | MIA |
| 15 | Drew Brees | NO |
Carson Palmer
After shredding the Chicago Bears for four touchdown passes in the Arizona Cardinals' 48-23 win in the Windy City on Sunday, Carson Palmer has seven TD passes and just one pick through the first two weeks of the season.
In Week 3, he has another favorable matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Niners defense is a shell of what it has been the last few years, and it will be no match for a hot Palmer and rejuvenated Larry Fitzgerald. Three of Palmer's touchdown passes went to Fitzgerald on Sunday.
The two are building the chemistry they hadn't been able to establish with Palmer missing all but six games last season. Look for them to be among the most dominant fantasy duos of the week.
Brandon Weeden
Brandon Weeden looked great in relief of Tony Romo on Sunday. He completed all seven of his passes, and he looks ready to take control of the Dallas Cowboys offense in Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons.
While Weeden won't have injured wide receiver Dez Bryant, he does have arguably the best offensive line in the NFL and Terrance Williams, who is ready to step into Bryant's role.
Running Backs
| 1. | Matt Forte | CHI |
| 2. | Adrian Peterson | MIN |
| 3. | Marshawn Lynch | SEA |
| 4. | Alfred Morris | WAS |
| 5. | Joseph Randle | DAL |
| 6. | Jamal Charles | KC |
| 7. | Le’Veon Bell | PIT |
| 8. | Carlos Hyde | SF |
| 9. | Chris Ivory | NYJ |
| 10. | Giovani Bernard | CIN |
| 11. | Andre Ellington | ARI |
| 12. | Melvin Gordon | SD |
| 13. | LeSean McCoy | BUF |
| 14. | C.J. Anderson | DEN |
| 15. | Dexter McCluster | TEN |
| 16. | James Starks | GB |
| 17. | Jonathan Stewart | CAR |
| 18. | Darren McFadden | DAL |
| 19. | Jeremy Langford | CHI |
| 20. | Frank Gore | IND |
| 21. | DeAngelo Williams | PIT |
| 22. | Matt Jones | WAS |
| 23. | TJ Yeldon | JAX |
| 24. | Bishop Sankey | TEN |
| 25. | Doug Martin | TB |
With a banged-up Jay Cutler out for at least two weeks with a strained hamstring, per ESPN Insider Adam Schefter, the Bears aren't going to beat a desperate Seattle Seahawks team, but you can bet Matt Forte will touch the ball often in defeat.
Through two games, he is averaging 24 touches and 139.5 yards from scrimmage per game. He's only found the end zone once, which is troubling for fantasy owners. However, because of his versatility and the Bears' shaky wide receivers, Forte is the surest fantasy bet at running back.
The real Adrian Peterson showed up in Week 2 as he ran for 134 yards on 29 carries for the Minnesota Vikings. That's just the beginning for Peterson as he'll have another shot at gashing a vulnerable San Diego Chargers defense.
The Chargers have allowed 4.8 yards per carry so far this season. Peterson should be a top performer against that defense.
Wide Receivers
| 1 | Antonio Brown | PIT |
| 2 | TY Hilton | IND |
| 3 | Julio Jones | ATL |
| 4 | Odell Beckham Jr. | NYG |
| 5 | Larry Fitzgerald | ARI |
| 6 | Keenan Allen | SD |
| 7 | Terrance Williams | DAL |
| 8 | Julian Edelman | NE |
| 9 | Michael Crabtree | OAK |
| 10 | Calvin Johnson | DET |
| 11 | Amari Cooper | OAK |
| 12 | Demaryius Thomas | DEN |
| 13 | Nate Washington | HOU |
| 14 | A.J. Green | CIN |
| 15 | Randall Cobb | GB |
| 16 | James Jones | GB |
| 17 | Michael Floyd | ARI |
| 18. | Jordan Matthews | PHI |
| 19 | Allen Robinson | JAX |
| 20 | Steve Smith Sr. | BAL |
| 21 | Emmanuel Sanders | DEN |
| 22 | Travis Benjamin | CLE |
| 23 | Victor Cruz | NYG |
| 24 | Roddy White | ATL |
| 25 | Alshon Jeffery | CHI |
| 26 | Doug Baldwin | SEA |
| 27 | DeAndre Hopkins | HOU |
| 28 | Louis Murphy | TB |
| 29 | Mike Wallace | MIN |
| 30 | Golden Tate | DET |
| 31 | Marquess Wilson | CHI |
| 32 | Davante Adams | GB |
| 33 | Jerricho Cotchery | CAR |
| 34 | Eddie Royal | CHI |
| 35 | Kendall Wright | TEN |
It feels almost as if 100 receiving yards and a touchdown is a given for Antonio Brown every week. If you count the postseason, he has hit the century mark and found paydirt at least once in his last three regular-season games.
