Editor's note: With the Eagles placing Jalen Reagor on Injured Reserve with a thumb injury, that elevates DeSean Jackson to the top of Tier 5 (he was previously toward the bottom).
If you want to contend for your fantasy football championship, you have to be diligent about in-season management. And a big part of that is making start/sit decisions.
To help you start strategizing for Week 3, I've outlined the early version of my fantasy football rankings into tiers so you can better visualize the drop-off in expected production at each position.
As always. there will be a ton of volatility in how I adjust my rankings up until kickoff, so be sure to check my updated rankings before making final decisions. But for now, let's dive into my Week 3 tiers!
Week 3 Fantasy Tiers
QUARTERBACKS
Tier 1
Lamar Jackson (vs. KC)
Lamar Jackson hasn't shown any signs of slowing down coming off his MVP season. However, the number of breakouts in Tier 2 have lowered his edge. We haven't seen a true ceiling game from him yet as the Ravens have won by 15 or more points in each of their first two games. The odds of a ceiling game are much higher this week in what should be a shootout against the Chiefs.
Tier 2
Kyler Murray (vs. DET)
Russell Wilson (vs. DAL)
Cam Newton (vs. LV)
Josh Allen (vs. LAR)
Patrick Mahomes (@ BAL)
Dak Prescott (@ SEA)
Any of these quarterbacks could make an appearance in Tier 1 going forward.
Kyler Murray leads the pack this week after rushing for 91 and 67 yards, respectively, with three total touchdowns in his first two games. DeAndre Hopkins gives Murray a true No. 1 wide receiver and will elevate his passing numbers.
Russell Wilson was the QB I targeted the most in the early rounds of drafts, and I even conceded that I wasn't getting my hopes up that #LetRussCook would become a thing. Well, after two games, I think it's safe to say that Pete Carroll is letting Russ cook. Wilson has a genuine chance at finishing as the QB1 if the Seahawks keep this up.
The goal-line offense the Patriots have installed with Cam Newton out of a shotgun formation and with fullback Jakob Johnson gives Newton the upside for 10 or more rushing touchdowns on the season. Congrats if you targeted Newton in the later rounds, as he looks like a potential league winner.
Tier 3
Gardner Minshew (vs. MIA)
Matt Ryan (vs. CHI)
Gardner Minshew should be viewed as a low-end QB1 with a mouth-watering matchup against the Dolphins. He'll then face the Bengals, Texans and Lions before the Jaguars' Week 7 bye. After that stretch of games, he could be inside the top 12 in terms of fantasy points.
I would say that would be the time to "sell high" on Minshew — he'll face the Ravens and Bears in the fantasy playoffs, which means we need to make alternate plans given that we might not be able to trust him when it matters the most.
Tier 4
Matthew Stafford (@ ARI)
Carson Wentz (vs. CIN)
Deshaun Watson (@ PIT)
Joe Burrow (@ PHI)
Ryan Tannehill (@ MIN)
Ryan Fitzpatrick (@ JAX)
Aaron Rodgers (@ NO)
Ben Roethlisberger (vs. HOU)
If Carson Wentz can't get it together against the Bengals, it will be time to drop him. Even if he does manage to put up QB1 value, his next three games are against the 49ers, Steelers and Ravens.
We may need to move on from Wentz after this week, either way.
Deshaun Watson is a tough sit/start decision against the Steelers' elite defense. Will Fuller's availability may be the final verdict as to whether we can trust Watson this week. If Fuller ends up missing Week 3, it would be hard to trust Watson more than anyone else in this tier.
[Access Sean Koerner's Full Week 3 Fantasy Rankings]
Tier 5
Jared Goff (@ BUF)
Justin Herbert (vs. CAR)
Drew Brees (vs. GB)
Tom Brady (@ DEN)
Mitchell Trubisky (@ ATL)
Justin Herbert made his NFL debut this past Sunday under unusual circumstances when the Chargers' team doctor accidentally punctured Tyrod Taylor's lung while administering a pain-killer during pregame. Herbert looked very comfortable in the pocket and made the entire offense better. He gives Austin Ekeler and Keenan Allen a boost, while Mike Williams takes a bit of a hit with the rookie under center.
