Fantasy WR Rankings Week 3: Who to start, sit at wide receiver in fantasy football

The second week of the NFL season gives fantasy football owners another data point of games to evaluate. The top of our rankings see very few changes, but some bubble wide receivers' rankings continue to fluctuate. Our Week 3 fantasy WR rankings for standard leagues are here to help you sort and navigate some breakout sleepers and underwhelming busts in order to end the week with a "W." 

Per usual, injuries continued to rack up, with Julio Jones (knee) and Michael Pittman (quad) getting scratched late in the week and Jerry Jeudy (ribs) exiting early. Michael Gallup (knee), Van Jefferson (knee), Rondale Moore (hamstring), Chris Godwin (calf), and Keenan Allen (hamstring) also all failed to suit up in Week 2, but a few seem to be trending in the right direction as Week 3 approaches. Godwin and Jefferson figure to miss another week, but we'll continue to monitor their statuses and adjust our rankings if needed. 

There weren't many huge WR disappointments in Week 2, but JuJu Smith-Schuster (three catches, 10 yards), DK Metcalf (four catches, 35 yards), and most shockingly, Davante Adams (two catches, 12 yards, TD), definitely let some owners down. Since Adams (@ Titans in Week 3) still drew a respectable amount of targets (7), we're not too worried about him in Week 3, but JuJu (@ Colts) and Metcalf (vs. Falcons) see a drop in their rankings. There's still upside with both, but Metcalf in particular is a worry given his QB play and the presence of Tyler Lockett, but we like his matchup this week. We're also not too excited about Hunter Renfrow (@ Titans) and Elijah Moore (vs. Bengals), though Moore also has a somewhat favorable opponent.

WEEK 3 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

After big Week 1 performances, Devin Duvernay (@ Patriots), Jarvis Landry (@ Panthers), and Robbie Anderson (vs. Saints) came back down to Earth. Duvernay (concussion) might be out next week, but even if he's back, he -- and those other Week 1 heroes -- are considered risky flex plays this week.

UPDATE: Also risky flex plays are virtually all of Tampa's WRs. With Mike Evans suspended, Chris Godwin (hamstring) likely out, and Julio Jones (knee) iffy, it's certainly possible one of Breshad Perriman, Russell Gage, and Scotty Miller (vs. Packers) has a big game, but good luck guessing which one. We like Gage slightly more than Perriman, but consider all boom-or-bust flexes, at best.

WEEK 3 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers

Curtis Samuel (vs. Eagles) and Jahan Dotson (vs. Eagles) both followed up big Week 1s with big Week 2s. Greg Dortch (vs. Rams) and Noah Brown (@ Giants) were also solid for a second-straight week, and Sterling Shepard and Richie James Jr. (vs. Cowboys) continued to see a lot of targets. Josh Palmer (vs. Jaguars) was effective enough in the absence of Allen, while Nelson Agholor (vs. Ravens) and Garrett Wilson (vs. Bengals) broke out. Samuel, Dotson, and Agholor all look like solid starts in what should be a favorable matchups, and Palmer is in play even if Allen returns. Wilson is very much probably worth a shot considering the Jets throw a lot and he's garnered a respectable target share to begin the season.

WEEK 3 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings | Yahoo

We're starting to get more of an idea of favorable and unfavorable matchups, but we still can't say with 100 percent certainty which teams are worth picking on and which are stayaways. The Ravens (@ Patriots), Falcons (@ Seahawks), Lions (@ Vikings), Commanders (vs. Eagles), Browns (vs. Steelers), and Chiefs (@ Colts) are looking particularly vulnerable, but even just one outlier game against a poor passing team (like the Jaguars had in Week 2 against Indianapolis) can inflate stats in a positive direction. The Browns might get that bounce this week against the offensively challenged Steelers, but it could also be a breakout game for Chase Claypool and George Pickens. We don't recommend playing either, but someone like DeVonta Smith (@ Commanders), Adam Thielen (vs. Lions), or Jakobi Meyers and Agholor (vs. Ravens) can be used. Darnell Mooney could also get going against a Texans' secondary that's allowed No. 1 receivers to have 100-plus yards in each of the season's first two weeks.

WEEK 3 DFS: Best values | Best stacks

We're not scared of any pass defenses yet, at least not enough to sit any normal starter. Brandon Aiyuk (@ Broncos), Allen Lazard (@ Buccaneers), Drake London (@ Seahawks), and the Cowboys' WRs (@ Giants) are facing statistically solid pass defenses, but we'd still start London and CeeDee Lamb without thinking twice.

WEEK 3 FANTASY PICKS: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em

Note: We'll be updating these standard WR rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.

Week 3 fantasy WR rankings for standard leagues

Rankings based on standard, non-PPR scoring

Week 3 WR fantasy projections, rankings from Draft Sharks

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