𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Welcome to the Week 3 fantasy cheat sheet, a one-stop shop for The Athletic’s game previews, injury and weather updates, and expert analysis. Bookmark this page and check back for updates.

Player rankings referenced in the body of this article are as of the time noted below. For updated rankings, see the “Fantasy football player rankings” section at the bottom.

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Last updated: 11:30 a.m. ET, Sept. 18

Injury news | Weather report
Featured games | Waiver wire
Usage Insights | Fantasy football player rankings

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Injury report

These are the major, fantasy-relevant injury situations to monitor this week. For a more comprehensive list, refer to the chart below. Projected positional fantasy rankings in this piece are from The Athletic’s Jake Ciely.

Thursday night

Jaylen Waddle, WR; Jaylen Wright, RB; Darren Waller, TE, MIA: Now off the injury report, Wright likely takes the No. 2 spot at RB, and it will be interesting to see how the backfield touches are handled. Without Wright in the backfield in Weeks 1 and 2, De’Von Achane averaged 21.35 fantasy points per game and secured 84.7% of RB rushes. Against Indy, he averaged 7.9 yards per carry, but that dropped to 2.7 against New England; however, he made up for it with 92 receiving yards and a touchdown. Rookie Ollie Gordon has seen only five total touches to date.

As for Waller and Waddle, Miami’s pass attack hasn’t been inspiring, and Tyreek Hill is the only startable pass catcher.

Sunday 1 p.m.

Joe Burrow, QB, CIN: With Burrow on the IR, Ciely has replacement Jake Browning ranked as QB15 in Week 3 against a Vikings’ defense ranked 25th in pass rushing and 30th for pass coverage (per PFF).

J.J. McCarthy, QB; Aaron Jones, RB, MIN: McCarthy would be on the bench in most fantasy lineups regardless of injury after a disappointing Week 2 and one good quarter of play in Week 1. Backup Carson Wentz will take over, which could benefit WR Justin Jefferson and TE T.J. Hockenson, who has done little in 2025. In 2QB/Superflex leagues, Wentz can be a starter given all the injuries to quarterbacks. Jones landed on the IR with a hamstring injury, and those who drafted or picked up Jordan Mason (Ciely’s RB15) are in full celebration mode.

Justin Fields, QB, NYJ: Fields is in concussion protocol and has been ruled out. In Fields’ absence, Tyrod Taylor gets the start against Tampa Bay. Ciely says Taylor has a “decent floor but modest upside.”

Jayden Daniels, QB, WAS: With Daniels unlikely to play in Week 3, 31-year-old backup Marcus Mariota should get the call. When Mariota attempted 5+ passes in a game last season (Weeks 7 and 18 for Washington), he averaged 22.82 fantasy points per game (FPPG), had a 136.4 passer rating, a stunning 80.5% completion rate, scored 5 touchdowns, ran for 90 yards and passed for 366 with 9.8 air yards per attempt. Some may remember Mariota’s fall from grace early in his career, but he showed value as Daniels’ understudy in 2024.

Austin Ekeler, RB, WAS: Ekeler hit the IR after tearing his Achilles, leaving the door open for Jacory Croskey-Merritt to lead the backfield. Jeremy McNichols will likely get pass-catching work, while Chris Rodriguez’s usage remains to be seen. With some uncertainty about Washington’s backfield utilization, JCM lands just outside RB2 territory but is a solid Flex play.

Jayden Reed, WR, GB: Reed underwent successful surgery for a broken clavicle and a Jones fracture in his left foot. WRs Matthew Golden, Dontayvion Wicks and Romeo Doubs stand to benefit the most. Through two weeks, Doubs saw 18.4% of team targets, Wicks 16.3% and Golden 8.2%. Reed’s 10.2% will now be shared among them and TE Tucker Kraft — who leads the team with 22.4% of targets and 34 PPR points. Kraft is a must-start in Week 3.

Josh Jacobs, RB, GB: Jacobs was limited at practice, but he’s likely active for Week 3. Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson wait in the wings if not.

Dallas Goedert, TE, PHI: After a TE14 (11.4 points) finish in Week 1, where Goedert saw 35% of team targets, he was held out of Week 2 with a knee sprain. Goedert’s a good option this week if available.

