The NFL season is in full swing, meaning it’s time to set your lineups for Week 3 of the fantasy football season. Injuries to Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa shake up the top 15 of the rankings. Only two quarterbacks scored at least 20 points in Week 2: Kyler Murray and Derek Carr. Below are the quarterback rankings, tiers, and analysis for Week 3.
Quarterback Rankings for Week 3 Fantasy Football
Tier 1: Superstar Quarterbacks
1. Josh Allen
2. Jalen Hurts
3. Lamar Jackson
4. Kyler Murray
5. C.J. Stroud
6. Patrick Mahomes
Murray bounced back with a big Week 2. He had 266 passing yards and three passing touchdowns while adding 59 rushing yards. He finished as the overall QB1 on the week with 28.54 fantasy points. Murray and the Cardinals host the Lions, who have given up good performances to Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield over the last two weeks. Murray joins the elite tier of the quarterback rankings for Week 3.
In today's @AZCardinals victory, Kyler Murray (@K1) became the 2nd player in @NFL history with 250+ passing yards, 50+ rushing yards and a 158.3 passer rating – the highest attainable mark – in a single game.
He joins Ken Anderson, who accomplished the feat on Nov. 3, 1974. pic.twitter.com/R4riWfygVd
— NFL345 (@NFL345) September 15, 2024
Mahomes finished outside the top ten in both Week 1 and Week 2, with 15.14 and 12.94 fantasy points, respectively. He threw two interceptions in Week 2, hurting his day. The Chiefs found a way to win both games. Mahomes does not have to be great for them to win anymore. Mahomes still has elite talent, so he stays in the top tier for now.
Tier 2: Solid QB1s
7. Anthony Richardson
8. Joe Burrow
9. Jayden Daniels
10. Dak Prescott
Richardson struggled in Week 2, throwing three interceptions and scoring single-digit fantasy points. He only had four rushes for 37 yards. Richardson’s poor passing accuracy will cause him to have bad weeks when he doesn’t run as much. The Colts return home against a Bears team that has been good at defense the first two weeks. Richardson stays in the top ten with his elite rushing upside.
Burrow bounced back in Week 2 after struggling in Week 1. He gets a dream matchup against a Commanders secondary that allowed Daniel Jones to be a top-five quarterback last week. This will be one of Burrow’s best games of the year.
Tier 3: QB1 Upside
11. Jared Goff
12. Baker Mayfield
13. Matthew Stafford
14. Brock Purdy
15. Derek Carr
16. Sam Darnold
Mayfield has been exceptional to start the season, finishing as a top-five fantasy quarterback in both weeks and leading as the overall QB1. He has thrown five passing touchdowns and added one on the ground last week. He has only thrown one interception. Mayfield has a decent matchup against the Broncos’defense in Week 3, and he is playing his way into one of the more solid quarterbacks in the league.
Carr has topped 20 fantasy points in each of the first two weeks, having six total touchdowns, and is the overall QB2 on the year. The Saints are one of the biggest surprises of the season, with two dominant victories. Although Carr faces a tougher matchup against the Eagles in Week 3, he remains a solid quarterback option due to his strong early-season performance.
Tier 4: Deep Streaming Options
17. Trevor Lawrence
18. Geno Smith
19. Justin Herbert
20. Caleb Williams
Lawrence and the Jaguars offense has not looked good to start the season after he received a contract extension in the offseason. He has thrown for one touchdown in two games and has failed to top 14 fantasy points. With a tough matchup against the Bills in a Monday Night Football doubleheader, Lawrence is sliding down the quarterback rankings for Week 3.
Herbert and the Chargers are 2-0, but their passing game has been underwhelming. Herbert has scored 10.36 and 11 fantasy points in the first two weeks. They now have a tough matchup against the Steelers’ defense, which has been great to start the season. This should be a low-scoring slugfest. Herbert should only be a fantasy starter in deep or SuperFlex leagues.
Main Image: Joe Rondone – USA Today Sports
