Fantasy Football Week 3 Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers to Target

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Gary McCullough/Associated Press

Injuries have started to take their toll on some fantasy football rosters, but that’s nothing new for managers across the board.

Maybe you had been relying on a running back from the San Francisco 49ers or Baltimore Ravens, teams that have had to sign free agents to replenish their RB depth following several injuries.

Or you may have a hole caused by an ailment to a player such as Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry. Either way, you’re now trying to find a deep sleeper or two to put in your lineup.

Here’s a look at a few sleepers you may want to consider starting in Week 3.

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Terrance Williams/Associated Press

Daniel Jones impressed in Week 2, going on the road to face Washington and putting up some impressive numbers for the New York Giants.

The 24-year-old passed for 249 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 95 yards and a score. Through two weeks, he has as many rushing touchdowns (two) as he does passing scores.

While Jones may not continue to put up these big numbers on the ground, this could be a sign that he’s taking a big step forward in his third NFL season. He’s been inconsistent in the past, but he’s played well in each of New York’s first two games in 2021.

Now, the Duke product has a favorable Week 3 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, who have again had trouble limiting opposing quarterbacks this season. That means the quarterback and the Giants could put up some big offensive numbers at home this week.

If you need to stream a quarterback, there are plenty of worse options than Jones. So, despite his lack of fantasy impact in the past, be confident plugging him into your lineup this week.

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Nick Wass/Associated Press

When the Ravens lost J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards to season-ending injuries before even playing one regular-season game, Ty’Son Williams was their only remaining running back. That’s why they went out and signed Le’Veon Bell, Latavius Murray and Devonta Freeman to replenish their RB depth.

Of those three, Murray is having the biggest impact thus far. He’s scored a touchdown in each of Baltimore’s first two games, and he had 36 yards on nine carries in its Week 2 win over Kansas City.

Although Williams has remained the Ravens’ lead back, Murray has been effective. And it may only be a matter of time before his workload gets even bigger, considering he’s an eight-year veteran and former Pro Bowler who has had plenty of success in the past.

The 31-year-old’s fantasy success may be heavily dependent on touchdowns at the moment, but he’s still a worthwhile flex option if you’re in need, including in Week 3 when the Ravens have a favorable matchup against the Detroit Lions.

It may be wise to add Murray now, before he becomes an even bigger part of Baltimore’s running game.

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Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

With Jerry Jeudy injured, it’s clear that Courtland Sutton is the No. 1 option in the Broncos’ passing game. He had nine catches for 159 yards and was targeted 12 times, but that came against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and other defenses may do a better job of limiting his production.

That means there will be other Denver wide receivers who become fantasy options, most notably Tim Patrick, who has already scored a touchdown in each of the team’s first two games. While he’s gotten into the end zone twice, he has been held to seven catches for 76 yards across the pair of contests.

As long as the 27-year-old is scoring touchdowns, he’ll at least be a decent flex option. But it seems likely his yardage total will go up, which could happen as soon as this week against the New York Jets.

Denver quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is likely going to air it out and spread the ball around against New York, and Patrick could have his biggest game thus far.