With Isiah Pacheco heading to injured reserve after breaking his fibula in a win over the Bengals last Sunday, the Chiefs will turn to undrafted rookie running back Carson Steele and veteran Samaje Perine to lead their backfield. Steele became a darling during the preseason for his hard running style and Perine's capabilities as a receiver and pass-protector could lead to an even split. Are either worth adding to your Week 3 Fantasy football lineups off the Week 3 Fantasy football waiver wire? We've already seen the Fantasy football waiver wire produce league-winning performers, with Jordan Mason rushing for at least 100 yards and a touchdown in back-to-back weeks in relief of Christian McCaffrey.
Where do those running backs belong in the Week 3 Fantasy football rankings and how can you get the most out of 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 Bengals tight end Mike Gesicki, who went largely undrafted this season but is being ranked a top-five tight end for Week 3. Now in his seventh season, Gesicki had a trio of seasons where he finished as a top-12 Fantasy football tight end but he fell out of favor later in his career with the Dolphins and then was a secondary option in a bad Patriots offense in 2023.
However, he appears to be benefitting from playing with Joe Burrow in 2024. Last week against the Chiefs, Gesicki was targeted nine times and caught seven passes for 91 yards and he's ranked fifth among tight ends in PPR scoring through two weeks. This week the Bengals will match up against a Commanders pass defense that has already allowed six passing touchdowns this season, the most of any team in the NFL. 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.
