
Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images
Let's take a look at how the fantasy ranks are stacking up for Week 3. Keep in mind, these are PPR rankings, and don't forget to set your lineup for Thursday Night Football. If you have any questions feel free to hit me up on Twitter. Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo on ESPN 97.5FM. We're on every Sunday from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling getting you ready for kickoff every Sunday.
QB
Tim Warner/Getty Images
1 Patrick Mahomes
2 Lamar Jackson
3 Dak Prescott
4 Tom Brady
5 Deshaun Watson
6 Matt Ryan
7 Russell Wilson
8 Carson Wentz
9 Josh Allen
10 Aaron Rodgers
11 Philip Rivers
12 Baker Mayfield
13 Kyler Murray
14 Matthew Stafford
15 Jared Goff
16 Jameis Winston
17 Jimmy Garoppolo
18 Kirk Cousins
19 Andy Dalton
20 Jacoby Brissett
RB
Photo via: Browns/Facebook
1 Ezekiel Elliott
2 Saquon Barkley
3 Dalvin Cook
4 Alvin Kamara
5 Christian McCaffrey
6 Austin Ekeler
7 Le'Veon Bell
8 Nick Chubb
9 Derrick Henry
10 David Johnson
11 Chris Carson
12 Mark Ingram
13 Leonard Fournette
14 Todd Gurley
15 James Conner
16 Marlon Mack
17 Aaron Jones
18 Kerryon Johnson
19 Sony Michel
20 Josh Jacobs
21 David Montgomery
22 Devonta Freeman
23 Joe Mixon
24 Matt Breida
25 James White
26 Chris Thompson
27 Peyton Barber
28 Frank Gore
29 Phillip Lindsay
30 Duke Johnson
31 Mile Sanders
32 Carlos Hyde
33 Tarik Cohen
34 Raheem Mostert
35 Royce Freeman
36 Damien Williams (He may not play, watch the injury report)
WR
1 Julio Jones
2 DeAndre Hopkins
3 Keenan Allen
4 Davante Adams
5 Odell Beckham Jr
6 Sammy Watkins
7 Amari Cooper
8 Chris Godwin
9 Michael Thomas
10 JuJu Smith-Schuster
11 Adam Thielen
12 Cooper Kupp
13 Mike Evans
14 Tyler Boyd
15 Kenny Golladay
16 Larry Fitzgerald
17 Antonio Brown*Update: The Patriots released Brown.
18 Brandin Cooks
19 Tyler Lockett
20 Marquise Brown
21 Calvin Ridley
22 Stefon Diggs
23 T.Y. Hilton
24 John Brown
25 Robert Woods
26 Julian Edelman
27 Emmanuel Sanders
28 Josh Gordon
29 Allen Robinson
30 DK Metcalf
31 Christian Kirk
32 D.J. Moore
33 Mecole Hardman
34 Nelson Agholor
35 Demarcus Robinson
36 Curtis Samuel
37 Mike Williams
38 Marvin Jones
39 John Ross
40 Tyrell Williams
TE
Photo via:Wikipedia
1 Travis Kelce
2 Zach Ertz
3 Evan Engram
4 George Kittle
5 Mark Andrews
6 Delanie Walker
7 Darren Waller
8 Greg Olsen
9 OJ Howard
10 Austin Hooper
11 Vance McDonald
12 Jason Witten
13 T.J. Hockenson
14 Jimmy Graham
15 Eric Ebron
Defense/Special Teams
1 Cowboys
2 Patriots
3 Bears
4 Vikings
5 Bills
6 Packers
7 Titans
8 49ers
9 Seahawks
10 Jaguars
11 Rams
12 Eagles
13 Redskins
14 Cardinals
15 Buccaneers
Kicker
1 Stephen Gostkowski
2 Greg Zuerlein
3 Justin Tucker
4 Harrison Butker
5 Brett Maher
6 Ka'imi Fairbairn
7 Jake Elliott
8 Robbie Gould
9 Jason Myers
10 Matt Bryant
11 Mason Crosby
12 Will Lutz
13 Matt Prater
14 Zane Gonzalez
15 Joey Slye
As the Houston Astros continue to navigate a season riddled with injuries and inconsistencies, the question looms larger than ever: can they keep their heads above water? With a barrage of pitching injuries threatening to derail their season, the Astros are finding themselves in a position where every decision matters more than ever.
