The Telegraph Two of the surprise packages of this clay-court season have been British – initially Dan Evans, who made a deep run in Monte Carlo, and more lately Cameron Norrie, who played his second final in three weeks on Sunday. Unfortunately, Norrie wasn’t able to land a maiden ATP title in Lyon. But then he was up against Stefanos Tsitsipas, who has been the dominant force of 2021 outside the slams, and now stands at No 1 in the table of most rankings points gained since January 1. Nevertheless, it had been a hugely creditable effort for Norrie to go this far, especially when you consider that he took out top seed Dominic Thiem on Thursday, and then trounced big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov in Saturday’s semi-final, losing only two games in the process. Norrie has come to clay late in his career, but it feels like this is developing into his favourite surface. He has one of the heaviest left-handed forehands in the game, loaded with top-spin, and uses it like a miniature version of Rafael Nadal. The result has been a tally of 14 wins and only four losses since he began his European clay-court swing in Barcelona. So while the French Open, which starts next Sunday, has traditionally been a graveyard of British hopes, there are reasons to hope that this year’s event could deliver some more positive results. Norrie’s previous final in Estoril had been a nervewracking affair which he eventually lost on a deciding-set tie-break to the more experienced Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas. Sunday was more straightforward for Tsitsipas, who needed only 69 minutes to hammer home a 6-3, 6-3 victory. It was Tsitsipas’ second title of the clay-court sequence, after he won Monte Carlo in mid-April, taking out Evans in the semi-final along the way. He has become a serious contender to upset the establishment – specifically Nadal and Novak Djokovic – at Roland Garros over the next few weeks. “I felt in good shape from the beginning of the tournament,” said Tsitsipas afterwards. “I am proud of today’s match, I knew it would be a difficult one against Cameron, who has been showing great tennis this week. He has been winning against good players and showing what the left hand can do on clay. “It was not an easy match today. I had to handle the nerves and I am proud of my performance and the way I stayed focused towards my goal.” On this year’s results, meanwhile, both Evans and Norrie stand among the world’s 20 most successful men. Evans is at No 16 and Norrie No 14. The next challenge for them both is to convert that ATP Tour form into a deep run at a major.<doc-sep>If our Week 3 fantasy rankings for defense could talk, it would probably apologize for not having more potential pickups from the waiver wire in the top 12. Maybe that's OK because we haven't hit the bye weeks yet, but it would still be nice to have a few more options considering some of the top preseason defenses and D/ST sleepers have either disappointed or have unfavorable matchups this week. Joey Bosa's foot injury has really hurt the Chargers, who are also taxed with a tough matchup (@ Rams), while Deion Jones's and Keanu Neal's season-ending injuries have clipped the Falcons, who also face a tough opponent in Week 3 (vs. Saints). The Saints (@ Falcons) and Lions (vs. Patriots) were two more of our top-15 fantasy defenses that are unplayable this week. Week 3 Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Kicker So, if those teams are moving down, other worthwhile team must be moving up, right? Well, yes and no. Teams are moving up, but the jury is still out if they're worthwhile. You could bank on a sloppy Thursday night game and pick up either the Browns or the Jets, but that isn't going to feel good. Some of the better fringe teams, such as the Redskins (vs. Packers) and Bengals (@ Panthers) have tough matchups, hurting their prospects. Overall, it's one of those weeks where the owners with the top D/STs are going to feel confident; everyone else will hope for a pleasant surprise. Reminder: We will keep these rankings updated and add analysis during the week, so check back often for the latest news and injury updates! And if you're looking for more analysis, find out how you'll lose in Week 3 or listen to the Week 3 preview podcast. WEEK 3 DFS GPP LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings: D/ST These rankings are for standard, non-PPR leagues<doc-sep>Need Fantasy Football lineup advice? Talk to CBS Sports on your Google Assistant to get insights on the best sleepers and to help decide between players. Just start with, "Hey Google, talk to CBS Sports." Editor's note: Welcome to Week 3! We're handling Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em column a bit differently this season. You're still getting the same in-depth analysis as always, we're just presenting a bit differently, in an effort to get it out to you earlier in the day. This column takes a long time to write, and in the past, we've usually gotten it out to you in the evening. This year, we're going to publish it position-by-position, to get it into your hands quicker. Here's Jamey's take on running backs for this week. Don't worry: If you want the classic Start 'Em & Sit 'Em, we'll still be publishing that at the end of the day with every position included. For now, here's running back. Running backs Note: Projections are