We may only be heading into Week 3, but for fantasy football purposes, it’s feeling more like Week 10 with the way that injuries have very suddenly started to mount.
Wideouts A.J. Brown (hamstring), Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle) are all set to miss several games. Meanwhile, Amon-Ra St. Brown (soft tissue), Justin Jefferson (quad) and Tee Higgins (hamstring) are all also dealing with injuries, albeit looking a little more optimistic heading into the week.
Whether you’re in need of some depth at receiver due to injuries, or you’re simply looking for some Week 3 WR sleepers, you’re in the right place. Here are four sleeper wide receivers to consider, as well as my top-75 WR rankings for Week 3.
WR flex of the week: Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions (vs. Cardinals)
Welcome to the flex, Mr. Williams! It appears the former first-round pick has finally reached his breakout season as the WR7 in standard-scoring leagues through the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL season. Williams has commanded 20 total targets over Weeks 1 and 2, catching 10 of them for 20 receiving yards and a score, ranking top-five in yards per reception. He also leads all wide receivers with nine red zone targets and is one of just seven receivers with 3+ targets in the end zone, expanding his opportunity for scoring in an already potent Lions offense.
With Amon-Ra St. Brown managing a soft tissue injury, Williams could factor into this contest heavily, a matchup projected with the highest over/under of the week at 52.5 points.
Week 3 WR sleepers
Rostership percentages in Yahoo! Fantasy leagues are indicated in parentheses.
Andrei Iosivas, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Commanders, 7%)
The Bengals seem likely to be without Tee Higgins again this week as he deals with a nagging hamstring issue. It’s unfortunate timing for fantasy managers, as he likely would likely eat the Washington Commanders’ secondary alive opposite Ja’Marr Chase… but alas, we can’t have everything. If Higgins does indeed miss Week 3, Andrei Iosivas becomes an intriguing sleeper option.
In the past two weeks without Higgins, Iosivas has played a full-time role, running just two fewer routes and seeing two fewer targets than star Ja’Marr Chase. None of their wideouts had more than 35 receiving yards this past week, but each of Iosivas’ two receptions went for touchdowns. Now, he’ll get a matchup against the worst secondary in the league to help fantasy managers looking for a flier.
Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Rams, 3%)
The San Francisco 49ers are dealing with some serious injury concerns across the board. First it was running back Christian McCaffrey that would miss time. Now, it’s wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who’s also expected to miss several weeks with a calf injury. Though replacing top talent is never an easy task, the Niners do have a nice amount of depth on offense, and a key piece of that depth is WR3 Jauan Jennings.
Jennings is typically praised for his ability as a blocker, but he’s had plenty of moments shining as a receiver as well; arguably, he would have most likely been dubbed Super Bowl LVIII MVP had the 49ers managed a win, having both thrown and caught a touchdown in the Big Game. This week, the 49ers will face the LA Rams, who are allowing a league-high 0.207 EPA per play against and the second-highest touchdown drive percentage in the league (40%) per PFF.
Jalen Nailor, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Texans, 1%)
This play isn’t for the weak of heart. However, opportunity — which Nailor should see plenty of in Week 3 — is everything, and desperate times do sometimes call for desperate measures. The Vikings are dealing with bad luck on the injury front on their own this year, starting out with a season-ending knee injury for rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, followed by an ankle injury for second-year receiver Jordan Addison and now, a quad injury for star Justin Jefferson. There’s also the side note that T.J. Hockenson remains out in his own recovery from an ACL tear just last season.
There’s optimism that Jefferson won’t miss time with the injury, but if he is limited in any fashion, Nailor could see an uptick in target share that makes him a viable flier in deep leagues. Though the Vikings have a challenging matchup against the Houston Texans this week, Sam Darnold has looked capable enough under Kevin O’Connell that we can’t rule out a couple of big plays.
Fantasy football: Week 3 WR rankings
Kate Magdziuk is an editor and contributor for Yahoo Fantasy and co-host of the Locked On Dynasty Football podcast. She is also the managing editor for Behind The Steel Curtain, SB Nation’s exclusive Pittsburgh Steelers blog. Her previous bylines include Pro Football Focus, NBC Sports Rotoworld and 4for4 Football, among others.