Chris Godwin, WR; Emeka Egbuka, WR, TB: Godwin, inactive the first two weeks, is targeting a Week 5 return, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. In the two weeks without Godwin, Mike Evans had 10 receptions and 107 yards receiving, while rookie Emeka Egbuka had eight for 96 with three TDs. Egbuka has averaged 17.8 PPR points per game (most of which came in Week 1), while Evans has averaged 10.35. The Bucs get the Jets in Week 3, making both Evans and Egbuka plausible WR2s this week.

Brock Bowers, TE, LV: Bowers played in Week 2 after an appearance on the injury report, so we may expect the same here. Savvy fantasy managers in leagues with deeper rosters may add Bowers’ backup, Michael Mayer, for insurance.

Christian Kirk, WR, HOU: With Nico Collins averaging only 9.85 PPR points per game through Week 2, it’s hard to imagine Kirk having relevance outside of deep leagues unless Houston improves massively.

Tyler Warren, TE, IND: If Warren sits, you’ll want to look outside Indy for a streaming TE. Think Harold Fannin, Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, Brenton Strange and Ja’Tavion Sanders.

Sunday 4 p.m.

Brock Purdy, QB, SF: Last week, Mac Jones earned 21.76 fantasy points (QB8) and provided 0.12 expected points added per dropback, replacing Purdy in the Niners’ win. The 49ers have CMC and Brian Robinson (to a much lesser degree) in the backfield and two solid receivers in Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall. Jones is a starter in 2QB and Superflex leagues if Purdy sits.

Jauan Jennings, WR, SF: Jennings returned to action in Week 2 and was the Niners’ top receiver with 5 receptions, 89 yards receiving and a touchdown. However, head coach Kyle Shanahan said Jennings is dealing with an ankle injury. Pearsall and Jennings are Flex options this week — if Jennings plays. Pearsall’s weekly value increases, though, if Jennings is sidelined.

Ladd McConkey, WR, LAC: Quentin Johnston’s breakout has already begun, but he becomes easier to trust in a Flex position if McConkey sits.

Zach Charbonnet, RB, SEA: If Charbonnet sits, all the better for Kenneth Walker’s value.

Evan Engram, TE, DEN: Engram hasn’t been fantasy relevant this year, and now he’s dealing with a back injury. I would rather stream tight ends than depend on Engram.

Sunday night

Xavier Worthy, WR, KC: If Xavier Worthy returns for Sunday Night Football, he becomes QB Patrick Mahomes’ No. 1 target and a solid Flex play, while relegating Hollywood Brown to a bench role in most fantasy formats.

Monday night

Isaiah Likely, TE, BAL: If Likely returns in Week 3, TE Mark Andrews’ value suffers even more. Often a slow-starter, Andrews is on the waiver wire in many fantasy leagues after scoring a total of 2.7 PPR points through two weeks. How Baltimore handles their tight ends is something to monitor under the lights during Monday Night Football.

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Weather report

For more information on the impacts of weather, read Jake Ciely’s fantasy football strategy guide to weather.

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Featured games

Statistics are from TruMedia unless otherwise noted. 

Follow your fantasy team: Stream out-of-market games with NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube TV

Thursday night

Miami Dolphins (0-2) vs. Buffalo Bills (2-0)

• Venue: Highmark Stadium — Orchard Park, N.Y.
• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• TV: Prime Video
• Streaming (local): Fubo (try for free)

Could this be Mike McDaniel’s last game as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach? It’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Fins don’t get pummeled, and sportsbooks agree. But they will need to pass, making Tyreek Hill a borderline-WR2/Flex option and De’Von Achane an RB1. No other Miami skill position players are worth a start. If RB Jaylen Wright returns from injury, how the backfield operates is something to watch, as rookie RB Ollie Gordon got lots of preseason hype but is a drop in most leagues.

Josh Allen (fantasy’s QB3 through two weeks) and James Cook (RB1) are obvious starts for the Bills. Buffalo’s pass catchers are a little harder to pin down, especially if Allen does not need to pass as the game progresses. Wide receiver Keon Coleman appears to be Allen’s favorite target with a 20% team target share and 15.4 PPR points per game through two weeks, while Joshua Palmer and Khalil Shakir are neck and neck with 17.1% and 15.7% of team targets, respectively. Tight end Dalton Kincaid (14.3 TeamTgt%) is just inside TE1 territory with 11.25 PPR points per game, but Ciely has him as TE13 this week.

