Fantasy Football Rankings: Week 3 Matchups to Consider
In college, I had to give plenty of speeches and presentations, and while I do not mind public speaking, it always felt terrible to follow someone who crushed it because then you’ve got to follow that up. That is exactly how it felt going from the season opener to Week 2. Not only was scoring down, but we also had plenty of big injuries, especially at QB, which inevitably hurts the supporting cast.
The silver lining is that we have got another week of data to look at and help us make more informed decisions. I am still waiting for a full month of football before determining how good or bad an offense or defense is. However, sometimes teams are just bad against certain positions year after year. With that in mind, we can use that to our advantage.
Here are some matchups and players to consider heading into Week 3:
Quarterbacks
Drake Maye
QB - NE
Chances are, if you drafted Drake Maye just a couple of weeks ago, you went in with high expectations. Part of that was A.J. Brown coming over and the offense looking better as a whole. After two weeks, you have got to be questioning your decision at QB. Maye hasn’t put up back-to-back bad performances like this in his young career. It’s not time to freak out, but Maye should be considered in the streaming-QB territory until he gets A.J. Brown back or the matchup is juicy. Losing your best offensive lineman, Mike Onwenu, certainly doesn’t help Maye’s future. While the Jaguars are not the scariest matchup, it is not a matchup that should give you confidence in last year’s QB2 overall.
Matthew Stafford
QB - LAR
From MVP runner-up to MVP, I didn’t think I would be talking about two QBs who were auto-starts in 2025. Many people are throwing out Matthew Stafford’s Week 1 performance, and I think that is fair. I think many teams will learn more about how to prepare for international games after the Los Angeles Rams botched their preparation. Week 2 should have given you all the confidence you needed in Stafford after he put up a 300-yard game with four TDs, all without Puka Nacua in the lineup.
The Rams once again hit the skies at 30,000 feet and will touch down in Mile High to face the Broncos, who held Patrick Mahomes and Trevor Lawrence under 200 yards passing in their previous two games. That is the Broncos picking up right where they left off in 2025, when they were one of the toughest matchups for QBs.
Running Backs
Quinshon Judkins
RB - CLE
24 rush attempts for 54 yards… that is what Quinshon Judkins has provided us with so far this season. For context, MarShawn Lloyd has gone 19 for 57, and Woody Marks went 17 for 50. Starting Judkins has mostly been because of name value or opportunity. Mike mentioned all offseason how he was out on Judkins and did not really want anyone on this offense because of how truly bad it is, and he is proving to be right. Last year, he saw eight or more defenders in the box at the highest rate in the NFL (45%), per NextGenStats. This year, it is lower, but still high (25%), and that is probably because of the offensive weapons added in Cleveland.
Now hear me out: I think Judkins could be playable in Week 3. The Panthers have given up the most fantasy points to RBs through two weeks, which is a small sample, but even in 2025 they ranked as the seventh easiest matchup for RBs, so it is not that surprising. In 2025, Judkins averaged four more PPG in home games and almost 11 more points in wins. It’s the home opener for the Browns in a game they could win. I do not think they will, but at least there is some rare optimism in Cleveland.
Javonte Williams
RB - DAL
In fantasy, sometimes it is just opportunity that we seek out, not talent. While I believe the aforementioned Judkins and Javonte Williams are good backs, I am not sold that they are great. However, both RBs get nearly all of the work for their respective backfields. I’m no chemist, but I know that if you mix bad defenses with high-powered offenses, you often get fireworks.
This matchup versus the Ravens is the highest O/U of the week at 52.5 points. Going back to last season and continuing to 2026, the Ravens have given up 23+ points in six of their last seven matchups. It has been nice seeing Javonte used in the receiving game, and even better that he is doing more with those touches. In Week 3, Williams looks to be one of the safer options at RB.
Omarion Hampton
RB - LAC
Despite the Chargers not using their RBs in the receiving game so far this season, last season’s first-round pick, Omarion Hampton, is still getting a ton of touches. Coming off his first 20-plus-carry game, Hampton looked like what fantasy managers hoped for before the season kicked off. While he has looked the part, the Chargers have not.
Seeing the Chargers open with back-to-back losses to two of 2025’s worst teams wasn’t on my bingo card. If that wasn’t bad enough, the next seven matchups are a gauntlet. Not only do many of them have strong run defenses, but they can put up points too. If Hampton isn’t going to be featured in the passing game, that hurts. Not that you were benching him, but the Bills’ run-funnel defense did not start this season; it started back in 2024.
