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

Alas, Week 3 of the NFL fantasy football season is in our sights.

While the Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears face off on Monday night, most fantasy players have already moved on to next week. Full of optimism and irrational confidence, they believe that their respective team will bounce back and go on a historic winning streak en route to the playoffs.

But before that happens, let’s take a look at next week’s slate of games followed by Yahoo Sports’ projected points leaders by position for Week 3. 

Note, kickers are not included (sorry) and defense/special teams won’t be given a “boom, bust or sleeper” label. After all, it’s too early to start adding and dropping defenses. 

Quarterbacks

Boom: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

We didn’t get to see the fantasy stud in Week 1, but Newton came out to play in Week 2 against the San Francisco 49ers, putting up 30.82 points on the game.

Recording 353 passing yards with four touchdown passes and 37 rushing yards, Newton is back to the fantasy player we saw in 2015. While it’s likely he’ll face a much tougher matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, he’s not going to fade into the shadows and put up zeroes across the board. 

If anything, it’s almost better for Newton’s fantasy owners that he faces a tougher defense so that he can scramble and run for some yards and maybe even score a rushing touchdown. He’s just too dangerous of a player to not have in your lineup each week regardless of the matchup. 

Bust: Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks

Wilson is projected to put up the most points by a quarterback in Week 3, but don’t listen to the projections this week. Just look at how Wilson and the Seahawks offense is playing so far this season.

The Seahawks offense has scored 15 points in two games against the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams. Wilson has scored 24.48 points combined in both games.

What makes you think he can put up 22.48 points against the 49ers next week? Unless he proves himself to be the fantasy player we’ve grown accustomed to seeing the past two seasons, I wouldn’t risk starting him.

Sleeper: Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens

Flacco usually only turns up to play during the tail end of the season leading up to the playoffs, but he looked dangerous against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.

He finished with 302 passing yards and two scores; although he did throw two interceptions on the game. Despite the turnovers, Flacco put up 18.18 points this week, and those numbers should increase when the Ravens take on the Jaguars next weekend.

Jacksonville has surrendered six passing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in the first two weeks of the season, and now that Flacco seems to have found a favorite red zone target in Mike Wallace, the Ravens passing offense could have a field day against the Jaguars and their suspect defense. Owned in just 29 percent of Yahoo leagues, he’s widely attainable at the moment.

Wide receivers

Boom: Mike Wallace, WR, Baltimore Ravens

What a start to the 2016 season for Wallace.

After struggling to find a home in the NFL after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers a few years ago, Wallace is having a renaissance this season with …

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