Week 3 Flex Rankings

It feels like we have more questions than answers after two weeks of the NFL season. Does Carolina have a legitimate passing offense? Why did Alvin Kamara have more touches than Travis Etienne Jr. last week? Can you trust any running backs on Green Bay or Denver? Are Josh Downs and Oronde Gadsden II must-starts? Do we know for sure that Colston Loveland and Marvin Harrison Jr. are alive? To be honest, I do not have definitive answers to all those questions. But I will try to solve some of the mysteries of the fantasy football universe with my Week 3 Flex rankings. Below I have ranked nearly 250 running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends based on Half-PPR scoring. These rankings should serve as a baseline for your lineup decisions this week.

Many injuries are shaping the fantasy landscape as Week 3 approaches. For now, I included players like Puka Nacua, Brock Bowers, and Zay Flowers. Those players are must-starts in all formats if they are available by Sunday. I omitted others, including Nico Collins, Alec Pierce, and Jayden Reed. Collins is the only one in that group who could play this week if things progress well. Fantasy managers will need to stay on top of the news in the coming days. My rankings will surely change based on these situations, so comment below or on socials with any specific Week 3 lineup-related questions.

Running Back Notes

TreVeyon Henderson returned to the Patriots lineup last week and instantly made a 39-yard house call. Henderson out-touched Rhamondre Stevenson 16-7 and was on the field for 33 snaps compared to Stevenson’s 20. That split was in part due to a Stevenson lost fumble. Fumbles have been an issue for Stevenson in his career, but I don’t think New England will shy away from using both backs. I expect roughly an even distribution of backfield responsibilities among the Patriots’ running backs in Week 3. The problem is that New England faces a stingy Jacksonville rushing defense. Three different running backs have carried the ball at least 10 times against the Jaguars this year. None have reached 40 rushing yards. Henderson and Stevenson profile as decent Flex options, with the former possessing the higher ceiling.

Marshawn Lloyd may have scored his first NFL touchdown last week, but it is hard to get too excited about a player who has turned 22 opportunities into 63 yards so far this year. Green Bay is last in the NFL in rushing and just lost their right tackle for the season. The Packers face an Atlanta defense that currently ranks second in the NFL in EPA against the run. I would be wary about starting Lloyd this week. In 12-team leagues, each team is generally starting seven Flex players – two running backs, three wide receivers, a tight end, and a Flex. That comes out to 84 total players. I currently rank Lloyd 89^th among all Week 3 Flex players.

Wide Receiver Notes

I have two Cleveland Browns receivers in the mix for Flex consideration this week. For the record, neither of them is named “Jerry Jeudy”. Rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion have combined for 17 receptions and 234 scrimmage yards through two weeks, while Jeudy has caught two of five targets for 26 yards. Boston and Concepcion are getting it done in completely different ways. Boston has touchdown grabs of 46 and 55 yards to his credit, while only one of Concepcion’s 10 catches has gone for more than nine yards. Concepcion seems to have a relatively high fantasy floor and low ceiling, while Boston looks like the opposite. The Browns face the Carolina Panthers this week. Carolina is better against the pass than the run, so your decision on whether to start either or both Browns wideouts could depend on your other options.

Chicago’s passing attack will take a hit, with Caleb Williams expected to miss this week’s game with a hamstring injury. Further complicating matters, Tyson Bagent is currently in the league’s concussion protocol. That means Case Keenum could be under center for the Bears on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. Keenum has not played a game since 2023 and has attempted 142 passes this decade. Ben Johnson may be an offensive genius, but it will be hard to be too optimistic about starting Bears pass catchers. I currently have Luther Burden III ranked 31^st among fantasy wide receivers for the week, while Rome Odunze is outside my top 40. I rank Kalif Raymond outside the top 100 overall in my Week 3 Flex rankings, but he might be the safest of the bunch if Keenum cannot push the ball downfield.

Tight End Notes

What a difference a couple of weeks makes. I ranked Dalton Kincaid as my overall TE2 for the week after I had him outside my top-10 in Week 1. Zoinks. I can’t imagine any fantasy managers keeping him on their bench for any reason. While I normally don’t advocate starting a tight end in your Flex spot, this could be a special circumstance. If you drafted Kincaid behind, say, Travis Kelce, you can very easily justify starting both players in Week 3. Kelce has more receiving yards through two weeks than Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy combined. The soon-to-be 37-year-old will surely slow down at some point, but a matchup with Miami doesn’t feel like that time. The Dolphins have allowed opposing tight ends to catch 10 of 11 targets for 112 yards and a touchdown thus far this year.