Fantasy Football Receiver Rankings: Antonio Brown Tops Week 3’s Bunch
Many star wide receivers are off to a slow start in 2015, making lineup decisions much more difficult for fantasy football owners. But you still can rely on plenty of big names — and some surprising ones — when you fill out your lineup for Week 3.
Here are the top 10 receivers to target this week.
1. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 3 Opponent: St. Louis Rams
2015 Stats: 18 receptions, 328 yards, 2 TDs
Brown is showing no signs of slowing down after an impressive 2014 season. He is a must-start in any fantasy format, especially with the Rams, whom Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins just out-played, up next this week.
2. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
Week 3 Opponent: Dallas Cowboys
2015 Stats: 22 receptions, 276 yards, 2 TDs
Jones is thriving under new offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s system. Even though he didn’t deliver a touchdown in Week 2, Jones still managed to make fantasy owners happy with double-digit points.
3. Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
Week 3 Opponent: Washington Redskins
2015 Stats: 12 receptions, 190 yards, 1 TD
Beckham Jr. gave fantasy owners a bit of a scare in Week 1 with a rough performance, but he rebounded in a big way against the Falcons. And until Victor Cruz returns, the Giants will need to rely heavily on OBJ.
4. Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos
Week 3 Opponent: Detroit Lions
2015 Stats: 15 receptions, 176 yards, 0 TD
It hasn’t been the greatest start for the Broncos offensively, but fans caught a glimpse of what their team is capable of during the fourth quarter last Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Lions are near the bottom in pass defense, so this could be a breakout game for Denver’s offense.
5. A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals
Week 3 Opponent: Baltimore Ravens
2015 Stats: 8 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD
Green has underwhelming stats through two weeks, thanks partly to tight end Tyler Eifert’s emergence as quarterback Andy Dalton’s go-to target. However, Green still is a must-start, especially against a Ravens secondary that struggled mightily in Week 2.
6. Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers
Week 3 Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
2015 Stats: 13 receptions, 154 yards, 1 TD
Cobb is the clear No. 1 option for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and he has a favorable matchup Monday. The Chiefs have allowed five receiving touchdowns and an average of 269.5 passing yards through two games so far.
7. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans
Week 3 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2015 Stats: 14 receptions, 151 yards, 2 TDs
Hopkins and new starting quarterback Ryan Mallett were not on the same page last weekend, but that output should be treated as an outlier. Hopkins certainly is capable of a big bounce-back game against the Bucs.
8. Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
Week 3 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
2015 Stats: 22 receptions, 194 yards, 2 TDs
Tom Brady is on another level right now, and Edelman is one of the main beneficiaries. He is one of the Super Bowl XLIX MVP’s favorite targets, which is good news for fantasy owners.
9. Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos
Week 3 Opponents: Detroit Lions
2015 Stats: 16 receptions, 152 yards, 2 TDs
Much like Thomas, Sanders had a shaky start to the season, thanks to an underwhelming Broncos offense. But Sanders rebounded in a big way with two touchdowns in Denver’s big come-from-behind win last week. Look for that Sanders to show up against the Lions.
10. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Week 3 Opponent: San Francisco 49ers
2015 Stats: 14 receptions, 199 yards, 3 TDs
Fitzgerald exploded for 112 yards and three touchdowns in the Cardinals’ blowout win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, even with Michael Floyd returning to Arizona’s lineup. The 49ers are coming off a disaster of a performance against the Steelers’ passing attack, so look for quarterback Carson Palmer and Fitzgerald to unlease the same fate on San Francisco.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
