Jared Goff, Bryce Young, and 2 Other Must-Start Fantasy Football Quarterbacks in Week 3
No two weeks are the same in fantasy football. Matchups change, and so does the viability of many fringe starters. Among quarterbacks who are not weekly shoo-in starts, I find these four are the ones you should slot into your lineup in Week 3.
Trevor Lawrence
The Jaguars come back home this Sunday to host the New England Patriots. In 2025, the Jaguars enjoyed one of the biggest home-field advantages we have seen in recent memory. Jacksonville was about 17 points better at home than on a neutral site. Over the past three seasons, they have been 7 points better with the NFL's 3rd-rated home field.
My initial projection has the Jaguars scoring about 24 points on offense. It is worth noting that Lawrence was the QB4 in 2025 fantasy football. In Week 1, Lawrence has a 78.3% completion percentage with four touchdowns. When at home, it has been proven that Lawrence can be matchup-proof and easily a top-3 quarterback in the game.
Jared Goff
The Lions will host the Jets this Sunday on a 3-day rest advantage. They will also play this game at home, where Goff has proved far better in his Lions career. Goff's TD:INT rate is nearly twice as good when at home (about 5:1). He is averaging 18 more yards per game when at Ford Field.
The Jets have actually impressed on defense through two games. However, they are not expected to be a big threat over the course of the 2026 season. They have not intercepted a football since 2024. One would also think that Detroit knows Aaron Glenn's defensive style much better than Glenn knows Drew Petzing's style. A coaching advantage may be noteworthy ahead of Sunday.
Tyler Shough
Tyler Shough on deep passes this season
— PFF (@PFF) September 22, 2026
Best in NFL
99.9 Grade ✅
156.3 Pass Rating ✅*
75.0% comp pct ✅*
5 Big Time Throws ✅
0 TO Worthy Plays ✅*
24.6 yards/att ✅
*tied for best pic.twitter.com/VDLGB3MtMe
Who is the NFL leader in passing yards through Week 2? Tyler Shough. He has 662 yards on a 68.9% completion percentage. Shough has 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He is the QB6 in fantasy football.
Given the Saints' impressive offensive output, I am inclined to label Shough a weekly must-start. While the Lions' defense looks suspect, Shough did come into Baltimore and put up a stat line of 27-34, 252 yards, 1 touchdown, and zero turnovers against that top-10-rated Ravens defense. My power rating has Baltimore as the NFL's 7th-ranked defense.
Bryce Young
Well, I think Dave Canales has things figured out in Carolina. Through two games, the Panthers have scored 71 points. Young is the QB2 in fantasy football behind Josh Allen. He has 648 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 1 interception.
The output is no fluke for Young. PFF rates him as the 7th-best quarterback in the NFL with a grade of 83.9. He is 6th in the NFL in pure passing grade alone. With the Browns' mediocre opponent on Sunday, there is little to worry about in playing any Panthers, including Young.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.