It's a long season, and we're reminded of it every week. Some things are starting to look like legitimate trends. But plenty of questions remain.
Our minds want to compartmentalize every preseason take into a "right" or "wrong" bucket, but you can't really do that in this game.
For example: Was it right or wrong to draft Jaylen Waddle this year?
After Week 1, if you faded Waddle, well done! You were right. Waddle was drafted in Round 4 of fantasy drafts and had only one catch for two yards. Just an embarrassing performance for a guy with such lofty expectations. Can you believe there were suckers out there drafting him that high?
Wait a minute. Week 2 went a bit differently. Eight catches for 138 yards. He led the team in every statistic. He operated as a true WR1, and the production followed. Suddenly, those who faded Waddle in drafts were starting to worry if they made a mistake.
Until Week 3, that is. Two catches. Ten yards. Psh. Can you believe people drafted this guy?
It's only Week 3, but we can expect to do this song and dance with Waddle for most of the next 14 weeks. As our Sigmund Bloom so succinctly says, "You can be right and wrong on the same player in the same season." And sometimes you can even be right and wrong on the same player in the same week.
Terrance Ferguson was a buzzy name heading into Sunday Night Football. He was coming off a game where he ran as a full-time receiver, catching six of nine targets for 54 yards and a touchdown. He benefited from Puka Nacua's Week 2 injury, and Nacua was set to miss Week 3. He was limited early in the week with an ankle injury himself, but was ultimately cleared from the final injury report. Those who started Ferguson were gutted when he left the game early with an ankle injury. But he quickly returned and caught an easy first-down pass. And he got up slowly after the reception, limped to the sideline, and didn't return for the rest of the game. Those who started him had the right read; he was involved early. Those who faded him for injury concerns were also right; he quickly aggravated his injured ankle. In this situation, there is no "right" or "wrong," but people will try to stake a claim either way.
And that's the benefit of this series. Every week, I'm forced to reanalyze the entire fantasy football landscape. I can't selectively pick and choose the spots where I was right so I can beat my chest. I'm forced to stare at my mistakes as much as I am my hits. And after Week 3 is when I have to make some big shifts.
I had Drake Maye ranked as a top quarterback, and he's been awful. I had Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr. close in my preseason rankings, unsure who would emerge between the two. We now know it's clearly Washington. Raiders, Jets, and Browns players move up. Chargers, Titans, and Colts move down. We're starting to get some answers. But remember, it's a long season.
As a reminder, all movers will be noted with a "+" or "-" showing the change from last week's rankings. Significant movers will have a write-up explaining the change. New additions to the rankings will be marked as "New." Use these rankings to guide waiver wire moves and trade decisions. Target risers, cut fallers, and try to improve your roster where you can.
Let's dive in.
Rest-Of-Season Fantasy Football Rankings
Rest-Of-Season Quarterback Rankings
While I held off on major quarterback changes through the first couple of weeks, Week 3 requires some significant moves. I'm not entirely sure why Drake Maye and Justin Herbert have been so bad, but we can't ignore it. Meanwhile, Brock Purdy, Patrick Mahomes II, and Dak Prescott are delivering the production and consistency fantasy managers should prefer. A few injuries shuffle the position even more, and this week's quarterback rankings will have the biggest changes of any edition so far this year.
- QB1 - Josh Allen
- QB2 - Lamar Jackson
- QB3 - Brock Purdy (+1)
- QB4 - Joe Burrow (-1)
- QB5 - Trevor Lawrence (+1)
- QB6 - Jalen Hurts (+1)
- QB7 - Patrick Mahomes II (+2)
- QB8 - Dak Prescott (+2)
- QB9 - Caleb Williams (-1)
- QB10 - Bo Nix (+3)
- QB11 - Matthew Stafford (+3)
- QB12 - Jared Goff (+3)
- QB13 - Drake Maye (-8) - The quarterback we've seen through the first three weeks of the 2026 season looks nothing like the Year 2 guy who was in MVP conversations and led his team to a Super Bowl last year. And while poor play can sometimes be masked by rushing and touchdowns, that hasn't been the case for Maye. He's passed for just one touchdown while throwing six interceptions. He's been sacked nine times and fumbled twice, losing one. While rushing padded his floor last year, he is averaging just 27.3 scoreless yards per game this year. Advanced metrics tell a similar story. Only Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers, and Cooper Rush have a lower passing EPA. He ranks 23rd of 33 qualifying quarterbacks in success rate. Maye is a young quarterback with a promising pedigree who has shown plenty of promise in his career. But he's the per-game QB34 in fantasy. Until the Patriots can right the ship, Maye is benchable.
- QB14 - Justin Herbert (-3)
- QB15 - Bryce Young (+1)
- QB16 - Kyler Murray (-4)
- QB17 - Daniel Jones (+2)
- QB18 - Tyler Shough (+2)
- QB19 - Malik Willis (-1)
- QB20 - Jordan Love (+1)
- QB21 - Geno Smith (+2)
- QB22 - Jayden Daniels
- QB23 - C.J. Stroud (+1)
- QB24 - Michael Penix Jr. (+3)
- QB25 - Sam Darnold (+3)
- QB26 - Deshaun Watson (+6) - Going into the season, many viewed Watson as a lame duck who would get a ceremonial Week 1 start, then be promptly benched. But he's won two straight. The Browns are above .500 for the first time since 2023. Watson, while far from the player he was in Houston, is showing some of the traits that made him the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history. The slippery maneuverability and confident arm have been showing up the last couple of weeks. It's translating to fantasy production, as he's the per-game QB10 through Week 3, with his two best fantasy outings since 2022. Watson could hold this job a bit longer than expected and return strong fantasy production. He's worth a pickup in deep leagues, especially as bye weeks approach.
- QB27 - Kirk Cousins (+3)
- QB28 - Aaron Rodgers (+1)
- QB29 - Cam Ward (-3)
- QB30 - Baker Mayfield (-5) - Mayfield is the per-game QB31 through Week 3. He exited the loss to the Vikings with a dislocated thumb and is expected to miss two to four weeks. He's droppable in most formats. When he does return, he'll be a dodgy QB2.
- QB31 - Jacoby Brissett
- QB32 - Jameis Winston (+3)
- QB33 - Marcus Mariota
- QB34 - Carson Wentz (+2)
- QB35 - Jalon Daniels (New)
- QB36 - J.J. McCarthy (+13)
- QB37 - Shedeur Sanders (+1)
- QB38 - Fernando Mendoza (+1)
- QB39 - Justin Fields (+1)
- QB40 - Mac Jones (+1)
- QB41 - Drew Lock (-7)
- QB42 - Tua Tagovailoa (-5)
- QB43 - Ty Simpson (-1)
- QB44 - Carson Beck
- QB45 - Riley Leonard
- QB46 - Cooper Rush (-3)
- QB47 - Tyson Bagent (-1)
- QB48 - Case Keenum (New)
- QB49 - Will Howard (-2)
- QB50 - Gardner Minshew II (-2)
- QB51 - Joe Flacco (New)