Craig Rondinone looks at some fantasy football lineup sleepers and busts for Week 3 of the NFL season. Under-the-radar booms and busts for fantasy football.

The surprises never stop coming, fantasy folks!

Week 3 of the NFL season is underway with a bang after Los Angeles Rams tailback Todd Gurley helped his fantasy owners get off to good starts with 149 total yards and three touchdowns Thursday night (he should have scored five, by the way). Gurley was an above-the-radar boom, though. This column is about those players that may evade the limelight and the majority of sit/start recommendation articles.

Here are some under-the-radar booms and busts for the third week of NFL action to help you set a winning lineup!

• 2025 fantasy football rankings (redraft)
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings
• 2025 NFL rookie fantasy football rankings
• Best ball fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings

Week 3 Under-the-Radar Booms

Frank Gore (RB, IND) vs. CLE

Gore has not been lighting up scoreboards or fantasy teams (88 rushing yards in two games), but with Indianapolis’ offense stunted while Andrew Luck is sidelined, he should be featured prominently against a Cleveland defense that allowed Baltimore to run for 136 against it. Do not be worried that Robert Turbin and Marlon Mack got some touches last week. Gore will remain the primary ball carrier and should have his best game of the season in this battle between two of the NFL’s worst teams.

Christian McCaffrey (RB, CAR) vs. NOR

The Stanford standout has yet to break a big run (21 carries for 57 yards) or go farther than 16 yards after catching a pass. This is the week for him to finally have some fantasy relevance, though, since he is playing against a porous New Orleans defense that is ranked 25^th against the run and 32^nd against the pass and allowed Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook and New England’s Mike Gillislee and James White to have fantastic fantasy efforts at running back. Carolina is doing everything in its offensive power to get McCaffrey a decent amount of touches in various ways and will do so even more now that tight end Greg Olsen is injured. Look for McCaffrey to break one long gainer this week, if not more.

Martellus Bennett (TE, GB) vs. CIN

While the outspoken Bennett is rarely quiet off the field, he has been quiet on it during his first two games as a Packer, managing only eight receptions for 90 yards and no touchdowns. His volume of targets should increase this weekend, however, as wideouts Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are both banged-up and questionable to play. Cincinnati has the top-ranked pass defense in the league, but that is more due to the quarterbacks they faced (Joe Flacco and Deshaun Watson) and less to do with how well the unit has played. Bennett is primed for a good game at home, especially if one or both of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite receivers do not dress.

Week 3 Under-the-Radar Busts

Matt Forte (RB, NYJ) vs. MIA

Fantasy owners might be getting off the Bilal Powell bandwagon and jumping on Forte’s since he has bested Powell in touches (21 to 18) and total yards (127 to 52) in New York’s two road losses. Forte could be running right into a brick wall of Miami run stoppers this week, though. Led by Ndamukong Suh, the Dolphins held San Diego’s Melvin Gordon to 13 yards on nine carries last week and will likely stack the box against Forte since Josh McCown scares fewer people than the Boogie Man. Even if Forte finds some running room on Sunday, Powell and Elijah McGuire will siphon some of his carries and not allow Forte to have a decent fantasy outing.

Adam Thielen (WR, MIN) vs. TB

Thielen has 14 receptions for 201 yards over his first two contests and is now officially battling Stefon Diggs for the right to be known as Minnesota’s No. 1 receiver. Unfortunately, he has two problems heading into this week’s game. Quarterback Sam Bradford will miss his second straight game due to knee problems, so Thielen owners should worry about barely-average backup Case Keenum getting him the ball. Tampa Bay’s staunch secondary, led by cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves III, will not be easy for Thielen to run routes against, either. This will be a tough test for Thielen to prove he’s the real deal, and I think he will fail and stick his owners with four catches for 38 yards.

Ed Dickson (TE, CAR) vs. NOR

I understand that Greg Olsen owners are devastated that their usually-durable tight end (hadn’t missed a game over the past nine seasons) broke his foot and will be out a minimum of eight weeks. I also get that Carolina is facing a New Orleans defense that makes every tight end look like Shannon Sharpe and allowed New England’s Rob Gronkowski to decimate its secondary this past week. This does not mean you should expect Dickson to deliver a five-catch, 50-yard, one-TD effort this weekend. Dickson is a block-first tight end who has only had more than 300 receiving yards and three touchdowns in a year one time in seven seasons. There are better options on the fantasy waiver wire than this slow-footed veteran.

More Week 3 Lineup Prep