Week 3 Rankings Update
Saturday, September 20, 2008
These rankings were updated Saturday MorningTrent Edwards became a franchise quarterback Sunday. On a third-and-six from the Jaguars 44, the Bills called for a max protection and a long double move by
Lee Evans. Edwards' protection mostly held up, but Jaguars end
Derrick Harvey got pressure from the right side. Edwards calmly stepped up in the pocket, avoided the hit, and delivered a gorgeous 37-yard strike that led Evans out of bounds. This was supposed to be an offense that couldn't make big plays.
On the next snap, Edwards showed his excellent touch with a teardrop 7-yard scoring toss to a leaping
James Hardy. Two plays, 44 yards, and notice to the rest of the AFC that the Bills
has a passing game.The exciting part is that this offense has a lot of improving to do.
Marshawn Lynch is one of the ten best backs in the NFL, but he hasn't got rolling just yet. Look for that to change with Oakland and St. Louis coming up, not to mention a 4-0 start for the year. Left tackle
Jason Peters, who gave up a strip sack on Sunday, is still rounding into form. And there should be more big plays coming, as the Bills continue to expand their offense.
There are bigger fantasy stories out there at quarterback (The post-surgery
Philip Rivers is better than pre-surgery), but Edwards' emergence has an impact.
Lee Evans will be the guy we thought he was going to be last year.
Marshawn Lynch can fulfill his top-five upside on an improving offense. Even fast Freddie Jackson is turning into
Reggie Bush-lite. It sounds like heresy, but the Bills could wind up with the most effective quarterback in the AFC East.
Head to Season Pass for exclusive projections for every ranked player. Enter your roster and scoring system and let the Rotoworld Oracle choose your lineup. Week 3 Quarterbacks| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Tony Romo | at GB | - |
| 2 | Jay Cutler | vs. NO | - |
| 3 | Peyton Manning | vs. JAC | - |
| 4 | Donovan McNabb | vs. PIT | - |
| 5 | Drew Brees | at DEN | - |
| 6 | Ben Roethlisberger | at PHI | Not worried about shoulder |
| 7 | Kurt Warner | at WAS | - |
| 8 | Eli Manning | vs. CIN | - |
| 9 | Aaron Rodgers | vs. DAL | - |
| 10 | Philip Rivers | vs. NYJ | - |
| 11 | J.T. O'Sullivan | vs. DET | - |
| 12 | Matt Hasselbeck | vs. STL | New receivers |
| 13 | Carson Palmer | at NYG | Nightmare schedule continues |
| 14 | Brett Favre | at SD | - |
| 15 | Matt Cassel | vs. MIA | - |
| 16 | Matt Schaub | at TEN | - |
| 17 | Derek Anderson | at BAL | - |
| 18 | Jon Kitna | at SF | - |
| 19 | David Garrard | at IND | - |
| 20 | Trent Edwards | vs. OAK | - |
| 21 | Jake Delhomme | at MIN | - |
| 22 | Marc Bulger | at SEA | - |
| 23 | Jason Campbell | vs. ARZ | - |
| 24 | Kerry Collins | vs. HOU | - |
| 25 | Gus Frerotte | vs. CAR | The savior? |
| 26 | Brian Griese | at CHI | - |
| 27 | Chad Pennington | at NE | - |
| 28 | Kyle Orton | vs. TB | - |
| 29 | Matt Ryan | vs. KC | - |
| 30 | Joe Flacco | vs. CLE | - |
| 31 | JaMarcus Russell | at BUF | - |
| 32 | Damon Huard | at ATL | Won't start |
| 33 | Tyler Thigpen | at ATL | Bet he won't finish |
Notes: We're going to change some things up this week with Goal Line Stand. Instead of the usual player notes Thursday under the rankings, I'm going to post matchup preview notes for each game on Friday. This schedule could last one week, it could last the season. I know this is changing up the routine from the last five years, but give it a chance and let me know what you think after Friday. We'll still post the updated Goal Line Rankings here on Friday evening.
