Young quarterbacks looking for answers will square off in NFL Week 3 when Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts host Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears. There was excitement surrounding Richardson after a shoulder injury derailed his rookie season, but he has had an inconsistent start and possesses a 3:4 TD:INT ratio heading into Week 3. Williams has dealt with his own share of hype as the first-overall pick from 2024 NFL Draft, but he has yet to throw a touchdown pass at the professional level and has just a 56.1% completion rate. They could be similarly-placed in the Week 3 Fantasy football rankings given the strength of the Bears' defense.
Fantasy football 2024 managers are likely looking to sit Richardson and Williams for what promises to be a brutal Week 3 matchup. Still, there are plenty of other players to consider for Week 3 Fantasy football picks. Before you lock in your Fantasy football lineups, be sure to check out the Week 3 Fantasy football rankings from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
When it comes to ranking players, SportsLine's model beat human experts in Fantasy football for the past several seasons, especially when there were big differences in ranking. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home emptyhanded.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, including being ahead of the curve on players like A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Jahmyr Gibbs. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
Now, the model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has revealed its Fantasy football rankings for Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top Week 3 Fantasy football picks
One surprise in Week 3: The model is fading Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, the 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft threw for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns with only five interceptions over 15 games in his first season while averaging an impressive 8.2 yards per pass attempt.
However, he's only averaged 7.3 yards per pass attempt so far in 2024 and he'll draw another tough matchup in Week 3 against the Vikings. Minnesota ranks third in the NFL in points allowed through two weeks and is coming off an impressive performance against a dynamic 49ers offense. That's a big reason why the model barely ranks Stroud inside its top 20 this week, preferring Geno Smith, Deshaun Watson and even Sam Darnold.
A curveball: The model is high on Titans running back Tony Pollard. Tennessee may be 0-2 on the season, but the former Dallas Cowboy is assimilating nicely to his new team. Pollard has 33 rush attempts for 144 yards and one touchdown in two games, plus an additional eight receptions. That sets him up nicely to challenge a Green Bay Packers defense that ranks 21st overall against the rush.
Pollard has had 26 carries for 134 yards with one touchdown in two games versus the Packers in his career. When he last faced them in Wisconsin in 2022, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry and had an additional 13 receiving yards. The SportsLine model projects Pollard to be a top-15 running back in Week 3. For more start/sit Fantasy football advice, be sure to check out the rest of the Week 2 Fantasy football rankings.
How to set Week 3 Fantasy football rankings
The model is also calling for a surprising quarterback owned in less than half of CBS Sports PPR leagues to finish in the top 10 of its Week 3 Fantasy football rankings. This pick could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing. See the model's entire Week 3 Fantasy football rankings for PPR and standard leagues here.
So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 3 Fantasy football rankings for every position, plus see which RB comes out of nowhere to crack the top five, all from the model that has outperformed experts big-time.