Herbert is a mid-range QB2 against a rebuilding Panthers defense.
Drew Brees needs Michael Thomas to return before we can trust him as a QB1 again. It was odd that Sean Payton decided that Week 2 of all weeks was not the time to increase Taysom Hill's usage. I would expect to see more packages featuring Hill in Week 3, lowering the floor/ceiling combo for Brees. He's starting to show his age at 41 years old this season.
Tier 6
Philip Rivers (vs. NYJ)
Rivers is a tricky QB2 option this week. The Colts are 11-point favorites and should take care of the Jets with ease in Week 3 (find real-time odds here). If Rivers doesn't get a couple touchdowns early in this game, it could mean he ends up posting a dud. The loss of Parris Campbell is a big blow to Rivers and the Colts passing attack — Rivers is better off on your bench this week.
Tier 7
Kirk Cousins (vs. TEN)
Baker Mayfield (vs. WAS)
Nick Mullens (@ NYG)
Daniel Jones (vs. SF)
Jeff Driskel (vs. TB)
The 49ers defense has lost a handful of key players and won't be as imposing going forward. However, we can't trust Daniel Jones this week, considering he will be without Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard. Last week was the first time Jones has had all of his weapons healthy at once, and sadly, he's now down two.
Jeff Driskel has sneaky rushing upside and could put up QB2 value with Drew Lock out for a few games. Driskel should be left on the waiver wire this week, but might be a streaming option next week against the Jets.
Tier 8
Teddy Bridgewater (@ LAC)
Derek Carr (@ NE)
Dwayne Haskins (@ CLE)
Derek Carr could see increased volume in what should be a trailing game script against the Patriots. However, we can't trust him against New England's defense.
Tier 9
Sam Darnold (@ IND)
Darnold will have Chris Hogan, Braxton Berrios and Josh Malone starting at WR this week and can safely be left on the waiver wire.
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RUNNING BACKS
Tier 1
Ezekiel Elliott (@ SEA)
Alvin Kamara (vs. GB)
Derrick Henry (@ MIN)
This past Sunday will go down as a dark day in fantasy football history as we lost Saquon Barkley (season-ending ACL tear) and Christian McCaffrey (high-ankle sprain) to significant injuries. It makes the surviving three RBs of Tier 1 even more valuable going forward.
We can only hope the number of injuries to star players so far is a result of bad luck and not a trend.
Tier 2
Miles Sanders (vs. CIN)
Jonathan Taylor (vs. NYJ)
Dalvin Cook (vs. TEN)
Josh Jacobs (@ NE)
Aaron Jones (@ NO)
Miles Sanders was a true workhorse in his 2020 debut. He had 20 rushes for 95 yards, including a goal-line score, and saw seven targets in the passing game. He gets a juicy matchup against the Bengals, who allowed RB1 performances from Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in Week 2.
Jonathan Taylor should see a massive workload against the Jets as the Colts are 11-point favorites. From now on, it will be this type of game script that will make Taylor a borderline top-five option.
Tier 3
Chris Carson (vs. DAL)
Nick Chubb (vs. WAS)
Austin Ekeler (vs. CAR)
Kenyan Drake (vs. DET)
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (@ BAL)
Week 3 sets up as another "Nick Chubb game" for the Browns. Kareem Hunt has been much more of a change-of-pace back than people realize — he's failed to out-snap Chubb on passing plays each of the past two games and has been able to put up top-10 numbers only due to talent.
Austin Ekeler was much more involved in the passing game with Justin Herbert under center in Week 2. Ekeler should see a boost with the Chargers likely turning to the rookie indefinitely.
Tier 4
James Conner (vs. HOU)
James Robinson (vs. MIA)
We couldn't trust either of these backs heading into Week 2, and now they're both solid RB2 plays for Week 3. It just goes to show how volatile the running back position can be.