These rankings were updated Saturday MorningTrent Edwards became a franchise quarterback Sunday. On a third-and-six from the Jaguars 44, the Bills called for a max protection and a long double move by
Lee Evans. Edwards' protection mostly held up, but Jaguars end
Derrick Harvey got pressure from the right side. Edwards calmly stepped up in the pocket, avoided the hit, and delivered a gorgeous 37-yard strike that led Evans out of bounds. This was supposed to be an offense that couldn't make big plays.
On the next snap, Edwards showed his excellent touch with a teardrop 7-yard scoring toss to a leaping
James Hardy. Two plays, 44 yards, and notice to the rest of the AFC that the Bills
has a passing game.The exciting part is that this offense has a lot of improving to do.
Marshawn Lynch is one of the ten best backs in the NFL, but he hasn't got rolling just yet. Look for that to change with Oakland and St. Louis coming up, not to mention a 4-0 start for the year. Left tackle
Jason Peters, who gave up a strip sack on Sunday, is still rounding into form. And there should be more big plays coming, as the Bills continue to expand their offense.
There are bigger fantasy stories out there at quarterback (The post-surgery
Philip Rivers is better than pre-surgery), but Edwards' emergence has an impact.
Lee Evans will be the guy we thought he was going to be last year.
Marshawn Lynch can fulfill his top-five upside on an improving offense. Even fast Freddie Jackson is turning into
Reggie Bush-lite. It sounds like heresy, but the Bills could wind up with the most effective quarterback in the AFC East.
Head to Season Pass for exclusive projections for every ranked player. Enter your roster and scoring system and let the Rotoworld Oracle choose your lineup. Week 3 Quarterbacks| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Tony Romo | at GB | - |
| 2 | Jay Cutler | vs. NO | - |
| 3 | Peyton Manning | vs. JAC | - |
| 4 | Donovan McNabb | vs. PIT | - |
| 5 | Drew Brees | at DEN | - |
| 6 | Ben Roethlisberger | at PHI | Not worried about shoulder |
| 7 | Kurt Warner | at WAS | - |
| 8 | Eli Manning | vs. CIN | - |
| 9 | Aaron Rodgers | vs. DAL | - |
| 10 | Philip Rivers | vs. NYJ | - |
| 11 | J.T. O'Sullivan | vs. DET | - |
| 12 | Matt Hasselbeck | vs. STL | New receivers |
| 13 | Carson Palmer | at NYG | Nightmare schedule continues |
| 14 | Brett Favre | at SD | - |
| 15 | Matt Cassel | vs. MIA | - |
| 16 | Matt Schaub | at TEN | - |
| 17 | Derek Anderson | at BAL | - |
| 18 | Jon Kitna | at SF | - |
| 19 | David Garrard | at IND | - |
| 20 | Trent Edwards | vs. OAK | - |
| 21 | Jake Delhomme | at MIN | - |
| 22 | Marc Bulger | at SEA | - |
| 23 | Jason Campbell | vs. ARZ | - |
| 24 | Kerry Collins | vs. HOU | - |
| 25 | Gus Frerotte | vs. CAR | The savior? |
| 26 | Brian Griese | at CHI | - |
| 27 | Chad Pennington | at NE | - |
| 28 | Kyle Orton | vs. TB | - |
| 29 | Matt Ryan | vs. KC | - |
| 30 | Joe Flacco | vs. CLE | - |
| 31 | JaMarcus Russell | at BUF | - |
| 32 | Damon Huard | at ATL | Won't start |
| 33 | Tyler Thigpen | at ATL | Bet he won't finish |
Notes: We're going to change some things up this week with Goal Line Stand. Instead of the usual player notes Thursday under the rankings, I'm going to post matchup preview notes for each game on Friday. This schedule could last one week, it could last the season. I know this is changing up the routine from the last five years, but give it a chance and let me know what you think after Friday. We'll still post the updated Goal Line Rankings here on Friday evening.
