X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers - Week 3

Fantasy football risers and fallers heading into Week 3 of the NFL season. Jason Katz looks at players whose fantasy value has changed over the past week.

Whether due to their own play, the play of others, or injuries, players' stock increases and decreases on a weekly basis. Perhaps more than any other, the NFL is a league that experiences ups and downs at a rapid pace. With only 16 games, there’s little room for error and seemingly endless opportunities for improvement. The same goes for fantasy football; managing rosters effectively is key to winning that championship.

Throughout the season, players get hot and see an increased role while others struggle and fight to stay relevant. Experienced fantasy players know this happens every year. In this weekly column, we’ll showcase those who have taken important steps forward and those who have taken steps back.

These are the key risers and fallers heading into Week 3 of the NFL season.

Editor's Note: Steer clear of costly draft mistakes with RotoBaller’s expert Fantasy Football Bust analysis. We break down overvalued players, potential letdowns, and risky ADPs to avoid, so you can build a smarter, safer roster.

 

Week 3 Risers

Russell Wilson (QB, SEA)

Well, well, well. Would you look at that? Pete Carroll decides to let Russell Wilson actually throw footballs and he throws for 300 yards! It's almost like Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Wilson threw three touchdowns and only six incompletions in one of the best performances by a quarterback this season. We've seen Wilson put up back end QB1 numbers on limited attempts. If Carroll is going to let him loose, Wilson is an elite option.

Emmanuel Sanders (WR, DEN)

Through two weeks, Joe Flacco looks terrible and the Broncos look like one of the worst teams in the league. Amidst all of that, Emmanuel Sanders is dominating. Sanders caught 11 of 13 targets for 98 yards and the best touchdown of the season thus far. He looks all kinds of recovered from his achilles tear and is the clear WR1 in Denver. Even more impressive is that he did this against the Bears, who still have the league's best defense. Sanders has gone from WR4 flier to a legitimately weekly must start WR2.

Tyler Lockett (WR, SEA)

In the words of Taylor Swift, you need to calm down. After seeing just two targets in Week 1, Tyler Lockett went full Jarvis Landry in Week 2 with 12 targets, catching 10 for 79 yards. Russell Wilson's passer rating targeting Lockett continues to be perfect. Lockett now has a 78% catch rate on the season and if you look at the upcoming schedule, there is not a difficult opponent in sight. If you managed to buy low on Lockett after one week, kudos, because things are about to get fun.

Royce Freeman (RB, DEN)

It's easy to go look at who had the best game relative to their Week 1 and call him a riser. Royce Freeman had a solid, if unspectacular game in Week 2. However, what was extremely encouraging is what I believe to be the move away from Phillip Lindsay and towards Freeman as the 1a in that backfield. Lindsay had 20 opportunities to touch the ball to Freeman's 18, but they were used virtually the same. Freeman saw seven targets in the passing game, which was something people said he couldn't do. Freeman was more efficient with his touches, turning them into 102 yards while Lindsay only managed 66 yards. Freeman has simply looked better than Lindsay through two weeks of the season and has already emerged as a viable Flex play. The arrow is pointing upwards.

Mark Andrews (TE, BAL)

Here's a guy I was way wrong on. I never doubted Mark Andrews' talent, but I doubted whether Lamar Jackson would throw enough to make him a TE1. All Andrews has done is post back to back eight catch 100 yard and a touchdown performances. Jackson's evolution as a passer has allowed two of his pass catchers to be relevant. One of those is Andrews, whose 17 targets through two games suggest this production is sustainable.

 

Week 3 Fallers

Cam Newton (QB, CAR)

I am leaving Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger out of this because obviously injured players are fallers. Cam Newton, who very well may also be injured, is definitely a faller. Newton hasn't thrown a touchdown yet, and despite his 333 yards passing, he now leads the league by a wide margin in uncatchable pass rate at 34.2%. The next worst is Mitch Trubisky at 27.8%. Anyone who watched the Thursday night game is not surprised at that stat. Newton isn't running anymore and while he was never a good enough passer to sustain value without rushing, he has gotten even worse this season. His style of play has resulted in him taking a beating over the years and it is entirely possible that he is just done.

Josh Gordon (WR, NE)

Through two weeks, Josh Gordon has seen just nine targets. The arrival of Antonio Brown actually didn't change anything for Gordon's usage. He was barely targeted in Week 1 and he was barely targeted in Week 2. Gordon just happened to be more efficient in Week 1 and also scored. In Week 2, he turned his two receptions into just 19 yards in a game in which the Patriots scored 43 points. Between AB, Julian Edelman, Phillip Dorsett, and the running backs, the only guarantee seems to be young, ascending quarterback, Tom Brady. Gordon was drafted to be a WR2 and he looks like a WR4.

