It's been a slow start to the season so far for Rashee Rice, but I'm still starting him as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues for Week 3 at Miami. This could be the breakout game we've been waiting for.
Through two games against Denver and Indianapolis, Rice has only six catches for 102 yards and one touchdown on eight targets. We were lucky that he caught a touchdown against the Broncos, but I thought he looked better against the Colts with four catches for 83 yards on six targets.
Rice has suffered with the dominance of Kenneth Walker III taking over Kansas City's offense, but Patrick Mahomes has also leaned on Travis Kelce, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton. Lining up against Patrick Surtain II and Sauce Gardner wasn't ideal either, but things should improve against the Dolphins.
Miami ranks No. 6 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, but the Dolphins haven't been tested yet in matchups against Las Vegas and San Francisco. This week, the Chiefs should be able to do whatever they want, and I'm hopeful they get Rice more involved.
He's no longer an automatic start in two-receiver leagues, but I'm still confident he will be productive in this matchup. I'm giving Rice at least one more chance to prove he's a standout Fantasy receiver in most leagues.
WRs to Start Projections powered by Sportsline
Ladd McConkey WR LAC L.A. Chargers • #15
Age: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ BUF BUF -7 O/U 50.5 OPP VS WR 30th PROJ PTS 13.8 WR RNK 20th YTD Stats REC 8 TAR 10 REYDS 117 TD 1 FPTS/G 12.9 McConkey looked great in Week 1 against Arizona before suffering a rib injury, and he finished that game with five catches for 82 yards and a touchdown on seven targets. He struggled in Week 2 against Las Vegas with three catches for 35 yards on three targets, but he should rebound in Week 3 at Buffalo. The Bills are No. 3 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Nico Collins in Week 1 and Amon-Ra St. Brown in Week 2 each scored at least 21.2 PPR points. McConkey has top-10 upside in this matchup. 
Matthew Golden WR GB Green Bay
Age: 23 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs ATL GB -5.5 O/U 43.5 OPP VS WR 17th PROJ PTS 14.8 WR RNK 21st YTD Stats REC 10 TAR 18 REYDS 153 TD 0 FPTS/G 12.7 Golden was great in Week 1 against Minnesota with six catches for 95 yards on 12 targets. He struggled in Week 2 at the Jets with four catches for 58 yards on six targets, but he should be more productive in Week 3 against Atlanta. Jayden Reed (neck) is out, and Jordan Love should lean even more on Golden, Christian Watson and Tucker Kraft. I like all three as starting options against the Falcons, and Golden should be considered a low-end starter in all leagues. Atlanta is down cornerback A.J. Terrell (groin), and Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker just combined for 13 catches for 167 yards on 19 targets against the Falcons in Week 2. 
Jalen Coker WR CAR Carolina • #18
Age: 24 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ CLE CAR -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 26th PROJ PTS 12.7 WR RNK 18th YTD Stats REC 16 TAR 18 REYDS 204 TD 2 FPTS/G 24.2 Coker is hot heading into Week 3, and he's worth starting as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. Through two games against Chicago and Atlanta, Coker has 16 catches for 204 yards and two touchdowns on 18 targets, and he has scored at least 14.6 PPR points in each outing. The Browns have already allowed four touchdowns to receivers in two games against Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, and Tetairoa McMillan and Coker are both worth starting in all leagues in Week 3. 
Josh Downs WR IND Indianapolis • #2
Age: 25 • Experience: 4 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs HOU HOU -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 31st PROJ PTS 10.7 WR RNK 25th YTD Stats REC 9 TAR 13 REYDS 109 TD 0 FPTS/G 10 Alec Pierce (heel) has been placed on injured reserve, and Downs is now the No. 1 receiver for the Colts heading into Week 3 against Houston. Pierce was injured in Week 2 at Kansas City, and Downs had seven catches for 72 yards on nine targets against the Chiefs. The Texans have struggled against opposing receivers in two games, allowing four touchdowns. D.J. Moore, Josh Palmer, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have all scored at least 10.4 PPR points. I like Downs as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues for Week 3. 
