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DRAFT NFL Lineup Advice: Week 3 (Thur/Sun/Mon)

DRAFT NFL Lineup Advice: Week 3 (Thur/Sun/Mon)

Tom Brady was our top QB option last week and he delivered, throwing for three touchdowns and 447 yards against the Saints.

Ty Montgomery was highlighted from our RB group in Week 2 and he found the end zone twice while compiling 110 total yards (six receptions).

After Julio Jones, the WR/TE top tier list was filled with duds. Thankfully, Keenan Allen had a special mention and he picked up the slack. He caught nine passes for exactly 100 yards against the Dolphins.

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Now, the Week 3 rankings…

Quarterback

1. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (vs. Bengals)
2. Tom Brady, Patriots (vs. Texans)
3. Matt Ryan, Falcons (@ Lions)
4. Derek Carr, Raiders (@ Redskins)
5. Cam Newton, Panthers (vs. Saints)
6. Drew Brees, Saints (@ Panthers)
7. Matthew Stafford, Lions (vs. Falcons)
8. Kirk Cousins, Redskins (vs. Raiders)
9. Russell Wilson, Seahawks (@ Titans)
10. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (@ Bears)

Cam Newton can’t be held down for long, right? Sure, he threw two touchdown passes in Week 1 but hasn’t thrown for 300 yards since December 19, 2016. The consistency level is basically nonexistent for SuperCam. Last year, Newton never threw at least two TD passes in back-to-back games. He also didn’t run for a TD in back-to-back games. So, he didn’t throw a TD pass last week and will get the QB-friendly Saints defense. Both should play into our narrative.

Matthew Stafford will be a steal for somebody after the “top tier” regulars are selected. He’s thrown six touchdown passes in the first two games and will look to increase that total when the Falcons come to town. Last week, Aaron Rodgers threw for 343 yards and two TDs against Atlanta, without Jordy Nelson for a majority of the game.

Running Back

1. Le’Veon Bell, Steelers (@ Bears)
2. Jay Ajayi, Dolphins (@ Jets)
3. Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys (@ Cardinals)
4. Kareem Hunt, Chiefs (@ Chargers)
5. Todd Gurley, Rams (@ 49ers)
6. Devonta Freeman, Falcons (@ Lions)
7. Melvin Gordon, Chargers (vs. Chiefs)
8. Ty Montgomery, Packers (vs. Bengals)
9. LeSean McCoy, Bills (vs. Broncos)
10. Carlos Hyde, 49ers (vs. Rams)
11. Dalvin Cook, Vikings (vs. Bucs)
12. Marshawn Lynch, Raiders (@ Redskins)
13. C.J. Anderson, Broncos (@ Bills)
14. Leonard Fournette, Jaguars (vs. Ravens)
15. Isaiah Crowell, Browns (@ Colts)
16. Mike Gillislee, Patriots (vs. Texans)
17. Christian McCaffrey, Panthers (vs. Saints)
18. Ameer Abdullah, Lions (vs. Falcons)
19. Tarik Cohen, Bears (vs. Steelers)
20. Javorius Allen, Ravens (@ Jaguars)

Jay Ajayi was a playing-time-monster last week. He was on the field for 64 of Miami’s 68 snaps in their first game of the season. This week, he’ll face a Jets defense that allowed LeSean McCoy to rush for 110 yards in Week 1 and the Raiders RBs to combine for 123 yards and two TDs on the ground in Week 2.

Plenty of “bargains” towards the bottom of the list. C.J. Anderson is performing well in the first two weeks. He’s rushed for 199 yards and scored two total TDs in the first two weeks combined. The Bills haven’t faced a running back like Anderson yet this season. The Broncos will look to control the game on the ground and let their defense do what they typically do.

Another RB to select at the end of your draft is Mike Gillislee. He’s been the touchdown machine for New England, finding the end zone four times in the first two games. The Patriots receivers are still battling injuries, which means more opportunities for Gillislee to run the ball. Mark him down for a TD and at least 60 rushing yards.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

1. Antonio Brown, Steelers (@ Bears)
2. Julio Jones, Falcons (@ Lions)
3. A.J. Green, Bengals (@ Packers)
4. Mike Evans, Bucs (@ Vikings)
5. Odell Beckham Jr., Giants (@ Eagles)
6. Michael Thomas, Saints (@ Panthers)
7. Jordy Nelson, Packers (vs. Bengals)
8. Keenan Allen, Chargers (vs. Chiefs)
9. Doug Baldwin, Seahawks (@ Titans)
10. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (@ Bills)
11. Michael Crabtree, Raiders (@ Redskins)
12. DeAndre Hopkins, Texans (@ Patriots)
13. Golden Tate, Lions (vs. Falcons)
14. Brandin Cooks, Patriots (vs. Texans)
15. Amari Cooper, Raiders (@ Redskins)
16. Rob Gronkowski, Patriots (vs. Texans)
17. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (vs. Cowboys)
18. Davante Adams, Packers (vs. Bengals)
19. Kelvin Benjamin, Panthers (vs. Saints)
20. Tyreek Hill, Chiefs (@ Chargers)

Hopefully, your opponents will shy away from Mike Evans with Xavier Rhodes likely shadowing the No. 1 receiver for Tampa Bay. In 2016, Evans tallied double-digit targets in seven of the first eight games. That included matchups against the Cardinals and Broncos. In fact, Evans’ season-high was against Arizona (17 targets). Jameis Winston doesn’t care who is covering Evans or how many defenders are on his No. 1 receiver. He’s still finding a way to get Evans the ball.

Two names are at the bottom of this list, but could end the day as a top five WR when Week 3 comes to an end. If Jordy Nelson isn’t cleared to play (I’m writing this late on Wednesday), then Davante Adams gets a boost to Nelson’s spot (No. 7). If Nelson plays, I’d still consider Adams as my second WR/TE on the roster.

Another name to keep your eye on is Kelvin Benjamin. With Greg Olsen out with a broken foot, someone has to absorb those stats. Combine that with Benjamin’s highly-favorable matchup against the Saints and you have a dangerous option as your WR2.

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Adam Meyer is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Adam, check out his archive and follow him @CharlieSideHstl.

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