Fantasy Football Player Rankings for Week 3

By Guest Writer John Belaska:

It is hard to believe three weeks of the 2013 NFL season are in the books. The fantasy picture is starting to become pretty clear. Owners no longer need to worry about which players to draft. Now it is all about who is really getting the job done. By now you know if your team looks pretty solid or if you need to search the waiver wires or offer up a couple trades. So who should we be looking at? Each week I will break down the top five players at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. The rankings are affected by player performance to this point, as well as their potential to improve or maintain consistency for the remainder of the season.

Quarterbacks

5. Andrew Luck (Indianapolis Colts)

Peyton Manning’s replacement seems to be really settling in well at the most scrutinized position in Indy. Nobody would have thought that the most reliable runner out of the second year quarterback class would be Andrew Luck who has posted 100 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. His numbers through the air have not been as good as most would have expected, only 663 yards and three touchdowns, but the addition of Trent Richardson will force defenses to look more at the Colts’ running game. This should free up the passing lanes and when it does, look for Luck’s totals to skyrocket. Expect Andrew Luck to have a huge game this weekend against the Jaguars.

4. Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)

Drew Brees was the best quarterback in week three. In fact, Brees put up the most fantasy points by a single player. He is a stud and I am sure that by the end of the season he will surpass the fourth spot on this list. Looking at his passing stats, he is one of four players to surpass the 1000 yard mark at this point in the season. He also has thrown six touchdown passes and added one on the ground. So why is he not higher on the list? Four interceptions in three games is not something any fantasy owner wants to see. There is nothing more disturbing that watching your point total go down. That being said, Drew Brees will never let you down when it comes to throwing touchdowns and 300 yard games. His average stat line should not change much against the Dolphins.

3. Michael Vick (Philadelphia Eagles)

As I stated earlier, I fully expect Brees to surpass him on the list at some point. However, at this point in time Michael Vick is finally playing like the fantasy stud we always thought he was going to be. The Chip Kelly offense has been great for him. He has thrown for 832 yards and five touchdowns; good totals for a player you probably drafted as a backup. Of course, when you are talking about Vick, his legs are going to come up. He has the most rushing yards by any quarterback and has added two touchdowns on the ground. This is important considering most leagues award more points for rushing and receiving stats than passing stats. I know I am not saying anything new when I bring up Vick’s downside. He has only played a full season once in his NFL career. The Eagles are going up against the Broncos this week. Vick should put up good passing numbers, but you should not expect a huge rushing game from him considering he hurt his calf muscle last week and the Broncos are ranked number one against the run.

2. Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)

Aaron Rodgers was the number one ranked quarterback going into the season and he is showing why. Never mind the mediocre week three performance; he is still one the best the game has to offer. Rodger is currently second in the league in passing yards with 1057. He also has a good touchdown to interception ratio with eight passes going the distance to only three picks. You can expect he will continue to be a top notch player to have throughout the season. Start him regardless of what defense he is playing, but not this week since the Packers have a bye.

1.  Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)

Courtesy of ICON SMI

No shocker here. Peyton Manning has been the best player in the league for so many years now that it should not surprise anyone that he is playing as well as he is. Manning is currently leading the league in passing yards with 1143 and passing touchdown with 12. Having no interceptions has been a nice little bonus to fantasy owners as well. He started the season off with a record breaking performance and you should continue to expect Peyton to be the top rated quarterback for the entire season. He will have another great game in week four against a poor Eagles defense. If you were lucky enough to get him on draft day pat yourself on the back, it is going to be a good season.

Honorable Mention- Philip Rivers (SD), Matt Stafford (DET), Matt Ryan (ATL)

Running backs

5. Matt Forte (Chicago Bears)

Matt Forte has been explosive for the Bears’ offense so far. His rushing yards total is pretty good for this point in the season with 225. He has two rushing touchdowns so show for his efforts too. Forte’s major contributions to fantasy owners come through the passing game though. He has not scored a receiving touchdown yet, but that will change. It his 138 receiving yards and the potential to increase this total that is putting him in this position. Forte is tied with Jamaal Charles for the most receptions by a running back at 18. He is getting the touches as the Bears’ offensive centerpiece to put up huge numbers for the season. Except a decent stat line from Forte this week against the Lions, but more than likely he will not have a monster game.

4. Marshawn Lynch (Seattle Seahawks)

Marshawn Lynch was drafted as high as the second overall pick in most drafts. He has shown that he can put up the numbers to bring a win to a fantasy owner. Lynch has proved he was worth his high draft price with 210 rushing yards and three total touchdowns, but it is discouraging that out of the three games he has only had one game that was worthwhile. Defenses are paying close attention to the Seahawks running game this year because of the star running back and Russell Wilson’s ability to gain yards on the ground. The special attention to the Seahawks’ ground game is making it tough for Lynch to be as effective as last year. However, he will pay big dividends in the long run. Lynch is a big, bruiser type back that will not wear down late in the season. This is good for his fantasy owners because he will still be putting up plenty of points come playoff time. The Seahawks’ star is bound to have a great game against the Colts’ 25^th ranked rushing defense.