The recent setbacks to the pitching staff (Hayden Wesnieski, Ronel Blanco) have placed even more pressure on the club. Lance McCullers, whose performances have been inconsistent, is now squarely in the spotlight. The Astros will need him to step up and shoulder a larger portion of the load. At the same time, the bullpen, which has been a bright spot so far, must continue its elite play to keep the team afloat. In particular, Houston can't afford to make mistakes in its decision-making, whether in the lineup or on the field.
Take, for example, the decision to give Chas McCormick a second start after his costly mistakes in Game 1 against the Rays. McCormick’s two pick-offs in that game showed he's lacking focus, yet he was given another chance to start Game 2. Houston needs to be making the right calls on the field, and this was a moment where the manager’s trust in McCormick might have been better placed elsewhere, considering his lack of success in the series.
On the offensive side, the Astros’ struggles have been just as apparent. Jose Altuve, a cornerstone of the franchise, has been attempting to bunt while hitting in the 3-hole. It’s a strategy that just doesn’t make sense. With the Astros needing to produce runs, Altuve's role is to drive them in, not waste strikes with ill-timed bunt attempts.
Is Houston's roster poorly constructed or just unlucky?
Given the pitching woes and offensive troubles, some are beginning to question whether the Astros’ roster is poorly constructed, or if it’s simply been an unfortunate series of events. The bad luck with pitching injuries is undeniable, but the offense tells a different story—particularly when it comes to the lineup’s balance.
One glaring issue is the team’s heavy reliance on right-handed hitters. With players like Christian Walker struggling at the plate, it’s hard to overlook the potential misstep in roster construction. Walker’s performance this season has been abysmal, and it’s fair to wonder if the Astros would have been better off investing in a more flexible first-base platoon. Players like Jon Singleton, Victor Caratini, Zach Dezenzo, Yainer Diaz, and even Mauricio Dubon could have filled in at first base, providing much-needed depth at a fraction of the cost. At this point, they couldn’t have done worse than Walker, who has posted a paltry .199 batting average, .270 OBP, and .607 OPS on the season.
In comparison, Walker’s numbers this season are worse than Jose Abreu’s 2023 campaign with Houston (.237 batting avg, .296 OBP, .680 OPS). Walker is a player known for slow starts, but nothing quite as severe as what we’ve seen in 2025. His struggles are reminiscent of a disastrous start to the 2022 season that saw him fail to find his rhythm until much later in the year, but even then, his slugging percentage was significantly better than what we’re seeing now.
Would a return of “career Yordan Alvarez” fix Houston’s offensive woes?
Amid the offensive malaise, the return of a fully healthy Yordan Alvarez could certainly provide a much-needed spark. If Alvarez were to return to his “career” form, with a healthy pitching staff, an intact bullpen, and a potential resurgence from key hitters, the Astros could see a drastic improvement in their fortunes. However, this is all contingent on a lot of “ifs,” and there’s no guarantee that a turnaround is on the horizon.
Observations and further concerns
As if the struggles on offense and pitching weren’t enough, the Astros’ defense has also been plagued by lapses in fundamentals. One of the more puzzling trends this season has been the number of stolen bases allowed, especially at third base. If the Astros continue to give up steals at this rate, it will be difficult for the pitchers to recover, especially if they are walking batters and putting runners in scoring position with alarming frequency.
We have so much more to get to. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday! Note: because of the holiday weekend, our next episode will be after Memorial Day on Tuesday.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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