Fantasy Football Starter Rankings, Week 3: From DeMarco Murray to Matt Jones and more

This week’s theme is the ever-revolving running back position. Entering week 3, there are really on five guys who are clear must-starts above and beyond everyone else: Jamaal Charles, Marshawn Lynch, Adrian Peterson, Matt Forte, and the newly reinstated LeVeon Bell. If you have one of those five, feel lucky this short distance into the year. Even Forte and Lynch, though, are carrying injuries though expected to play.

Guys like McCoy, Forsett, and Stewart become top 10 options not because they have necessarily torn it up, or have great matchups, but because we suspect they are most likely to get a large share of their team’s touches where other situations are more fluid.

After that, it’s a mixed bag of playing matchups, guesses about coaching usage, and reading the tea leaves on player health. Among the guys drafted highly just a month ago, we have the following issues:

• C.J. Anderson has been dealing with an injury and the ineffectiveness of the offensive line;
• DeMarco Murray has struggled mightily behind the Eagles’ line, and now has a hamstring injury that has him in question for this week; [Note: these have now been updated to reflect Murray as inactive].
• Jeremy Hill has been outperformed by Giovani Bernard through two weeks;
• Eddie Lacy is probably out this week with the ankle injury, though that’s not official yet.

On the flip side, you can add several surprises, where it’s not clear how longterm the success will be. That includes:

• Dion Lewis in New England. We’ve been down this road so many times. Guessing how Belichick will use the backs from week to week is a fool’s errand. Lewis appears the best option, but that could change in a completely different matchup from playing the Bills on the road.
• Matt Jones in Washington. Did he surpass Alfred Morris last week for good? They got the same number of carries and Jones put up the big numbers.
• David Johnson in Arizona. The opportunity is there with Ellington’s injury, and he has proven explosive. That should portend more carries this week. But how many?
• Devonta Freeman in Atlanta. He’ll get an opportunity for more carries with Tevin Coleman out.

Good luck with your choices. I’m not sure I’ve seen a week with so few clear cut options at the running back position. As always, I’ve marked guys who have injury issues and are questionable with ++ and those probable with a +.

Related: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 3: Donte Moncrief and James Starks among top starting options

QUARTERBACKS

1. Tom Brady vs JAC
2. Aaron Rodgers vs KC
3. Andrew Luck at TEN
4. Ben Roethlisberger at STL
5. Russell Wilson vs CHI
6. Cam Newton vs NO
7. Carson Palmer vs SF
8. Matt Ryan at DAL
9. Peyton Manning at DET
10. Eli Manning vs WAS
11. Ryan Tannehill vs BUF
12. Philip Rivers at MIN
13. Teddy Bridgewater vs SD
14. Colin Kaepernick at ARI
15. Drew Brees at CAR++ (this ranking is where I would place him if he is ruled active)
16. Marcus Mariota vs IND
17. Nick Foles vs PIT
18. Derek Carr at CLE
19. Sam Bradford at NYJ
20. Andy Dalton at BAL
21. Tyrod Taylor at MIA
22. Alex Smith at GB
23. Matthew Stafford vs DEN+
24. Joe Flacco vs CIN
25. Blake Bortles at NE
26. Jameis Winston at HOU
27. Brandon Weeden vs ATL
28. Ryan Fitzpatrick vs PHI
29. Kirk Cousins at NYG
30. Ryan Mallett vs TB
31. Josh McCown vs OAK
32. Luke McCown at CAR
33. Jimmy Clausen at SEA

RUNNING BACKS

1. Jamaal Charles at GB
2. LeVeon Bell at STL
3. Marshawn Lynch vs CHI++
4. Adrian Peterson vs SD
5. Matt Forte at SEA++
6. Justin Forsett vs CIN
7. LeSean McCoy at MIA++
8. Chris Ivory vs PHI++
9. Jonathan Stewart vs NO++
10. Latavius Murray at CLE
11. Carlos Hyde at ARI++
12. Mark Ingram at CAR
13. Joseph Randle vs ATL
14. C.J. Anderson at DET
15. T.J. Yeldon at NE
16. James Starks vs KC
17. Devonta Freeman at DAL
18. Lamar Miller vs BUF++
19. Dion Lewis vs JAC
20. DeMarco Murray at NYJ++ [Murray is out]
21. Jeremy Hill at BAL
22. Danny Woodhead at MIN
23. Matt Jones at NYG
24. Melvin Gordon at MIN
25. David Johnson vs SF
26. Frank Gore at TEN
27. Isaiah Crowell vs OAK
28. Darren Sproles at NYJ [updated with Murray out, becomes flex option]
29. Ameer Abdullah vs DEN
30. Giovani Bernard at BAL
31. Eddie Lacy vs KC++[expected to play, limited]
32. Alfred Morris at NYG
33. LeGarrette Blount vs JAC
34. Rashad Jennings vs WAS
35. Bishop Sankey vs IND
36. Doug Martin at HOU
37. Ryan Mathews at NYJ [updated with Murray out]
38. Shane Vereen vs WAS
39. Tre Mason vs PIT
40. Chris Polk vs TB
41. Bilal Powell vs PHI
42. Joique Bell vs DEN
43. Lorenzo Taliaferro vs CIN++
44. C.J. Spiller at CAR
45. Todd Gurley vs PIT++ [active for first career game, expect limited touches in game 1]
46. Ronnie Hillman at DET
47. Duke Johnson vs OAK
48. Fred Jackson vs CHI
49. Dexter McCluster vs IND
50. Alfred Blue vs TB
51. Darren McFadden vs ATL
52. Karlos Williams at MIA
53. DeAngelo Williams at STL
54. Josh Robinson at TEN
55. Lance Dunbar vs ATL

WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Antonio Brown at STL
2. Julio Jones at DAL++
3. Odell Beckham vs WAS
4. Julian Edelman vs JAC
5. Demaryius Thomas at DET
6. Randall Cobb vs KC
7. Brandon Marshall vs PHI
8. Emmanuel Sanders at DET
9. Larry Fitzgerald vs SF
10. Calvin Johnson vs DEN
11. A.J. Green at BAL++ [expected to play]
12. DeAndre Hopkins vs TB++ [expected to play]
13. Jarvis Landry vs BUF
14. Allen Robinson at NE
15. Jordan Matthews at NYJ
16. Keenan Allen at MIN
17. T.Y. Hilton at TEN
18. Mike Evans at HOU+
19. Amari Cooper at CLE
20. Donte Moncrief at TEN
21. Jeremy Maclin at GB
22. Steve Smith vs CIN
23. Terrance Williams vs ATL
24. Pierre Garcon at NYG
25. John Brown vs SF
26. Golden Tate vs DEN
27. Steve Johnson at MIN
28. Davante Adams vs KC++
29. James Jones vs KC
30. Anquan Boldin at ARI
31. Michael Crabtree at CLE
32. Alshon Jeffery at SEA++  [updated 9/25 Jeffery has been ruled out, along with Cutler]
33. Mike Wallace vs SD
34. Doug Baldwin vs CHI
35. Sammy Watkins at MIA
36. Vincent Jackson at HOU
37. Andre Johnson at TEN
38. Roddy White at DAL
39. Brandin Cooks at CAR++ [dropped due to Brees out and playing hurt]
40. Darrius Heyward-Bey at STL
41. Ted Ginn vs NO
42. Torrey Smith at ARI
43. Kendall Wright vs IND
44. Rishard Matthews vs BUF
45. Eddie Royal at SEA
46. Markus Wheaton at STL
47. Marques Colston at CAR
48. Allen Hurns at NE
49. Tavon Austin vs PIT
50. Travis Benjamin vs OAK
51. Brandon Coleman at CAR
52. Percy Harvin at MIA
53. Leonard Hankerson at DAL
54. Cole Beasley vs ATL

TIGHT ENDS

1. Rob Gronkowski vs JAC
2. Tyler Eifert at BAL
3. Travis Kelce at GB
4. Jordan Reed at WAS
5. Greg Olsen vs NO
6. Martellus Bennett at SEA
7. Kyle Rudolph vs SD
8. Jimmy Graham vs CHI
9. Heath Miller at STL
10. Jason Witten vs ATL++
11. Jared Cook vs PIT
12. Jordan Cameron vs BUF++
13. Eric Ebron vs DEN
14. Delanie Walker vs IND++
15. Crockett Gilmore vs CIN
16. Zach Ertz at NYJ
17. Vernon Davis at ARI
18. Richard Rodgers vs KC
19. Larry Donnell vs WAS
20. Ladarius Green at MIN++
21. Dwayne Allen at TEN++
22. Charles Clay at MIA
23. Darren Fells vs SF
24. Jacob Tamme at DAL

KICKERS

1. Stephen Gostkowski vs. JAC
2. Steven Hauschka vs. CHI
3. Mason Crosby vs. KC
4. Chandler Catanzaro vs. SF
5. Brandon McManus at DET
6. Adam Vinatieri at TEN
7. Graham Gano vs. NO
8. Cody Parkey at NYJ
9. Josh Brown vs. WAS
10. Justin Tucker vs. CIN
11. Randy Bullock vs. TB
12. Matt Bryant at DAL
13. Nick Folk vs. PHI
14. Blair Walsh vs. SD
15. Josh Scobee at STL

DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS

1. DENVER vs. DET
2. SEATTLE vs. CHI
3. NEW ENGLAND vs. JAC
4. CAROLINA vs. NO
5. NY JETS vs. PHI
6. HOUSTON vs. TB
7. CLEVELAND vs. OAK
8. ARIZONA vs. SF
9. ATLANTA at DAL
10. BUFFALO at MIA
11. MIAMI vs BUF
12. ST. LOUIS vs. PIT
13. TAMPA BAY at HOU
14. MINNESOTA vs. SD
15. NY GIANTS vs. WAS