Fantasy Football Week 3: Rankings, Stat Projections and Top Waiver-Wire Adds

It's never too early to be planning ahead in fantasy football, as that type of preparation and research is key to success. So even though there are still two Monday night games to be played in Week 2 of the NFL season, let's begin looking ahead to Week 3.

Some trends have developed for various teams over the first two weeks, while some breakout players have emerged. All of this is important information when making waiver-wire moves and looking ahead into the future.

With that in mind, here are some early positional rankings for Week 3, along with several top waiver-wire targets for this week.

1. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen (at MIA)

2. Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (at NE)

3. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (at IND)

4. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert (vs. JAX)

5. Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (at WAS)

6. Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (at ARI)

7. Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (vs. LAR)

8. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow (at NYJ)

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady (vs. GB)

10. Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins (vs. DET)

Waiver-Wire Target: Washington Commanders QB Carson Wentz (vs. PHI)

For the second week in a row, Wentz will be the top quarterback to target on the waiver wire in many leagues. Even though the Commanders fell to 1-1 with a loss to the Lions on Sunday, Wentz had another strong fantasy performance.

In Week 1, Wentz threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Jacksonville. Then, he had 337 yards and three touchdowns against Detroit. The Commanders may have trailed the Lions 22-0 at halftime, but Wentz racked up the fantasy points in the second half.

Now, Wentz will take on the Eagles, who were his first NFL team, in a revenge matchup in Week 3. Philadelphia allowed a solid performance by Detroit QB Jared Goff in its opener, so Wentz should put up more impressive stats.

Week 3 Projection: 297 yards and three touchdowns

1. Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (vs. KC)

2. Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (vs. DET)

3. Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry (vs. LV)

4. Cleveland Browns RB Nick Chubb (vs. PIT)

5. New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley (vs. DAL)

6. Los Angeles Chargers RB Austin Ekeler (vs. JAX)

7. Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey (vs. NO)

8. Detroit Lions RB D'Andre Swift (at MIN)

9. New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara (at CAR)

10. Cincinnati Bengals RB Joe Mixon (at NYJ)

Waiver-Wire Target: Miami Dolphins RB Raheem Mostert (vs. BUF)

It wasn't clear how the Dolphins were going to divide up the work between Mostert and Chase Edmonds this season, but it seems like the former is the RB1 in that offense. Mostert had 11 carries for 51 yards in Miami's win over Baltimore on Sunday, while Edmonds had only five carries for 33 yards and one 8-yard reception.

The Dolphins didn't run the ball a ton, but that's because they trailed for much of the day and had to keep passing to rally back for a 42-38 victory. That may be the case again during a challenging Week 3 matchup against the Bills, but Mostert has strong long-term value.

So even if Mostert isn't a great start next week, there will be great matchups for him down the line. And if you want to capitalize on those, you'll need to add Mostert to your roster now.

Week 3 Projection: 41 yards and a touchdown

1. Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp (at ARI)

2. Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (vs. DET)

3. Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase (at NYJ)

4. Las Vegas Raiders WR Davante Adams (at TEN)

5. Buffalo Bills WR Stefon Diggs (at MIA)

6. Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown (at WAS)

7. Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (vs. BUF)

8. Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (at MIN)

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans (vs. GB)

10. San Francisco 49ers WR Deebo Samuel (at DEN)

Waiver-Wire Target: New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson (vs. CIN)

The Jets used a first-round draft pick on Wilson earlier this year, and the former Ohio State standout has already emerged as a viable fantasy option. After he had four catches for 52 yards in New York's Week 1 loss to Baltimore, he broke out with eight receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 2 win over Cleveland.

Wilson was targeted 14 times, so it's clear he's going to be heavily involved while Joe Flacco is starting at quarterback for the Jets. And there's a good chance that will continue to be the case when Zach Wilson returns, given Wilson's talent level.

If Wilson proves that he can provide consistent production, then he could become a must-start fantasy receiver every week. But in the short term, he should have another good showing in Week 3 against the Bengals.

Week 3 Projection: 78 yards and a touchdown

1. Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce (at IND)

2. Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews (at NE)

3. Las Vegas Raiders TE Darren Waller (at TEN)

4. San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle (at DEN)

5. Philadelphia Eagles TE Dallas Goedert (at WAS)

6. Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth (at CLE)

7. Atlanta Falcons TE Kyle Pitts (at SEA)

8. Arizona Cardinals TE Zach Ertz (vs. LAR)

9. Los Angeles Chargers TE Gerald Everett (vs. JAX)

10. Los Angeles Rams TE Tyler Higbee (at ARI)

Waiver-Wire Target: Jacksonville Jaguars TE Evan Engram (at LAC)

The Jaguars have scored 46 points over the first two weeks of the season, so it's clear they've taken a step forward from last year. Engram got off to a bit of a slow start in his Jacksonville debut in Week 1, but he was much more involved in Week 2.

In the Jags' win over the Colts on Sunday, Engram had seven catches for 46 yards. He was also targeted by quarterback Trevor Lawrence eight times.

It wouldn't be surprising if Engram gets into the end zone soon. And a potentially high-scoring matchup against the Chargers could be an opportune time for that to happen.

Week 3 Projection: 33 yards and a touchdown