Terry McLaurin, Paul Richardson Jr., Chris Thompson Fantasy Outlook After Week 3

The Washington Redskins suffered a 31-15 defeat to the Chicago Bears on Monday night, but it was a good time to have one of Terry McLaurin, Paul Richardson Jr. or Chris Thompson in your lineup.  

Richardson was the team's leading receiver, catching eight passes for 83 yards and one touchdown. McLaurin had 70 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Thompson only got seven carries for 29 yards but padded his fantasy output with four receptions for 79 yards.

McLaurin's effort continues what has been an encouraging start to 2019. The rookie wideout had 10 catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns in Washington's first two games.

He's quickly emerging as the team's best fantasy threat from the receiving corps, and the only real concern is the combination of quarterback Case Keenum and head coach Jay Gruden, which limits his ceiling.

McLaurin's stock has steadily risen, to the point he might already be unavailable in your league. If he's still on the waiver wire, then you need to make a claim as soon as possible to have him on your squad for Week 4.

The New York Giants, who host the Redskins on Sunday, are allowing a league-high 332.3 passing yards per game, so it's a favorable matchup for the Washington offense.

That might also bode well for Richardson, though he is a far riskier fantasy option. Keenum targeted him just 10 times in the first two weeks, and the sixth-year receiver fell short of expectations in his first season with the team. During the 2018 campaign, he caught only 20 passes for 262 yards and a pair of scores.

Maybe Monday represented a turning point for Richardson, and facing the Giants positions him as a streaming option for receiver-needy owners. But he hasn't yet shown enough week-to-week consistency for anyone to think he's worth a roster spot for more than a game or two at a time in standard leagues.

Meanwhile, the calculus doesn't change too much for Thompson. 

He continues to be the second option on the ground behind Adrian Peterson, yet his contributions to the passing game prop up his value, especially in point-per-reception leagues.

Until Derrius Guice is activated from injured reserve, Thompson might get enough carries to be a low-end flex or RB2. At the very least, he's a good player to stash on your bench in the event Peterson misses time with an injury, as well.