Week 3 is here and we have some fantasy football lineups to set. A slew of injuries have hit fantasy managers hard, so it’s time to regroup and take a look at the upcoming slate of games to find out who the best starts are.
We do the research at Pro Football Network so that you can feel confident you’re setting the best possible lineup each and every week. With that in mind, here are my top QBs to start heading into Week 3.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and Start/Sit Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
Which QB Should You Start in Fantasy Football?
MORE rankings from Soppe: RB | WR | TE | K | DST
1) Jalen Hurts | PHI | (@ TB)
2) Patrick Mahomes II | KC | (vs. CHI)
3) Josh Allen | BUF | (@ WAS)
4) Justin Herbert | LAC | (@ MIN)
5) Lamar Jackson | BAL | (vs. IND)
6) Tua Tagovailoa | MIA | (vs. DEN)
7) Trevor Lawrence | JAX | (vs. HOU)
8) Justin Fields | CHI | (@ KC)
9) Kirk Cousins | MIN | (vs. LAC)
10) Jared Goff | DET | (vs. ATL)
11) Joe Burrow | CIN | (vs. LAR)
12) Geno Smith | SEA | (vs. CAR)
13) Deshaun Watson | CLE | (vs. TEN)
14) Derek Carr | NO | (@ GB)
15) Dak Prescott | DAL | (@ ARI)
16) Anthony Richardson | IND | (@ BAL)
17) Brock Purdy | SF | (vs. NYG)
18) Russell Wilson | DEN | (@ MIA)
19) Daniel Jones | NYG | (@ SF)
20) Sam Howell | WAS | (vs. BUF)
21) Jordan Love | GB | (vs. NO)
22) Matthew Stafford | LAR | (@ CIN)
23) Kenny Pickett | PIT | (@ LV)
24) C.J. Stroud | HOU | (@ JAX)
25) Baker Mayfield | TB | (vs. PHI)
26) Mac Jones | NE | (@ NYJ)
27) Bryce Young | CAR | (@ SEA)
28) Desmond Ridder | ATL | (@ DET)
29) Ryan Tannehill | TEN | (@ CLE)
30) Jimmy Garoppolo | LV | (vs. PIT)
31) Joshua Dobbs | ARI | (vs. DAL)
32) Zach Wilson | NYJ | (vs. NE)
33) Gardner Minshew II | IND | (@ BAL)
34) Clayton Tune | ARI | (vs. DAL)
The Top QBs To Start in Week 3
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
I’m not selling any Herbert shares at the moment, but I will admit that my eyebrow is raised. Yes, he threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans last week. Dig a little deeper.
Far from Justin Herbert's best game on Sunday. But:
3rd and 12, up by 1, less than 7 minutes left. Gotta-have-it down. What a gem. pic.twitter.com/cKtjKbAS8Q
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) September 11, 2023
His aDOT remains lower than I had hoped with Kellen Moore joining this coaching staff, and those short targets just don’t carry the upside that we put on Herbert’s shoulders. Consider this: Since Week 7 of last season, just 3.1% of Herbert’s passes have resulted in scores, down quite a bit from the 5.9% rate he sustained over his previous 20 games.
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This is a great spot for him to take those shots downfield and come through on the potential that we all think he has. Herbert is my QB4 this week and is a strong DFS target in a triple-stack lineup structure.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Lawrence was a few receiver toe taps away from a big Week 2 against the Chiefs, but no luck. If you drafted Lawrence, you might be a touch underwhelmed with the early returns — relax.
He has 20-plus rushing yards in both games this season (including a designed run in the red zone last week) and has shown the willingness to feed all three of his primary receivers. With Evan Engram, this roster is built for Lawrence to succeed at a high level and I think he’s a great trade target.
This Texans defense is better than they get credit for and they locked up Lawrence last season (0 TD passes on 68 attempts). That, however, was a different offense that lacked a true alpha receiver. I expect Calvin Ridley to open up the passing game much like Michael Pittman did against these Texans last week. That has Lawrence firmly inside my circle of trust at the QB position.