NFL Fantasy Football: Quarterback Rankings for Week 3

On one hand, we are only heading into Week 3 of this very young season. Then again, 12.5 percent (or one-eighth) of all regular season games have been played already.

And if your fantasy league begins its playoffs in Week 14, that means you've completed more than 15 percent of your regular season.

To help you prepare for your Week 3 matchup, we published our fantasy rankings for this week yesterday. Here are some notes about quarterbacks and passing defenses:

- After insisting that Kevin Kolb would start, when healthy, Eagles coach Andy Reid reversed directions and named Michael Vick—not Kolb—as the team's starting quarterback for Week 3 and beyond.

For the second week in a row, Vick gets a favorable matchup as the Eagles head to Jacksonville, who has allowed a total of 420 yards per game (29th in the NFL) through two weeks. Despite playing only six quarters, Vick has scored more fantasy points (standard scoring) than all quarterbacks not named Peyton.

- Speaking of Peyton, who leads the NFL in passing, he could face the Broncos without Champ Bailey, who is listed as questionable. If so, it should be déjà vu all over again for Manning, who's No. 1 in our QB rankings for Week 3.

- Bears quarterback Jay Cutler fared well against the Cowboys defense last week although I seriously doubted whether he'd still be standing at the end of regulation due to the pressure the Cowboys put on him to start the game. This week, the Bears face the Packers and Clay Matthews, who has six (of his team's ten) sacks in two games. (Our fantasy football contest is based on Monday Night Football matchups.)

- Eventually everything regresses to the mean. Through two weeks, sophomore quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (Jets) and Josh Freeman (Bucs) rank in the top 10 in QB rating. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers (11th) and Dallas' Tony Romo (17th) don't. For now.

- Romo faces a Houston secondary that has allowed 822 passing yards, four touchdowns and has no interceptions through two games.

- The Falcons and Ravens still haven't given up a passing touchdown. This week, the Falcons head to New Orleans to face Drew Brees and the Saints. Meanwhile, the Ravens host the Browns and Seneca Wallace (and Josh Cribbs).

- In addition, the Ravens are the only team to keep opposing quarterbacks to a completion rate under 50 percent (46.4 percent).

Here are my top 10 fantasy quarterbacks for Week 3:

1. Peyton Manning, Colts (at Denver)
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Chicago)
3. Drew Brees, Saints (vs Atlanta)
4. Matt Schaub, Texans (vs Dallas)
5. Tony Romo, Cowboys (at Houston)
6. Philip Rivers, Chargers (at Seattle)
7. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs Buffalo)
8. Michael Vick, Eagles (at Jacksonville)
9. Donovan McNabb, Redskins (at St. Louis)
10. Jay Cutler, Bears (vs Green Bay)

See our full top 25 quarterback rankings for Week 3.

More rankings for Week 3: Top 40 RBs | Top 50 WRs | Top 20 TEs

Feel free to send start/sit questions to me via Twitter @EDSFootball or post your questions in our free Fantasy Football forum.

Good luck in your Week 3 matchups.