Outside of the very top guys, the wide receiver position as a whole feels boom-or-bust on any given week, and last week was no different. With so many options at the deep position, it can be tough to decide who to start and who to sit for that WR3 or flex spot. What we can do is look at target share, average yards per catch (especially in standard leagues), and red-zone targets. While you don’t necessarily want TD-dependent guys, it’s always nice to have players who get more scoring chances. Our Week 3 fantasy WR rankings will take all those factors into consideration while also looking at matchup stats from the past two weeks. 

DeVonta Smith (@ Dallas) is strong across both standard and PPR formats, but he’s in line for a possible explosive week against an awful secondary. Jalen Reagor also sees a boost as the No. 2 WR in Philadelphia. Quez Watkins is a standard-specific play, but he’s an attractive player if you’re looking for a guy who’s going to get a lot of deep shots. Starting Michael Pittman Jr. or Zach Pascal (@ Titans) is never going to be sexy, but we have enough evidence from last year and the early part of this season to know we must consider WRs vs. the Titans’ hot garbage in the back end of their defense. Of course, if Jacob Eason is starting, that plan will be squashed in a hurry.

WEEK 3 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Christian Kirk and Rondale Moore (@ Jaguars) continue to be attractive WR3/flex considerations, especially in standard with the big-play nature of the Cardinals’ offense. Someone has to take targets next to DeAndre Hopkins, and those two are the prime candidates in a great matchup. Marquise Brown (@ Lions) has his greatest appeal in standard, as the Ravens will rush the ball an insane number of times, but we could easily see Brown scoring on a big play or two for the third straight week.

WEEK 3 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

After ranking Allen Robinson outside the top 24 in Week 1, he returns to the top 15 for Week 3 (@ Cleveland) as we had him in Week 2. We knew it would wheels up for him after he got through with his matchup with Jalen Ramsey, but now he’s a perennial WR1 regardless of matchup moving forward. The Browns’ defense was expected to be carved up in Week 1 at Kansas City, but they even looked weak against the Texans. However, if Justin Fields starts for an injured Andy Dalton (knee), then Robinson might bump back down to a middle WR2.

The Tampa Bay (@ Rams) wide receivers are tough to evaluate this week. Jalen Ramsey could be in shadow coverage on any of the trio of Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin, and Mike Evans. For this reason, you probably have to start all of them and play Ramsey Russian Roulette this week. He can’t take all of them away, and last week, both Pascal and Pittman had good games against the Rams.

The Bengals’ trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd (@ Steelers) are concerning this week, too. It’s never fun to start guys in Pittsburgh, and Joe Burrow should be harassed early and often. At least one of them will probably produce, but it would be a shocker if they all were solid fantasy options by the end of Sunday. Still, after the Raiders went big through the air against Pittsburgh, anything is possible. Another trio, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, and Chase Claypool (vs. Bengals) could all have big weeks, but that might be reduced to a duo after Johnson’s knee injury. Stay tuned for injury updates. It’s tough to evaluate them with Ben Roethlisberger’s ineffectiveness through the first two weeks, but the matchup is just plain ole good. Johnson and Claypool are more attractive in standard leagues. The Jaguars have yet another trio of potential starters against Arizona, though Laviska Shenault’s shoulder injury threatens his availability.

Marquez Callaway (@ Patriots) is falling fast, and a trip to New England isn’t going to help him regain his value. Brandon Aiyuk’s free fall also continues, and you can find him down in the rankings right by Callaway. We’re not high on Browns’ receivers against the Bears even if Odell Beckham Jr. (knee) finally suits up. Jarvis Landry (knee) is banged up, but the Browns simply don’t throw enough to feel great about any of their options. The same goes for all of Miami’s receivers against Vegas, as Will Fuller V (personal) could be joining the fold as the QB situation gets even shakier.

Again, this position is the toughest one to rank as we move down toward the bottom, but use these as a guide if you need a tie-breaker between similar guys. It’s sill too early to purely rely on previous game stats, but we’re close to being able to use those indicators more.

We’ll be updating these WR rankings as needed throughout the week, so check back for the latest changes and analysis.

Fantasy WR Rankings Week 3: Who to start at wide receiver

Rankings based on standard,  non-PPR scoring