There’s a pretty good chance you might have to make some adjustments to your fantasy football lineup in Week 3. There’s been a rash of injuries and one prominent benching.
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees is out for about six weeks with a thumb injury. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is out for the season with an elbow injury. And veteran New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has been benched in favor of rookie Daniel Jones. And that’s just the latest news about quarterbacks, a position that already had been impacted by injury (Jacksonville’s Nick Foles) and illness (New York Jets Sam Darnold).
There were plenty of significant injuries at other positions, so you might be in the market for a sleeper or two. Here is our weekly list of the top 11 fantasy football sleepers.
11. Austin Seibert, K, Cleveland Browns
The rookie may not have been drafted in a lot of fantasy leagues. If he’s still available in your league, pick him up. Seibert should have added confidence after making three field goals against the Jets and the Browns offense should be able to move the ball against a Los Angeles Rams defense that has yet to hit its stride.
10. Will Dissly, TE, Seattle Seahawks
Dissly connected with Russell Wilson for two touchdown passes against the Steelers. It’s obvious the Seahawks want to take advantage of Dissly’s skills in the red zone. He should have even more passes thrown his way this week against the Saints because Wilson and the coaching staff seem to have a growing confidence in Dissly.
9. Demetrius Harris, TE, Cleveland Browns
Keep an eye on the status of starting tight end David Njoku as the week goes on. He suffered a concussion in Monday night’s win against the Jets. If Njoku is going to miss Sunday night’s game against the Rams, Harris is a guy you might want to consider playing. Harris is a career backup with only 58 catches in his six-year career. But, if he’s going to be Cleveland’s tight end this week, he might put up some numbers in an offense that came to life Monday night.
8. Taysom Hill, QB, New Orleans Saints
With Drew Brees out for six weeks with a thumb injury, a lot of people are scrambling to get Teddy Bridgewater who will take over as the starter. That’s not a bad idea because any quarterback should put up decent numbers in Sean Payton’s offense. But if you really need a deep sleeper this week, Hill could be a good choice with the Saints playing Seattle. Hill was a college quarterback at BYU. The Saints have used him as a utility player, plugging him in at various times at running back, receiver, quarterback and as a return man. There’s no doubt Bridgewater will get the bulk of the snaps. But it wouldn’t be at all surprising if Payton comes up with a package of plays for Hill.
7. Nelson Agholor, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles could be without starting wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery because of injuries. If both are out, that leaves Agholor and tight end Zach Ertz as the top receiving threats for quarterback Carson Wentz as the Eagles face Detroit. In a loss to Atlanta, Agholor stepped up after Jackson and Jeffrey got hurt to make eight catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. His numbers could be even better against the Lions.
6. DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Metcalf was a question mark coming into the season and not just because he was a rookie. He also had minor knee surgery on Aug. 20. He’s back and looking healthy. Metcalf’s role in the offense should continue to increase and he could be a good player to start as the Seahawks play the Saints.
5. Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Normally, it’s wise to stay away from Winston. He’s just too unpredictable. Despite the arrival of coach Bruce Arians, Winston has been as erratic as ever. But this week could be the exception. That’s because he’s going up against the New York Giants, who allowed 63 points in their first two games. Plus, this essentially is a must-win for the Bucs. This will be the last time they play in Raymond James Stadium for 49 days. They’ll follow this week with two road games, followed by a “home’’ game in London and a bye week and, then, play two more road games before finally returning home in Week 10. Oh, there’s one other reason to start Winston this week. With all the injured quarterbacks, at least Winston is healthy, and an Arians offense is always going to put up passing yards.
4. David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears
Montgomery wasn’t a big part of the offense in the opener, getting just six carries against Green Bay. But he got 18 carries in Week 2 against Denver and delivered 62 yards and a touchdown. That’s enough to show the coaching staff that Montgomery should be a big part of Chicago’s plans going forward. He is a good fantasy start as the Bears play Monday night against a Washington defense that hasn’t been very good against the run.
3. Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
A lot of fantasy players understandably were hesitant about Kupp because he was coming back quickly from a torn ACL. But it’s time to put the doubts behind. Kupp showed he’s back to full strength by catching five passes for 120 yards in a Week 2 win against New Orleans. If you have Kupp, Sunday night against Cleveland would be a good time to play him.
2. Frank Gore, RB, Buffalo Bills
The fantasy knock on Gore entering the season was that his number of carries probably would decrease as the season went on as rookie Devin Singletary emerged. It looks like it could be the exact opposite case in Week 3. Singletary’s status is uncertain because of an injury, so that means probably even more carries for Gore. Yeah, Gore is averaging just 2.9 yards a carry. But keep in mind that he’ll be playing against Cincinnati’s defense this week.
1. Daniel Jones, QB, N.Y. Giants
As a rule of thumb, it generally is not a good idea to give a fantasy start to a rookie making his debut, especially when he’s playing for an 0-2 team on the road. Jones’ opponent on Sunday, the Bucs, have a defense that has gotten off to a better start than most expected. So, there are plenty of reasons not to give Jones a fantasy start. But there also are reasons to go with him. The main one is that the benching of Eli Manning and the elevation of Jones could give the Giants a spark. Jones was very efficient in the preseason. At very least, he’s going to put up some passing yards by throwing to running back Saquon Barkley.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
