Week 3 fantasy QB rankings: 15 best quarterbacks for fantasy football in NFL Week 3

Of note, Las Vegas Raiders Gardner Minshew is equally deserving of the 15th spot in our Week 3 fantasy QB rankings, so target him in 2-QB leagues and DFS. As for Geno Smith, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback is playing some of the best football in his career right now. He currently ranks fourth in ESPN QBR (71.2) and has the sixth-most passing yards (498). We know the passing touchdowns (2) haven’t come in droves yet, but we see him replicating that number in Week 3.

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We’ll say it, this is the week Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears offense comes alive. While the Indianapolis Colts defensive line gives us some concern against the turnstile that is the Bears’ offensive line, there’s something else to consider. Colts’ opponents average a touchdown pass on 6.5 percent of their pass attempts (fifth-highest in NFL) and this secondary has allowed a 110-plus QB rating in consecutive weeks. If Williams can just get a little time, there’s a lot of upside in Week 3.

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Baker Mayfield saved his fantasy day on Sunday with a rushing touchdown, but that’s probably not going to be replicated for the second consecutive week. No matter, because even if Denver Broncos corner Patrick Surtain follows Mike Evans, wideout Chris Godwin is thriving in the Cooper Kupp-like role in this offense and he’ll be funneled targeted. Plus, with Denver’s offense not posing much of a threat and a relatively safe bet for a turnover, Mayfield could have an extra possession and great field position. We’d project 225-plus yards and 2 touchdowns from Mayfield.

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It should only be a matter of time until Anthony Richardson is one of the best quarterbacks in fantasy football. However, that moment hasn’t arrived. It doesn’t help that Shane Steichen seemingly eliminated designed runs, one of Richardson’s best skills. it also doesn’t help that Richardon’s accuracy is too inconsistent right now, leading to off-target throws and interceptions. Plus, for this specific matchup, the Chicago Bears have only allowed 169.5 passing yards per game this season.

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The Minnesota Vikings defense isn’t to be taken lightly. For those that thought allowing just 6 points and 3.5 yards per play in Week 1 was a joke – called the New York Giants offense – Brian Flores’ defense just sacked Brock Purdy 6 times and held the San Francisco 49ers to 17 points with a 20% third-down success rate. C.J. Stroud is an MVP-caliber quarterback in one of the best offenses in football, but this is one of his toughest matchups of the year.

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We’re giving Jared Goff another week, but it’s a one-shot deal. The Arizona Cardinals defense put up a nice box score against Matthew Stafford last Sunday, but that’s easier to do against a Los Angeles Rams offense without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Detroit’s offensive line is also one of the best in football, the polar opposite of the Rams’ offensive line right now. The Lions have the play-caller, skill players and offensive line to make Arizona’s defense look awful. It’s all on Goff to execute.

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This is all a bet on Jayden Daniels’ rushing ability and a strong belief that the Washington Commandes will need to play catch-up with the Cincinnati Bengals offense. Daniels already has 132 rushing yards on the season with 10-plus carries in both starts. Cincinnati’s run defense is vulnerable and Daniels’ legs are the best path for Washington to have a shot at keeping this game close. The passing yardage totals might not be great, but 50-plus rushing yards and 200 passing yards with a score is a solid line.

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Buy stock in the Arizona Cardinals offense while you still can. Kyler Murray is back as one of the best dual-threats in football, coming off consecutive games with 55-plus rushing yards and a yards per carry average of 11-plus. He was literally perfect in Week 2 (3 TDs, 158.3 QB rating) and while this matchup against the Detroit Lions defense is more challenging, there are vulnerabilities in the Lions’ secondary. Plus, we expect this to be one of the highest-scoring NFL games in Week 3.

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We can certainly look past the Baltimore Ravens defense allowing 291 passing yards and a 101.9 BQ rating to Patrick Mahomes, he’s an all-time great. When your defense surrenders 20 second-half points to the Raiders offense, with Gardner Minshew going for 276 yards and a score, that’s a you problem. Baltimore has surrendered 223 receiving yards to No. 1 wide receivers entering Sunday. CeeDee Lamb should feast and Dak Prescott can take advantage of a Ravens defense that has allowed the most passing yards per game (257) this season.

Lamar Jackson is one of the all-time great fantasy football quarterbacks, but we’re becoming increasingly concerned about his ability to deliver elite fantasy production consistently this year. The Ravens offensive line is abysmal, the exact kind of matchup where Micah Parsons and the Cowboys’ pass rush can exploit. Baltimore can take some pressure off by feeding Derrick Henry, but that takes the football out of Jackson’s hands. Just recognize the risks in Week 3, even if there aren’t better alternatives for fantasy managers.

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We’re all-in on Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers offense this Sunday, if his position in our Week 3 fantasy QB rankings didn’t give that away. The Los Angeles Rams secondary is riddled with injuries, forcing UDFAs to play significant snaps. The end result? A defense allowing a 121.4 QB rating to opponents right now. Plus, coming off a poor showing against the Minnesota Vikings, we expect Purdy and the 49ers offense to rebound with what will be one of their best games in 2024.

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This is a bet on Jalen Hurts’ talent and the surrounding cast of weapons on the Philadelphia Eagles offense. Through the first two games, the New Orleans Saints defense has 7 sacks with opponents averaging just a 1.4% passing touchdown rate and a 56.9 QB rating. Hurts’ rushing ability gives him a solid fantasy floor, but a huge performance seems unlikely based on how New Orleans has performed defensively in 2024. Yet, you have to start Hurts especially in a week like this.

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Quarterbacks are averaging 227.5 passing yards per game (10th-most in NFL), 8.1 yards per attempt (sixth-most in NFL) with a 127.6 passer rating (highest in NFL) and a 10.3% touchdown rate (second-most in NFL) against the Washington Commanders defense this year. This is also a must-win game for Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals offense. Need we say more?

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There are a lot of difficult matchups for the top fantasy football quarterbacks and it’s no different with Josh Allen. Entering Week 3, the Jacksonville Jaguars defense has allowed the third-lowest passing touchdown rate (1.4 percent) in the NFL as it’s done an excellent job holding opponents to field goals. Still, Allen’s rushing ability and his penchant for overcoming difficult matchups makes him an elite play for Sunday.

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The Atlanta Falcons aren’t particularly adept at rushing the passer and that’s just asking for Patrick Mahomes to pick you apart. With running back Isiah Pacheco sidelined for Week 3, this Kansas City Chiefs offense will replace the run game with dink-and-dunk passes and screens. They also still have the vertical threat in Xavier Worthy to force Atlanta to respect the deep ball. All of this bodes well for Mahomes’ fantasy outlook on Sunday Night Football.

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