A.J. Brown, Brian Thomas Jr. Rebound In Week 3 Wide Receiver Projections And Rankings

The wide receiver cash register was open in Week 2, highlighted by four special games – Amon-Ra St. Brown (9/122/3), Malik Nabers (9/180/2), Ja’Marr Chase (14/165/1), and Rome Odunze (7/128/2). Wan’Dale Robinson (8/142/1) hit on three long plays with a score to break free from his previous dink and dunk, low-scoring profile. Troy Franklin (8/100/1) put his name on the fantasy map while being discovered by the Fantasy On SI team this summer (Breakout Deep Sleeper of the Year).

Over the summer, I had Puca Nacua ranked first at wide receiver, and he has been the best wideout after two games (18/221 with two rushes for 46 yards and a touchdown). Last week, 10 wide receivers scored more than 20.00 fantasy points in PPR formats.

Here’s a look at the top 12 wide receivers after two games:

Puka Nacua (50.70)
Malik Nabers (49.80)
Amon-Ra St. Brown (47.70)
Rome Odunze (47.50)
Zay Flowers (43.00)
Ja’Marr Chase (41.10)
Quentin Johnston (41.00)
Deebo Samuel (40.00)
Wan’Dale Robinson (39.70)
CeeDee Lamb (38.20)
Keenan Allen (36.90)

Wide Receiver Bust of the Week

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

After a steady game in Week 1 (6/61/1 on nine targets), the Colts held Sutton to only one catch for six yards on four targets. He was out-snapped by Trop Franklin 48 to 45, with Denver throwing the ball 30 times.

Runner Ups: Matthew Golden (1.50), Xavier Legette (1/-2), Khalil Shakir (2.20), Marvin Harrison Jr. (4.70), and Drake London (6.90)

Surprise of the Week

Hunter Renfrow, Carolina Panthers

After trading Adam Thielen to the Minnesota Vikings, Renfrow was promoted to WR3 in the Panthers’ offense. Carolina gave him WR3 snaps (66%) in Week 1, but he only had two catches for 11 yards on six targets. In a chaser game against the Arizona Cardinals, Renfrow had his best game (7/48/2 on nine targets) since 2021. He didn’t play in the NFL last season. The Raiders gave him an excellent opportunity in 2021 (103/1,038/9 on 128 targets), followed by an injury season and a much weaker role in 2023 (25/255).

Each week, I’ll release my weekly depth charts and projections on Wednesday, with a neutral eye that is dictated by hinting stats from previous results or in-season injuries. These statistics represent baseline outlooks, with their potential already factored in. Touchdowns create impact scores and winning fantasy days, especially in non-PPR formats. Who scores them each week is the Holy Grail that the fantasy market searches for weekly.

My projections will be sorted into rankings, which won’t look anything close to the weekly consensus. My man, Matt Brandon, is in charge of finding a balance between my player outlooks and the public view of each week's rankings.

Week 3 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Projections Preview

Here’s a look at our opening Week 3 top 12 wide receiver projections:

Brian Thomas, Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence has struggled to connect with Thomas over his first two games, leading to only five catches for 60 yards on 19 targets while scoring a nine-yard touchdown. He came out of last week’s game with a wrist injury, putting Thomas in the question column for Week 3. Last year, he scored in both of his matchups (6/86/1 and 4/76/1) against the Texans. His catch rate (26.3%) is alarming, and Thomas has two drops in the year (seven in 2024 over 133 targets).

A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts has only looked Brown’s way nine times over their first two wins. He has six catches for 35 yards, which is well below his potential. Last season, Brown played well in the regular season against the Rams (6/109/1), but they contained him in the postseason (2/14). He’s gained over 1,000 yards five times over his first six years in the NFL, suggesting a rebound showing is coming.

Week 3 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Rankings And Projections

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR FULL WEEK 3 FANTASY FOOTBALL WIDE RECEIVER PROJECTIONS!

Here's the wide receiver projection updates on Friday:

Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers

After being limited all week, Legette (hamstring) should play on Sunday. I made changes to his projections.

Jalen Royals, Kansas City Chiefs

Despite being limited heading into the weekend, Royals should see his first NFL action this weekend against the Giants. He turned in two full practices to end the week. For the fantasy teams looking for an upside flier, Royals price point should be free if your league has a free agent period this weekend. I bumped him to a couple of catches on Friday.

Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hip and groin issues pushed Egbuka to the questionable category for this week’s game against the Jets. After a limited practice session on Friday, he should suit up on Sunday.