provided by SportsLine.com. Start 'Em 15.6 projected points Tevin Coleman Atlanta Falcons RB Coleman played great in Week 2 against Carolina with Devonta Freeman (knee) out, and this is now six times since 2015 where Freeman has been out or left a game. Coleman has either scored a touchdown or gained 100 total yards all six times, and we hope that track record continues against the Saints. New Orleans has only allowed 152 total yards and one touchdown to running backs against Tampa Bay and Cleveland in the first two games. But Coleman has scored four total touchdowns in his past two games at New Orleans, and he's worth trusting this week as long as Freeman remains out. 11.7 projected points Giovani Bernard Cincinnati Bengals RB Bernard will start for the injured Joe Mixon (knee), and he has a good track record every time he gets an increased workload. He has 29 games in his career with at least 15 touches, and he's scored at least 10 PPR points in 23 of those outings. In 2017, he had five games with at least 15 touches, and he averaged 16.4 PPR points over that span. The Panthers have struggled with Ezekiel Elliott and Coleman in the first two games, and missing linebacker Thomas Davis (suspension) has been a problem. Given his expected workload, Bernard should be considered a must-start Fantasy running back this week. 10.3 projected points Matt Breida San Francisco 49ers RB Breida was great in Week 2 against Detroit with 11 carries for 138 yards and a touchdown and three catches for 21 yards, and he looked like what I expected Jerick McKinnon (ACL) to do if he was healthy. Now, you can't expect Breida to rip off many 66-yard touchdown runs like he did against the Lions, but hopefully he'll get more than 14 touches this week against the Chiefs, especially in the passing game. And Kansas City has already allowed three running backs (Melvin Gordon, Austin Ekeler and James Conner) to score at least nine PPR points with just their receiving totals. In a game where plenty of points are expected, I like Breida to get enough chances to warrant starting him in all leagues, especially PPR. And he's a better bet than Alfred Morris this week, who is just a flex at best in most formats. 14.0 projected points Chris Thompson Washington Redskins RB Thompson didn't expect to be up to speed coming off last year's broken leg until around November, but he's been exceptional through two games. He had five carries for 65 yards, along with six catches for 63 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 at Arizona, and he followed that up with 13 catches for 92 yards in Week 2 against the Colts. Washington was chasing points against Indianapolis and should be again this week against Green Bay, which is a great situation for Thompson. He's a must-start option in PPR against the Packers, who have already allowed two running backs (Jordan Howard in Week 1 and Dalvin Cook in Week 2) to score at least seven PPR points with just their receiving totals alone. 10.8 projected points Phillip Lindsay Denver Broncos RB Through two games, Lindsay has led Denver's backfield in touches with at least 15 in each outing against Seattle and Oakland. He's gone over 100 total yards in each game, and he's outplaying fellow rookie Royce Freeman, who clearly had more hype. We'll see how long that continues, but Lindsay should be considered no worse than a flex option in this matchup with the Ravens. Baltimore's run defense has been good through two games against Buffalo and Cincinnati, but not having linebacker C.J. Mosley (knee) could be tough to overcome. Sleepers Corey Clement (vs. IND): Clement looks like a must-start option in all leagues with Jay Ajayi (back) and Darren Sproles (hamstring) out, and he's in a good spot against the Colts. Sproles didn't play in Week 2 at Tampa Bay, and Clement had six carries for 30 yards and a touchdown and five catches for 55 yards. He's looking at about 20 total touches with Ajayi also out, and the Colts have allowed a touchdown or at least 90 total yards to a running back in each of the first two weeks with Joe Mixon and Chris Thompson. Isaiah Crowell (at CLE): You know I love a revenge game, and Crowell spent the previous four seasons with the Browns. We'll see if he can do anything against a Cleveland run defense that was gashed by James Conner in Week 1 and gave up 99 total yards to Alvin Kamara in Week 2. Crowell is still splitting touches with Bilal Powell, but I would consider using him as a flex option on Thursday night. Theo Riddick (vs. NE): Despite how well the Lions receivers have played, Riddick is still tied with Golden Tate for the team lead in receptions with 14. He has 19 targets, which is two more than Marvin Jones, and he just scored 13 PPR points in Week 2 at San Francisco. I'd love to see more of Kerryon Johnson this week, but in a game where the Lions are likely chasing points, Riddick should once again be a significant factor in the passing game. Sony Michel (at DET): If the Lions trail in this game as expected, we could see the Patriots lean on Michel to continue increasing his confidence. He made his NFL debut in Week 2 at Jacksonville and got 10 carries for 34 yards and one catch for 7 yards. I'd still rank him third among the Patriots running backs behind James White and Rex Burkhead, but Michel is a Hail Mary play for your roster as a flex. Javorius Allen (vs. DEN): I hope this is the week Alex Collins establishes himself as the No. 1 option in Baltimore's backfield, but Allen will continue to have a prominent role. And he actually leads the Ravens in receptions with 10. He's also scored a touchdown in each of the first two games of the season and is averaging 13.5 PPR points over that span. He's a flex option in PPR this week. Latavius Murray (vs. BUF): Murray is a must-start option with Dalvin Cook (hamstring) out, and this is a dream matchup against the Bills. Through two games, Buffalo has allowed five running backs (Collins, Allen, Kenneth Dixon, Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler) to score or gain at least 90 total yards, with six total touchdowns allowed to that group. That bodes well for Murray in Week 3. Sit 'Em 6.0 projected points Derrick Henry Tennessee Titans RB Henry just had the first game of his career in six tries with at least 14 carries where he failed to score double digits in Fantasy points in any format. He had 18 carries for 56 yards against Houston and no catches, and it's hard to trust him in the majority of leagues right now, especially against the Jaguars. Last year against the Jaguars, Henry was limited to 28 carries for 51 yards, but he managed one catch for a 66-yard touchdown.<doc-sep>
The Chiefs offense hasn't skipped a beat with Patrick Mahomes at the helm this year. The second-year quarterback is atop our positional rankings for Week 3. Find out where every fantasy-relevant player slots, plus a short debate on James White and Kenny Golladay. Each week, above our full fantasy rankings, SI.com fantasy writer Michael Beller and 4for4 writer John Paulsen will have a brief debate about some players they view differently. Scroll down for our full rankings at every position. Michael Beller: Week 3 gives us an interesting slate, John. Saints-Falcons, 49ers-Chiefs, Chargers-Rams, and the season debut of Carson Wentz highlight Sunday’s action, and the day wraps with another of the week’s best games, when the Lions host the Patriots on Sunday Night Football. That game gives us our biggest rankings debates for the week. Let’s start at running back, where you’re much higher on James White than I am (RB18 vs. RB26). Believe me, I love the player, and am as tried and true a Badger as anyone who spent four years (or more) in Madison, Wisc., White’s just a hard guy for me to trust from a purely fantasy perspective. He’s a great real-life player and a key part of New England’s offense, but his production and opportunity can be dodgy from week to week. This doesn’t necessarily set up as a bad matchup for him, but given that he adds no value as a runner, he needs to make the absolute most of his seven or so targets to register as a fantasy starter. That’s not a bet I'm comfortable making. Week 3 Fantasy Football Streaming Options Out at receiver, I’ve got Kenny Golladay ranked 19th, while you have him 27th. I’m enamored by Golladay this season. It has only been two games, but just pretend for a second that someone from the future—let’s call it New Year's Eve 2018—came back a few months and told us that Golladay was one of this year’s breakout stars. The strides he has made the first two weeks of the season would be exactly what we’d expect of him with that future knowledge. There are bound to be a few thin weeks with Golden Tate and Marvin Jones still doing their respective things, but I don't think this is one of those weeks. Blake Bortles carved up the Patriots last week, and Matthew Stafford is basically the luxury version of Bortles. This game has an over/under of 52, and while the Lions are nearly touchdown underdogs at home, they still have an implied team total of 22.75 points. I think Golladay gives us WR2 numbers and carries a WR1 ceiling this week. What say you, John? Why am I wrong on White and Golladay? John Paulsen: I hear what you’re saying about White, but the RB2 ranks are thinner than usual this week due to a combination of injury, matchups and committee usage, so I don’t have to go too far down the rankings before the players become untrustworthy. White is always a dicey play, but his role has been sizable so far this year, as he has garnered 17 targets through two games—nine in Week 1 and eight in Week 2—which he has parlayed into 11 receptions for 111 yards and a touchdown. He’s basically filling Julian Edelman’s role in the offense, so I think he’s safer than he typically would be if Edelman were active and healthy. Through two games, White is the No. 18 running back in half-PPR scoring, and the Patriots have an implied total of 29 points against the Lions. While he may have a lower floor than some of his RB2 counterparts, he also has a higher ceiling due to the nature of the New England offense and the different ways he can score fantasy points. With Golladay, I don’t disagree with any of your points. Since I do full projections, it’s a matter of figuring out the size of the pie and splitting up the pie in a way that I feel comfortable with where everyone is ranked. I’m not ready to bail on Marvin Jones, so he has to get a bigger piece of the pie than he’s been getting, and I’ve always been a huge Golden Tate fan, fantasy-wise, so that leaves Golladay ranked at a level lower than where he’s been producing. Stafford can sling it and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the Lions go over their implied total. Golladay is a good play this week.