JuJu Smith-Schuster (WR, PIT)

The truth is JuJu Smith-Schuster was likely finding his way here regardless of Ben Roethlisberger's injury. JuJu just hasn't looked capable of being an alpha WR1. He profiles better as the WR2 and through two weeks, he's been largely getting by on volume and underneath stuff. The splash plays aren't even being attempted. Now with Big Ben done for the season, JuJu is firmly out of the WR1 conversation. While Mason Rudolph is a competent backup, there is no way to spin this as a positive. JuJu looks more like a high-floor WR2 than the potential best receiver in fantasy.

Miles Sanders (RB, PHI)

I just don't know what people expected. I guess the fact that David Montgomery was going at the 3/4 turn and Miles Sanders wasn't going until the 5/6 turn was telling, but so many analysts were banging the drum that the only reason Doug Pederson ran a three-man committee was because he didn't have the talent to ride one guy. Whether you think Sanders is overrated as a talent or not, there is no doubting Pederson's plan. Once again, no Eagles running back reached the 50% snap plateau. Sanders is certainly atop the committee, but Darren Sproles and Jordan Howard are not going anywhere. At this point, Sanders is unstartable in fantasy leagues, bordering on un-rosterable.

Joe Mixon (RB, CIN)

Every season, various analysts argue over whether talent is the most important factor or whether it's situation and opportunity. The truth is it varies. We know Mixon is incredibly talented. It just hasn't seemed to matter on the Bengals running behind the league's worst offensive line, that just lost another starter, and playing in an offense without its best player in A.J. Green. Mixon showed no signs of being hampered by his ankle sprain, but turned 14 touches into just 27 yards. Mixon is supposed to average around 15 fantasy points. Instead, through two weeks, he hasn't reached double digits in total. You probably can't bench him, but you certainly can't look at him as anything more than a Flex right now.

Jared Cook (TE, LAR)

The hope with Jared Cook was that Drew Brees would turn him into some lesser version of Jimmy Graham. Through two weeks, we saw nothing of the sort. Now, with Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback for the foreseeable future, there is nothing to be too excited about here. Cook will continue to catch a couple passes each week, but he has little hope of being a TE1 without the full force of Brees behind him.

More Weekly Lineup Prep




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jackson Suber

Staying Below 70 is Key to Success
Kevin Roy

Playing Better Heading into John Deere Classic
Justin Lower

Hoping for Something Positive in Illinois
Ben Kohles

a Long Shot at John Deere Classic
Stephan Jaeger

Attempts to Stop Roller Coaster Ride
Beau Hossler

Needs a Challenge in Illinois
Harry Higgs

Has Potential at John Deere Classic
Nick Dunlap

Keeps Plugging Through Tough 2025 Season
NHL

Dan Vladar Links Up with Flyers on Two-Year Deal
NHL

Andrew Mangiapane Signs Two-Year Pact with Oilers
NHL

Ryan Lindgren Joins Kraken on Four-Year Contract
NHL

Christian Dvorak Heads to Philadelphia
Logan Stankoven

Signs Long-Term Extension with Hurricanes
NHL

Jonathan Drouin Joins Islanders on Two-Year Contract
NHL

Devils Hand Connor Brown a Four-Year Contract
NHL

John Klingberg Lands in San Jose
William Eklund

Signs Three-Year Extension with Sharks
Will Cuylle

Agrees to Two-Year Contract with Rangers
NHL

Vladislav Gavrikov Inks Seven-Year Deal with Rangers
NHL

Tanner Jeannot Moves to Boston
NHL

Corey Perry Joins Kings on One-Year Deal
K'Andre Miller

Hurricanes Pick Up K'Andre Miller
Zac Gallen

Fans 10 in Tuesday's Win
Hunter Goodman

Hits Two More Homers Tuesday
Josh Hader

Stays Perfect In Save Conversion On Tuesday
Milwaukee Bucks

Taurean Prince Staying in Milwaukee
Shane Baz

Fans 11 Against Athletics
Grant Holmes

Strikes Out 10 in Scoreless Outing
Houston Rockets

Jeff Green Signs One-Year Deal to Remain in Houston
T.J. Watt

Trying to Become Highest-Paid Non-QB?
Willson Contreras

Doubtful for Wednesday
George Springer

Clubs Two Homers in Seven-RBI Day
Joshua Palmer

Could be a Sleeper
Los Angeles Lakers

Jake LaRavia Lands with Lakers
Laviska Shenault Jr.

