Fantasy Football Week 3 Rankings: Top Players and Matchups for All Positions

Now that you've feverishly rearranged your lineups with waiver-wire pickups over the first two weeks of the NFL season, it's time to choose the ideal options for your Week 3 fantasy squad. 

The best fantasy options from Weeks 1 and 2 were a bit unexpected, as Patrick Mahomes and Ryan Fitzpatrick excelled at quarterback and James Conner and Matt Breida rose near the top of the running back rankings. 

Week 3 brings a different level of twists, with Antonio Brown catching the headlines for all the wrong reasons. 

Most of the hard lineup decisions you'll have to make in Week 3 involve comparing matchups, as few big names suffered injuries in Week 2. 

All point projections are based off Yahoo's scoring system for PPR leagues. 

Top 10 Quarterbacks

1. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City) vs. San Francisco:  325 yards, 3 touchdowns (25.00 fantasy points) 

2. Tom Brady (New England) at Detroit: 300 yards, 3 touchdowns (24.00 points) 

3. Drew Brees (New Orleans) at Atlanta: 290 yards, 3 touchdowns (23.6 points) 

4. Ryan Fitzpatrick (Tampa Bay) vs. Pittsburgh: 275 yards, 3 touchdowns (23.00 points)

5. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) at Washington: 265 yards, 2 touchdowns (18.6 points) 

6. Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh) at Tampa Bay: 250 yards, 2 touchdowns (18.0 points) 

7. Cam Newton (Carolina) vs. Cincinnati: 290 yards, 1 touchdown (15.6 points) 

8. Russell Wilson (Seattle) vs. Dallas: 284 yards, 1 touchdown (15.36 points) 

9. Kirk Cousins (Minnesota) vs. Buffalo: 275 yards, 1 touchdown (15.0 points) 

10. Jimmy Garoppolo (San Francisco) at Kansas City: 265 yards, 1 touchdown (14.6 points) 

How can you not rank Patrick Mahomes as the top fantasy quarterback entering Week 3? 

The second-year signal caller threw for 10 touchdowns in his first two games and is one of five starting quarterbacks without an interception. 

Tom Brady is 4-1 in his career against the Detroit Lions, and he'll be able to pick out the intricacies in Matt Patricia's defense from the time they spent together in New England. 

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Until he slows down, Fitzpatrick is a must-start option for fantasy owners, as he leads the NFL in passing yards and is second to Mahomes in touchdown passes. 

Kirk Cousins appears to have one of the most favorable Week 3 matchups, as he'll be at home against the Buffalo Bills, but because the game is expected to be so one-sided, he might not put up massive numbers as the Vikings run out the clock.

Cam Newton is a candidate to reach the top of Week 3's statistical charts, as he's coming off a 335-yard performance in Week 2 and faces Cincinnati's third-worst passing defense at home. 

Too 20 Running Backs

1. Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams) vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 130 rushing yards, 2 TD, 3 receptions, 45 receiving yards (31.0 points) 

2. Dalvin Cook (Minnesota) vs. Buffalo: 125 rushing yards, 2 TD, 1 reception, 15 yards (26.5 points) 

3. James Conner (Pittsburgh) at Tampa Bay: 120 rushing yards, 2 TD (24.0 points) 

4. Alvin Kamara (New Orleans) at Atlanta: 95 rushing yards, TD, 3 receptions, 55 receiving yards (22.5 points) 

5. David Johnson (Arizona) vs. Chicago: 130 rushing yards, TD (19.0 points) 

6. Melvin Gordon (Los Angeles Chargers) at Los Angeles Rams: 95 rushing yards, TD, 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards (18.5 points) 

7. Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas) at Seattle: 97 rushing yards, TD (15.7 points) 

8. Kareem Hunt (Kansas City) vs. San Francisco: 55 rushing yards, TD, 1 reception, 25 yards (14.5 points) 

9. Christian McCaffrey (Carolina) vs. Cincinnati: 75 rushing yards, 3 receptions, 40 yards (13.0 points) 

10. Saquon Barkley (New York Giants) at Houston: 65 rushing yards, 6 receptions, 35 yards (13.0 points)

11. Kenyan Drake (Miami) vs. Oakland: 70 rushing yards, TD (13.0 points) 

12. Matt Breida (San Francisco) at Kansas City: 120 rushing yards (12.0 points) 

13. Lamar Miller (Houston) vs. New York Giants: 114 rushing yards (11.4 points)

14. Carlos Hyde (Cleveland) vs. New York Jets: 45 rushing yards, TD (10.5 points) 

15. Jordan Howard (Chicago) at Arizona: 90 rushing yards, 1 reception, 5 receiving yards (10.0 points) 

16. Marshawn Lynch (Oakland) at Miami: 85 rushing yards, 1 reception, 4 receiving yards (9.4 points) 

17. Derrick Henry (Tennessee) at Jacksonville: 80 rushing yards (8.0 points) 

18. Giovani Bernard (Cincinnati) at Carolina: 75 rushing yards (7.5 points) 

19. Tevin Coleman (Atlanta) vs. New Orleans: 40 rushing yards, 1 reception, 20 receiving yards (6.5 points) 

20. Chris Thompson (Washington) vs. Green Bay: 60 rushing yards (6.0 points)

Two of the best running backs in the league face off against one another Sunday in Los Angeles, as Todd Gurley and the Rams take on Melvin Gordon and the Chargers. 