Tier 5
Joe Mixon (@ PHI)
Melvin Gordon (vs. TB)
Todd Gurley (vs. CHI)
Leonard Fournette (@ DEN)
David Johnson (@ PIT)
Giovani Bernard continues to outpace Joe Mixon on passing plays, which means we need to view Mixon as a mid-range RB2 until further notice.
Melvin Gordon should continue to dominate the Broncos backfield with Phillip Lindsay (toe) out again this week. However, the Bucs are a brutal matchup and may stack the box with Drew Lock and Courtland Sutton both out.
Leonard Fournette may have taken over as the Bucs lead back, but we can't be 100% certain quite yet. Ronald Jones had some miscommunication with Tom Brady on a hand-off attempt that may have been the catalyst for Fournette taking over as the lead back in the second half of last week's game.
Tier 6
David Montgomery (@ ATL)
Kareem Hunt (vs. WAS)
Jerick McKinnon (@ NYG)
Joshua Kelley (vs. CAR)
Mike Davis (@ LAC)
Devin Singletary (vs. LAR)
Mark Ingram (vs. KC)
Jerick McKinnon and Mike Davis are this week's top waiver wire adds — they should be safe low-end RB2 options while their starting RBs are out.
Joshua Kelley should thrive when the Chargers are favored by six or more points against bad defenses, and that's the very situation he find himself in this week.
Tier 7
Antonio Gibson (@ CLE)
Jeffery Wilson (@ NYG)
Darrell Henderson (@ BUF)
Malcolm Brown (@ BUF)
Myles Gaskin (@ JAX)
Frank Gore (@ IND)
Jeffery Wilson is the favorite to inherit the Raheem Mostert role as long as Mostert (knee) out. Wilson is very likely to handle the goal-line duties, which makes him a RB3/Flex option this week.
Darrell Henderson took advantage of both Malcolm Brown and Cam Akers suffering in-game injuries in Week 2. Their availability will dictate Henderson's final Week 3 rank, but we should be able to trust him as a RB2/Flex option. I still expect this backfield to be loaded with fantasy potential and volatility going forward.
Frank Gore continues what feels like a "farewell tour" as he faces a former team for the third straight week: The Bills (Week 1), the 49ers (Week 2) and now the Colts (Week 3). I guess that's what happens when you play into your late 30s.
Tier 8
James White (vs. LV)
D'Andre Swift (@ ARI)
Zack Moss (vs. LAR)
Latavius Murray (vs. GB)
Dion Lewis (vs. SF)
Ronald Jones II (@ DEN)
Adrian Peterson (@ ARI)
Nyheim Hines (vs. NYJ)
J.K. Dobbins (vs. KC)
Chase Edmonds (vs. DET)
Rex Burkhead (vs. LV)
Tarik Cohen (@ ATL)
Sony Michel (vs. LV)
This gargantuan tier offers nothing but painful sit/start decisions. Hopefully, you aren't in a position in which you have to consider any of these backs. The reason we have any of these backs on our roster is in case their committee partner ever misses time.
Tier 9
Devonta Freeman (vs. SF)
Carlos Hyde (vs. DAL)
Boston Scott (vs. CIN)
Kerryon Johnson (@ ARI)
Jamaal Williams (@ NO)
We can't trust Freeman in his Giants debut. I expect Dion Lewis to see most of the work until Freeman can get up to speed with the playbook. Week 4, at the earliest, will be when Freeman might become a potential RB3/Flex option.
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WIDE RECEIVERS
Tier 1
DeAndre Hopkins (vs. DET)
Michael Thomas is likely out again, Davante Adams is dealing with a hamstring injury and DeAndre Hopkins is playing out of his mind — a combination that has positioned Hopkins as the unquestioned WR1 for Week 3.
Tier 2
Davante Adams (@ NO)
Julio Jones (vs. CHI)
Calvin Ridley (vs. CHI)
Tyreek Hill (@ BAL)
"It's only a matter of time before I and every other analyst in the industry have Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley ranked inside the top-five WRs. Their Week 5 matchup against the Panthers will likely be the first time that happens."