on the Bubble
Orlando Magic

Tyus Jones Signs One-Year Deal With Magic
Raheem Blackshear

to Work Mostly As Special-Teamer
Golden State Warriors

Kevon Looney Heads to New Orleans
Rico Dowdle

Trevor Etienne to Split Carries?
Chuba Hubbard

Should See Majority of Touches in 2025
Milwaukee Bucks

Jericho Sims Staying in Milwaukee
Denver Nuggets

Tim Hardaway Jr. Joins Nuggets
Willson Contreras

Avoids Structural Damage on Hand After HBP
Detroit Pistons

Duncan Robinson Lands With Detroit
Charlotte Hornets

Tre Mann Remaining in Charlotte
Josh Naylor

Scratched From Tuesday's Lineup Against Giants
Kevin Yu

a Near Must-Play at TPC Deere Run
San Francisco Giants

Giants Exercise Bob Melvin's 2026 Option
PGA

J.T. Poston Returns to John Deere Classic Looking for Another High Finish
Josh Naylor

Back in Action on Tuesday
Yordan Alvarez

Suffers Setback
Thriston Lawrence

a Decent Fit For John Deere Classic
Tom Kim

Not Finding Much to be Happy About Ahead of John Deere Classic
Nolan Arenado

Dealing with Finger Sprain
ANA

Mikael Granlund Moves to Anaheim on Three-Year Deal
Jacob Wilson

Scratched With Hamstring Soreness
NJ

Jake Allen Signs Five-Year Extension With Devils
VAN

Brock Boeser Remains in Vancouver on Seven-Year Deal
Conor Garland

Signs New Six-Year Deal with Canucks
Thatcher Demko

Signs Three-Year Extension with Canucks
Brandon Woodruff

Ready for Season Debut
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary Agrees to Seven-Year Extension with Capitals
Garrett Mitchell

Out for the Rest of the Season
MLB

Brewers-Mets Postponed on Tuesday
MLB

Tigers-Nationals Postponed on Tuesday
Zach Neto

Returns to Tuesday's Lineup
Milwaukee Bucks

Gary Harris Inks Deal With Bucks
MLB

Padres-Phillies Postponed on Tuesday
Charlotte Hornets

Mason Plumlee Heading Back to Charlotte
Si Woo Kim

is a Prohibitive Fade at John Deere Classic
Hunter Goodman

Back Behind the Dish on Tuesday
Jakob Poeltl

Agrees to a Contract Extension With Raptors
Ben Griffin

is the Appropriate Favorite at TPC Deere Run
Jason Day

is a Fine Play With Limited Upside at John Deere Classic
Vasilije Micić

Vasilije Micic Dealt to Bucks on Tuesday
Daniel Suarez

and Trackhouse Racing Parting Ways After 2025 Season
Luke Clanton

Looks to Have Another Strong Week at TPC Deere Run
Pat Connaughton

Traded to Hornets
Atlanta Hawks

Luke Kennard Lands in Atlanta
Breece Hall

Aiming to Prove He is "Still One of the Best in the League"
T.J. Watt

Steelers Not Planning to Trade T.J. Watt
Sacramento Kings

Dennis Schroder Set to Join Sacramento
Boston Celtics

Luke Kornet Agrees to Contract With San Antonio
Jonas Valančiūnas

Nuggets Trade for Center Jonas Valanciunas
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Signs Massive Extension With Oklahoma City
New York Knicks

Knicks Pick Up Guerschon Yabusele
NFL

Negotiations on 18-Game Season Not Expected Until Next Year
Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner Leaves Indiana, Signs With Milwaukee
Tyler Boyd

Steelers Have Talked With Tyler Boyd
Darren Waller

Coming Out of Retirement to Play for Dolphins
Alexander Romanov

Islanders Retain Alexander Romanov on $50 Million Contract
Jalen Ramsey

Could Move Around in Pittsburgh
Jonnu Smith

to be Used in Hybrid Role
Terry McLaurin

Commanders, Terry McLaurin Not Close on Contract Extension
Michael Mayer

Raiders Not Interested in Trading Michael Mayer
Aldrich Potgieter

Wins Rocket Mortgage Classic
Thorbjorn Olesen

Finishes Tied for 41st at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Denny McCarthy

Finishes Tied For 12th at Travelers Championship
Chris Kirk

Finishes Tied For Second at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Michael Kim

Finishes Tied for 26th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Pittsburgh Steelers

Rumors Still Swirling Around Potential T.J. Watt Trade
Ilia Topuria

Becomes The New Lightweight Champion
Charles Oliveira

Knocked Out At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Alexandre Pantoja Submits Kai Kara-France
Kai Kara-France

Submitted At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Extends His Win Streak
Tyler Boyd

Interested in Playing for Steelers
Miami Dolphins

Dolphins Now Looking to Acquire a Tight End
Brandon Royval

Drops Decision
L'Jarius Sneed

Says he's Healthy
Renato Moicano

Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Beneil Dariush

Gets Back In The Win Column
Felipe Lima

Suffers His First UFC Loss
Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF