Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 3 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football Include Carson Steele, Cam Akers, Derek Carr

Scott Engel’s weekly Lineup Spotlights are an essential weekly feature on RotoBaller.com for the 2024 fantasy football season. Every week, he focuses on players to choose as starting options when you are dealing with tight lineup decisions.

The lineup picks included in this rundown are based on Scott’s Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. Enter the promo code KING at checkout for an additional discount and access his player rankings in all formats. Plus, you will gain access to a deep bucket of tools and analysis for in-season use.

When considering the players included here for lineup usage, also consult our staff fantasy football rankings to see if they are ranked higher or lower than your other possible starters. The skill position analysis is tied to Scott’s Week 3 PPR rankings. This week, “The King” takes a comprehensive look at the Kansas City RB situation, and provides a sleeper TE pick.

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Running Backs – Fantasy Football Week 3

Carson Steele

The undrafted rookie was the most popular fantasy football waiver wire pickup of Week 3. He is now rostered in 79% of CBSSports.com leagues and 69% of Sleeper Leagues. Fantasy players who were jostling for waiver positioning on the two projected replacement RBs for Isiah Pacheco clearly preferred Steele over veteran Samaje Perine.

Although the more established pro RB has displayed versatility throughout his career, Perine remains available in 44 percent of CBS leagues and 50% of Sleeper leagues. Check your free agent list to see if you can add him, because an opportunity to roster a possibly productive RB from a top offense may still exist.

Based on published reports, many fantasy leaguers are assuming Steele will get the first crack at lead ball carrier and goal line duties, which gives him an inferred edge as the slightly more appealing option. Perine has never been more than a complementary RB for most of his NFL career. The 21-year-old NFL newcomer, however, appears to have some untapped promise after flashing his abilities in the preseason.

Perine projects to be the primary receiving RB for Kansas City now, and he will possibly split the rushing workload with Steele. The two seem to be nearly even in terms of possible fantasy value heading into Week 3. The first-year RB could outscore the 29-year-old if he gets into the end zone just once against the Falcons.

Updated Chiefs RB props:

Carson Steele: 56.5 Rush+Rec YDS
Samaje Perine: 36.5 Rush+Rec YDS

I have both on a Zero RB team where I'm desperate.

I like Perine more, but I'm going to defer to the market here and start Steele.

It will be interesting to see how usage shakes out.

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) September 20, 2024

But Perine could be the better fantasy producer in Week 3 if he catches a good amount of passes and Steele fails to get into the end zone. We do have to wait and see how the situation plays out in real-time, so for now, I have the two Chiefs RBs ranked right next to each other, just outside the top 20.

Steele and Perine are tied for fantasy starting potential in my view. You can take the shot on either one of them over shaky alternatives such as Kyren Williams and Rachaad White. I would not start either Kansas City RB over a guy projected for a safer workload, such as Zach Charbonnet or Tony Pollard.

For those who actually have both Chiefs RBs on their roster, I recommend leaning to using Perine in a full PPR format, while opting for Steele in Half PPR and Standard scoring leagues.

Cam Akers

In Week 3, this former Ram and Viking can author an inspiring chapter in the tale of his career so far. On top of wanting to demonstrate he has effectively worked past two Achilles injuries in four seasons, Akers also faces one of his former teams as Houston takes on Minnesota.

The Rams’ second-round pick in 2020 is being asked to suddenly operate as a primary ball carrier with Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce both out. Akers showed some glimpses of his better past form in the preseason and averaged 4.6 yards per carry on seven attempts last week.

It is uncertain just how productive Akers can be as an emergency starter so early in the season after coming back from an injured reserve designation last November. As a goal-line finisher for a good offense, though, his TD potential puts him at the No. 20 spot in my Week 3 RB Lineup Rankings.

Zack Moss

The results from Moss after two games have widely moved him out of starting lineup consideration. He has rushed for a total of 78 yards on 21 carries, and a TD run in the season opener has prevented his fantasy output from looking downright ugly. Moss performed well at times as a plug-in starter for the Colts, but he has never been a true feature back over an extended period.

This could be the week where Moss does provide shreds of hope that he won’t become the type of guy you can’t stand having on the roster, yet cannot quite cut because of the workload. The Bengals have the sixth-best run blocking grade for an offensive line against an opponent on Pro Football Focus for Week 3. Facing the highly vulnerable Washington defense is a path to some success.

