Fantasy Football Rankings - Quarterbacks (QB) Week 3 Early Updates

September 17, 2025

Fantasy football rankings - quarterbacks (QB) Week 3 rankings early edition for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football QB rankings.

With several key NFL quarterbacks dealing with injuries after just two weeks of action, the position could begin to get complicated. We're here to help with our Week 3 fantasy football quarterback rankings for 2025. Below, you can find out where signal callers Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, Caleb Williams, Daniel Jones, Bo Nix, Jared Goff, and more stand for Week 3.

Our quarterback fantasy football rankings for Week 3 are put together by Nick Mariano. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important QB fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.

Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!

Week 3 Fantasy Football Quarterback News and Injuries

• Dan Quinn Says Jayden Daniels is "Day-to-Day"
• J.J. McCarthy Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
• Carson Wentz in Line to Start in Week 3
• Jake Browning Capable of Effectively Leading Bengals' Offense?
• Justin Fields Currently in Concussion Protocol
• Joe Burrow to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
• Mac Jones Establishes Fantasy Relevance with Three Touchdowns Sunday

Week 3 Quarterback Rankings for Fantasy Football

Bookmark our PPR rankings, Half-PPR rankings, and standard (non-PPR) rankings 

Week 3 Quarterback Rankings Outlooks

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

It's unclear if Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (knee) will be able to play in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders after suffering a knee sprain in last Thursday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers, and as of Monday, head coach Dan Quinn is calling him day-to-day. "Here's what I know -- he did have an MRI and he's already begun his return to play process with us. He is truly day to day. What does that mean for Sunday? I can't tell you that now. I'll share more when we get to Wednesday. But in the return to play, he and all of the guys have to hit all of the markers," Quinn told reporters.

We'll have a better idea of Daniels' Week 3 status once the team resumes practicing on Wednesday, but the bottom line is that fantasy managers need to have a backup plan in place. If Daniels isn't cleared by Sunday, backup Marcus Mariota will be making his first start since 2022.

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) is expected to miss two to four weeks with a high-ankle sprain that he suffered in Sunday night's loss to the Atlanta Falcons, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. Not only has McCarthy looked pretty bad in seven of the eight quarters he's played in the first two games of his NFL career, but now he's dealing with a multi-week injury. The good news is that when he's ready to return, he'll have receiver Jordan Addison back from suspension.

Still, those expecting the 22-year-old former first-rounder to come in right away and play like Sam Darnold in head coach Kevin O'Connell's offense have had a rude awakening. McCarthy deserves to be stashed in superflex and dynasty/keeper leagues, but in the meantime, veteran Carson Wentz could be a sneaky QB2 in two-QB leagues, beginning in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning could see an extended run as his team's starting quarterback with the news that Joe Burrow (toe) will require surgery on his injured toe and may miss three months. Browning replaced Burrow in the second quarter of Cincinnati's Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished the game by completing 21 of 32 pass attempts for 241 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He also logged a one-yard rushing touchdown.

Browning had an extended run as the injury replacement for Burrow in 2023 and performed adequately from a fantasy perspective. In seven starts, Browning completed 70.4% of his 243 pass attempts for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also showed a little bit of juice with his legs, rushing for 127 yards and three touchdowns. Browning has an explosive supporting cast of pass-catchers to work with in Cincinnati and could be a startable fantasy quarterback going forward as a streamer or injury replacement, particularly in Superflex formats.

Justin Fields, New York Jets

Zack Rosenblatt, senior writer at The Athletic, reports that New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields is in the concussion protocol, according to head coach Aaron Glenn. Fields exited the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion, and the Jets ended up losing to the Buffalo Bills 30-10 on Sunday. Fields struggled mightily before his departure, completing an abysmal three of 11 passes for 27 yards. He provided fantasy managers with a boost on the ground, rushing for 49 yards on five attempts, but the Jets' offense struggled against a Bills defense that had just allowed 40 points to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1.

Fields will have to progress through the NFL's protocol for head injuries to play in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Fields isn't cleared for Week 3 action, Tyrod Taylor would be in line to start in his place and would be a QB2. If Fields can suit up, he will remain a low-end QB1 due to his rushing upside.

Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones completed 26 of his 39 pass attempts for 279 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 2 win over the New Orleans Saints. He also rushed for six yards and took three sacks. Jones made the start on Sunday with Brock Purdy (shoulder) sidelined, and he looked very comfortable and productive. The former first-round pick will remain the team's starter for the duration of Purdy's absence, which will likely last several weeks.

While Jones isn't a long-term solution for fantasy managers, he presents an intriguing option on the waiver wire ahead of Week 3. Next Sunday, the 49ers are set to take on the Arizona Cardinals, who just allowed 328 yards and three touchdowns to Bryce Young.

With NFL starting experience and a variety of weapons at his disposal, Jones should put together another solid game against the subpar Cardinals defense. He should rank just outside the top 12 fantasy quarterbacks heading into next week, making him a worthwhile fill-in for managers dealing with injuries or underwhelming quarterback play.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones posted his second straight stellar performance in his team's 29-28 Week 2 victory over the Denver Broncos. Jones completed 23 of 34 passes for 316 yards and one touchdown, adding another touchdown as a rusher as well. Jones has now thrown for 588 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions across the first two games of the season. He's rushed for three scores as well. The 28-year-old is in his first year in Indianapolis after six underwhelming seasons with the New York Giants.

Jones has been far better than expectations so far with the Colts, and may deserve consideration as a waiver-wire pickup in fantasy. He'll play his first road game of the season in Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans.

LIKE ROTOBALLER?

CLICK HERE, ENTER ROTOBALLER.COM, THEN CHECK THE BOX

More Fantasy Football Rankings