Week 3 Running Backs
| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Frank Gore | vs. DET | - |
| 2 | Brian Westbrook | vs. PIT | - |
| 3 | Marshawn Lynch | vs. OAK | - |
| 4 | Marion Barber | at GB | - |
| 5 | Clinton Portis | vs. ARZ | - |
| 6 | Steven Jackson | at SEA | - |
| 7 | Adrian Peterson | vs. CAR | Game-Time Decision, moving down |
| 8 | Joseph Addai | vs. JAC | - |
| 9 | Brandon Jacobs | vs. CIN | - |
| 10 | Ryan Grant | vs. DAL | Probable(hamstring) |
| 11 | Willie Parker | at PHI | - |
| 12 | Michael Turner | vs. KC | - |
| 13 | Chris Johnson | vs. HOU | - |
| 14 | Matt Forte | vs. TB | - |
| 15 | Reggie Bush | at DEN | - |
| 16 | Maurice Jones-Drew | at IND | Like the matchup |
| 17 | Earnest Graham | at CHI | - |
| 18 | Thomas Jones | at SD | - |
| 19 | Larry Johnson | at ATL | If he can't do it now … |
| 20 | Julius Jones | vs. STL | - |
| 21 | Jamal Lewis | at BAL | Probable(ankle) |
| 22 | Jonathan Stewart | at MIN | - |
| 23 | LenDale White | vs. HOU | Still scoring |
| 24 | Chris Perry | at NYG | - |
| 25 | Kevin Smith | at SF | 49ers have been soft |
| 26 | Darren Sproles | vs. NYJ | Should get more work than LT2 |
| 27 | Fred Taylor | at IND | Probable(toe) |
| 28 | Sammy Morris | vs. MIA | Move up eight spots if Maroney is out |
| 29 | LaDainian Tomlinson | vs. NYJ | Expected to get fewer carries than Sproles; risky to play, risky to bench |
| 30 | Edgerrin James | at WAS | - |
| 31 | Darren McFadden | at BUF | Could play secondary role to Bush |
| 32 | Selvin Young | vs. NO | - |
| 33 | Steve Slaton | at TEN | - |
| 34 | Michael Bush | at BUF | Move him up eight spots if McFadden is out |
| 35 | Laurence Maroney | vs. MIA | Game-time decision |
| 36 | Chester Taylor | vs. CAR | In line for more work |
| 37 | Ronnie Brown | at NE | - |
| 38 | Willis McGahee | vs. CLE | Not expected to carry load |
| 39 | DeAngelo Williams | at MIN | - |
| 40 | Pierre Thomas | at DEN | - |
| 41 | Ray Rice | vs. CLE | - |
| 42 | Ricky Williams | at NE | - |
| 43 | Fred Jackson | vs. OAK | - |
| 44 | Felix Jones | at GB | - |
| 45 | Andre Hall | vs. NO | - |
| 46 | Ahmad Bradshaw | vs. CIN | - |
| 47 | Jerious Norwood | vs. KC | - |
| 48 | Warrick Dunn | at CHI | - |
| 49 | Tim Hightower | at WAS | - |
| 50 | LeRon McClain | vs. CLE | Moving up |
| 51 | Brandon Jackson | vs. DAL | - |
| 52 | Chris Taylor | at TEN | - |
| 53 | Leon Washington | at SD | - |
| 54 | Michael Pittman | vs. NO | Vultures are risky |
| 55 | Derrick Ward | vs. CIN | - |
| 56 | Ladell Betts | vs. ARZ | - |
| 57 | Kenny Watson | at NYG | - |
| 58 | Rashard Mendenhall | at PHI | - |
| 59 | Jamaal Charles | at ATL | - |
| 60 | Kevin Jones | vs. TB | - |
| 61 | Rudi Johnson | at SF | - |
Week 3 Wide Receivers
| Rank | Player Name | Opponent | Notes |
