Week 3 Fantasy Football Sleepers: 4 Players Ranked Too Low
Fantasy football rankings are supposed to make our lives easier. Instead, they occasionally make us want to throw our laptops through a window. Every week, fantasy managers stare at a list of 100-plus players and wonder the same thing:
“Who the hell put THAT guy down there?”
That’s what we’re looking for this week. These aren’t players ranked 23rd who we’re suggesting should be 20th. We’re going deeper.
The following four players are currently ranked outside the top 24 at their respective positions in Week 3 PPR rankings, but each has a legitimate path to finishing inside that top 24.
Some have the workload. Some have the matchup. Some have both. And one of them is basically being buried in the rankings like somebody forgot he was on the roster.
Let’s dig.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB — Patriots
Current Week 3 ranking: RB28-29
There was a brief moment when fantasy managers wondered whether TreVeyon Henderson was going to be one of those running backs who spends half the season waiting for his opportunity.
Then Week 2 happened.
Henderson’s first NFL game of the season produced 16 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown, including a 39-yard score. He played 33 snaps and finished with 13.6 PPR points despite recording zero receptions. That’s the important part.
He did that without catching a pass.
FantasyPros currently has Henderson at RB28 in its Week 3 consensus, with the individual experts ranging from RB21 to RB29.
The question isn’t whether Henderson can produce. We’ve already seen it. The question is whether New England gives him enough touches to do it again.
The Patriots play Jacksonville this week, and Henderson’s explosiveness gives him a legitimate chance to turn another 12-16 touches into a top-24 fantasy performance.
And if the receiving work finally shows up? Well, that’s where things could get really interesting.
PigSkinFantasy PPR Projection: 14.5 points
Alvin Kamara, RB — Saints
Current Week 3 ranking: RB56
Yes. RB56. We’re officially in “the rankings have gone too far” territory.
Kamara’s Week 2 stat line was ugly. Nine carries for 15 yards. Five receptions for seven yards. Zero touchdowns. That’s a grand total of 7.2 PPR points.
Nobody is going to frame that box score and hang it in the Louvre. But here’s what people are missing in the box score:
Kamara still received 14 touches, including six targets.
He led the Saints running backs in touches, and he received 10 touches before halftime — eight more than Travis Etienne at that point.
The efficiency was awful. The opportunity wasn’t. And that’s why Kamara is worth discussing.
FantasyPros currently ranks him RB56 for Week 3, with the best expert ranking at RB36. Its projection calls for only 7.7 rushing attempts and 2.1 receptions, which seems awfully conservative for a player who just received 14 touches in his first game back.
There is another development worth monitoring: Etienne opened Week 3 with a limited practice because of a hamstring issue. If that limitation becomes an absence, Kamara’s opportunity will increase dramatically.
Even without an Etienne injury, Kamara’s receiving role gives him a path to fantasy relevance. Nine carries for 15 yards isn’t going to win your fantasy matchup.
Nine carries, six targets and a touchdown? Now we’re talking.
The matchup with Las Vegas is also favorable enough to keep the door open, with FantasyPros currently rating the Raiders as the 20th-easiest RB matchup.
Kamara doesn’t need to look like 2020 Kamara. He just needs to look like a running back who can catch a football.
PigSkinFantasy PPR Projection: 13.5 points
Adonai Mitchell, WR — Jets
Current Week 3 ranking: WR37
This one is much easier to explain.
The targets.
Mitchell has already demonstrated that he’s not simply running around the field hoping Geno Smith notices him. He is getting the football.
After catching three passes for 60 yards in Week 1, Mitchell followed it up with six catches for 63 yards on 12 targets in Week 2. Those 12 targets led the Jets.
And it could have been even bigger. Mitchell drew a deep pass-interference penalty and narrowly missed another potential 40-plus-yard reception. SI’s Week 2 target report identified him as Smith’s primary perimeter option and noted his strong route participation and involvement as an early read.
Yet FantasyPros has him sitting at WR37 for Week 3.
The good news? The matchup is Detroit, and FantasyPros currently lists the Lions as the fourth-easiest upcoming matchup for Mitchell.
Mitchell has 123 receiving yards through two games without scoring a touchdown. That’s actually encouraging.
Because if the targets remain around double digits and one of those targets finally lands in the end zone, Mitchell can blow right through his current ranking. A six-catch, 80-yard, one-touchdown game would give him 20 PPR points. And suddenly WR37 looks pretty silly.
PigSkinFantasy PPR Projection: 14.5 points
Terrance Ferguson, TE — Rams
Current Week 3 ranking: TE25
This one might be the easiest of the four. Ferguson is currently sitting just outside the top 24, but the rankings are already starting to move.
FantasyPros’ PPR consensus has him at TE25, with individual experts ranging from TE21 to TE27. Another FantasyPros rankings page currently has him at TE21, illustrating just how quickly the industry is moving on him.
Why? Because Week 2 happened.
Ferguson caught 6-of-9 targets for 54 yards and a touchdown against the Giants. His nine targets were second on the Rams, just one behind Davante Adams.
Nine targets. For a tight end. That’s the fantasy equivalent of finding an extra order of fries in the bottom of the bag.
And there is another potentially important development: Puka Nacua did not practice Wednesday, and Sean McVay remains uncertain about his Week 3 availability. Ferguson was also limited Wednesday with an ankle issue, so his practice status needs to be monitored.
If Nacua misses another game, Ferguson’s opportunity becomes even more attractive. And even if Nacua returns, nine targets aren’t something we should simply pretend never happened.
The Rams travel to Denver, and FantasyPros currently lists the Broncos as the 25th-easiest TE matchup. At tight end, we’re not asking for 100 yards.
Five catches. 50 yards. Touchdown. That’s a top-10 week. And Ferguson has already shown he can get the targets necessary to make it happen.
PigSkinFantasy PPR Projection: 12.0 points
