Fantasy Football Week Three Rankings: Wide Receivers

Brandon Marshall returned to the field with a bang in Week Two, nearly tying T.O.'s record for receptions in one game, falling just two short with 18. Will Steve Smith do the same coming back from his suspension? To find out and see where the rest of the wide receivers rank in Week Three, read on.

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1. Terrell Owens (Dallas Cowboys) @ Green Bay

Against his old team, the Philadelphia Eagles, T.O put on a show this past Monday Night. He only had three receptions on the night, but two of them went for touchdowns and one of them was a 72-yard bomb to get the Cowboys on the scoreboard.

In his last meeting against Green Bay, the Packers limited him to 49 receiving yards and a TD, but this secondary has shown signs of vulnerability in '08, and we like T.O. as  our top play in Week Three.

Point Projection: 19 points

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2. Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos) vs. New Orleans

In his return from a one-game suspension, Marshall finished with 18 receptions for 166 receiving yards and a touchdown. Talk about coming back with a vengeance! The crazy part about it is that he did it against an usually solid San Diego Chargers pass defense. In Week Three, he takes on a Saints secondary that ranks 28th in the NFL against the pass, and you can expect the Broncos to exploit their weakness early and often.

Point Projection: 18 points

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3. Plaxico Burress (New York Giants) vs. Cincinnati

Last week, Burress might not have had the big game we projected, but he still contributed 14 fantasy points to his grateful owners. With the New York Giants offense clicking on all cylinders, you can expect them to steamroll past a depleted Bengals squad. We know the Cincinnati secondary is allowing just 123.5 passing yards per game, but we wouldn't be surprised if Plaxico topped that number all by himself.

Point Projection: 17 points

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4. Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions) @ San Francisco

"Megatron," as the media likes to call him, was nothing short of his nickname in Week Two. He embarrassed Packers cornerback Charles Woodson all afternoon en route to 129 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

In what should be a high-scoring contest, we expect Johnson to continue to have his way against defenders Nate Clements or Walt Harris, and we guarantee our readers he will find pay dirt in this one.

Point Projection: 16 points

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5. Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals) @ Washington


Though he failed to score a touchdown in Week Two, Fitzgerald did finish the day with 153 receiving yards. Another good sign is that after being targeted just four times in the opener, Fitzgerald was targeted nine times last week.

This shows that quarterback Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald are starting to get on the same page and we feel that he finds his way back into the end zone.

Point Projection: 16 points

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6. Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts) vs. Jacksonville

Wayne only has three career touchdowns against the Jaguars, but he had a season to remember against them in '07. In their first meeting, he had nine receptions for 131 yards, and he followed that up with eight receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown.

With the Colts failing to be successful on the ground, you can expect to see a heavy dosage of Peyton Manning throwing the football, which means that Wayne should have no problem passing the century mark for the third-straight time against Jacksonville.

Point Projection: 16 points

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7. Anquan Boldin (Arizona Cardinals) @ Washington

Boldin was the top-scoring wide receiver in Week Two, as his 140 receiving yards and three touchdowns were good for 32 fantasy football points. The matchup against Washington (197.5 passing yards allowed per game) isn't an easy one, but Boldin is playing with extra motivation since he will be seeking a new mega contract this offseason. Also, he scored twice against the Redskins in '07.

Point Projection: 15 points

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8. Steve Smith (Carolina Panthers) @ Minnesota

With Smith watching from the sidelines (suspension), the Panthers won both games in dramatic fashion and are off to a 2-0 start. Now that quarterback Jake Delhomme has his favorite target back, you can expect to see the deep ball back in the Panthers' gameplan.

The Vikings allow 237 passing yards per contest and nothing would be better than Delhomme hitting Smith over the top for a long TD. You know they will be shooting for it. In his first game back, Smith should be considered a WR1 in all formats.

Point Projection: 15 points

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9. Greg Jennings (Green Bay Packers) vs. Dallas

Jennings has yet to score a touchdown in 2008, but he does lead all NFL receivers with 258 receiving yards. Known for his big-play ability, the speedster already has two plays over 55 yards and his 23.5 yard per catch average is tops in the NFL for all receivers with six or more receptions.

In a previous meeting against the Cowboys (two passing TDs allowed), Jennings had 87 yards and a TD, and we feel that he repeats those totals in Week Three.

Point Projection: 14 points

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10. Andre Johnson (Houston Texans) @ Tennessee

Hurricane Ike forced the Texans to take their bye in Week Two, but it also gave them extra time to get healthy and prepare for a stout Tennessee Titans defense. The key to their success will be if they can establish a run game out of the gates, so that they can open up the passing game for Johnson and Kevin Walter. 

The last time Johnson faced the Titans, he finished with 17 fantasy points, and despite their pass defense allowing just one touchdown pass this season, we feel Johnson will be doing a TD dance in Week Three. 

Point Projection: 14 points

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FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 3 RANKINGS - WIDE RECEIVERS