Lamar Jackson has been a quarterback over the past five years with incredible highs and inexplainable lows. So it's never a time to bet on him going nuclear and torching the league. But now may be one of the best times. Through two weeks he has 96 combined passes and rushes for 687 combined yards. To put those numbers in perspective Jalen Hurts has 579 combined passing and rushing yards. QB1 on the season has 529. Patrick Mahomes has 474.
Jackson's problem, if there's a problem for the guy who currently sits at QB6 averaging 22.8 FPPG, has been touchdowns. This is not the first time this has happened. He posted a less-than-stellar 4.2 passing touchdown rate in 2021. He only scored three times on 112 rush attempts in 2022. But it's not been consistent either. Jackson posted a 5.3% passing touchdown rate last year, including five pass touchdowns in the Fantasy championship. His current pass TD rate is 2.7%, and he's yet to score on the ground.
If you're expecting me to make a buy low case for Jackson right now, you're 100% right. With the way Mahomes, Allen, and Hurts have started the year, I believe there is a legitimate chance that Jackson could be QB1 this year. If you have Allen or Hurts, I believe you can turn them into Jackson plus.
If you don't have an elite QB, the person who has Jackson probably has an injury somewhere, who doesn't? See if you can give them help at that position while getting a major upgrade at the quarterback position. Jackson has been a Fantasy league winner as recently as Week 17 last year, and his early usage looks like he'll have the chance to be a league winner early this year. Some touchdown variance has given you the opportunity to buy him lower than you should be able to, don't wait until that moment passes.
Let's get to the rest of the preview:
Fantasy Football Today Newsletter
Know What Your Friends Don't
Get tips, advice and news to win your league - all from the FFT podcast team.
By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount's Privacy Policy.
It's hard to overstate just how good Carr has been. He has a 12.8% touchdown rate and a 142.4 passer rating. Klint Kubiak's high-motion offense has set this team free, and Carr looks the best he ever has. While there is likely some regression coming, that just means Carr will get to throw more passes in the second half. Add him, and don't be afraid to start him this week.
Minshew is second in the NFL in passing yards and has two elite pass catchers in Davante Adams and Brock Bowers. The Panthers haven't stopped anyone all season, but I expect Andy Dalton to at least make them more competitive on the offensive side of the ball. If they stay in this game, Minshew could be a top-12 QB in Week 3.
Generally, when we get a new QB in Superflex leagues, it's someone like Malik Willis or Skylar Thompson. Those guys should be added, but they aren't actually professional quarterbacks like Dalton. He's an instant upgrade for this offense and could be a starting QB2 if you need him in a decent matchup against the Raiders. Don't be surprised if Dalton reinvigorates Diontae Johnson and Chuba Hubbard as well.
I don't really want to start Goff in Week 3 in a low-scoring game against the Dolphins, but he's at Detroit in Week 4 and could be a top-12 option if the offense looks as good as it did in Week 2. Smith is completing 73.9% of his passes so far this season despite the fact that his intended air yards per attempt are up 10% over 2023.
Jackson is my highest-projected QB on the slate in a game that has the second-highest over/under on the main slate. The Cowboys were just lit up through the air by Derek Carr and gave up 7.8 yards per carry to Deshaun Watson in Week 1. I expect both teams to score a bunch of points, which makes this more of a Jackson game than a Derrick Henry game. The first two weeks of the season, he's averaged 343.5 combined passing and rushing yards per game.
IND
Indianapolis
• #5
Age: 22
• Experience: 2 yrs.
The Bears have a very good defense, which is why Richardson isn't a cash game play this week. But he is my top points/dollar play, and at a low projected roster rate, that makes him a great tournament play. His play has been wildly inconsistent, but the running ability and cannon for an arm make him a high-upside play against any defense.
QB Preview
Heath's projections
My full set of Week 3 Fantasy football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. You'll find them here. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 2. Projected stats for all starting quarterbacks are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.