Sunday night

Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) vs. New York Giants (0-2)

• Venue: MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, N.J.
• Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

Sunday Night Football features two winless teams, but we still get Patrick Mahomes, who should do well against a soft Giants’ defense that gave up 40 points to Dallas in Week 2. Running back Isiah Pacheco, a drop candidate with 4.35 PPR points per game, finally gets a good matchup and could surprise in the Flex spot this week. Xavier Worthy’s possible return has his fantasy managers celebrating, and those of Hollywood Brown heading to waivers. Mr. Taylor Swift (TE Travis Kelce) has fared well so far with 11.4 PPR points per game, but he ranks 26th in expected points per target. He can still finish as a top-five fantasy tight end if he gets rolling.

The Giants and Russell Wilson face a tough Chiefs’ defense. While Kansas City’s D hasn’t played as well as last year, it drew the Chargers and Eagles in Weeks 1 and 2. Facing the Giants, even on the road, offers a little reprieve. Quarterback Russell Wilson (QB23 this week) may return to Earth, as the Chiefs give away far less yardage than the Cowboys. Rookie RB Cam Skattebo, a popular (and rightfully so) waiver wire add, now atop the depth chart, may find it hard to run in Week 3. He’s a solid Flex option in deep leagues, but don’t expect much. The same goes for WR Wan’Dale Robinson (WR49), who had a huge Week 2 with 28.5 PPR points but is a risky Week 3 play. The only fantasy guarantee on the Giants this week is Malik Nabers (WR3), who has seen a whopping 34.7% of team targets through two weeks and 24.9 PPR points per game.

Monday night

Detroit Lions (1-1) vs. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

• Venue: M&T Bank Stadium — Baltimore
• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• TV: ABC, ESPN
• Streaming: Fubo (try for free)

Now this is a marquee matchup. The Lions found their offensive footing in Week 2 against their former offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, and his Bears. Of course, the Ravens are a better team, but they allowed 40 points to Buffalo in Week 1 and 17 to Cleveland in Week 2. The Lions should be able to score, making WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, RB Jahmyr Gibbs and TE Sam LaPorta top-five candidates (positionally) this week, while WR Jameson Williams and RB David Montgomery are decent flex options. The man at the helm, the oft-underrated Jared Goff, is a borderline QB1 this week and a must-start in 2QB and Superflex leagues. If the Lions can score on the Ravens, we’ll know they can succeed without Johnson’s offensive prowess.

Ravens RB Derrick Henry shocked fantasy managers with a 2.30 PPR-point performance and only 2.1 yards per carry on 11 carries against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. Fret not, he’s still among the top-10 RBs in both yards before and after contact per attempt. He should rebound and is Ciely’s RB5 this week. Zay Flowers has played above his ADP this year, averaging 21.50 PPR points per game with 42.6% of team targets behind only Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba (44.2%). His target share makes most other Ravens’ pass catchers irrelevant. While Flowers has seen 14 targets this year, Justice Hill, Rashod Bateman and DeAndre Hopkins have each been targeted four times. Oh, and Lamar Jackson? He’s fantasy’s QB1 and didn’t catch the injury bug that’s going around.

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Jake Ciely’s Week 3 waiver wire

Excerpt from Jake Ciely’s Week 3 waiver wire, with advice for even the deepest of leagues. 

Worry Report
(Scale 1-5: more ducks = more worry)

