by Injuries in fantasy football can cause a lot of headaches. Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey appeared on the injury report earlier this week, but the team remains adamant he will play against New Orleans on Sunday despite the bum’s ankle. He played in just three games in 2020 due to a high ankle sprain and shoulder injury and missed 10 games last season as well. Should you avoid McCaffrey with your Week 3 Fantasy Football picks? Where Should McCaffrey and Every Running Back Be in the 2022 Fantasy Football Rankings? Before you lock in your lineups, be sure to check out the Week 3 Fantasy football rankings from the computer-tested model at SportsLine. It can help you make those tough decisions about which players to start and which players to bench.
When it comes to player rankings, SportsLine’s model has beaten human fantasy football experts over the past several seasons, especially when there were wide differences in rankings. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning the championship or going home empty-handed.
Last week, the model was very high on Packers running back Aaron Jones, saying he would finish as a top-10 player at his position. The result: Jones rushed 15 times for 132 yards and a touchdown and caught all three targets for 38 yards and a score in Green Bay’s win over the Bears. Whoever had him in their lineup was on track for a huge week.
Now, the model, which simulates every NFL play 10,000 times, has revealed its Fantasy football rankings for Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season. Head over to SportsLine now to see them.
Top Week 3 Fantasy Football Picks
One player the model is high on this week: Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny. The Seahawks only carried Penny six times last week, but he should be more involved in the offense in Week 3. Seattle was behind most of the game, which led to a higher volume of passes and less involvement for Penny.
He was heavily involved in Week 1, however, rushing 12 times for 60 yards, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. The Seahawks are 1-point favorites at home against Atlanta this week, which means Penny could have plenty of opportunities in this game. The Falcons allowed New Orleans to rush 19 times for 151 yards and a touchdown in their first season, giving up 7.9 yards per carry, so Penny is primed to have a successful Sunday.
And a huge shocker: Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, who has eclipsed 1,000 yards in three of his last four seasons, stumbles a lot and doesn’t even crack the top 20 at his position. Elliott led the Cowboys with 53 rushing yards in last week’s win over the Bengals, but was less effective than Tony Pollard, who gained 98 yards and a TD on 13 carries.
Elliott has yet to find the end zone this season and will now face a New York Giants defense that has yet to allow a rushing touchdown in 2022. Elliott averaged just 3.5 yards per carry against the Bengals and was not a factor in Dallas’ passing game. With such a tough matchup this week, Elliott is a player to consider benching in Week 3.
How to Set Your Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings
The model also calls for a surprising quarterback who you wouldn’t even consider finishing in the top 10 of the Week 3 Fantasy Football rankings. This pick could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing. You can only see who is here.
So who should you start and sit this week? And which amazing general could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get the Week 3 Fantasy football rankings for each position, plus see which QB will come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that largely outpaced the experts.