It looks like I was off by two whole weeks with my prediction. Calvin Ridley's ascent has been swift, but it shouldn't come as a surprise to my beloved tiers readers. If you were able to snag him in Round 4 or 5 of your draft, congrats — let's enjoy the ride.
Julio Jones playing at less than 100% is likely a big reason Ridley is the WR1 overall after two games. If Julio were to miss time due to injury, there's a chance it could hurt Ridley's production.
Davante Adams and Julio Jones are dealing with hamstring injuries that we'll need to monitor until kickoff (track daily injury updates here).
Tier 3
Amari Cooper (@ SEA)
Adam Thielen (vs. TEN)
DK Metcalf (vs. DAL)
Tyler Lockett (vs. DAL)
D.J. Moore (@ LAC)
Allen Robinson (@ ATL)
Chris Godwin (@ DEN)
JuJu Smith-Schuster (vs. HOU)
D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are both top 10 WRs with #LetRussCook becoming a reality. This week's Cowboys-Seahawks matchup is loaded with fantasy football goodness as it features two top-seven QBs, two top-10 RBs and four top-24 WRs.
Tier 4
Cooper Kupp (@ BUF)
Terry McLaurin (@ CLE)
Robert Woods (@ BUF)
Keenan Allen (vs. CAR)
Julian Edelman (vs. LV)
Stefon Diggs (vs. LAR)
Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. WAS)
Diontae Johnson (vs. HOU)
Marquise Brown (vs. KC)
Mike Evans (@ DEN)
CeeDee Lamb (@ SEA)
D.J. Chark (vs. MIA)
T.Y. Hilton (vs. NYJ)
DeVante Parker (@ JAX)
Robby Anderson (@ LAC)
Kenny Golladay (@ ARI)
A.J. Green (@ PHI)
The WR2 Tier seems to expand each week, and everyone listed here has WR1 potential.
DeVante Parker appears to be closer to 100% after a hamstring injury slowed him down at the season's start. We could see him regain his 2019 form as soon as this week.
Kenny Golladay is tentatively set to make his season debut as he is also trying to overcome a hamstring injury. We should view him as a WR2/3 until he's able to get at least one game under his belt.
Robby Anderson continues to make me regret overlooking him, assuming he would be the third or fourth option in the passing game. He has back-to-back 100-yard games to begin the season and joins the growing list of players who broke out immediately after leaving an Adam Gase offense.
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Tier 5
John Brown (vs. LAR)
Tyler Boyd (@ PHI)
Darius Slayton (vs. SF)
Corey Davis (@ MIN)
Michael Gallup (@ SEA)
Marvin Jones (@ ARI)
DeSean Jackson (vs. CIN)
Jarvis Landry (vs. WAS)
Darius Slayton gets a massive boost with Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard out. It wouldn't be a bad idea to float a "buy low" offer after Slayton's 3/33/0 performance last week.
Michael Gallup seems like the odd-man-out in the Cowboys' high-octane passing offense. He might need either Amari Cooper or CeeDee Lamb to miss time to be trusted as a WR2. Consider Gallup a high-ceiling, low-floor WR3 for now.
Tier 6
Russell Gage (vs. CHI)**
Tre'Quan Smith (vs. GB)
Laviska Shenault (vs. MIA)**
Jerry Jeudy (vs. TB)**
Mike Williams (vs. CAR)++
Preston Williams (@ JAX)
Brandin Cooks (@ PIT)++
N'Keal Harry (vs. LV)
Will Fuller V (@ PIT)++
Emmanuel Sanders (vs. GB)
Adam Humphries (@ MIN)**
Keelan Cole (vs. MIA)
Michael Pittman Jr. (vs. NYJ)
Zach Pascal (vs. NYJ)++
Golden Tate (vs. SF)**
Curtis Samuel (@ LAC)**
** = High floor: Play if you're favored
++ = High ceiling: Play if you're an underdog
There are a ton of high floor and high ceiling options in this tier.
As always, if you're a comfortably big favorite in your matchup, you should lean toward playing a WR with a higher floor. Your goal in that situation is to get "at least" a certain amount of production from your WR3/Flex and not take big gambles.
On the flip side, if you happen to be a big underdog, you should take a higher-risk approach and start the WR who has a wider range of outcomes.
Tre'Quan Smith is somewhere in the middle of the two extremes. He seemed to be the closest thing to Michael Thomas' replacement and offers a solid floor/ceiling combo until Thomas returns.
Tier 7
Henry Ruggs (@ NE)
Cole Beasley (vs. LAR)
Christian Kirk (vs. DET)
Jalen Reagor (vs. CIN)
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (@ NO)
Braxton Berrios (@ IND)
Anthony Miller (@ ATL)
Miles Boykin (vs. KC)
Steven Sims (@ CLE)
Chris Hogan (@ IND)
Kendrick Bourne (@ NYG)
Allen Lazard (@ NO)
Larry Fitzgerald (vs. DET)
Isaiah Ford (@ JAX)
Danny Amendola (@ ARI)
Brandon Aiyuk (@ NYG)
Sammy Watkins (@ BAL)
If Davante Adams is ruled out, MVS and Lazard will shoot way up my tiers.
I urged caution when it came to Anthony Miller last week — his underlying usage did not support his Week 1 box score of 4/76/1. Then in Week 2, he was completely shut out despite being on the field the same amount of passing plays (50-55%).
Braxton Berrios and Chris Hogan are one-week fliers in very deep leagues. Sam Darnold will have no choice but to give each of them 5-7 targets with Breshad Perriman and Jamison Crowder expected to miss.
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TIGHT ENDS
Tier 1
Travis Kelce (@ BAL)
George Kittle will likely miss his second straight game, which means Kelce gets another week with Tier 1 all to himself.
Tier 2
Darren Waller (@ NE)
Mark Andrews (vs. KC)
Mark Andrews followed up his 5/58/2 Week 1 eruption with a 1/29/0 dud last week. I expect him to bounce back in what should be a competitive game against the Chiefs for all four quarters (a rarity for the Ravens).
Tier 3
Zach Ertz (vs. CIN)
Hunter Henry (vs. CAR)
Jared Cook (vs. GB)
Tyler Higbee (@ BUF)
Mike Gesicki (@ JAX)
Dallas Goedert (vs. CIN)
Jonnu Smith (@ MIN)
Evan Engram (vs. SF)
If there were ever a time to sell high on Tyler Higbee, it would be right now. His three touchdowns last week matched his season total from a year ago. I would argue he was due for some positive touchdown regression, but we can't just assume he's turned into 2010-2015 Rob Gronkowski, either. Higbee's underlying usage makes it hard to project him for more than his four receptions and 47-yard average through two games.
Mike Gesicki and Jonnu Smith seem to be in the midst of Year 3 and 4 breakouts — a big part of the reason I made it a point to wait at TE during drafts and target the "League Winner Tier" they were in.
Tier 4
T.J. Hockenson (@ ARI)
Hayden Hurst (vs. CHI)
Hurst predictably broke out in Week 2 with a 5/72/1 game. He’s a low-end TE1 again this week, but I expect him to improve as the season progresses as he builds chemistry with Matt Ryan.
Tier 5
Noah Fant (vs. TB)
Mo Alie-Cox (vs. NYJ)
Logan Thomas (@ CLE)
Mo Alie-Cox should continue to be streamable as long as Jack Doyle remains out. Alie-Cox's Week 2 eruption of 5/111/0 did not take me by surprise as I elevated him to TE23 once Doyle was ruled out. Philip Rivers has a long history of targeting his TE heavily, so expect the massive 6-foot-4, 260-pound tight end to develop into one of Rivers’ favorite red-zone targets.
Logan Thomas is my streamer play of the week at TE. His ceiling isn’t nearly as high as Cox, but should be a lock for 6-8 targets again this week.
Tier 6
Dalton Schultz (@ SEA)
Chris Herndon (@ IND)
Jordan Reed (@ NYG)
Austin Hooper (vs. WAS)
Eric Ebron (vs. HOU)
I’m currently projecting George Kittle for limited playing time, which is keeping Reed’s projection at bay. If Kittle is ruled out again, expect Reed to jump up to Tier 5 (at least).
