Fantasy Football: 3 Bold Predictions for NFL Week 3

Fantasy Football Bold Predictions at a Glance

• Bryce Young Finishes Outside the Top 20 QBs
• Ja’Marr Chase Finishes Outside the Top 12 WRs
• Malik Nabers Finishes as a Top-5 WR

Fantasy football is all about making the right calls before the games begin, and sometimes that means going against the grain.

Each week, there are players poised to outperform expectations, surprise us with their production, or fall short of what fantasy managers are expecting. While these predictions are certainly bold, they’re not pulled out of thin air. Matchups, usage, game environment and recent trends can all point toward an outcome that the consensus may be overlooking.

With that in mind, here are three bold fantasy football predictions to keep an eye on this week.

All NFL odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL Bold Predictions: Week 3

Bryce Young Finishes Outside the Top 20 QBs

This wouldn’t have been bold at all prior to the year. It’s a bit bolder of a call now.

Bryce Young is off to an outstanding start, ranking as the QB2 through two weeks. To be honest, I’m not 100% sure what to make of that, but I’m still mostly hesitant to buy in.

Young got caught up in a crazy shootout with the Bears in the opener before the Falcons played an all-around miserable game in Week 2. While I’m not going to completely overlook what Young has done, I think things got a little weird so far in the Carolina Panthers‘ two games, and he’s benefited from it from a fantasy perspective.

Things may go a lot differently this week.

On the road at the Cleveland Browns is a difficult matchup — even if Cleveland’s D hasn’t been amazing thus far. A year ago, the Browns let up the third-fewest passing yards per game as well as the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to QBs (13.4).

Although the QB position has already gotten thinner due to some injuries, I’m not starting Young this week in one-quarterback formats.

Ja’Marr Chase Finishes Outside the Top 12 WRs

Ja'Marr Chase delivered a pair of touchdowns last week in a tough road matchup at the Houston Texans. I think he’ll need some TD luck this week to finish as a WR1 in another tough road clash, this time at the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Even without Joey Porter Jr., the Steelers’ pass defense has been superb. They benefitted from facing Atlanta in Week 1, and then went on the road and held Drake Maye to 14 completions and 208 passing yards.

The touchdowns last time out mask what’s been a sluggish start to the year for Chase in terms of yardage as he’s mustered just 87 total receiving yards through two weeks. We know he’s going to pick it up soon, but I don’t think it’ll be this week.

Malik Nabers Finishes as a Top-5 WR

Rankings and projections around the industry mostly have Malik Nabers barely inside the top 20 WRs this week. But I think he’s about to pop — even with Jaxson Dart out.

Last Monday against the Los Angeles Rams, Nabers and Jameis Winston looked like they’d never met before. With Winston getting a week of reps and practice time, I’m expecting him to perform much better in Week 3. Winston started two games last year and put up 283.5 passing yards per game, so he can still sling it despite what we just saw at LA.

This week’s matchup certainly helps as the Giants are at home versus the Tennessee Titans. Tennessee has allowed the third-most receiving yards per game to WRs (203.5) so far this season, and we know Nabers is capable of making huge plays. I think he’s in store for a spike week this week.

Fantasy Football Bold Predictions FAQ

What is a bold prediction in fantasy football?

A bold prediction is an outcome that goes beyond the week's consensus expectations but still has a realistic path to happening. That could include a player significantly outperforming his ranking, an unexpected breakout game, or a highly ranked player struggling.

What factors go into weekly fantasy football bold predictions?

Matchups, injuries, projected workload, target volume, snap rate, recent performance, and changes to a player's role can all factor into weekly bold predictions.

Should bold predictions influence start/sit decisions?

They can provide another perspective, but they shouldn't be the only factor in a lineup decision. Fantasy managers should also consider player rankings, projected usage, matchup quality, and their available alternatives.

Take advantage of Bet Protect+. Stay covered all game, all September with FREE Bet Protect+ on eligible NFL bets, including live bets. Click here to check out the full details.

Which bets stand out to you this week? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NFL odds to see the full menu of options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.