SportsLine Model Releases Week 3 2026 NFL Fantasy Football Rankings with Surprising Picks

Nothing will shuffle Fantasy football rankings quite like injuries, and there were numerous last week which could affect your Week 3 Fantasy football lineups. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart all went down, while offensive weapons like J.K. Dobbins, Alec Pierce and Dallas Goedert are all expected to miss time. Thus, some of your Week 3 Fantasy football picks may have to turn to the depth you accumulated during drafts, or you'll have to turn to the waiver wire for viable replacements.

Other players like Saquon Barkley (stinger), Brock Bowers (knee), D.J. Moore (shoulder) and Puka Nacua (groin/hip) have uncertain statuses for Week 3, so there are a lot of tough Fantasy football start-sit decisions to lock in before the Week 3 NFL schedule kicks off on Thursday. Before setting your Week 3 Fantasy football lineups, be sure to check out the Week 3 Fantasy football rankings from the proven computer model at SportsLine.

When it comes to ranking players, SportsLine's model beat human experts in Fantasy football for the past several seasons, especially when there were big differences in ranking. Over the course of a season, that could literally be the difference between winning your league or going home empty-handed.

The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, including being ahead of the curve on players like A.J. Brown, Jonathan Taylor, Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara and Jahmyr Gibbs. Anybody who banked on players like those could have made a run at their league title.

Now, the model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, has revealed its Fantasy football rankings for Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season. Head to SportsLine now to see them.

Top Week 3 Fantasy football picks

One surprise in Week 3: The model isn't high on Vikings running back Aaron Jones, despite him having 105 yards last week with Jordan Mason (thumb) on IR. That performance came against Chicago's porous run defense, which ranks in the bottom 10 for the third straight year. It was Jones' first 100-yard game since 2024 -- which also came versus the Bears -- but he'll face a much stiffer test on Sunday against Tampa. The Bucs gave up just 44 rushing yards to Cleveland in Week 2, while Chase Brown had only 56 rushing yards versus the Bucs in Week 1. Add in that Jones has yet to catch a pass this season, and he's one to fade this week as he sits outside the top 25 at his position.

Another curveball: The model is high on Jaguars wideout Parker Washington. The former sixth-round pick has emerged as Trevor Lawrence's top option, as he has more targets (18), catches (12) and yards (181) than Brian Thomas Jr., Jakobi Meyers and Travis Hunter combined. Just six other wideouts have been targeted more than Washington, and he's coming off a 98 yard game versus Denver's elite pass defense, which allowed the second fewest Fantasy points to receivers in 2025. Washington is a top 12 Fantasy wideout this week versus a Patriots defense that was without CB Carlton Davis (neck) on Sunday. For more start/sit Fantasy football advice, be sure to check out the rest of the Week 3 Fantasy football rankings.

How to set Week 3 Fantasy football rankings

The model is also calling for a surprising quarterback you aren't even thinking about to finish in the top 5 of its Week 3 Fantasy football rankings, ahead of the likes of Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow. This pick could be the difference between winning big and going home with nothing. See the model's entire Week 3 Fantasy football rankings for PPR and standard leagues here.