web analytics

Week 3 Fantasy Football Projections: Top 100 Flex Players and Stat Predictions

Fantasy Football
September 20, 2016

Injuries and other factors will force plenty of fantasy football owners to re-evaluate their teams heading into Week 3.

There were a lot of injuries over the course of the weekend, many of which will impact fantasy football either directly or indirectly. Even if an injured player isn’t on your roster, take note of how an absence might positively or negatively affect the rest of the offense.

As for the rest of the league, it’s still too early to give up on top players, but usage rates represent quality predictors going forward. With all this in mind, here is a look at projections heading into Week 3 of the NFL season.

 

Quarterbacks

It’s difficult playing the Denver Broncos’ defense, which both Cam Newton and Andrew Luck have already learned this season. Both should be fine going forward against weaker competition.

Drew Brees had a disappointing showing in Week 2, although there should be little doubt about playing him against the Atlanta Falcons.

There are certainly more question marks revolving around Aaron Rodgers, who is averaging just 206 passing yards in the first two games. The former MVP admitted there are problems, although he also had to once again remind fans to calm down.

“Well, we’re not going to overreact,” Rodgers said after the Sunday night loss to the Minnesota Vikings, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. It’s been two weeks. We’ve been not quite finding our rhythm yet, but we’ve got some guys working in that haven’t worked together a whole lot. So we’re going to trust the process and believe we can get this thing turned around.”

He moves down a little bit in the rankings, but you definitely aren’t benching one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league.

On the other hand, Matt Ryan is a player you want to move up after a pair of strong performances to start the year. He has scored 51 combined points in standard leagues over the first two games and now gets to face a below-average New Orleans Saints defense.

No matter what league you are in or if you are doing daily fantasy, Ryan is someone you want in your lineup in Week 3.

 

Running Backs

Week 2 was brutal for running backs, with a handful of top players picking up injuries. A lot can and likely will change over the course of the week, but these rankings are early projections based on who seems most likely to play in Week 3 or not.

One player who is definitely out is Danny Woodhead of the San Diego Chargers after tearing his ACL Sunday, per Conor Orr of NFL.com. This leaves an opening for Melvin Gordon, who might become the best of all the injury replacements.

Gordon finished last game with 24 carries and three catches, proving he can be a full-time performer with Woodhead out. Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports noted just how good the running back can be:

The rest of the field follows a similar theme: find players who will get a lot of touches.

Although it’s not always easy to know what a coach is planning, players such as Lamar Miller, Matt Forte and DeAngelo Williams have gotten a lot of carries in the first two games and should continue to rack up points as long as this continues.

David Johnson remains the clear No. 1 thanks to his production in both the running game and passing attack.

Meanwhile, LeGarrette Blount and Isaiah Crowell might be safer options than you would ordinarily expect. They might both be one-dimensional players, but they get a lot of carries and could get even more next week with backup quarterbacks set to run the offenses.

Backups such as Jay Ajayi, Matt Asiata and others have a chance to produce in Week 3, but they come with a lot of risk.

 

Wide Receivers

Antonio Brown doesn’t have many bad games, but Week 2 was one of them, with the Pittsburgh Steelers star finishing with just four catches for 39 yards. Still, the top three or four spots at receiver likely won’t change much from week to week.

The top players at the position are usually so consistent they should be in your lineup regardless of matchup.

One player who might be quickly moving into this category is Kelvin Benjamin. After missing all of last season with a knee injury, the receiver has gotten off to a great start in 2016 with 199 yards and three touchdowns in two games.

Nerdy Football’s Cian Fahey discussed Benjamin’s performance in Week 2:

Stefon Diggs and Brandin Cooks are also moving closer to WR1 territory after their starts to the year, although you might want to see a bit more consistency before committing to them on a regular basis.

On the other hand, doubts about Sammy Watkins, T.Y. Hilton and Demaryius Thomas are big enough to potentially consider other options in Week 3 despite their obvious talent.

 

Tight Ends

Rob Gronkowski missed the New England Patriots’ first two games and now the Pats play on a Thursday night. It would be a lot to expect him to come back on a short week; however, if he is active, he should be in all lineups.

The good news is there are a few players proving to be worthy of a roster spot and potentially an immediate start at tight end.

Dennis Pitta looked as good as ever with his nine-catch, 102-yard performance in Week 2. Jacob Tamme was also a factor all over the field with five catches, 75 yards and a touchdown. Both have favorable matchups in Week 3 and can be plug-and-play additions.

Antonio Gates also gets a boost due to the injuries around him. With both Woodhead and Keenan Allen out, Philip Rivers is running out of players to throw the ball to on offense. Gates remains a security blanket for the veteran quarterback, though, and should see his numbers increase.

Still, Jordan Reed and Greg Olsen represent a decent gap over the rest of the field as two players who are a threat for 100-yard games and scores every single week.

 

Defense/Special Teams

Most of the top defenses for Week 3 are simply the best units in the league. The Seattle Seahawks haven’t been great offensively, but the defense is still as good as ever to keep opponents off the scoreboard.

The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers are also always capable of helping your fantasy team with sacks, turnovers and defensive touchdowns.

Those who like to stream defenses could look toward the Miami Dolphins. While the team had a rough showing in Week 2 against the Patriots, it should be much easier when the Browns come to town in Week 3.

Considering Cody Kessler will be making his first career start, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Cleveland could be in for a rough day.

 

Kickers

Trusting good kickers in quality offenses seems like a smart way to go, especially in leagues that take away points for missed kicks. Additionally, those kickers in average offenses or worse can always produce at a high level with a few field goals in a single game.

Justin Tucker has proved this theory already by going 5-of-5 on field goals in the first two games.

There aren’t usually many true sleepers at the position, although Nick Folk could be a quality performer if you are in need of a replacement at kicker. 

 

Note: Fantasy football scoring info courtesy of ESPN.com

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.

Follow TheRobGoldberg on Twitter

Read more Fantasy Football news on NerdyFootball.com

NFL

Fantasy Football

Fantasy

You Might Also Like