Gurley's gotten off to a better start, as he sits sixth in the league in rushing yards and is tied with Jay Ajayi and James Conner on top of the rushing touchdown list. 

John Hefti/Associated Press

What makes both Gurley and Gordon so dangerous is they are assets in the passing game, and Gordon's already shown that by hauling in a pair of receiving touchdowns. 

But neither one of the top running backs in Los Angeles have been able to match the yardage production of San Francisco's Matt Breida, who leads the NFL with 184 rushing yards. 

Breida stepped into a larger role in the 49ers offense when Jerick McKinnon tore his ACL before Week 1, but he isn't the top option at his position in Week 3 because the Niners are on the road in Kansas City and he only has one touchdown to go with his yardage total. 

An intriguing name to watch in Week 3 is Giovani Bernard, who will take over for Cincinnati with Joe Mixon injured. Bernard is facing a Carolina team that ranks 25th in rushing defense. 

Top 20 Wide Receivers

1. Michael Thomas (New Orleans) at Atlanta: 10 receptions, 150 receiving yards, TD (26.0 points) 

2. Julio Jones (Atlanta) vs. New Orleans: 7 receptions, 140 receiving yards, TD (23.5 points) 

3. Tyreek Hill (Kansas City) vs. San Francisco: 5 receptions, 150 receiving yards, TD (23.5 points) 

4. DeAndre Hopkins (Houston) vs. New York Giants: 9 receptions, 110 receiving yards, TD (21.5 points) 

5. Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh) at Tampa Bay: 8 receptions, 125 receiving yards (16.5 points) 

6. Odell Beckham Jr. (New York Giants) at Houston: 5 receptions, 110 receiving yards (13.5 points) 

7. Mike Evans (Tampa Bay) vs. Pittsburgh: 10 receptions, 75 receiving yards (12.5 points) 

8. A.J. Green (Cincinnati) at Carolina: 4 receptions, 40 receiving yards, TD (12.0 points)

9. Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers) at Los Angeles Rams: 6 receptions, 80 receiving yards (11.0 points)

10. T.Y. Hilton (Indianapolis) at Philadelphia: 4 receptions, 90 receiving yards (11.0 points) 

11. Emmanuel Sanders (Denver) at Baltimore: 2 receptions, 40 receiving yards, TD (11.0 points) 

12. Stefon Diggs (Minnesota) vs. Buffalo: 8 receptions, 70 receiving yards (11.0 points) 

13. Jarvis Landry (Cleveland) vs. New York Jets: 8 receptions, 65 receiving yards (10.5 points) 

14. Adam Thielen (Minnesota) vs. Buffalo: 6 receptions, 70 receiving yards (10.0 points) 

15. JuJu Smith-Schuster (Pittsburgh) at Tampa Bay: 6 receptions, 60 receiving yards (9.0 points) 

16. Davante Adams (Green Bay) at Washington: 3 receptions, 60 receiving yards (7.5 points) 

17. Golden Tate (Detroit) vs. New England: 7 receptions, 40 receiving yards (7.5 points) 

18. Brandin Cooks (Los Angeles Rams) vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 4 receptions, 50 receiving yards (7.0 points) 

19. Allen Robinson (Chicago) at Arizona: 4 receptions, 50 receiving yards (7.0 points) 

20. Nelson Agholor (Philadelphia) vs. Indianapolis: 6 receptions, 35 receiving yards (6.5 points) 

Before we even get to the Antonio Brown situation, it needs to be known that Michael Thomas is the No. 1 fantasy wide receiver and will be for the entire season if he keeps producing the way he has. 

Through two weeks, the New Orleans wideout has 28 receptions, and he's on pace to shatter the current single-season catch record, per Josh Katzenstein of The Times-Picayune: 

Thomas ranks second in the NFL in receiving yards and touchdown catches, and he should be able to continue his rampant pace against an Atlanta defense that gave up 335 passing yards against the Panthers in Week 2. 

Now to the Steelers, who have more problems on their hands with Brown failing to show up for practice Monday, per Ed Bouchette and Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

From a fantasy perspective, if Brown resolves his issues and plays Monday against the Buccaneers, he should still be a solid option.

However, if the situation deteriorates throughout the week, JuJu Smith-Schuster's Week 3 value will soar, as he would be Ben Roethlisberger's main target.

