We're now two weeks into the 2018 NFL season, and that makes it a bit easier to put together our Week 3 fantasy football rankings. With two games under our belts, it's easier to see trends at every position and even though the QB position is one of the easiest and most consistent positions to evaluate, we now really feel comfortable with the guys towards the top of our QB rankings.
There are always enough QBs to go around in fantasy, considering that it is one of the deepest positions. That means that if you need to find a streamer for a week -- especially if you don't trust Aaron Rodgers' banged up knee or Carson Wentz in his first game back from injury -- guys like Mitchell Trubisky (@ Cardinals), Alex Smith (vs. Packers), and Tyrod Taylor (vs. Jets) could be worth a shot in Week 3. Anytime you get a professional QB in a good matchup, they can go off, and it only takes a couple of TDs to make any passer a really strong play.
Week 3 Rankings:
Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker
At this point, there are a couple of players to at least be a bit wary of. Marcus Mariota isn't fully healthy, Blaine Gabbert played over him last week, and is entering a really tough matchup against one of the league's best defenses. Alex Smith put up a dud against the Packers. And though Dak Prescott looked much better against the Giants last week, he still didn't put up great fantasy numbers. While these guys could be starters in certain matchups, we're just not yet ready to trust them in Week 3.
Reminder: We will keep these rankings updated and add analysis during the week, so check back often for the latest news and injury updates! And if you're looking for more analysis, find out how you'll lose in Week 3.
WEEK 3 DFS CASH LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings
Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings: QBs
These rankings are for standard leagues with 6-point passing TDs.
| 1 | Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers @ Bucs. The Bucs have allowed 773 passing yards to QBs this season, good for second-worst in the league. Roethlisberger just came off a performance that saw him throw for 452 yards and three TDs while also scoring on the ground. While he probably won't throw the ball 60 times again, this game has the makings of a shootout, so he could put up similar numbers against a weak defense. |
| 2 | Tom Brady, Patriots @ Lions. Brady's Patriots are coming off a loss to the Jaguars and will be looking to avenge that in Week 3. The Patriots take on Matt Patricia, and Bill Belichick is often able to create a strong game plan against members of his coaching tree. Considering these facts and the fact that the Lions have allowed 78 points through two weeks, Brady and the Patriots could be in for a big outing even in a prime-time road game. |
| 3 | Kirk Cousins, Vikings vs. Bills |
| 4 | Patrick Mahomes II, Chiefs vs. 49ers. It's time to buy into the Mahomes hype. He's the first QB to ever throw 10 TDs in the first two weeks of a season. In a matchup with the 49ers secondary, who have allowed five passing TDs in two weeks (tied for fourth-most in the NFL), Mahomes should continue his success. |
| 5 | Russell Wilson, Seahawks vs. Cowboys |
| 6 | Aaron Rodgers, Packers @ Redskins. Rodgers looked healthier against the Vikings than he was against the Bears, but he still doesn't have the mobility that we're accustomed to seeing from him. Through two games, the Redskins have only allowed 332 passing yards and two TDs while interception opponents three times. Still, Rodgers is far and away the best QB that the Redskins will have faced, so that has to be taken into account. Provided that Rodgers doesn't suffer a setback, he should be considered a QB1 and will always be a big TD threat because of his elite arm talent. |
| 7 | Deshaun Watson, Texans vs. Giants. Watson improved against the Titans after struggling in the season opener against the Patriots. The Giants defense has proven to be a hit-or-miss unit for the pass season-plus, but Watson has the skill set needed to carve them up. With a healthy Will Fuller at his disposal in addition to DeAndre Hopkins, Watson will continue to be a top-10 fantasy QB, especially if his downfield passing ability continues to improve (9.5 yards per attempt in Week 2 after just 4.4 in Week 1). |
| 8 | Carson Wentz, Eagles vs. Colts. Wentz is returning in Week 3, and the matchup he gets upon his return is a strong one. The Colts are coming off a strong outing against the Redskins, but they are still a suspect unit, as they were carved up by Andy Dalton in the first week of the season (243 yards, 2 TDs). Provided that Wentz is healthy, he should pick up where he left off last season and be one of the top fantasy QBs. |
| 9 | Cam Newton, Panthers vs. Bengals |
| 10 | Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers @ Chiefs. The Chiefs have allowed the most passing yards in the NFL (876) and the second-most passing TDs (6) in the first two weeks of the season. The 49ers-Chiefs game could be a high-scoring affair, so Garoppolo has QB1 upside this week. |
