NFL Week 3 Tips and Predictions: Why Texans and Packers are a Smart Choice
Lorenzo Reyes is well prepared for Week 3 in the NFL and provides us with the smartest tips of the weekend.
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Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season has officially begun.
The first two weeks have been… weird. Baker Mayfield and Derek Carr are the two best quarterbacks. JK Dobbins, Jordan Mason, Chris Godwin, Jayden Reed, Alec Pierce and Jameson Williams are all in the top six at their respective positions. TE1 and TE2 are Isaiah Likely and Brock Bowers. In total, 14 fantasy defenses have scored more points than the current TE7, Kyle Pitts. Fun.
To help you with your toughest lineup decisions, below are my Week 3 fantasy football rankings. Toggle between standard, half PPR (points per reception), and full PPR to see how players rank in your league’s format.
Our team at USA TODAY Sports Network also covers all of your fantasy football needs. Looking for breaking player news? We have it. Want to know who the best starts and sits of the week are? We have an article on that. We also have fantasy defense rankings, kicker rankings and a trade value chart to help you with all of your trading decisions.
Given the volatility of this league, and fantasy football in particular, these rankings will be updated up until half an hour before games kick off on Sunday afternoon, so let’s get started.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Week 3 Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings
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- Going back to last year, Derek Carr has finished as a top-seven fantasy quarterback in five of his last six games. He has been QB13 or higher in nine of his last 14 games. He will face an Eagles team that was second in fantasy points allowed to the position last year and allowed Jordan Love and Kirk Cousins to finish as QB11 and QB8, respectively.
- Brock Purdy three of its best weapons (Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey) are missing, but this matchup with the Rams is too good to ignore. Since Week 4 of last year, only the Commanders have given up more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. During that time, Los Angeles has given up more than 17 fantasy points to the position in 11 of its 16 games.
I like him less…
- Caleb Williams gets a matchup that may seem tempting, but is best avoided for now. After two weeks, the Colts look like the definition of a run-funnel defense. Running backs have carried the ball 76 times against them, 14 more times than the third-place team. That’s nothing new — last season, only the Cardinals had more runs by running backs. Williams finished as QB31 and QB29 after two weeks, and this might not be the week he takes off.
Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings Week 3
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- Tony Pollard faces a Green Bay front that has given up 132 yards to Saquon Barkley and 135 to Jonathan Taylor in the first two games. So far, Pollard is one of only four backs to have 30 or more carries and at least 10 targets. With Tyjae Spears out injured, he should have the necessary volume in this game as well.
- Zack Moss has received 13 opportunities (carries + targets) in each of the first two games, and that should play well against a porous Washington defense. In 2023, only the Cardinals have been more generous to opposing backs than the Commanders.
I like him less…
- Going back to last year, James Conner has been a top-12 running back in six straight games, but this week could end that streak. He faces a Lions team that allowed the fewest fantasy points to running backs in 2023. After two games this season, Detroit is back in first place at the position despite facing Kyren Williams and Rachaad White.
Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings Week 3
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- Amari Cooper’s 27 receiving yards is 62 fewer than any other wideout with at least 17 targets in 2024. The 30-year-old is currently third in the league in air yards and in the top 20 in expected fantasy points per game. Last year, 19 receivers reached double-digit half-PPR points against the Giants. This seems like an ideal starting spot.
- Among wide receivers with more than 10 targets, Diontae Johnson’s According to FantasyPros, five “catchable” passes is the second best value. Bryce Young couldn’t even hit water from a boat in the middle of the Atlantic. The trade for Andy Dalton makes Johnson an interesting player against an unimpressive Raiders secondary.
I like him less…
- In his career Jaylen Waddle played eight games without Tua Tagovailoa at center. In those games he finished WR27, WR72, WR75, WR17, WR77, WR16, WR36, and WR42. Not great, Bob.
Tight Ends Ranking in Fantasy Football Week 3
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- Jake Ferguson finished as a TE1 eight times last year, six of those at AT&T Stadium. He will face a Ravens defense that has allowed five tight ends more than 12 half-PPR points in the last 12 games, including 14.3 points to Brock Bowers last week.
I like him less…
- Sam LaPorta has completed just seven passes in two games. In 2023, he averaged 7.1 passes per game and never had a two-game streak with fewer than nine. His expected fantasy points per game have dropped from 14.7 last year to 8.7 this season. He will face a Cardinals defense that was the ninth-best against the position last season and has allowed just three pass catches to tight ends so far in 2024.
