With A.J. Brown (hamstring), Cooper Kupp (ankle), Isiah Pacheco (leg), Deebo Samuel (calf) and Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) all in jeopardy of missing extended time and several other Fantasy football injuries worth noting, there are going to be plenty of holes to fill in Week 3 Fantasy football lineups. The Rams have been decimated by injuries early this season, with Kupp and Puka Nacua (knee) set to miss multiple games. If you have either of those players among your Fantasy football picks, you should consider taking a chance on Rams receiver Demarcus Robinson, who's averaging 15.3 yards per reception this season.
When there are difficult Fantasy football start-sit decisions to be made, it helps to have a reliable set of Week 3 Fantasy football rankings to inform your 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 Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston. After a disastrous rookie campaign in 2023, Johnston is off to a much better start in 2024. In last week's win over the Panthers, he had five catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns on six targets.
Johnston now has 11 targets in two games for the Chargers, which bodes well for Fantasy owners even though he's in a run-heavy offense. This week, Johnston and the Chargers take on a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that is giving up just eight points per game on average. Pittsburgh features one of the league's best run defenses, which means Los Angeles may be forced to pass more often on Sunday. SportsLine's model expects Johnston to finish as a top-25 WR this week, ranking him ahead of wideouts like Stefon Diggs, Drake London and Garrett Wilson. 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.