FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast – Week 3 Wide Receiver Rankings & Tiers (Ep. 1714)

Date: September 17, 2025
Host: Chris Welsh
Analysts: Andrew Erickson, Pat Fitzmaurice

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Week 3 fantasy football wide receiver (WR) rankings and tiers. Chris Welsh and analysts Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice break down the top 36 WRs, debate must-starts, highlight risers and fallers, and offer actionable advice for managers grappling with injuries, underperformance, and tricky quarterback changes.

Main Theme

"Wide receivers are in flux after two chaotic weeks, and with QB uncertainty rampant, who are the real studs, sleepers, and must-starts for Week 3?"
The team discusses ranking challenges amid injuries to quarterbacks, volatile wide receiver performances, and emerging waiver-wire prospects.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Impact of Quarterback Injuries on WR Rankings

• QB injuries are rocking the rankings:
  • "It only took two weeks for us to lose, I think four or five starting quarterbacks. So that's obviously going to have a lot of implications on their top pass catchers."
    —Andrew Erickson, [01:09]
• Teams are scrambling, affecting top WRs' outlooks, including Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson.

2. Debating the Top 12 Wide Receivers

Consensus Top 12 ([05:54]):

1. CeeDee Lamb
2. Ja’Marr Chase
3. Justin Jefferson
4. Malik Nabers
5. Puka Nacua
6. Nico Collins
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown
8. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
9. Drake London
10. Brian Thomas
11. Zay Flowers
12. Davante Adams

Justin Jefferson's Week 3 Outlook

• Downgraded slightly due to QB switch to Carson Wentz:
  • "It's pretty hard to confidently predict a big game for Justin Jefferson. But he is Justin Jefferson after all."
    —Pat Fitzmaurice, [07:08]
• Erickson less confident than with Chase:
  • "Anytime you're throwing a brand new wide receiver with a brand new quarterback, there's always going to be inherent risk involved... At least there's a sample size of Jake Browning with Jamar Chase."
    —Andrew Erickson, [07:59]
• Both have Jefferson at WR6; consensus moved him up to 3.

Brian Thomas Risk Assessment

• Concerns about matchup, wrist injury, and drops, but volume remains:
  • "He has 19 targets the last two weeks, six catches for 50 yards. Eventually something has to give here where he has to generate a big play."
    —Andrew Erickson, [12:39]
  • Both suggest starting him but acknowledge concern.

3. Wide Receiver 2 Tiers Analysis (WR13–WR24)

Highlights:

• A.J. Brown (WR13 ECR, Both Analysts Top 12)
  • "I'm just forging ahead with aggressively ranking a great wide receiver above consensus. ... There are really no issues with A.J. Brown himself. It's just a matter of the Eagles jump starting their passing game."
    —Pat Fitzmaurice, [17:23]
• Roma Odunze (Polarized: Erickson WR17, Fitzmaurice WR27)
  • Erickson: “He's doing what he did last year... high value opportunities. I think we're starting to see a guy just go on a full-fledged breakout...” [22:36]
  • Fitzmaurice: “I cannot imagine the target split between Roma Dunes and DJ Moore continues to be so one-sided…” [19:12]
• Tee Higgins (ECR WR23, Fitzmaurice WR24, Erickson WR35)
  • Erickson’s pessimistic: “He's going to be extremely boom or bust. ... What happens when you have a lesser quarterback under center? You have less red zone opportunity.” [25:36]
  • Fitzmaurice: Slightly more optimistic: “I do think Higgins is going to be involved. ... maybe if you have the luxury of a lot of high end WRs, you might be able to sit Higgins.” [27:47]

4. Wide Receiver 3 & Flex Options (WR25+)

George Pickens (Both rank higher than consensus)

• "I like the offensive environment in this game... The Bears defense is just kind of a mess... Pickens, they could really eat this week."
  —Pat Fitzmaurice, [31:49]
• "You have to just trust the play here and hope Pickens finds the end zone..."
  —Andrew Erickson, [32:50]

Calvin Ridley (ECR WR33; both analysts lukewarm)

• “I'm now having more second thoughts about how good Calvin Ridley actually is... he continues to kind of underwhelm...”
  —Andrew Erickson, [34:50]
• Fitzmaurice: “Cam Ward isn't exactly force feeding Ridley as I thought he might because [A. Maner] has been really good... Ridley is more of a borderline start than a confident start.” [37:12]

Waiver Wire/Deep Sleepers

• Ricky Pearsall, Juwan Jennings, Keon Coleman:
  Fitz and Erickson view these as possible dart throws for WR-needy managers—Juwan Jennings even hyped as a "must-play" by Welsh.

5. Beyond the Top 36: Notable “Should Be in Your Lineup” Names

Jaylen Waddle

• Fitzmaurice: “I've got him at wide receiver 32. His ECR is wide receiver 38... In most cases, I do think you should be starting him this week if the shoulder isn't an issue.” [39:03]
• Erickson is cautious: “[Waddle] does not play through injuries very well. Like the minute he gets nicked up, he gets knocked out of the game and then... I have to sit at zero on my roster heading into the weekend.” [39:55]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Justin Jefferson’s volatility:
  "Wouldn't it be sort of funny if Justin Jefferson went off with Carson Wentz at quarterback after two somewhat quiet games with J.J. McCarthy?"
  —Pat Fitzmaurice, [06:18]

• On A.J. Brown’s ceiling:
  "If we're more of a situation where oh well now the Eagles are down 10 points to the Los Angeles Rams... we actually have to use our really talented wide receivers."
  —Andrew Erickson, [15:21]

• On Calvin Ridley’s frustrating outlook:
  "If it was Ridley, probably would have been intercepted, but it wasn't. It was [A. Maner] and he ended up catching it."
  —Andrew Erickson, [35:51]

• On Juwan Jennings as boom play:
  "Week three is Juwan Jennings season. I am officially, I'm officially announcing that... Juwan Jennings should be the number one ranked above those three players.”
  —Chris Welsh, [38:15]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:09] – Impact of quarterback injuries on WRs
• [05:54] – Top 12 WR consensus ranks
• [07:08] – Jefferson’s risky situation with new QB
• [12:39] – Brian Thomas: panic, patience, or pounce?
• [15:21] – Detailed A.J. Brown debate
• [19:12] – The Roma Odunze vs. DJ Moore debate
• [25:36] – Tee Higgins’ boom-bust risk with Browning
• [31:49] – George Pickens poised for a big game?
• [34:50] – Calvin Ridley skepticism emerges
• [39:03] – Why Jaylen Waddle is on the bubble

Final Takeaways

• WR rankings are highly volatile in Week 3 due to quarterback turmoil and uneven team play.
• Most "stud" receivers should still start, but tiers are fluid—tiers and matchups matter more than ever.
• Volume, high-value opportunities, and recent usage trends are critical—especially with rookies and changing passing environments.
• Trust the top WRs, but don’t be afraid to pivot to high-upside plays (like Odunze or Pickens) if the situation and matchup call for it.
• Injury news could swing decisions late in the week; stay flexible and monitor practice participation for names like Jaylen Waddle.
• For deeper leagues or FLEX, consider sleepers like Juwan Jennings and Keon Coleman where matchups and opportunity have shifted in their favor.

For more dynamic and updated weekly rankings, visit fantasypros.com/rankings and participate in their live Thursday Start/Sit stream on YouTube ([Thursdays, 3pm ET]).