Rashod Bateman WR BAL Baltimore • #7
Age: 26 • Experience: 6 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ DAL BAL -3.5 O/U 52.5 OPP VS WR 16th PROJ PTS 13.4 WR RNK 36th YTD Stats REC 7 TAR 10 REYDS 88 TD 1 FPTS/G 10.9 Zay Flowers (hamstring) didn't practice Wednesday, and he could be out again in Week 3 against Dallas in Brazil after missing Week 2 against New Orleans. If Flowers doesn't play against the Cowboys, then Bateman should be considered a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. If Flowers does play, then I still like Bateman as a high-end flex. Bateman just had seven catches for 88 yards and a touchdown on nine targets against the Saints. He has had nine games since 2024 with at least five targets, and he scored at least 15.8 PPR points in seven of them. Sleepers (Start/Sit) Projections powered by Sportsline 
Devaughn Vele WR NO New Orleans • #14
Age: 28 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs LV NO -3 O/U 43.5 OPP VS WR 4th PROJ PTS 10.5 WR RNK 29th YTD Stats REC 12 TAR 16 REYDS 133 TD 1 FPTS/G 15.7 Vele is hot to start the season with 12 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets, and he has scored at least 11.4 PPR points in each game against the Lions and Ravens, as well as four of his past five games going back to last season. Tyler Shough should continue to lean on Vele and Chris Olave, and both should do well against the Raiders in Week 3. I like Vele as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. 
Jameson Williams WR DET Detroit • #1
Age: 25 • Experience: 5 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs NYJ DET -6.5 O/U 47.5 OPP VS WR 10th PROJ PTS 12.1 WR RNK 28th YTD Stats REC 6 TAR 13 REYDS 78 TD 0 FPTS/G 6.9 Williams is due for a breakout game, and hopefully it happens in Week 3 against the Jets. I'm going to continue starting him in all three-receiver leagues, and he had nine targets in his last home game in Week 1 against the Saints. He only had four catches for 45 yards in that outing, and he's combined for just six catches for 78 yards and no touchdowns on 13 targets in two games. But he's been open a lot, and he's just not connecting with Jared Goff right now. That should change soon, and we hope Williams will have a standout performance against the Jets in Week 3. 
Denzel Boston WR CLE Cleveland • #12
Age: 22 • Experience: Rookie Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs CAR CAR -2.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 13th PROJ PTS 11.4 WR RNK 32nd YTD Stats REC 7 TAR 11 REYDS 154 TD 2 FPTS/G 17.2 It's time to start using Boston as a starter in three-receiver leagues and hopefully, he'll stay hot against the Panthers in his first-ever game in Cleveland. The rookie is off to a great start in his first two NFL games with seven catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns on 11 targets against the Jaguars and Buccaneers. Deshaun Watson has played better than expected to start the season, and Boston is his big-play threat. He's worth using as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver against the Panthers. 
Deebo Samuel WR SF San Francisco • #19
Age: 30 • Experience: 8 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs ARI SF -8.5 O/U 47.5 OPP VS WR 27th PROJ PTS 14.2 WR RNK 34th YTD Stats REC 9 TAR 11 REYDS 79 TD 1 FPTS/G 12.3 Mike Evans (hip) is banged up, and Demarcus Robinson (ankle) is out. Brock Purdy should lean more on Samuel in Week 3 against Arizona, and he is worth using as a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. Samuel was great in Week 1 at the Rams in Australia with six catches for 48 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, but he only had three catches for 31 yards on four targets in Week 2 against Miami. The Cardinals have allowed Ladd McConkey and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to each score at least 19.2 PPR points in the first two games of the season, and Samuel could be the No. 1 receiver for San Francisco if Evans is out. Samuel is a borderline No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues if Evans is out and a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver if Evans plays. 
Adonai Mitchell WR NYJ N.Y. Jets • #15
Age: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP @ DET DET -6.5 O/U 47.5 OPP VS WR 31st PROJ PTS 8.6 WR RNK 40th YTD Stats REC 9 TAR 15 REYDS 123 TD 0 FPTS/G 10.7 I'm expecting the Jets to be chasing points in Week 3 at Detroit, and that bodes well for Garrett Wilson and Mitchell. Wilson is already a starter in the majority of leagues, but I like Mitchell as a high-end option in three-receiver leagues. He was heavily involved in Week 2 against Green Bay with six catches for 63 yards on 12 targets. He now has nine catches for 123 yards on 15 targets in two games, and this is a great matchup. The Lions are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers, and Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, Keon Coleman and Josh Palmer have all scored at least 11.3 PPR points against Detroit in two games. WRs to Sit Projections powered by Sportsline 
Terry McLaurin WR WAS Washington • #17
Age: 31 • Experience: 8 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs SEA SEA -7 O/U 40.5 OPP VS WR 1st PROJ PTS 8.5 WR RNK 30th YTD Stats REC 4 TAR 13 REYDS 64 TD 0 FPTS/G 5.2 McLaurin is struggling to start the season with a combined 10.4 PPR points in two games against the Eagles and Cowboys. He has four catches for 64 yards and no touchdowns on 13 targets over that span, and Washington just lost quarterback Jayden Daniels (elbow) for the foreseeable future. Now, the good news is McLaurin played well with Marcus Mariota in 2025. In five games together, McLaurin scored at least 14.4 PPR points in three of those outings and averaged 14.3 PPR points over that span. But the bad news for Week 3 is McLaurin has to face Seattle. I would only start him in three-receiver leagues, and I'd rather start Stefon Diggs over Washington's other receivers. Diggs has scored at least 15.5 PPR points in each of his first two games, with nine catches for 102 yards and three touchdowns on 15 targets. 
