The second week of NFL action gave us a handful of surprising performances from sleeper options way down the consensus rankings board who could prove to be viable fantasy options moving forward.
Here is a closer look at some other fantasy football sleepers you should be starting in your fantasy football lineups for Week 3.
Target these Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 3
Justin Fields, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
The box scores don’t reflect how well Justin Fields has played through the first two games of the 2024 NFL season.
Fields had a touchdown pass and a 40+ yard completion to George Pickens both called back due to penalties on Sunday. Additionally, another explosive play to Pickens was called back in the season opener against Atlanta.
Fields is playing great football and still has the elite rushing upside in this run-heavy offense — one that isn’t afraid to dial up QB-designed runs — which makes him a quality streaming option against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Chargers love to run the ball but have faced off against two subpar defensive units. This offense hasn’t been tested against a quality unit like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense, who have allowed just 16 points through the first two games of the season.
It is only a matter of time until Fields breaks through for a big fantasy performance, and I believe this matchup provides him and Pickens with an opportunity to have a huge performance in Week 3.
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The efficiency issues fantasy managers have seen from Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Rachaad White continued against a stingy Detroit Lions front seven in Week 2, but the starting running back picked up a groin injury that will need to be monitored very closely entering their Week 3 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
The numbers are pretty concerning for White through the first two games. He has 35 fewer rushing yards on nine more carries than Irving and could be hampered even more while battling through a soft tissue injury.
MORE: Kyle Soppe’s Week 3 Start/Sit Advice for Every Fantasy-Relevant Player
Irving has provided a small spark to this offense in a complementary role through two weeks but is fully capable of contributing in the passing game should his role expand against a Broncos defense that gave up 111 rushing yards to Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on Sunday.
Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Speaking of Warren, his uptick in usage has to be very encouraging to fantasy managers who saw him finish with just two carries in Week 1.
Warren saw eight fewer carries than Harris in Week 2 but averaged 4.7 yards per carry, compared to Harris’ mark of 4.1. Additionally, Warren saw his role in the passing game expand a touch but still finished with just two receptions for 19 yards against Denver.
Warren saw his snap share jump from 31% in the opener to 48% in Week 2, which is another encouraging sign that he is potentially getting much closer to fully healthy while battling through a hamstring injury.
Warren looked far more explosive this week, which makes him a player who doesn’t require a ton of touches to be a fantasy producer in a game where the running backs for both teams are likely to be very busy in Week 3.
Jordan Whittington, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Let’s be real: The Los Angeles Rams’ offense has to be the most dysfunctional unit in the league through the first two weeks of the season.
Puka Nacua is on IR, multiple offensive linemen have appeared on the injury report on numerous occasions, and Cooper Kupp failed to finish the team’s Week 2 contest against the Arizona Cardinals after picking up an ankle injury.
These injuries to the WR position should open up a plethora of targets for other options on the depth chart.
Most fantasy managers believe the best WR options from this offense could be Demarcus Robinson or Tyler Johnson. To be fair, you can make a case for both of those players. But I’m going to take a swing on rookie receiver Jordan Whittington to see an expanded role in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers.
Whittington had a rushing touchdown called back due to a holding call in Week 1 against the Lions and saw his snap count jump from 3% to 50% in Week 2 — where he caught both of his targets for 22 yards.
Last year, a rookie Nacua exploded when Kupp was out of the lineup through the first four games of the season. Is the situation not eerily similar for Whittington entering Week 3 if Kupp should miss time?
We have a good idea of who Robinson and Johnson are at this point in their careers. Whittington actually fits a similar prospect profile to Nacua, which could act as an introduction to fantasy managers in Week 3 should his role continue to expand against the Niners.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns
This may be a bit tough to believe, but Jerry Jeudy is currently a top-30 fantasy WR in full-PPR formats.
An injury to David Njoku and Amari Cooper’s struggles have helped Jeudy produce eight receptions for 98 yards and a score through his first two games with the Browns.
JERRYYYYYY #CLEvsJAX on CBS & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/YdGLdrfE1D
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 15, 2024
Quite frankly, saying that Cooper is struggling is putting it very gently. Jeudy has more receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns than Cooper on three fewer targets. Additionally, Cooper has multiple drops, while Jeudy continues to be the significantly more efficient option.
Jeudy’s realized air yards sits at 52.7% — which isn’t exactly a great mark — while Cooper is concerningly bad at 11.1% (which ranks 120th at the WR position this season).
Jeudy may not be the fantasy stud many hoped he would be entering the league, but he has managed to carve a fantasy-relevant role in the Browns’ offense, which does make a WR3 option against the New York Giants in Week 3.
Mike Gesicki, TE, Cincinnati Bengals
Don’t look now, but the TE7 overall through the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL season is Mike Gesicki of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Ja’Marr Chase hasn’t looked like himself, Tee Higgins is dealing with a hamstring injury while playing on the franchise tag, and the running game hasn’t exactly been stellar for Cincinnati, which has helped Gesicki see 13 targets and produce 10 receptions for 109 yards this season.
Joe Burrow has shown us in the past he is capable of leading an explosive offense in the NFL, which makes Gesicki a potential low-end TE1 option if this involvement in the passing attack continues.