Tight End

1. Rob Gronkowski (New England) at Detroit: 6 receptions, 95 receiving yards, TD (18.5 points) 

2. Zach Ertz (Philadelphia) vs. Indianapolis: 10 receptions, 120 receiving yards (17.0 points)

3. Travis Kelce (Kansas City) vs. San Francisco: 5 receptions, 80 receiving yards, TD (16.5 points)

4. George Kittle (San Francisco) at Kansas City: 9 receptions, 65 receiving yards (11.0 points) 

5. Jimmy Graham (Green Bay) at Washington: 8 receptions, 55 receiving yards (9.5 points) 

6. Kyle Rudolph (Minnesota) vs. Buffalo: 2 receptions, 20 receiving yards, TD (9.0 points) 

7. Jordan Reed (Washington) vs. Green Bay: 4 receptions, 60 receiving yards (8.0 points) 

8. Trey Burton (Chicago) at Arizona: 6 receptions, 30 receiving yards (6.0 points)

9. Evan Engram (New York Giants) at Houston: 5 receptions, 25 receiving yards (5.0 points)

10. O.J. Howard (Tampa Bay) vs. Pittsburgh: 4 receptions, 30 receiving yards (5.0 points) 

Rob Gronkowski is normally the obvious choice to start at tight end in an ideal fantasy lineup, but Zach Ertz might eclipse Gronk with Carson Wentz returning to the field. 

Ertz has the most receptions of any tight end with 16, while Jared Cook is second on that list with 13 catches. 

Gronkowski was shut down by the Jaguars defense in Week 2, but it's rare to see him and Brady have two poor performances in a row. 

If you don't have Gronkowski or Ertz, Travis Kelce is the next best option, and with the way Mahomes is slinging the ball, the Chiefs tight end is almost guaranteed to have another big week. 

Trey Burton and O.J. Howard are sleepers at tight end in Week 3, as they both face favorable matchups. 

Although Burton isn't Mitchell Trubisky's No. 1 target, his production increased in Week 2 with four receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown. 

Howard hauled in five passes from Fitzpatrick over two weeks, and he was four yards shy of 100 receiving yards in the Week 2 win over Philadelphia. 

Top 10 Kickers

1. Stephen Gostkowski (New England) at Detroit: 5/5 PAT, 2/2 FG 30-39 yards (11.0 points) 

2. Harrison Butker (Kansas City) vs. San Francisco: 6/6 PAT, 1/1 FG 40-49 yards (10.0 points) 

3. Dan Bailey (Minnesota) vs. Buffalo: 3/3 PAT, 2/2 FG 30-39 yards (9.0 points) 

4. Matt Bryant (Atlanta) vs. New Orleans: 3/3 PAT, 1/1 FG 50+ yards (8.0 points)

5. Justin Tucker (Baltimore) vs. Denver: 2/2 PAT, 2/2 FG 30-39 yards (8.0 points) 

6. Wil Lutz (New Orleans) at Atlanta: 5/5 PAT, 1/1 FG 30-39 yards (8.0 points) 

7. Jake Elliott (Philadelphia) vs. Indianapolis: 2/2 PAT, 2/2 FG 30-39 yards (8.0 points) 

8. Adam Vinatieri (Indianapolis) at Philadelphia: 2/2 PAT. 2/2 FG 30-39 yards (8.0 points) 

9. Robbie Gould (San Francisco) at Kansas City: 3/3 PAT, 1/1 FG 40-49 yards (7.0 points) 

10. Mason Crosby (Green Bay) at Washington: 3/3 PAT, 1/1 FG 30-39 yards (6.0 points) 

Dan Bailey returns to the kicking ranks with the Vikings, and he immediately slots into one of the top spots on the position rankings because of his team's matchup with the Bills. 

Minnesota should score early and often, which means Bailey will have plenty of opportunities to strike the ball through the uprights. 

Jake Elliott and Adam Vinatieri could be solid value options at kicker since the clash between the Eagles and Colts might not produce touchdowns on every drive with Wentz getting back into a rhythm and the Eagles defense playing Andrew Luck tough. 

Top 10 Defenses

1. Minnesota (vs. Buffalo): 2 interceptions, 1 defensive touchdown, 1-6 points allowed (17.0 points) 

2. Jacksonville (vs. Tennessee): 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, 1 defensive touchdown, 1-6 points allowed (17.0 points) 

3. Chicago (at Arizona): 6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1-6 points allowed (15.0 points) 

4. Baltimore (vs. Denver): 4 sacks, 1 interception, 7-13 points allowed (10.0 points) 

5. Cleveland (vs. New York Jets): 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 7-13 points allowed (9.0 points)

6. Los Angeles Rams (vs. LA Chargers): 1 interception, 2 sacks, 7-13 points allowed (8.0 points) 

7. Philadelphia (vs. Indianapolis): 3 sacks, 7-13 points allowed (7.0 points) 

8. Houston (vs. New York Giants): 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 14-20 points allowed (6.0 points) 

9. Denver (at Baltimore): 3 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 14-20 points allowed (6.0 points)

10. New England (at Detroit): 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, 21-27 points allowed (6.0 points) 

Minnesota, Jacksonville and Chicago have the best matchups in Week 3. 

The Vikings should be all over the ball against the Buffalo Bills, which means a few turnovers are expected out of Mike Zimmer's defense. 

The Jaguars are riding high after an impressive performance against the Patriots, and they should put in a similar showing against a weaker offense from Tennessee. 

Chicago's defense has looked dominant in the first two weeks of the season, and there's potential for plenty of turnovers to be created against an Arizona offense that can't get anything going at the moment. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference