Analysis

9/20/23

10 min read

Matthew Hill’s 2023 NFL Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings

By Matthew Hill

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Week 3 is upon us so it is time to stop stubbornly clinging to what we thought we knew in the offseason. The recently traded Cam Akers is not an underrated bell-cow. Brian Robinson is not in a timeshare with Antonio Gibson. The Falcons are not going to feature Kyle Pitts. The list goes on and on. 

Our lineup decisions need to reflect the new realities revealed after two weeks of targets, touches and trends. Admitting we were wrong is not something that comes easily, but in the case of fantasy, not living in reality can cost us wins — and dollars. 

My complete Week 3 rankings include highlights of players who are significantly above or below consensus, according to FantasyPros Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR). We’ve included player summaries for the ones for whom I have the strongest opinions and will be investing in most heavily in DFS.

We will update the rankings and player summaries throughout the week as new information comes in. 

Hill’s Week 3 Fantasy Rankings

Quarterbacks

 Lamar Jackson, Ravens

Lamar Jackson was a low-end QB1 in Week 2 after throwing for 237 yards with a pair of touchdowns and adding 54 yards on the ground. He gets a home game against an Indianapolis Colts pass defense that has given up 287 yards a game, giving him a high floor and ceiling. 

 Kirk Cousins, Vikings

Kirk Cousins has thrown for 708 yards with six touchdowns through his first two games. He will get the Los Angeles Chargers at home in a game with a 54-point opening line. Cousins has overall QB1 upside this week. 

Anthony Richardson/Gardner Minshew, Colts

Anthony Richardson’s recovery from a concussion will be something to monitor, but assuming that Richardson is not cleared, Gardner Minshew is squarely on the streaming radar. Minshew completed 19 of 23 passes last week in relief of Richardson and should be called upon for plenty of work as road underdogs against the Baltimore Ravens. 

Joe Burrow, Bengals

Joe Burrow lands at QB17 thanks to conflicting reports about his Monday night availability. His ceiling is obviously significantly higher than his ranking, so you will need to monitor his status this weekend and decide on your level of risk aversion.

Running Backs

Kyren Williams, Rams

Kyren Williams is second only to Christian McCaffrey among running backs in PPR, had a 96 percent snap share and saw 100 percent of the Rams’ backfield touches last week. Despite his elite usage and production, the early consensus is underrating Williams (RB13). 

 Brian Robinson, Commanders

Brian Robinson has surpassed 20 touches in six of his past seven games. He enters the week third among all running backs in PPR but is ranked as a mid-range RB2 in the early consensus rankings. It will be interesting to see his projected ownership later this week, but for now, the fantasy community is overlooking Robinson.

 Najee Harris/Jaylen Warren, Steelers

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren continue to operate in a near-even timeshare, with Harris having 19 touches and Warren seeing 18. Warren remains the preferred option on passing downs. Despite this, the consensus gap remains large with Harris having an ECR of RB17, with Warren at RB38. Until Harris takes over the backfield, they have similar value as low-end RB2s in a plus matchup at Las Vegas.  

Gus Edwards, Ravens

With Justice Hill out, Gus Edwards is a solid RB2 with upside as a heavy favorite at home against the Colts. Kenyan Drake should be active in the passing game and he has the ability to steal significant early-down work, so Edwards does come with risk. Priced at only $5,300, I want some exposure to Edwards.

Wide Receivers  

 Keenan Allen, Chargers 

Keenan Allen is inside my top 10, with Mike Williams a high-end WR2 as well in a projected shootout. The Los Angeles Chargers passing attack has been heavily consolidated between Allen and Williams. Josh Palmer and Quentin Johnston have combined for 33 yards receiving.

 Michael Pittman, Colts 

Michael Pittman has seen monster volume through two weeks, turning his 23 targets into a combined 16/153/1 receiving line. Pittman should see a similar volume with Minshew under center in a matchup where the Indianapolis Colts will need to take to the air early and often. 

 George Pickens, Steelers

With Dionte Johnson out, George Pickens stepped into a high-volume role, putting up 127 yards receiving with a touchdown on 10 targets. Pickens could post similar numbers against a vulnerable Las Vegas Raiders secondary. 

 Nico Collins, Texans

Nico Collins has not only established himself as the Houston Texans‘ WR1, but Houston’s offense as a whole has surpassed expectations. Houston has played at a sizzling pace, running 79 plays in Week 2, including 47 pass attempts. As long as the Texans maintain their electric pace of play and their reliance on the pass, Collins is a high-floor/ceiling play each week. 

 Jakobi Meyers, Raiders

Jakobi Meyers was a Week 1 revelation, finishing as the overall WR3 after catching eight balls for 81 yards and two scores. Meyers missed Week 2 due to a concussion but has a chance of returning this week. It seems as though the fantasy community has forgotten about his Week 1 effort because he has an early ECR of WR41.  

Christian Kirk, Jaguars

Christian Kirk is a borderline WR2 with upside with Zay Jones out. Trevor Lawrence has struggled against Houston in his short career against Houston, but Jacksonville is far too talented to put too much stock into a four-game sample size. Play Kirk with confidence.

Tight Ends

 Hunter Henry, Patriots 

Hunter Henry enters Week 3 as fantasy’s top tight end thanks in part to unsustainable efficiency (securing 11 of 13 targets) and touchdown rate. Henry has shown enough to be locked into a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 going forward. 

 Kyle Pitts, Falcons

Kyle Pitts has four receptions on eight targets this season and has not found the end zone since Week 8 of last season. FantasyPros ECR continues to rank Pitts as the TE1, but his rankings are more reflective of his talent and wishful thinking than of his current reality.

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Matthew Hill

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