• Justin Fields, NYJ: 🦆🦆 — Of course, a week after I said, “You have to roll with the good and bad with Fields, as you can’t predict his performances. So, make him your QB if you can handle it,” Fields plays poorly, and is now in concussion protocol. Fields was on his way to potentially having his worst game as a full starter since Week 18 of 2023, but I would still have considered him a QB1 against the Buccaneers (and he will be if cleared). The single-digit games will come, but the 20+ point ones outweigh them. Again, it’s a matter of whether you can stomach it.
• Kyren Williams, RB, LAR: 🦆 — Williams ceded snaps to Blake Corum in Week 1 but also had a few more touches in Week 2 (90.5 RBTouch% for Williams, down to 79.2% in Week 2). I’m still not concerned, as that’s still Top 10 for the week, and the Rams were solidly in control for four of Corum’s five touches. This is more about Corum clearly being the No. 2.
• Brian Thomas, WR, JAX: 🦆🦆 — I rewatched every BT7 target this year. Yes, he made a “business decision” in Week 2, but he’s far from the first wideout to do so. And, yes, there were clear drops early in Week 1 and on the fourth-down play in Week 2. Sure, he made the mistake of turning upfield on both before completely securing the reception — both Thomas’ fault. The rest? Off target, knocked out of bounds (one each week) and good coverage were the issues. So, three of his 14 incompletions are completely his fault, which is worth one duck. Trevor Lawrence’s throws are another duck. In fact, only four wideouts (min. 10 targets) have a lower Catchable TGT% than Thomas’ 61.1%. That gets us to two ducks, and it also means I’m not panicking, but rather, buying low.
• Drake London, WR, ATL: 🦆 — Give the Vikings defense some credit (and some blame to the inability to stop the run). It’s one game. I’m far from worrying. It just came at a bad time with a nationally-televised game and the similarly drafted duo of Malik Nabers and Amon-Ra St. Brown going off in Week 2.

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Usage insights

If you want to maximize your roster, you need to constantly monitor opportunities to add breakout players. Brandon Funston and I scour usage metrics to mine meaningful, actionable insights. 

Green flags

Troy Franklin, WR, DEN | 22.4 TeamTgt%: With a 30% team target rate in Week 2, Franklin finished tied for 10th (with Cooper Kupp) in that metric and put himself firmly atop this week’s waiver wire targets. Bo Nix’s college teammate at Oregon hauled in 8 of 9 looks for 89 yards and a TD, while adding 11 yards on the ground to give him a nice even 100 yards from scrimmage. Franklin owns a team-high 22.4% target share, besting Courtland Sutton’s 19.4% mark. If you hung on to Marvin Mims (9%) after the first week to see if he’d make his presence felt more in Week 2, feel free to cut him loose in favor of Franklin, or maybe this next guy…

Juwan Johnson, TE, NO | 84 routes, 20 targets: Johnson finished in the top five in PPR points at TE for the second week in a row, and over two weeks, he’s secured 26.7% of team targets. Now 44% rostered, this is likely your last chance to secure a player who could finish the season in the top five; Johnson has seen the most targets and run the most routes of any tight end in the NFL. He’s second-year QB Spencer Rattler’s security blanket, and the two seem to have quite the chemistry. Week 1 was no aberration.

Kenneth Walker, RB, SEA | 0.66 Expected Points Added Per Rush (EPA/Rush) in Week 2: Speaking of about-faces… In Week 1, Walker ranked 42nd among 48 running backs with at least five carries in Expected Points Added per Rush. In Week 2, Walker rebounded in a major way, finishing with the second-best EPAperRush mark (0.66), behind only Rams backup Blake Corum (1.01 on his 5 carries). Walker’s backfield partner, Zach Charbonnet, was who struggled this past weekend, as his -0.50 mark was second-worst among RBs (rookie RJ Harvey had a -0.58 mark on 5 carries). For the season, some interesting (read: available on the waiver wire to varying degrees) names have surfaced among the leaders in this stat. The top 8 (min. 10 carries): Walker, Kareem Hunt, Jacory Croskey-Merrit, Javonte Williams, Bhayshul Tuten, Quinshon Judkins, Trey Benson.

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Jake Ciely’s Week 3 fantasy football player rankings

Get Ciely’s full Week 3 analysis. Plus sleepers and projections.

• Sadly, there is no perfect widget out there. I know many view this on your phone, but 1) use the rankings widget on a PC/laptop/etc., if possible or 2) open in your phone’s browser, especially for Android users, to get the scrolling to work (or Android people can try a two-finger scroll).
• ECR = “Expert” Consensus Ranking (which isn’t updated consistently by everyone, so take it with a grain of salt).
• Updated regularly, so check up to lineups locking.

(Photo of Jayden Daniels: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)