A slew of notable injuries have caused fantasy football rankings to plummet in the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL season, and the only relief for NFL fans is that there haven’t been too many quarterback injuries.
Green Bay Packers starter Jordan Love suffered a sprained MCL in Week 1, and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve after suffering a concussion in Week 2. The only other Week 1 starter who missed time until Week 3 was Bryce Young, who was benched by the Carolina Panthers for 36-year-old Andy Dalton.
The abundance of quarterbacks has made fantasy football managers’ lives easier in some ways, but it has also created tough starter-versus-backer decisions for owners with two quarterbacks or scouring the waiver wire for weekly streamers at the position.
Week 3 will feature some great matchups for bit part QB1 players, while injuries to other top skill position players will limit the potential of some of the more high-profile quarterbacks.
Below, we’ll break down who you should start and who you should back off at quarterback in Week 3 of the fantasy football season.
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Fantasy Football Starters: QBs Week 3
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
The Saints’ offense has been explosive in Klint Kubiak’s first year as offensive coordinator, averaging a league-leading 45.5 points per game and helping Carr become one of just two NFL quarterbacks to throw five touchdown passes in their first two games.
Carr finds himself in a favorable matchup against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that is allowing the fifth-most passing yards per game (242) through two games, which should help Carr maintain his status as a top-12 fantasy quarterback early in the season for at least another week.
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Speaking of favorable opponents, that’s certainly the case against the Washington Commanders in Week 3. Washington has allowed a league-high six touchdown passes through Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones in their first two games.
With Ja’Marr Chase on his feet and Mike Gesicki establishing himself as a reliable tight end target, Burrow and the Bengals may finally get their offense back on track in Week 3.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
The Arizona Cardinals had a strong performance against Matthew Stafford and the Rams, but fantasy team owners shouldn’t stop trusting Goff. The Lions quarterback led the league in passing attempts with 83 and should have plenty of opportunities to throw against a Cardinals side that are averaging the second-highest points per game this season (34.5).
Detroit’s defense should perform better than Los Angeles did last week, but it’s still likely Goff will approach 250 yards and two touchdowns against a defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
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Fantasy Football Sit’Em: Week 3 QB
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mayfield is tied with Carr for the league lead in touchdown passes, but this is not a good situation for him. The Denver Broncos have allowed just 134 passing yards per game through the first two games of the season, as Patrick Surtain II has played well in top-end coverage, wiping out half the field.
The Buccaneers have two great receivers, so Mayfield could still have a good game, but Tampa Bay will likely trust the running game against a Denver defense that struggles to contain running backs. That could quickly become a problem for Mayfield’s owners, especially if the Buccaneers are able to build a strong second-half lead against the Broncos.
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Richardson has struggled to get off to a good start in his second season, completing just 49.1 percent of his passes for 416 yards, three touchdowns and a league-worst four interceptions. To make matters worse, he hasn’t rushed as well as fantasy owners would have hoped, with just 93 yards and one touchdown on 10 scrambles through two games.
Richardson should stay away until he finds an easier opponent. The Chicago Bears don’t deserve this, having held C.J. Stroud to just one touchdown in their “Sunday Night Football” matchup in Week 2. Chicago is allowing opposing quarterbacks just 10.5 fantasy points per game, sixth-best in the NFL.
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Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
When Jim Harbaugh took over as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers, he promised to focus on the running game, and he’s kept that promise through two weeks, with Los Angeles boasting the third-highest run-play percentage in the NFL (59.66 percent).
Lacking volume, Herbert relies on explosive plays and touchdowns to establish his value as a fantasy asset, which won’t work against a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that has allowed just one touchdown to opposing quarterbacks through two weeks.
Complicating things is Herbert’s ankle issue, which coach Jim Harbaugh said isn’t an issue but is worth monitoring heading into the weekend.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Stafford will face a San Francisco 49ers defense that allowed a respectable 20.6% pressure rate and will be without two of its top receivers (Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua) and two interior starters (Steve Avila and Jonah Jackson) on the offensive line, which could be another tough week for the Los Angeles Rams offense.
Fantasy Football Starting Lineup, Starting Lineup, Week 3
Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports is here to help:
→ Kickers are human too: Here are some of the most important kickers to have on your Week 3 fantasy team.
→ The wide receiver position is devastated this season. Protect yourself in Week 3 with wide receiver starter and bench advice.
→ Tight ends can really boost your fantasy team’s offense if you have the right one. Here are some players to start or bench in Week 3.
→ Defense (and special teams) can win championships, including fantasy leagues. Here are some of the best D/ST units to start or bench in Week 3.
→ Having a great running back makes all the difference. Having a bad running back costs you a lot of points. Here’s who I’ll be starting in Week 3 and who I’ll be benching.