Wide Receivers
Drake London
WR - ATL
I have debates with my buddy all the time about whether Drake London is great or not. I am on team London. A lot can be said about how he needs a good QB to really be great, but there have been plenty of WRs who haven’t had good QB play but still produced, such as Garrett Wilson or Malik Nabers, just to name a couple.
I would like to play a little game with you.
Tell me which player you would rather have: Player A or Player B.
Per-game Stats
Player A
Player B
Targets
11.3
9.6
Receptions
6.8
7
Receiving Yards
94.8
105.4
TDs
0.7
0.5
-Drum Roll-
Player A is Drake London and his 11 full games with Michael Penix Jr.
Player B is Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2025, when he led the NFL in receiving.
No, I don’t seriously believe that London is this year’s JSN, but I thought the comparison was too close not to share. London started the season with the Falcons’ third- and fourth-string QBs. In hindsight, we shouldn’t have expected big games. Even if he starts slowly in his first game on Thursday Night Football with Penix this season, you have got to be more excited than you were the past two weeks.
Tee Higgins
WR - CIN
Sometimes, divisional games, especially rivalries, can bring out the best in a player. With that, here are the last six matchups for Tee Higgins versus the Pittsburgh Steelers: WR4, WR9, WR12, WR15, WR16, and WR47. Meat Higgins has been a handful for the Steelers.
Through two weeks, Higgins has been held without a TD. That’s a rather slow start considering he’s had double-digit TDs the last two seasons. Statistically, the Steelers are allowing the lowest passing EPA per play in the NFL at -0.53. That said, they have faced the depleted passing offenses of the Falcons and Patriots, so don’t take it at face value.
Jalen Coker
WR - CAR
Here are the only players in the NFL with more red zone targets than Jalen Coker: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Trey McBride. He is tied for ninth in targets, fifth in receptions, and sixth in receiving yards. It’s only been two weeks, but Coker’s 3.1 YPRR would have ranked third in 2025, only behind Puka Nacua and JSN. It is time to adjust our priors about Coker.
The Panthers are ranked second in pass rate over expected percentage. Kyle does a great Pace of Play article each week that really highlights matchups for DFS, but it can also be quite helpful for all league types. With an injury to Jonathon Brooks, we will certainly see more Chuba Hubbard, but it could also lead to even more passing. Remember that in Week 2, Carolina was up 20-3 going into the half against the Falcons. While the Falcons managed to do nothing on offense, the Panthers still kept airing it out.
Tight Ends
Colston Loveland
TE - CHI
I went grocery shopping earlier this week and saw Colston Loveland on every milk carton in the store. Much like Drake Maye, Loveland was supposed to be someone you plug into your onesie position, set it and forget it. Week 1, I was willing to accept that he just wasn’t in the game plan. After all, they scored 59 points and won. Playing football in the rain is fun, but it is not fun for us fantasy managers. In Week 2, it was a downpour, windy, and Caleb Williams went down late in the game.
I believe most of us would be surprised if Caleb suits up as he deals with the world’s most severe hamstring injury, according to eyewitnesses. Backup QB Tyson Bagent is in concussion protocol, so it would be surprising if he returned in time as well. That could leave 38-year-old journeyman and multiple NCAA record holder Case Keenum starting in prime time on Monday Night Football. Loveland’s grim QB situation is just as bad as the matchup. The Eagles are one of the toughest matchups for TEs so far this season (which means nothing when it is Chig Okonkwo, John Bates, and Gunnar Helm), but Philadelphia has been strong against TEs for a while now, ranking first in 2025 and third in 2024.
Pat Freiermuth
TE - PIT
From a great TE defense to a putrid one, the Bengals have entered the chat. With Nico Collins out in Week 2, Dalton Schultz dominated as the Texans’ leading receiving option. I know they are different players, but if Dr. Schultz can go 12 for 140 against the Bengals, I suspect the Muth could get Luth (loose) too.
Pat Freiermuth isn’t anything special, but it does not take anything special to have a good outing against the Bengals if you’re a TE. Somehow, Freiermuth is eighth in receptions by TEs two weeks into this season, and it is like no one cares (I don’t either; don’t hear what I’m not saying). What I do care about is the opportunity to be the first or second receiving option. That is a real possibility, and against a Bengals defense that has ranked as the easiest TE defense for the past two seasons, there are certainly worse options out there.