Week 3 fantasy football rankings analysis for 2025. John compares his custom fantasy football rankings and projections to identify players he’s higher or lower than consensus.
Freaky Friday can only mean one thing … RotoBaller’s Week 3 Rankings: Clash Of The Titans! You want to be the best? You have to beat the best, so all season I’ll be putting my work up against our resident living legend, Nick Mariano. Last week, I took down the round, pushing James Cook against the Jets, who posted a monster 26.5-point outing as Week 2’s overall RB2. Looking forward to seeing if I can stay hot.
Even though our horns lock in a weekly ranking skirmish, don’t get it wrong. Mariano and I are like family — and just like a real family, we don’t always agree. As someone who generates custom player projections, I can find myself consumed in my own little bubble at times (all the time). So much work goes into forming opinions; they can become overly rigid, but not this time…
Each and every week, I’ll conduct a comparative analysis by scraping our resident expert Nick Mariano’s on-site consensus projections and pitting them against my own for any major differences. Enjoy our little fantasy clash, and feel free to let me know what you think on social media.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:
Week 3 Ranking Disputes: Quarterback
I’m Higher Than Consensus On Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYJ)
Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, three times is a pattern. One more disaster outing from the J-E-T-S on defense, and it’s an instantaneous spot at the front of the line on everyone’s target list going forward.
Surrendering 30 points to Buffalo wouldn’t sting nearly as bad if it weren’t the encore to a 34-burger in Pittsburgh. Tampa Bay is without OL Tristan Wirfs at least one more time, but at this rate, it won’t even matter.
Gang Green cannot stop the pass, currently ranking 30th or worse in defensive EPA/dropback (-0.30), pressure rate (23.8%), and yards after contact per reception (7.5). Rookie phenom Emeka Egbuka is back at practice and in a great spot to dominate the Jets’ elevated 59% zone rate underneath from the slot.
Baker Mayfield is currently top-3 in deep shots attempted (12) while also adding over 35 yards on the ground per game. The undefeated Bucs project among the week’s highest-scoring teams, landing Mayfield inside my top-3 Sunday shot-callers.
Baker Mayfield is a Dawg pic.twitter.com/rUGMN9U7dm
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) September 16, 2025
I’m Lower On Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (at MIN)
Going up against a bona fide stud like Nick Mariano, sometimes you gotta risk it for the biscuit. Everyone’s so enthused over the prospect of Jake Browning taking over the high-flying Bengals … except me. This particular QB fade comes peeking through spread fingers, understandably worried about the consequences of disassociating with alpha WR Ja’Marr Chase.
Question: If all-world QB Joe Burrow managed a pedestrian 91.1 passer rating, 57% completion rate, and -0.05 EPA/dropback with this O-line, why should Browning project much better? He’s a journeyman UDFA with a propensity for picks in a really tough matchup.
The question is how well Browning will perform off-platform — Minnesota’s front seven leads the NFL in both quarterback hurries (35) and sack rate (16.7%). No one has passed for over 160 yards against this secondary, and that streak may continue versus fantasy football’s latest flavor this month.
Week 3 Ranking Disputes: Running Back
I’m In Full Agreement On Jordan Mason, Minnesota Vikings (vs. CIN)
Nick and I don’t always have to be at odds, right? When news hit the wire that Aaron Jones Sr. would be missing time for the Vikings, backup Jordan Mason flew up our rankings — the only question was how high.
Through two weeks, Minnesota’s strung together strong ground-game macros (+0.05 EPA/attempt, 44% success, 9% explosive rush rate), yet we were still struggling to start its tailbacks with confidence due to committee concerns. Not anymore…
With Jones out of the lineup, the runway is cleared for a true ceiling outcome if HC Kevin O’Connell’s “workhorse” comments hold any water.