3. Jamaal Charles (Kansas City Chiefs)

I was tempted to put Jamaal Charles at the number two spot, but I just could not do it. Charles has been the complete fantasy stud so far rushing for 224 yards and two touchdowns and adding 151 receiving yards and a touchdown reception. Last year, Charles was having a hard time getting in the end zone, but now with Andy Reid as coach that has all changed. The Chiefs’ are 3-0 and it is in part because they have been feeding the rock to their best offensive weapon. Fantasy owners will be delighted to hear that his touches will not be decreasing anytime soon and he will continue to be a major threat in the passing game. How can we be sure of this? Charles is tied with Matt Forte for the most receptions by a running back. The formula Andy Reid formula is working for Kansas City and Jamaal Charles owners love it. In fact, do not be surprised if he posts best stats of any running back in week four against the Giants’ defense.

2. Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)

Last year’s rushing champ has not been as effective this year. Still, Adrian Peterson has more total touchdowns than any other back in the league. He is most certainly the most feared weapon on any offense, but with two fumbles and only one huge touchdown run it is easy to see that Peterson is not playing the same lights out football he was last year. That being said, he is always just one or two monster games from taking back his spot as the king of fantasy football. He faces a Steelers team this week that has struggled against the run recently.

1. LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles)

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Nobody has benefited more from the Chip Kelley offense more than the fantasy owners who trusted in LeSean “Shady” McCoy. He is leading the league in yards from scrimmage with 395 rushing yards and 119 receiving yards. He is the only player who has had a 100 yard rushing game in each of his first three outings this season. I would not expect to see this happen this week against the Broncos’ number one ranked rushing defense, but he should put up impressive receiving stats. He doesn’t have as many touchdowns as Adrian Peterson, but the massive yards total more than makes up for it. Can he maintain the number one spot on the list all season? He should be able to if he can remain healthy. Seeing him rubbing down that leg muscle in the second half of week one’s game was a bit troubling.

Honorable Mention- Doug Martin (TB), DeMarco Murray (DAL) Alfred Morris (WAS)

Wide Receivers

5. A.J. Green (Cincinnati Bengals)

After A.J. Green had a huge game week one he has come back down to earth a bit. With that said, there is no reason the Bengals young star cannot come back and be explosive. Green is currently sitting on 19 receptions for 249 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The Bengals will continue to get this guy the ball by any means necessary. Do not let last week fool you, A.J. Green is still one of the best young talents in the game and this week’s matchup against the Packers should prove it.

4. Demaryius Thomas (Denver Broncos)

Demaryius Thomas is Peyton Manning’s best target. That alone is enough to keep him on this list for the whole season. Thomas ranks fifth in receiving yards with 307 and has two touchdowns. The number of double coverages Thomas will get throughout the season will decrease due to the addition of Wes Welker and the emergence of Julius Thomas. This might lead to a problem however. There are only so many catches to go around. Fantasy owners should not worry about the number of weapons that Demaryius is competing with. Manning will continue to give him the ball, even this week against a good Eagles’ pass defense. Thomas owners need to keep in mind Demaryius is the Broncos’ only true deep threat. Expect to see him in the endzone a lot this season.

3. Calvin Johnson (Detroit Lions)

Before every other fantasy football analyst across the country starts screaming at me, let me just say I fully expect him to shoot up this list pretty quickly. Calvin Johnson’s 2012 season went in the record books, but that was 2012. This is a new season. He has posted good numbers so far with 17 catches, 268 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Fantasy owners can expect his numbers to continue to be very good and more than likely he will end up at the top of this list by the end of the season. When it comes down to it, the two guys higher have just been playing better so far. Johnson owners should taper back their expectations of him this week against the Bears.

2. DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles)

DeSean Jackson would have been number one on this list had he performed better in week three. Jackson has totally made a comeback in 2013. He is not just being used as a deep threat anymore. Chip Kelley is doing everything he can to put the ball in this guy’s hands. He is lining up in the slot and catching balls over the middle of the field. Jackson is currently second in the league in receiving yard with 359. He has scored twice this season and will undoubtedly add more. The concern for Jackson owners is Michael Vick. If Vick can stay healthy there is no reason why Jackson cannot be a top five wide receiver, but if his quarterback goes down so will his production. He should have a monster game this weekend in a shoot out against the Broncos.

1. Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons)    

Julio Jones is one of the best pass catchers there is. When Roddy White got injured and reduced to a mere offensive decoy, Jones started drawing more double coverage from opposing defenses. How did he respond? Jones currently has a league leading 373 receiving yards and is tied at 27 with Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman for the most receptions. Jones has also scored twice so far this season. The only negative mark on Julio so far is a single funble, but he is good enough to learn from that mistake. Fantasy owners can expect Julio Jones to be a lock for a top three spot on the wide receiver list all season long. This week’s matchup against the Patriots looks to be a little tougher on Jones, but he will still come out a produce.

Honorable Mention- Wes Welker, Antonio Brown, Julian Edleman