| WEEK 3 DFS GPP LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings | |
| 11 | Drew Brees, Saints @ Falcons. The Falcons defense lost two key playmakers in Deion Jones and Keanu Neal after the season opener. Without those two, the team surrendered 335 yards and three TDs to Cam Newton. Brees should have a similarly solid day coming off a somewhat disappointing performance against the Browns. He should use his elite accuracy to pick apart the Falcons defense and could post a results that mirror Newton's in Week 3. |
| 12 | Jared Goff, Rams vs. Chargers. Goff is getting his first real test this year against a solid defense, but he has been very efficient to start the year. The Chargers were carved up by the Chiefs in the opener (allowing four passing TDs), and Goff could have similar success if he's able to get the ball to his offensive weaponry early and often. |
| 13 | Matt Ryan, Falcons vs. Saints. The Saints defense has allowed 663 passing yards and five TDs over the course of two games this season. Ryan is coming off a solid outing against the Panthers in which he scored four times (twice in the air, twice on the ground). However, Steve Sarkisian's offense can be prone to putting up duds, so we're not fully willing to trust Ryan in a big-time divisional clash. He's a potential low-end QB1, but we like some other options better this week. |
| 14 | Matthew Stafford, Lions vs. Patriots. Stafford hasn't looked himself in the first two games of the season. He posted a nice line of 347 yards and three TDs against the 49ers, but a lot of that production came as a result of him trailing and having to lead a comeback. The same thing happened in the opener vs. the Jets, but in that game, he threw four picks. The Patriots defense was just picked apart by Blake Bortles, but Bill Belichick will have them more than ready to rattle Stafford. That makes him a risky play this week. |
| 15 | Philip Rivers, Chargers @ Rams. The Rams are the only team in the league who have not allowed a passing TD in the first two weeks of the season. They're also second best in interceptions with four and have allowed a league-low 393 yards. Sure, some of that may be skewed by playing Sam Bradford, but the Rams defense is a tough unit. Rivers may be able to throw a TD, but he's far from a sure-fire success in a tough matchup. |
| MORE WEEK 3 DFS: Values | Stacks | Lineup Builder | |
| 16 | Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bucs vs. Steelers. Can the Fitzmagic continue? Against the Steelers, it's possible. Fitzpatrick is currently the NFL leader in passing yards with 819 and also has eight TDs to his name. He's an excellent streaming option considering that the Steelers just allowed six passing TDs to Patrick Mahomes last week. |
| 17 | Mitchell Trubisky, Bears @ Cardinals. The Cardinals have been woeful so far in 2018, and Trubisky should have a chance to take advantage of their poor defense. |
| 18 | Andrew Luck, Colts @ Eagles. Luck threw for less than 200 yards and two picks against the Redskins, but he has thrown multiple TDs in both of his starts this year. The Eagles defense won't be easy to deal with, but considering that Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bucs just lit them up for 400-plus passing yards and four scores, Luck could succeed as a starter this week. |
| 19 | Tyrod Taylor, Browns vs. Jets. Taylor had a solid passing performance against New Orleans, throwing for 246 yards and a TD, though he did toss a pick. The Jets have been good against QBs this season, but in a short week on the road, they may have more trouble than normal shutting down the Browns offense. Plus, Taylor is a great scrambler, so he can always put up points with his legs (he had 77 yards and a TD in the season opener). |
| 20 | Alex Smith, Redskins vs. Packers |
| 21 | Derek Carr, Raiders @ Dolphins |
| 22 | Dak Prescott, Cowboys @ Seahawks. Prescott has yet to throw for more than 170 yards in a contest and has only scored once in two games. He's not worth starting just yet. |
| 23 | Sam Darnold, Jets @ Browns |
| 24 | Blake Bortles, Jaguars vs. Titans. Bortles just put up four TDs on the Patriots defense, but he will face a tough task repeating that against the Titans. Last year against the Titans, Bortles totaled just 381 passing yards, a TD, and four interceptions in two meetings with the divisional foe. It's hard to trust him against them considering the Titans' improved defense. |
| 25 | Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins vs. Raiders |
| 26 | Andy Dalton, Bengals @ Panthers |
| 27 | Case Keenum, Broncos @ Ravens |
| 28 | Joe Flacco, Ravens vs. Broncos |
| 29 | Eli Manning, Giants @ Texans |
| 30 | Marcus Mariota, Titans @ Jaguars. Mariota is dealing with a nerve issue in his elbow. He's also playing one of the toughest defenses in the NFL -- if he suits up. That's more than enough reason to avoid him this week. |
| 31 | Sam Bradford, Cardinals vs. Bears |
| 32 | Josh Allen, Bills @ Vikings |
