Fantasy football owners who were high on Chris Godwin and Tyler Lockett heading into the season were rewarded in Week 2 when both had big games. Heading into a Week 3 that could be overshadowed with the storylines of Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees' absences, our PPR WR rankings try to put those games into context while also unearthing which wide receiver might be next to turn into more than a high-target sleeper.
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One promising candidate is 49ers' rookie Deebo Samuel, who led San Francisco in Week 1 snaps but didn't produce. In Week 2, though, he led in catches, receiving yards and targets, showing he'll have a promising role in the offense right away. The same is true for new Bills WR John Brown, who's known more as a deep-ball threat. As the top receiver for an offense that wants to throw the ball a lot, Brown has had two productive weeks, including a steady seven-catch, 73-yard day in Week 2 on eight targets -- the lone misfire being a Josh Allen overthrow on what would've been a touchdown.
WEEK 3 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
There were two breakout receivers in Kansas City on Sunday in DeMarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman. We expected someone to step up in Tyreek Hill's absence, although maybe not two separate guys. Sammy Watkins dominated the targets with 13 and is still easily the best WR to play from KC this week, but Robinson and Hardman were targeted six times apiece and deserve lineup consideration, too.
As usual, deep-league PPR owners might find value out of players like Trey Quinn, Cole Beasley, Bennie Fowler and Damiere Byrd, options that standard-league players with smaller rosters might have no need to consider. Byrd, Quinn and Beasley have all proven to be effective possession receivers for their teams, while Fowler could play a huge-volume role for the Giants in Week 3 due to injuries to Sterling Shepard and Cody Latimer.
Two players who, for now, take notable hits in the PPR rankings this week are Alshon Jeffery and Josh Gordon. Jeffery is battling a calf injury rand Gordon is battling a crowded receiving corps. They're big plays and touchdowns waiting to happen, though, so just because they might be less consistent doesn't mean you should ignore them this week. And if Jeffery is given a clean bill of health and Antonio Brown isn't allowed to play, the outlooks for both could change in a hurry.
Reminder: Check back for updates during the week, and check out our standard wide receiver rankings for player analysis.
Week 3 PPR Rankings: WRs
These rankings are for full-point PPR leagues.
| 1 | DeAndre Hopkins, HOU @ LAC |
| 2 | Julio Jones, ATL @ IND |
| 3 | Amari Cooper, DAL vs. MIA |
| 4 | Odell Beckham Jr., CLE vs. LAR |
| 5 | Antonio Brown, NE vs. NYJ |
| 6 | Davante Adams, GB vs. DEN |
| 7 | Keenan Allen, LAC vs. HOU |
| 8 | Sammy Watkins, KC vs. BAL |
| 9 | Adam Thielen, MIN vs. OAK |
| 10 | Cooper Kupp, LAR @ CLE |
| 11 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT @ SF |
| 12 | Stefon Diggs, MIN vs. OAK |
| 13 | Chris Godwin, TB vs. NYG |
| 14 | Kenny Golladay, DET @ PHI |
| 15 | Michael Thomas, NO @ SEA |
| 16 | Mike Evans, TB vs. NYG |
| 17 | Tyler Lockett, SEA vs. NO |
| 18 | T.Y. Hilton, IND vs. ATL |
| 19 | John Brown, BUF vs. CIN |
| 20 | Robert Woods, LAR @ CLE |
| 21 | Julian Edelman, NE vs. NYJ |
| 22 | Brandin Cooks, LAR @ CLE |
| 23 | Tyler Boyd, CIN @ BUF |
| 24 | Marquise Brown, BAL @ KC |
| 25 | Calvin Ridley, ATL @ IND |
| 26 | D.J. Moore, CAR @ ARZ |
| 27 | Alshon Jeffery, PHI vs. DET |
| 28 | Tyrell Williams, OAK @ MIN |
| 29 | Larry Fitzgerald, ARZ vs. CAR |
| 30 | Jamison Crowder, NYJ @ NE |
| 31 | Allen Robinson, CHI @ WAS |
| 32 | Michael Gallup, DAL vs. MIA |
| 33 | Josh Gordon, NE vs. NYJ |
| 34 | Jarvis Landry, CLE vs. LAR |
| 35 | DK Metcalf, SEA vs. NO |
| 36 | Emmanuel Sanders, DEN @ GB |
| 37 | DeSean Jackson, PHI vs. DET |
| 38 | John Ross, CIN @ BUF |
| 39 | Demarcus Robinson, KC vs. BAL |
| 40 | Curtis Samuel, CAR @ ARZ |
| 41 | Mike Williams, LAC vs. HOU |
| 42 | Mecole Hardman, KC vs. BAL |
| 43 | Deebo Samuel, SF vs. PIT |
| 44 | Will Fuller V, HOU @ LAC |
| 45 | Courtland Sutton, DEN @ GB |
| 46 | Christian Kirk, ARZ vs. CAR |
| 47 | Dede Westbrook, JAX vs. TEN |
| 48 | Corey Davis, TEN @ JAX |
| 49 | Sterling Shepard, NYG @ TB |
| 50 | Robby Anderson, NYJ @ NE |
| 51 | Danny Amendola, DET @ PHI |
| 52 | Marvin Jones, DET @ PHI |
| 53 | Preston Williams, MIA @ DAL |
| 54 | DJ Chark, JAX vs. TEN |
| 55 | Trey Quinn, WAS vs. CHI |
| 56 | Nelson Agholor, PHI vs. DET |
| 57 | James Washington, PIT @ SF |
| 58 | Terry McLaurin, WAS vs. CHI |
| 59 | Cole Beasley, BUF vs. CIN |
| 60 | Willie Snead, BAL @ KC |
| 61 | Bennie Fowler, NYG @ TB |
| 62 | Chris Conley, JAX vs. TEN |
| 63 | Geronimo Allison, GB vs. DEN |
| 64 | Marquez Valdes-Scantling, GB vs. DEN |
| 65 | Paul Richardson, WAS vs. CHI |
| 66 | Marquise Goodwin, SF vs. PIT |
| 67 | DeVante Parker, MIA @ DAL |
| 68 | Damiere Byrd, ARZ vs. CAR |
| 69 | Donte Moncrief, PIT @ SF |
| 70 | Tre'Quan Smith, NO @ SEA |
| 71 | A.J. Brown, TEN @ JAX |
| 72 | DaeSean Hamilton, DEN @ GB |
| 73 | Taylor Gabriel, CHI @ WAS |
| 74 | Ryan Switzer, PIT @ SF |
| 75 | Ted Ginn Jr., NO @ SEA |
| 76 | Anthony Miller, CHI @ WAS |
| 77 | Rashard Higgins, CLE vs. LAR |
| 78 | Mohamed Sanu, ATL @ IND |
| 79 | Keke Coutee, HOU @ LAC |
| 80 | KeeSean Johnson, ARZ vs. CAR |