Fantasy Football Week 3: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position
Injuries were easily the biggest storyline of Week 2, and that means fantasy managers will be looking for all kinds of sleepers this week to make up for lost production from their top options.
The list of injuries from Week 2 includes top-tier fantasy picks like Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, but it extends well beyond those two running backs.
Don't worry, though. Bleacher Report has you covered with some of the top sleeper picks to consider for Week 3.
These are players who have looked impressive through two weeks or those who have ideal matchups or situations that should help them thrive this weekend.
Quarterback
Joe Burrow vs. Philadelphia Eagles
DraftKings DFS Price: $6,200
Even if the Cincinnati Bengals are 0-2 to start the season, the flashes we've seen from rookie quarterback Joe Burrow warrant a look at him in fantasy this week and possibly moving forward.
With the Bengals trailing throughout their Thursday Night Football matchup, Burrow was forced to pass a staggering 61 times in the 35-30 loss to the Cleveland Browns. That was great news for fantasy owners, as Burrow threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns with one lost fumble, putting up over 20 fantasy points.
Although Burrow is unlikely to throw that many times in a game again, the negative game scripts will likely remain as the Bengals struggle to win games. That will mean lots of pass attempts for Burrow, and as he gets more comfortable with head coach Zac Taylor's offense, he'll have more productive outings against weaker pass defenses.
One of those struggling pass defenses is coming up this week in the Philadelphia Eagles, who are giving up a passer rating of 110.2 to opposing quarterbacks. That's a big reason the Eagles are 0-2, but even if they're likely favorites to get their first win this week, this should present Burrow with a great matchup to put up some fantasy points.
Mitchell Trubisky vs. Atlanta Falcons
DraftKings DFS Price: $5,700
Even if Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky isn't on the same level as the other QBs in his draft class in Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, his improved play the first two weeks of the season makes him a more viable fantasy option than he's been in the past.
The Bears are 2-0 in large part to some solid play from Trubisky, even if those flashes haven't turned into consistently good play. He's already thrown five touchdown passes, and the fantasy production has been solid in both contests.
This week, Trubisky and the Bears have an intriguing matchup against an Atlanta Falcons team that fell apart and gave away a win to the Dallas Cowboys. The impact that could have mentally on the Falcons players is worth mentioning, but even if they bounce back from that loss, the pass defense still looks suspect through two weeks. Atlanta is currently giving up the second-most pass yards per game at 372, with opposing quarterbacks posting a passer rating of 124.7.
That's a great opportunity for another big outing from Trubisky, so don't sleep on him if you're looking for a deep sleeper at the position.
Running Back
Jerick McKinnon vs. New York Giants
DraftKings DFS Price: $4,900
The San Francisco 49ers were devastated by injuries Sunday in the win over the New York Jets. While the injuries are absolutely brutal for fans and fantasy owners alike, it does present an opportunity for some players to step in and make names for themselves.
Running back Jerick McKinnon is one player who could see a much larger workload in the 49ers offense for the next few weeks. Fellow running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman suffered knee injuries against the Jets, meaning that at least for the next week, McKinnon will be getting the vast majority of carries for San Francisco.
After suffering a torn ACL last season, McKinnon is already off to a promising start. He's already run for 101 yards on just six carries while adding both a rushing and receiving touchdown for double-digit fantasy points in each of the first two games.
The usage rate alone will make McKinnon a must-have player for the foreseeable future, especially with an appealing matchup against the New York Giants this week. All it will take is a couple of big plays for him to make the pickup worth it, which shouldn't be difficult considering how many touches he'll be getting with Mostert and Coleman likely out.
Darrell Henderson Jr. vs. Buffalo Bills
DraftKings DFS Price: $5,400
The Los Angeles Rams offense looks like it's clicking early this season, which means big fantasy potential for anyone on that team. That includes running back Darrell Henderson Jr., who will have an opportunity to secure a much bigger role in the offense.
After Cam Akers went down with a rib injury Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, Henderson was asked to take on a bigger workload than he had in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. He carried the ball 12 times for 81 yards and a touchdown, adding another 40 yards on two receptions.
It sounds like Akers should be good to go for Week 3, but the production from Henderson will be extremely hard for the Rams coaching staff to ignore. It's a crowded backfield with Henderson, Akers and Malcom Brown, but Henderson provides versatility as a home-run threat both running the ball and catching passes.
Sean McVay will likely keep feeding the hot hand this week against the Buffalo Bills. He may not see the workhorse usage other players get, but for those needing a flex option with a high ceiling, Henderson is an appealing option.
Jamaal Williams vs. New Orleans Saints
DraftKings DFS Price: $4,000
Aaron Jones may be getting all of the attention in the Green Bay Packers offense, but backup running back Jamaal Williams isn't a bad option for anyone looking for a long-term pickup at the position in deeper leagues.
Williams has had a decent workload in the Packers offense the first two games of the season, running the ball 15 times to go along with four catches. He's made the most of those opportunities with 105 total yards, although he has yet to find the end zone.
That being said, Williams should get more red-zone touches. He had pretty substantial usage last year, picking up six total touchdowns to go along with 713 yards from scrimmage. The BYU product should start getting more touches for the sake of giving Jones some rest, and that'll mean more opportunities to score.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has praised Williams for what he brings to the offense, and even if this week's matchup against the New Orleans Saints isn't the most appealing fantasy-wise, the second-string back could be a nice bench option to have for the long haul.