Moss should see more open running lanes than he did against the stifling Pittsburgh defense last week, and he may be able to complete a Cincinnati scoring drive with a TD run or two. The matchup keeps Moss inside my top 25 at RB for this week, with a “last chance” to start mentality. Pull Moss off your bench for one more week.

Wide Receivers – Fantasy Football Week 3

Jauan Jennings

Injuries have robbed the 49ers of three prominent playmakers for Week 3. Fortunately for San Francisco, the Rams have actually been damaged more by injuries overall. No NFL team is heading into Week 3 with a bleaker health outlook.

With Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey out, Jennings will be pressed into a much larger role in the passing game. He has an established rapport with Brock Purdy and started seven games in the past three seasons. The Rams rank 23rd in Fantasy Points Per Game allowed to WRs after two weeks and their pass defense should be more exploitable in this matchup.

Kittle: Doubtful. No Deebo, no CMC…so, is Jauan Jennings a good play this week?

🫣 take a look at what @SBuchanan24 and I chopped up on Injury Report Live on @DKNetwork 😎 pic.twitter.com/R5qDEr1kXk

— Meghan Townsley (@mtownsleyy) September 20, 2024

Jennings is a fine Week 3 fill-in starter and is ranked as a low-end fantasy WR2. I would play him over other guys who have not performed well enough yet, such as George Pickens, Amari Cooper, and Terry McLaurin.

Tank Dell

Last season’s beloved rookie sleeper is slumbering to open the 2024 campaign. Dell has only four receptions for 37 yards after two games. There has been much speculation about why the second-year downfield artist has not busted out yet in 2024. The reality is that his snap counts are down this year, as he has logged under 70 percent of the snaps in both games, per FootballGuys.

Dell may be a boom or gloom type all year because a 165-pounder cannot be on the field as often as he was last season. The Texans learned their lesson when the wiry WR suffered a fractured fibula while getting caught up in a goal line pileup. So Houston acquired Stefon Diggs to function as a more ideal second WR for regular reps.

Still, keep some fantasy confidence in Dell to produce well enough in Week 3. The Vikings will be heavily focused on containing Nico Collins, and C.J. Stroud will want to make sure that Dell remains in the offensive flow. Minnesota does like to bring the blitzes and will get burned by the Stroud/Dell combo, leading to a satisfying fantasy day for those who go with the Texans WR as a third starter.

Khalil Shakir

Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman may emerge more in the upcoming weeks as top targets for Josh Allen. For now, the Buffalo QB can look to his most established pass-catcher for some key receptions. Shakir caught five passes for 54 yards last week and will outperform those totals against Jacksonville.

The 24-year-old Bills fan favorite has the fourth-best PFF WR/CB matchup grade of any player at his position for Week 3. Shakir should be started as a fantasy WR3 streamer or at a flex spot. As the Buffalo receiving corps continues to gel, Allen will lean on Shakir this week.

Quarterback And Tight End – Fantasy Football Week 3

Derek Carr

The New Orleans passer is off to a surprisingly hot start, as he finished as a top 6 fantasy QB in each of the first two weeks. New offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has installed game plans that have allowed Carr to play with a looser approach, and the results have been impressive.

Two games into the NFL season, the Saints offense and Derek Carr lead the league in nearly every major statistical category.

After seven different OCs in his career, it looks like Carr has finally found a home in Klint Kubiak’s scheme.

✍️ @FB_FilmAnalysis… pic.twitter.com/XJaOejtQoc

— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) September 20, 2024

In Week 3, the Saints meet the Eagles, who rank 27^th in pass defense after two games. There is still lingering skepticism surrounding Carr. Nevertheless, I have him ranked just inside the top 15 at QB this week. I would start Carr over other streamers such as Geno Smith and Gardner Minshew, who has a tasty-looking matchup vs. Carolina. He just can never be trusted to deliver as hoped.

Jonnu Smith

The Seahawks allowed Hunter Henry to enjoy a career day in Week 2, as he caught eight passes for 109 yards. Miami may look to exploit the Seattle defense with a tight end too, considering a more conservative passing approach seems to be applicable with Skylar Thompson starting at QB.

Smith caught six passes for 53 yards last week and the Dolphins’ new TE is a viable lineup choice if you are dealing with injuries or spotty play from lower-rung TE types. He can be a useful replacement for those who are without Kittle, Evan Engram, or David Njoku in Week 3.

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