Tier 7
Tyler Eifert (vs. MIA)
Greg Olsen (vs. DAL)
Drew Sample (@ PHI)
Dan Arnold (vs. DET)
Jordan Akins (@ PIT)
Jimmy Graham (@ ATL)
Dan Arnold was among my colleague Chris Raybon’s favorite late-round sleepers. I would tease him by saying that if two catches for 20 yards per game is what you are after, Dan Arnold is your guy. But with Maxx Williams injured, I think we can expect three or more catches from Arnold in the meantime. He’s worth a flier this week in deep, TE premium leagues.
Drew Sample is another TE to lookout for in deeper leagues. C.J. Uzomah suffered a season-ending Achilles injury, which elevated Sample to the team’s lead TE going forward. He saw most of his nine targets in garbage time last week, but on the Bengals, that might be fairly common.
Tier 8
Rob Gronkowski (vs. CAR)
Eric Ebron (vs. DEN)
Dan Arnold (vs. WAS)
Ian Thomas (@ TB)
Eric Ebron put up a dud on Monday Night Football. I wouldn't write him off quite yet, though — he ran a route on 67% of dropbacks and could pop up as a streamer play again in the future if he has a plus matchup.
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KICKERS
Tier 1
Jason Myers (vs. DAL)
Justin Tucker (vs. KC)
Zane Gonzalez (vs. DET)
Tier 2
Wil Lutz (vs. GB)
Nick Folk (vs. LV)
Rodrigo Blankenship (vs. NYJ)
Tier 3
Stephen Gostkowski (@ MIN)
Greg Zuerlein (@ SEA)
Harrison Butker (@ BAL)
Matt Prater (@ ARI)
Michael Badgley (vs. CAR)
Younghoe Koo (vs. CHI)
Jake Elliott (vs. CIN)
Tier 4
Mason Crosby (@ NO)
Cody Parkey (vs. WAS)
Ryan Succop (@ DEN)
Brandon Wright (vs. MIA)
Chris Boswell (vs. HOU)
Robbie Gould (@ NYG)
Tyler Bass (vs. LAR)
Dan Bailey (vs. TEN)
Jason Sanders (@ JAX)
Cairo Santos (@ ATL)
Tier 5
Sam Sloman (@ BUF)
Randy Bullock (@ PHI)
Ka'imi Fairbairn (@ PIT)
Joey Slye (@ LAC)
Daniel Carlson (@ NE)
Brandon McManus (vs. TB)
Dustin Hopkins (@ CLE)
Graham Gano (vs. SF)
Tier 6
Sam Ficken (@ IND)
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DEFENSES
Tier 1
Indianapolis Colts (vs. NYJ)
Tier 2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@ DEN)
San Francisco 49ers (@ NYG)
Tier 3
Cleveland Browns (vs. WAS)
Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. HOU)
Philadelphia Eagles (vs. CIN)
Los Angeles Chargers (vs. CAR)
Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. MIA)
Tier 4
Buffalo Bills (vs. LAR)
New England Patriots (vs. LV)
Atlanta Falcons (vs. CHI)
New York Giants (vs. SF)
Arizona Cardinals (vs. DET)
Tier 5
Carolina Panthers (@ LAC)
Los Angeles Rams (@ BUF)
Tennessee Titans (@ MIN)
Houston Texans (@ PIT)
Cincinnati Bengals (@ PHI)
Washington Football Team (@ CLE)
Tier 6
Chicago Bears (@ ATL)
Baltimore Ravens (vs. KC)
Seattle Seahawks (vs. DAL)
Miami Dolphins (@ JAX)
Minnesota Vikings (vs. TEN)
New York Jets (@ IND)
Las Vegas Raiders (@ NE)
New Orleans Saints (vs. GB)
Denver Broncos (vs. TB)
Tier 7
Detroit Lions (@ ARI)
Kansas City Chiefs (@ BAL)
Green Bay Packers (@ NO)
Dallas Cowboys (@ SEA)
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