Brian Thomas Jr. WR JAC Jacksonville • #7
Age: 23 • Experience: 3 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs NE JAC -3 O/U 45 OPP VS WR 12th PROJ PTS 9.4 WR RNK 39th YTD Stats REC 6 TAR 11 REYDS 80 TD 0 FPTS/G 7 Thomas is off to a slow start this season with a combined 14 PPR points in two games against Cleveland and Denver. He has six catches for 80 yards on 11 targets over that span, and he should have another rough outing in Week 3 against New England. Thomas could see a lot of Patriots' cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and the only Jaguars receiver I want to use this week is Parker Washington. He has scored at least 16.8 PPR points in each of his first two games with 12 catches for 181 yards and a touchdown on 18 targets. 
Chris Godwin WR TB Tampa Bay • #14
Age: 30 • Experience: 10 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs MIN MIN -1.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 23rd PROJ PTS 9.2 WR RNK 43rd YTD Stats REC 7 TAR 7 REYDS 86 TD 0 FPTS/G 8.6 I'm still confident Godwin will start producing at a high level, but you can't start him with confidence in Week 3 against Minnesota. At best, you can use Godwin in three-receiver leagues. He only has seven catches for 86 yards and no touchdowns on seven targets against Cincinnati and Cleveland, and Baker Mayfield is struggling to start the season. The Vikings defense should be able to contain Godwin, and Emeka Egbuka is also just a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in Week 3. Egbuka only has eight catches for 79 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets to start the season. 
DK Metcalf WR PIT Pittsburgh • #4
Age: 28 • Experience: 8 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs CIN CIN -3.5 O/U 42.5 OPP VS WR 8th PROJ PTS 11.3 WR RNK 31st YTD Stats REC 8 TAR 19 REYDS 67 TD 0 FPTS/G 7.4 I love that Metcalf is getting plenty of targets through the first two games of the season. I hate his production, and he's only worth using in three-receiver leagues. In two games against Atlanta and New England, Metcalf has 19 targets, but he's finished with just eight catches for 67 yards and no touchdowns. We'll see if things change in Week 3 against Cincinnati, but the Bengals have done well so far against Tampa Bay and Houston (without Nico Collins), ranking No. 9 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing receivers. Metcalf also scored 9.9 PPR points or less in two games against Cincinnati last season, combining for eight catches for 99 yards and no touchdowns on 13 targets in those meetings. Bust Alert (Start/Sit) Projections powered by Sportsline 
Luther Burden III WR CHI Chicago • #10
Age: 22 • Experience: 2 yrs. Weekly Breakdown MATCHUP vs PHI PHI -4.5 O/U 41 OPP VS WR 14th PROJ PTS 9.7 WR RNK 33rd YTD Stats REC 8 TAR 12 REYDS 95 TD 0 FPTS/G 7.9 It's been a bad start to the season for Burden and Rome Odunze, and I would prefer to sit both in Week 3 at the Eagles with Caleb Williams (hamstring) out. We don't yet know whether Case Keenum or Tyson Bagent (concussion) will start against Philadelphia, and maybe the quarterback change will help Burden and Odunze. Through two games against Carolina and Minnesota, Burden has eight catches for 95 yards and no touchdowns on 12 targets, and Odunze has five catches for 95 yards and no touchdowns on seven targets. Kalif Raymond (13 catches for 124 yards on 14 targets) is Chicago's leading receiver, and this is a tough matchup against the Eagles, who should harass the backup quarterbacks. Hopefully, Williams isn't out long, and we can still get great production down the road from Burden and Odunze. But in Week 3, they are just No. 3 Fantasy receivers at best in the majority of leagues. Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments 
