Fantasy Football Week 3 Injury News: Which Stars Have Been Ruled Out?

Injuries hurt more for actual NFL teams than they do for our fantasy teams, but when you have to fill the open spot left by an absent star, it can feel like a personal assault that your star isn't on the field. How dare they break bones or tear ligaments when we're counting on them!

The brutal reality of football is that plenty of guys are going to get hurt every year, though, and fantasy owners must be vigilant in adapting and finding replacements right away, either a player already on their roster or a guy who will benefit statistically from said injuries.

Let's look at some of the most notable fantasy players who have been ruled out for Week 3. This won't include every player who is out, but we will talk about some of the top guys who are set to miss their game on either Sunday or Monday and the players who are affected by it most. More players will be ruled out before game time, but these are the top names as of Saturday evening.

Use FantasySP's injury report to keep up with the players who are set to miss games each week.

QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

QB Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

You already know this, but let's just hit it quickly. All three star quarterbacks have been ruled out for Week 3, though Dart is the only one who is on IR. While Daniels could be headed that way (though reports say he is hoping to avoid it), Williams was considered for this week before ultimately being ruled out.

Their pass catchers are all at a disadvantage because of the absences of the start QBs, including Stefon Diggs, Terry McLaurin, Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, and Colston Loveland, among others. The Commanders and Bears also have tough matchups against the Seahawks and Eagles, respectively, so it's best to sit those players.

Nabers has a nicer matchup against Tennessee, but it's worth at least questioning his spot in your lineup given what we saw from Jameis Winston last week after Dart left the game. That was against a tough Rams defense, so there's more of a chance for success here. While many will start Nabers due to his ceiling, there's a lower floor than we'd like.

WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans

Collins missed last week's game against the Bengals, and his team struggled hard, scoring only six points with below-average efficiency both throwing and running the ball. Tight end Dalton Schultz had 12 receptions and 140 yards, but no one else had more than 37 yards, and running back Woody Marks was the only other guy who had more than three catches (he had five).

While Cincinnati might be improved on defense from their struggles last year, they are likely far from a top defense; the Texans sorely missed their best offensive weapon. This week against the Colts brings a fantastic matchup based on 2026's numbers: Indianapolis has allowed the most yards per pass attempt, the second-most yards per rush attempt, and among the top five most fantasy points to quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, and kickers.

C.J. Stroud is still a reasonable player to consider even with Collins out, but the real benefactors will be the pass catchers who are active. Schultz could again be the top option, and Xavier Hutchinson, Kayshon Boutte, and Jaylin Noel all have WR/3/4/flex value to some level, though Hutchinson is my favorite of that wide receiver group.

Indianapolis also probably isn't this bad defensively. I've talked all week about how their two games came against the Ravens and Chiefs, two teams that will make a lot of defenses look bad. That doesn't mean they'll suddenly become above average (or even average), but they probably won't be the worst defense in football.

While I'm still recommending Houston's offensive players at moderate levels, don't expect huge performances based specifically on the first two weeks of 2026. This team has faltered offensively so far, and they will miss their top guy again.

RB Rico Dowdle, Pittsburgh Steelers

Dowdle has had a dreadful start to the season, gaining just 37 yards on 15 carries. He added 28 receiving yards, but Dowdle has been far outplayed by teammate Jaylen Warren in both areas; it wouldn't be a surprise to see Warren usurp much more of the work even when Dowdle is healthy.

While they were horrid as a run defense last year, the Bengals rank better than average in both yards per rush attempt allowed and fantasy points given up to running backs in 2026. That means Warren doesn't necessarily have the greatest outlook, but he also doesn't have much competition for touches in the backfield and should get both carries and receptions. Travis Homer is next in line, but I can't imagine he'll get on the field much if Warren stays healthy.

I don't love the matchup, but Warren has definite flex value, pushing toward RB2 status. He is listed as questionable but seems more likely to play than not; if he misses the game, I still wouldn't be looking at Homer in what this year's numbers say is a subpar matchup. Warren is a guy who should be in a lot of lineups as long as he takes the field.

WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams

Like Collins, Nacua missed last week's game, but instead of struggling like Houston did, the Rams thrived without their top receiver, beating the Giants 28-6 on Monday night. Matthew Stafford had 327 passing yards on 10.5 per attempt with four touchdowns, and Davante Adams more than picked up the slack, gaining 195 yards with two scores on eight receptions.

The Giants were at least a decent matchup, as they are worse than average in yards per pass attempt and fantasy points allowed to both quarterbacks and wide receivers (though a game like Monday will skew the numbers). Denver presents a tougher matchup this week, as they are better than average in each of those areas and have been fantastic defensively the past few years.

Without Nacua, the Rams are likely to labor a bit this week against a more formidable team (who likely won't also be dealing with the shock of losing their quarterback in the first quarter). That drops Stafford's ceiling and floor, and he doesn't ever run to make up the difference, so he might find it tougher to be a top-10 fantasy QB this week.

Adams is still a worthy fantasy player, as he will get fed the ball, but he also sees his level drop a little; let's just say he's unlikely to approach 200 yards again. The Broncos have been shredded on the ground, so we're more likely to see big games from Kyren Williams and/or Black Corum, both of whom have flex-or-better value this week.

Don't ignore the Rams' fantasy players, but understand that things are likely to be a little more subdued in the passing game.