We now have two weeks of data and tape on which to base our decisions, and we have seen some intriguing results during the start of the season. Let’s dive in and look at which quarterbacks have the potential to be fantasy football streaming options this week and how the position as a whole shapes up in terms of the Week 3 rankings.
Week 3 Streamers: TE | K | DEF
Which QBs Should You Stream in Week 3?
Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders
When it comes to identifying a quarterback to stream for a one-off matchup in fantasy football, sometimes it is as simple as finding an offense that is set to square off against a horrible defensive unit.
No team has been worse through the first two games of the 2024 NFL season than the Carolina Panthers.
You can run the ball at will on the Panthers, which should help the Las Vegas Raiders have plenty of scoring opportunities in their Week 3 showdown against Carolina.
Gardner Minshew pulled off a major upset against the Baltimore Ravens by throwing for 276 yards with one score and one interception against a stingy defense. In Week 1, Minshew threw for 257 yards and a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers, who just dominated against the aforementioned Panthers on Sunday.
Minshew has averaged 265 passing yards per game, which should be sufficient if you need a streaming option for Week 3.
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
Sam Darnold certainly had his fair share of skeptics after a solid 15.6-point performance in his starting debut with the Minnesota Vikings.
Darnold followed Week 1 against the New York Giants with 268 yards and two scores against the San Francisco 49ers in an upset win at home in Week 2. That will be good enough to make him a top-10 fantasy QB for the week.
MORE: Fantasy Football Trade Calculator
He benefitted from Justin Jefferson scoring a 97-yard touchdown, but Darnold did his job by simply getting him the football.
If he can continue to distribute the football to Jefferson against a high-powered Houston Texans team — who could turn this into a higher-scoring affair — then Darnold should be a solid streaming option in Week 3.
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
Derek Carr has thrown for 443 yards and five touchdowns on just 39 passing attempts in his first two games in Klint Kubiak’s new offense.
Carr has been dialed in with his deep ball to Rashid Shaheed to start the year. He still has an ascending star receiver in Chris Olave to get the ball to, and he always has Alvin Kamara as a reliable and productive check-down option in the passing game.
CARR TO SHAHEED 70 YARDS 🔥
📺: #NOvsDAL on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/GV0MW5cduw— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
His 243-yard, two-score performance against a Dallas Cowboys defense that dominated Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 can only be seen as highly impressive.
Carr draws a matchup against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that struggled last year and in the season opener to slow down opposing passing attacks, which should make him another fringe top-12 option at QB in Week 3.
Kyle Soppe’s Quarterback Rankings for Week 3
The following rankings are from Kyle Soppe and, therefore, may not directly reflect the advice above.
1) Jalen Hurts | Philadelphia Eagles (at NO)
2) Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills (vs. JAX)
3) Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs (at ATL)
4) Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens (at DAL)
5) C.J. Stroud | Houston Texans (at MIN)
6) Kyler Murray | Arizona Cardinals (vs. DET)
7) Anthony Richardson | Indianapolis Colts (vs. CHI)
8) Jared Goff | Detroit Lions (at ARI)
9) Jayden Daniels | Washington Commanders (vs. CIN)
10) Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals (vs. WAS)
11) Dak Prescott | Dallas Cowboys (vs. BAL)
12) Brock Purdy | San Francisco 49ers (at LAR)
13) Caleb Williams | Chicago Bears (at IND)
14) Derek Carr | New Orleans Saints (vs. PHI)
15) Baker Mayfield | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. DEN)
16) Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams (vs. SF)
17) Trevor Lawrence | Jacksonville Jaguars (at BUF)
18) Justin Fields | Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. LAC)
19) Kirk Cousins | Atlanta Falcons (vs. KC)
20) Aaron Rodgers | New York Jets (vs. NE)
21) Sam Darnold | Minnesota Vikings (vs. HOU)
22) Daniel Jones | New York Giants (at CLE)
23) Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers (at PIT)
24) Geno Smith | Seattle Seahawks (vs. MIA)
25) Deshaun Watson | Cleveland Browns (vs. NYG)
26) Gardner Minshew II | Las Vegas Raiders (vs. CAR)
27) Bryce Young | Carolina Panthers (at LV)
28) Bo Nix | Denver Broncos (at TB)
29) Malik Willis | Green Bay Packers (at TEN)
30) Will Levis | Tennessee Titans (vs. GB)
31) Skylar Thompson | Miami Dolphins (at SEA)
32) Jacoby Brissett | New England Patriots (at NYJ)
