Week 3 of the NFL season has arrived, and it kind of feels like this is the first week when injuries around the league have piled up enough to make a real difference. For example, five starting quarterbacks are out this week, radically shifting the outlook for not only the quarterback position, but all the skill position players on those teams.
These injuries help open up some intriguing possibilities in fantasy football leagues, though. Players who weren't on your radar at all in the preseason suddenly have expanded roles and might be worth deploying in your Week 3 fantasy lineups.
Here are six fantasy football sleepers to start in Week 3.
Jake Browning - QB - Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati's playoff chances took a huge hit with the Joe Burrow injury, but fantasy managers who picked up Jake Browning this week should still get solid production due to the fact that Browning is still throwing the ball to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Browning threw three interceptions last week after taking over for Burrow, but he also finished with 241 yards and two touchdowns against the Jaguars. If he can cut down on the turnovers, he can actually be a productive player for fantasy managers.
It's a good thing he faces a Vikings defense that has yet to intercept a pass this season. Of course, Minnesota only allowing one passing score so far is a concern, as is the fact that the team has allowed the fourth-fewest passing yards, but I tend to care more about the lack of turnovers because of who they played. Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. aren't elite quarterbacks. That Minnesota couldn't force errant throws from them has me worried for this defense and has Browning set for a strong Week 3.
Jordan Mason - RB - Minnesota Vikings
With Aaron Jones out, the Vikings will turn to Jordan Mason as the lead back.
Based on what Mason did last year as a lead back, this could be a very strong fantasy performance. Per RotoViz's game splits app, Mason averaged 85.6 rushing yards and 12.5 half PPR points in the eight games he played in 2024 without Christian McCaffrey.
Mason's lack of pass-game versatility limits his appeal somewhat, but he's a very good between-the-tackles runner and someone who belongs in a larger role than the one he currently has backing up Jones in Minnesota.
Tyler Allgeier - RB - Atlanta Falcons
What we learned last week was that in a game where the Falcons manage to get the lead early on, the strategy appears to be just running the ball over and over and over with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
A Week 3 meeting with Carolina looks like a likely spot for that game plan to repeat.
Last week, Allgeier had 16 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Vikings and also added a four-yard reception. Despite being second on the team in carries, he ended up with more touches than quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had completions.
Atlanta doesn't want to put too much pressure on its young quarterback. Expect the team to continue leaning super hard on its run game, with Allgeier getting 10-plus touches per week even as the backup running back.
Wan'Dale Robinson - WR - New York Giants
I still don't know if Wan'Dale Robinson is a good wide receiver or not. Last season, the nature of this Giants offense meant he saw 140 targets because there just weren't other players outside of Malik Nabers who even deserved to be targeted.
That appears to be the case again this year, only this time around, the Giants have a quarterback in Russell Wilson who is actually capable of getting him the football.
Through two games, Robinson is averaging a career-high 14.1 yards per reception and is coming off an eight-catch, 142-yard game against the Cowboys. The Chiefs defense will be much more difficult than the Cowboys defense was, but Robinson's target share keeps him in play as a fantasy starting option.
Troy Franklin - WR - Denver Broncos
The Broncos entered this season with one of the least heralded receiving units in the league. Courtland Sutton is obviously a very good player, but beyond him, it was just, like...no one?
Second-year receiver — and Bo Nix's college teammate — Troy Franklin appears to have taken over the role as the No. 2 guy, though. After being targeted six times in the season opener, Franklin was targeted nine times in Week 2, catching eight of those passes for 89 yards and a score.
Maybe most important when projecting Franklin going forward was that he played 83 percent of Denver's offensive snaps. That's more than any other Broncos skill-position player, including Sutton. No. 3 in snap rate for wide receivers was Trent Sherfield, all the way down at 38 percent.
Juwan Johnson - TE - New Orleans Saints
It seems like Juwan Johnson is randomly good in, like, Week 1 every year, but his production quickly vanishes. It seems 2025 might be the year that he actually manages to sustain things.
After being targeted 11 times in Week 1, his Week 2 usage predictably dropped, but only by two targets. Johnson has 20 targets through two weeks and is almost doubling his receiving yards per game from last year.
This week, Johnson gets a juicy matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. It's early, but Seattle has already allowed two touchdowns to the tight end position, tied with Miami for the most in the league. This is a good week for Johnson to sneak into the end zone again.