Remember, there’s currently zero other RBs on the team to earn a single touch this season. Plus, Cincinnati has surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs in 2025, and we’re talking about a heavy favorite to lead the slate in touch load. Wheels up for a top-5 finish as the Vikes rely on Mason to keep Carson Wentz from doing too much.
From The Insiders on @NFLNetwork: #Vikings RB Jordan Mason will get his opportunity on Sunday, and without his starting QB and starting RB, contributions of players such as Mason will be huge. pic.twitter.com/D4Ij4KBwHp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 19, 2025
I’m (Still) Lower On James Conner, Arizona Cardinals (at SF)
I’d never disrespect our lovely readership by copy and pasting an argument — but nothing’s changed for me regarding James Conner. Let’s check the status of those prior concerns. The split workload, which terrified me to kick off the season, got even worse in Week 2.
Trey Benson closed the gap in both snap share and total touches, showing more explosivity than his counterpart, while soaking up the majority of pass-game work against Carolina. Uh oh.
Conner is yet to crack the top-15 weekly RB conversation, and the odds to break that slump versus San Francisco appear grim. The 49ers run defense will project strongly so long as they’re healthy, showing off that potential we had come to expect over the years.
Besides flattening an extremely strong Seahawks run game in Week 1, San Fran’s showed a standout ability to contain the run, not allowing a single 20+ yard carry in 2025. The Cardinals haven’t lost yet, but they have also faced the Saints and Panthers. If and when they fall behind the 49ers, we could easily see Benson overtake Conner in a negative game script.
Week 3 Ranking Disputes: Wide Receiver
I’m Higher Than Consensus On George Pickens, Dallas Cowboys (at CHI)
George Pickens carries WR1 potential entering this Week 3 tilt in the Windy City on Sunday, and I won’t hear a peep otherwise. For starters, Dallas already appears to be a correct macro answer in terms of pace and context. The Cowboys defense ranks bottom-3 in success rate (46.5%) and yards allowed per play (6.4), so a healthy Dak Prescott is forced to push the offense nonstop like a rented mule.
While no Cowboys WR finished inside the top 10 (yet), nature’s going to correct. Let the opportunities translate to results. Not only does Pickens rank fourth in total routes run entering Week 3, but he’s tied with Davante Adams for the league lead in red-zone targets. The breakout game is coming.
I’ll be the first to admit to thinking Chicago’s defense would more or less carry over from 2024, but that’s not been the case. A new DC and multiple starting cornerback injuries leave the Bears wounded in the secondary. The results? An objectively bottom-5 squad by the numbers, from pressure rate (18.9%) to total sacks (three), success (50.5%), or explosive play rate allowed (15.5%). It’s bad in Chi-town.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb when asked about how George Pickens has been fitting in: “That man don’t got to fit in, he stands out. GP is a hell of a player, man. And there’s plenty more excitement where that’s coming from.” pic.twitter.com/CeKv3aGfJr
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 18, 2025
I’m Lower On Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers (vs. ATL)
Part of me hoped this article would be long enough to avoid recommending this full fade on my boy Tetairoa McMillan against Atlanta, but here goes nothing. It’s obviously not the player or the talent level; those check out in spades. Maybe it’s even an overreaction, as news confirmed Falcons star CB A.J. Terrell will miss this weekend’s divisional tilt.
The thing is, this Falcons front seven creates havoc for the opposition (23.5% blitz, 46.3% pressure, seven sacks). They’ve already stymied the Buccaneers and Vikings, two offenses with high preseason expectations, by the way. Neither Mayfield nor Michael Penix Jr. managed to top 170 passing yards, and I’m struggling to find Bryce Young‘s path to be the first.
NOTE: Some formats are simply too deep to ever bench a guy like McMillan, I get it. For those in more shallow leagues with really high weekly scores, dare to be bold.
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Check out all of RotoBaller’s fantasy football rankings. Staff rankings are updated regularly for all positions and include standard formats, PPR scoring, tiered rankings and dynasty leagues.