He and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be in for a stiff test against the St. Louis Rams defense, but Brown and Ben Roethlisberger have such a rapport that they won't be held down. In two games this season, Brown has 18 receptions for 328 yards and two touchdowns.
With his quickness, sure hands and immaculate route-running ability, he'll again get his numbers against the Rams.
Tight Ends
| 1. | Rob Gronkowski | NE |
| 2. | Travis Kelce | KC |
| 3. | Jared Cook | STL |
| 4. | Tyler Eifert | CIN |
| 5. | Jimmy Graham | NO |
| 6. | Austin Seferian-Jenkins | TB |
| 7. | Delanie Walker | TEN |
| 8. | Martellus Bennett | CHI |
| 9. | Heath Miller | PIT |
| 10. | Jordan Cameron | MIA |
| 11. | Zach Miller | CHI |
| 12. | Daniel Fells | NYG |
If there's a tight end equivalent to Brown, it's Rob Gronkowski. There isn't a tougher matchup in the NFL. In two games, he has 12 catches for 207 yards and four touchdowns. In Week 3, the New England Patriots will host the Jacksonville Jaguars, who don't have an answer for Gronk.
In Week 2, Jacksonville prevailed over the Miami Dolphins, but the defense gave up 359 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air. With Tom Brady and Gronk inviting the Jaguars into Gillette Stadium, the Patriots are bound to slice up the Jacksonville pass defense.
Defense/Special Teams
| 1. | Denver Broncos |
| 2. | New York Jets |
| 3. | Arizona Cardinals |
| 4. | Miami Dolphins |
| 5. | Seattle Seahawks |
| 6. | Dallas Cowboys |
| 7. | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 8. | Carolina Panthers |
| 9. | Cleveland Browns |
| 10. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 11. | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning's demise is greatly exaggerated, but the Denver Broncos defense has been carrying the team through the first two weeks of the season.
The Broncos have four interceptions, three forced and recovered fumbles, six sacks and two defensive touchdowns. That's what you call an impact defense and the best fantasy unit for Week 3.
The Detroit Lions are next on the docket for the Broncos, and their pass protection has been poor. Matthew Stafford has been sacked only three times, but he's taken 11 hits in two weeks. The pounding has taken a toll, as the Lions quarterback was shaken up against the Vikings on Sunday. According to USA Today, Stafford was still "very, very sore" on Monday.
Take a look at Stafford's Weeks 1 and 2 accuracy charts, courtesy of Draft Centric:
"Matt Stafford had the worst week 1 of anyone. A guy I’ll likely never be a fan of. Bad accuracy to all levels #Lions pic.twitter.com/ckFKIepkur
— Draft Centric (@DraftCentric) September 19, 2015"
"I never imagined seeing Matthew Stafford with a passing chart like this. Higher % than last WK, but not improvement pic.twitter.com/uJpnJkNKFy
— Draft Centric (@DraftCentric) September 21, 2015"
After an even lower completion percentage and another interception against Minnesota, Stafford is struggling mightily.
Per Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (h/t Dan Hanzus of NFL.com), Stafford could miss the game, but even if he does give it a go, the Broncos defense is a smart play.
Kickers
| 1. | Robbie Gould | CHI |
| 2. | Stephen Gostkowski | NE |
| 3. | Justin Tucker | BAL |
| 4. | Sebastian Janikowski | OAK |
| 5. | Greg Zuerlein | STL |
| 6. | Ryan Succop | TEN |
| 7. | Dan Carpenter | BUF |
| 8. | Josh Lambo | SD |
| 9. | Dan Bailey | DAL |
| 10. | Brandon McManus | DEN |
| 11. | Matt Bryant | ATL |
| 12. | Josh Brown | NYG |
Robbie Gould
The Bears have moved the ball well all season, but they haven't been good in the red zone. Chicago has had six trips inside the 20-yard line this season but has had to settle for Robbie Gould field goals three times.
He has been his usual dependable self, going a perfect 6-of-6 on all attempts with two from 50-plus yards. The Bears seem destined for a mediocre season, but Gould could be the best fantasy kicker in the NFL all year long.
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