Fantasy Football Week 3 Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers to Target

Never underestimate the strength of the fantasy sleeper.

Dak Prescott went from being the 14th quarterback selected, per Fantasy Football Calculator, to the second-highest scorer through two weeks. The top-scoring running back, Austin Ekeler, wasn't a top-20 pick at his position. The No. 1 wide receiver, John Ross, fell beyond at least the first 41 picks at his position.

It's possible none of these players finishes among the top 10 at their positions come the end of the season. It's also possible all three of them do. Some sleepers awaken for an entire season; others arise one week and snooze through the rest.

It's fine if your sleeper doesn't become a weekly starter. The important thing is you played him during his best waking moments.

That's a tricky task to pull off, but we'll help by pointing you toward our favorite deep sleepers⁠—available in more than 50 percent of Yahoo Sports leagues, per Fantasy Pros⁠—for Week 3 of the 2019 NFL season.

Deep Sleepers for Week 3

QB: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Jacoby Brissett, Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons

RB: Frank Gore, Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals

RB: Raheem Mostert, San Francisco 49ers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

WR: Terry McLaurin, Washington Redskins vs. Chicago Bears

WR: Demarcus Robinson, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens

WR: Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles vs. Detroit Lions

TE: Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints

TE: Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills (41 Percent Owned)

While Josh Allen encountered more than a few obstacles during his rocky rookie season, the Bills stood behind him. Their patience is being rewarded, and ahead-of-the-curve fantasy owners can enjoy the pay off, too.

Last season, he rarely helped the fantasy community, and if he did, it was solely with his legs. His passing production was nonexistent: 2,074 yards (172.8 per game), 52.8 percent, 10 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. This time around, it's no worse than adequate: 507 yards (253.5 per game), 62.4 completion percentage, two touchdowns against two picks.

The increase in aerial efficiency hasn't hurt his ground game, either. He already has 17 carries, which he's turned into 59 yards and two scores. His gifts as a runner are what help him stand out among the potential sleepers at his position.

"He has scored a rushing touchdown in each of his two games, with the latest in Week 2 on an awesome designed run by play caller Brian Daboll," ESPN.com's Field Yates noted. "The passing game still has room to grow, but the floor created by the rushing makes Allen a viable starting candidate in deeper leagues."

Allen sits 12th among quarterbacks in fantasy scoring⁠—⁠ahead of household names like Philip Rivers, Aaron Rodgers and Baker Mayfield—and he might climb the rankings this weekend. The last time this Bengals defense took the field, they were gouged by Jimmy Garoppolo (297 yards, three scores) and just about every San Francisco rusher to take the field (42 total carries for 259 yards and two touchdowns).

Frank Gore, RB, Buffalo Bills (8 Percent Owned)

Take everything you've ever heard about 30-something running backs, and toss it out the window—at least when we're discussing Frank Gore.

We've seen Father Time chase down more than a few aging rushers, but he can't quite catch the 36-year-old Gore. He paces the Bills with 30 carries, three times the amount allotted to explosive but raw (and dinged-up) rookie Devin Singletary. Gore already has a rushing score, and he's hauled in both of his targets for 15 yards.

Is this the most exciting recommendation you'll hear all season? Far from it. But excitement doesn't show up on the scoreboard; stats do, and Gore has the chance to pile them up against Cincinnati.

"The Bengals are one of just three teams to have allowed at least 2,100 rushing yards to tailbacks since the start of last season and one of just two allowing as many as five yards per carry to opposing backs," Jim McCormick wrote for ESPN.com.

Three 49ers running backs saw action against the Bengals on Sunday. Two cleared 100 yards from scrimmage. The other found the end zone twice. None received more than 13 carries. This run defense defines the term exploitable.

Demarcus Robinson, Kansas City Chiefs (8 Percent Owned)

Raise your hand if you saw Demarcus Robinson's breakout coming in Week 2? Anyone with their hands raised is either a liar or maybe one of Robinson's family members.

The fourth-year wideout nearly packed an entire career into one contest. His previous season highs were 288 yards and four touchdowns. His Week 2 line included 172 yards and two scores (not to mention, six receptions on six targets).

With speedster Tyreek Hill sidelined for the foreseeable future by a collarbone injury, there are immense opportunities for other pass-catchers to be on the receiving end of Patrick Mahomes' aerial gifts. While Robinson is just one of multiple players poised to take advantage, there might be enough production to help everyone feast.

"Every week can be a big week for us," Robinson told reporters. "We don't go out thinking it's Mecole's [Hardman] week or [Travis] Kelce's week or Sammy's [Watkins] week. It can be all of our week."

Mahomes is tied for the league lead with seven touchdown tosses, and Robinson is one of four different Chiefs receivers to snag at least one. Those numbers could continue to grow this week against the Ravens in a game oddsmakers at Caesars Sportsbook have assigned a whopping (and justifiable) 54.5-point over/under.