| 1 | Brandon Marshall | vs. NO | - |
| 2 | Terrell Owens | at GB | - |
| 3 | Larry Fitzgerald | at WAS | - |
| 4 | Reggie Wayne | vs. JAC | - |
| 5 | Steve Smith | at MIN | - |
| 6 | Randy Moss | vs. MIA | - |
| 7 | Andre Johnson | at TEN | - |
| 8 | Plaxico Burress | vs. CIN | - |
| 9 | Anquan Boldin | at WAS | - |
| 10 | Calvin Johnson | at SF | - |
| 11 | Santonio Holmes | at PHI | - |
| 12 | Chad Ocho Cinco | at NYG | - |
| 13 | Jerricho Cotchery | at SD | - |
| 14 | Greg Jennings | vs. DAL | - |
| 15 | Braylon Edwards | at BAL | Questionable(shoulder) |
| 16 | T.J. Houshmandzadeh | at NYG | - |
| 17 | Wes Welker | vs. MIA | Good matchup |
| 18 | Roy Williams | at SF | - |
| 19 | Torry Holt | at SEA | - |
| 20 | Marvin Harrison | vs. JAC | Does he still have it? |
| 21 | Hines Ward | at PHI | Probable(-) |
| 22 | Santana Moss | vs. ARZ | - |
| 23 | Lee Evans | vs. OAK | - |
| 24 | DeSean Jackson | vs. PIT | - |
| 25 | Eddie Royal | vs. NO | - |
| 26 | Dwayne Bowe | at ATL | Thigpen effect |
| 27 | Laveranues Coles | at SD | Questionable, should play |
| 28 | Donald Driver | vs. DAL | - |
| 29 | Chris Chambers | vs. NYJ | - |
| 30 | Anthony Gonzalez | vs. JAC | Clark's return doesn't help |
| 31 | Roddy White | vs. KC | - |
| 32 | Bryant Johnson | vs. DET | - |
| 33 | Patrick Crayton | at GB | - |
| 34 | Isaac Bruce | vs. DET | - |
| 35 | Vincent Jackson | vs. NYJ | - |
| 36 | Matt Jones | at IND | Porter injury helps |
| 37 | Bernard Berrian | vs. CAR | Probable(foot) |
| 38 | Antonio Bryant | at CHI | - |
| 39 | David Patten | at DEN | - |
| 40 | Amani Toomer | vs. CIN | - |
| 41 | Justin Gage | vs. HOU | Game-time decision |
| 42 | Antwaan Randle El | vs. ARZ | - |
| 43 | James Jones | vs. DAL | - |
| 44 | Kevin Walter | at TEN | - |
| 45 | Ronald Curry | at BUF | - |
| 46 | Arnaz Battle | vs. DET | - |
| 47 | D.J. Hackett | at MIN | - |
| 48 | Mark Clayton | vs. CLE | - |
| 49 | Brandon Lloyd | vs. TB | - |
| 50 | Derrick Mason | vs. CLE | - |
| 51 | Muhsin Muhammad | at MIN | - |
| 52 | Sidney Rice | vs. CAR | Questionable(knee) |
| 53 | Keary Colbert | vs. STL | Starting already! |
| 54 | Koren Robinson | vs. STL | Questionable(knee) |
| 55 | Hank Baskett | vs. PIT | - |
| 56 | Greg Camarillo | at NE | - |
| 57 | Reggie Brown | vs. PIT | Won't get full snaps |
| 58 | Ted Ginn Jr. | at NE | - |
| 59 | Michael Clayton | at CHI | - |
| 60 | Brandon Jones | vs. HOU | - |
Week 3 Tight Ends Week 3 Team DefenseWeek 3 Kickers
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Gregg Rosenthal has directed Rotoworld's football content since 2003. He co-hosts the
NBC Fantasy Fix and covers the NFL for NBCSports.com and Profootballtalk.com. Catch him
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Gregg Rosenthal