Fantasy Football Power Rankings: Top 15 QBs for Week 3

Derek Carr cracks the top 15 after another consistent fantasy performance. He’s still someone you probably aren’t going to want to start unless you failed miserably when it came to drafting quarterbacks, but he’s a player who is definitely worth having on your bench for the dreaded bye week.

With Robert Griffin III expected to miss a good chunk of the season with a dislocated ankle, Kirk Cousins will take the reins for the Redskins. It’s actually a great move for Washington, especially since I believe Cousins is the better quarterback. His 22 fantasy points in Week 2 should be a sign of good things to come, although it’s a little too early to predict his exact production on a week-to-week basis.

Cam Newton was outstanding in his first game this season. The good news is his 20 fantasy points should be considered the standard for him in 2014, especially with a stellar defense that should consistently give him the ball in good field position.

Not having A.J. Green definitely prevented Andy Dalton from having a big performance in Week 2. With an average of 18 fantasy points per game this season and the possibility of missing as much as three weapons on offense, Dalton is someone owners should consider benching in Week 3.

Matt Ryan dropped several spots in the power rankings due to having a difference of 25 fantasy points from Week 1 to Week 2. Still, Ryan owners should not fret as he has the necessary weapons around him to put up decent points each week. However, there’s no denying that his performance in Week 2 is a bit alarming. Ryan should excel in Week 3 as the Buccaneers give up a lot of deep plays, something the Falcons convert consistently.

Matthew Stafford had a down week against a very talented Panthers defense. The good news for him is the Packers’ secondary is known to give up a lot of yards and touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks. In fact, they have surrendered an average of 20 points per game, and that was with Geno Smith under center against them last week. Stafford should bounce back gracefully at home in Week 3.

Joe Flacco’s 18 fantasy points in Week 2 is a direct result of him throwing the ball much more than he ever has in his career. Even though he sits at No. 9 in the power rankings heading into Week 3, I fully expect him to drop in the rankings, as he will be going up against a Browns defense that stifled the mighty Drew Brees.

Just like Flacco, Nick Foles has been very consistent this season by hovering right around the 20-point mark. In his last 13 starts, Foles has only posted fewer than 14 fantasy points once. He has dominated the Redskins in the past, but Washington has not allowed quarterbacks to put up a lot of points this season. Regardless, I trust Foles can prevail.

Brees is off to a slow start this season in fantasy mostly because of his lack of touchdown passes. That should change as he’s prepared to take his anger out on the Vikings in Week 2. Even though no team has been better than Minnesota when it comes to keeping QB fantasy points to a minimal this season, they also surrendered the most fantasy points to quarterbacks in 2013. I fully expect Brees to jump up in the rankings.

Russell Wilson had back-to-back 21-point performances. With a projection of 21 points again in Week 3, Wilson continues to be a must start for owners. Even better, he should put up decent numbers against a Broncos defense that has allowed quarterbacks to flourish.

Even though the Colts are 0-2, Andrew Luck continues to make his fantasy owners happy. His 53 total points in the first two weeks ranks third in the NFL. Don’t be surprised if he jumps from No. 5 to No. 1 in the fantasy football power rankings next week after thrashing the Jaguars this weekend.

Peyton Manning has put up 55 fantasy points in his first two games, the most of any player. It’s true that playing in Seattle is not ideal, but the fact that the Seahawks allowed 30 fantasy points last week should give Manning all the confidence he needs to have a good game. The only reason he sits at No. 4 in the rankings is because his 27 points in Week 2 was less than the three players ahead of him.

The fact that Philip Rivers put up a whopping 30 fantasy points against arguably the best defense in the league in the Seahawks is remarkable. More importantly, it proves that his weak performance in Week 1 was nothing more than a fluke. Expect another outstanding performance in Week 3 when Rivers takes on a Bills defense that has allowed opposing quarterbacks soar.

Aaron Rodgers bounced back from a horrible Week 1 to put up 33 points in Week 2. Considering he only had five fantasy points late in the second quarter shows that Rodgers has the ability to put up points in a hurry. Some say Rodgers is inconsistent when it comes to fantasy football. However, if he’s given enough time to make plays, he should average more than 20 points per game for the rest of the season.

Jay Cutler absolutely deserves to be No. 1 in the Week 3 fantasy football power rankings after his stellar game against a very good 49ers defense. Not only did Cutler lead his team from behind to an impressive win, he put up 33 fantasy points in the process. Even though his 54 total points is one less than Manning, I expect him to have the most points at the end of Week 3 after taking on the Jets.