Top Scoring Players on Fantasy Football (Week 3)

Week 3 was such an amazing week for me on Fantasy Football! I'm in eight leagues this year, and after winning three matchups in Week 1 and four in Week 2, I won six in Week 3. Two of my eight teams are 3-0 this year, and while some others may be struggling a tad, it is early. However, while the actual NFL season is a short one, the Fantasy Football season is even shorter.

Fantasy Football only covers the regular season, and even then, not all of it. A standard Fantasy league only goes up to the penultimate week of the regular season, which--until 2021--was Week 16 (of a 17-week season). Of course, with the regular season being 18 weeks, the Fantasy season now goes up to Week 17. This means that a standard Fantasy regular season is 15 weeks, with Week 16 serving as the Semifinals, while Week 17 is Championship Week. Fantasy Playoffs are no fewer than two rounds, and no more than three rounds on custom leagues. So yes, with the Fantasy regular season being short, a good start is definitely needed, as a bad start could be damning. Then again, my experience has taught me that comebacks can happen. I was once 1-4 in one league, and I went on to become champion.

So with that, let's take a look at Week 3's top Fantasy scorers:

QB: Josh Allen

Here's how fantasy scoring works for quarterbacks: 1 point per every 25 passing yards (or 0.04 points per passing yard), and passing touchdowns are 4 points each. Interceptions are usually a 1 point deduction, and lost fumbles are a 2 point deduction. For the second time in this young season, Josh Allen takes the top nod for quarterbacks. Allen threw for 263 yards (10.52 points) and 4 touchdowns (16 points), and ran for 44 yards (4.4 points), for a grand total of 30.92 points. Allen surpassed Dak Prescott, who picked up most of his fantasy points in that fourth quarter, and Jayden Daniels, who also showed out on Monday Night Football.

RB: Saquon Barkley

Also for the second time this season, Saquon Barkley took the nod as the top scoring runningback on Fantasy. Here's how scoring for runningbacks goes. 1 point per 10 rushing yards, and touchdowns are 6 points. Receiving scoring rules also apply; 1 point per 10 receiving yards, and touchdowns are 6 points, and there's also PPR (Points Per Reception). Barkley ran for 147 yards (14.7 points) and 2 touchdowns (12 points), scored a two-point conversion (2 points), and caught 4 receptions (4 points) for 9 yards (0.9 points). That's a grand total of 33.6 points! Barkley was one of three RBs who cracked 30 points in Week 3; Kyren Williams and Derrick Henry were the other two.

WR: Jauan Jennings

Holy moley, what a day Jauan Jennings had! It came as he had to fill the shoes left by the absences of George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, but he did it! Regarding scoring for WRs, PPR is applied, and most leagues awards a full point per reception. Also, it's 1 point for every 10 receiving yards, and touchdowns are 6 points each. Jennings had 11 receptions (11 points) for 175 yards (17.5 points), and 3 touchdowns (18 points), for a grand total of 46.5 points! No other receiver had 30 points, though Ja'Marr Chase was close (29.8 points).

TE: Dallas Goedert

Despite many mishaps and scoring only 15 points in their game, the Eagles not only had Week 3's highest scoring runningback, they had the week's highest scoring tight end as well. Scoring for tight ends is the same as receivers, and regarding Dallas Goedert, he had 10 receptions (10 points) for 170 yards (17 points). That's 27 points total! Mind you, he didn't score a touchdown in the game, but PPR makes up for that. This was a big time improvement from his first two weeks of the season. Cole Kmet was a close second with 25.7 points, but no other TE had 20.

K: Wil Lutz

Regarding kickers, scoring goes like this. Extra points are 1 point each, and regarding field goals, those under 40 yards are worth 3 points, 40-49 yard FGs are worth 4 points, and those 50 yards or longer are worth 5 points. The top scoring kicker for Week 3 was Wil Lutz, who made two 30 yard FGs (6 points), two 40 yard FGs (8 points), and two extra points (2 points), totalling 16 points. Three kickers were tied for second with 13 points: Harrison Butker, Eddy Pineiro, and Brayden Narveson.

DEF: Green Bay Packers

Oooh, this makes me happy in more ways than one! Guess who had the highest scoring defense on Fantasy in Week 3?! None other than the Green Bay Packers! First off, a scoring breakdown. Regarding scoring defenses, a shutout is 10 points, giving up 1-6 points is 7 points, giving up 7-13 points is 4 points, giving up 14-20 points is 1 point, giving up 21-27 points is no points, giving up 28-34 point is a 1 point deduction, and giving up at least 35 points is a 4 point deduction. Elsewhere, sacks are 1 point, interceptions are 2 points, safeties are 2 points, fumble recoveries are 2 points, blocked kicks are 2 points, and touchdowns are 6 points. The Packers had eight, count 'em, eight sacks (8 points), two interceptions (4 points)--one of them returned all the way (6 points), a fumble recovery (2 points), and gave up 14 points (1 point). That's 21 fantasy points--our defense was the only one to crack 20 points in Week 3!

So do I have any of these players? Yes. I started Saquon and Goedert, though I actually benched the latter in one league, and that cost me. I picked up Jennings in three leagues and started him in two of them, though I dropped him in one league, and strangely, that didn't cost me. And finally, I picked up the Packers defense and started them in various leagues, because I knew our defense would absolutely cook against the dilapidated Titans. This is why I was able to win six matchups in Week 3, and chances are, other Fantasy owners who started these players were quite elated!

I just want to end this week's story with some words of wisdom. If you're 3-0 or 2-1 by this point, you're doing pretty well, but try your best to stay the course. If you're 1-2 or, God forbid, 0-3 by this point, do not panic. It's not the end of the world. Fantasy teams can get hot at the right time, and season comebacks can happen. I am living proof of that.