Devonta Freeman vs. San Francisco 49ers
DraftKings DFS Price: N/A
Are you the kind of fantasy owner who likes to make risky moves? Picking up a running back who was a free agent a few days ago would be a big one, but there's a potential big-time payoff in store for those wanting to take a chance.
Devonta Freeman has been waiting for an opportunity to play somewhere after failing to work out a deal with any of the 32 NFL teams this offseason. With injuries to star running backs like Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, that opportunity finally arose. The veteran running back signed with the New York Giants on Tuesday.
Despite no one signing him until two days ago, Freeman is still one of the more productive running backs out there. He finished 2019 with 1,066 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns with the Atlanta Falcons, and with a whole offseason and a couple extra weeks of rest, fresh legs could do him a lot of good.
Although Freeman may not have a huge impact right away and will likely see a reduced role behind Dion Lewis this week, the long-term value is what makes him such an appealing waiver-wire pickup.
Wide Receiver
Corey Davis vs. Minnesota Vikings
DraftKings DFS Price: $5,200
Is this the year that Corey Davis establishes himself as a playmaker for the Tennessee Titans? There have been flashes of brilliance from Davis before, but through two weeks it looks like he may finally be a legitimate long-term fantasy option.
Although Davis' targets dropped from Week 1 to Week 2, the Titans receiver still caught three passes for 36 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving him his second straight double-digit fantasy outing to start the year.
Regardless of the status of A.J. Brown, who is dealing with a knee injury that forced him to sit out Week 2, Davis should be under strong consideration to be added to fantasy lineups this week. A depleted Minnesota Vikings secondary has been exposed multiple times, and the Titans could do the same.
That means plenty of targets could be coming Davis' way, which could yield a third solid outing from the former Western Michigan star in as many chances.
N'Keal Harry vs. Las Vegas Raiders
DraftKings DFS Price: $4,200
The New England Patriots have doled out a heavy dose of the running game with Cam Newton under center. However, even with all of those rushing attempts, wide receiver N'Keal Harry has started to establish himself as a reliable wide receiver opposite Julian Edelman.
Harry had a rough start to his career after spending most of his rookie season out with injury. This season has gotten off to a much more promising start, however, with Harry catching 13 passes for 111 yards. His 12 targets against the Seattle Seahawks were eye-opening for fantasy owners, showing how much trust Newton has in the young receiver.
The Las Vegas Raiders are an interesting matchup considering how they were able to handle Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football just a few days ago. Even so, Newton's faith in Harry has resulted in some solid play from the second-year receiver.
Wide receiver is a deep position in fantasy, but as the season goes on and players get banged up, a guy like Harry would be nice to have on the bench.
Chase Claypool vs. Houston Texans
DraftKings DFS Price: $3,700
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a crowded wide receiver corps, and that can make it difficult for fantasy owners to trust them. Despite this, rookie Chase Claypool has made some huge plays in his first two games that might make him worth adding.
Claypool had one of the biggest plays around the league in Week 2, hauling in a bomb from Ben Roethlisberger and taking it all the way for an 84-yard touchdown in the win over the Denver Broncos. That was a week after Claypool made an acrobatic catch on the sideline against the New York Giants.
Big plays like these are going to build Roethlisberger's confidence in Claypool, and that is likely going to lead to an increased workload for the former Notre Dame wide receiver. The problem is there are a lot of playmakers in that offense, from the running backs in James Conner and Benny Snell Jr. to the other receivers in JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and James Washington.
Claypool should continue to be a feast-or-famine fantasy option, but if his targets start to ramp up as expected, he's worth picking up and leaving on the bench to see what happens.
Tight End
Jordan Reed vs. New York Giants
Before we dive into why San Francisco 49ers tight end Jordan Reed is the top tight end to consider adding this week, this selection does come with an important stipulation. If superstar George Kittle ends up being healthy enough to play in Week 3, Reed won't be nearly as enticing of a fantasy option.
That being said, Reed had a dominant performance as the team's starting tight end in Week 2 against the New York Jets. He finished the blowout win with seven receptions for 50 yards and two touchdowns, giving him over 20 fantasy points in PPR leagues.
Reed will have another ideal matchup this week against a Giants team could struggle to contain him after giving up the 10th-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2019. It's still unclear if Kittle will play against the Giants due to an MCL sprain that sidelined him last week, but considering all of the injuries the 49ers suffered in this exact same stadium in Week 2, no one would blame the team for exercising an abundance of caution and holding Kittle out.
If that's the case, then Reed is not only worth adding in Week 3, but he's also someone you'd have to start.
Chris Herndon vs. Indianapolis Colts
DraftKings DFS Price: $3,400
The Jets are an absolute mess right now, but given all the injuries the team is dealing with, tight end Chris Herndon should still be considered a viable fantasy option.
Herndon was only targeted four times in the loss to the 49ers last week, catching one pass for five yards. Given all of the players who went down, it was odd that head coach Adam Gase didn't try to get him more involved, especially when the team was forced to air it out more in a negative game script.
This week, though, the Jets have almost no choice but to utilize Herndon's skill set. The depth chart is depleted, with No. 1 receiver Breshad Perriman likely out against the Colts with a sprained ankle, along with a number of other injuries to the team's wideouts.
Gase could baffle everyone and refuse to draw up plays for Herndon, but at some point the talented tight end is going to have to be integrated into the offense.
All daily fantasy values courtesy of DraftKings.