Fantasy football projections, Week 3: Vikings vs. Saints featuring Cordarrelle Patterson, Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham

The Week 3 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints features a struggling offense against a potent one. We've got the fantasy projections for you courtesy of numberFire.

Through two games, the Vikings have scored a combined total of just 13 points. To say the least, with Adrian Peterson out and on the exempt/commissioner's permission list, Minnesota's offense is in a state of flux. Peterson's absence means the most explosive player on the roster is now Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson was limited in practice earlier in the week by a chest injury, but he's still expected to start on Sunday. His only touchdown of the season actually came on the ground, as the Vikings have struggled to get the ball to him through the air. He'll be the best fantasy option on the Vikings' roster this week.

Perhaps the most intriguing fantasy player on the Vikings going into Week 3 is running back Jerick McKinnon. He only has three carries to his name in this his first NFL season, but with Peterson out indefinitely and teammate Matt Asiata looking sluggish so far, the coaches appear ready to give McKinnon more touches. At this stage, he'd be quite the sleeper for owners who plan to start him in Week 3, but since the Vikings don't exactly have a playoff-bound roster on paper, he may just get a chance to star this week.

Although the Vikings have allowed the fewest number of fantasy points to quarterbacks so far this season, owners would be crazy not to start Drew Brees, especially since the Saints are the home team this week. Brees threw for 333 yards and a touchdown in the team's only other home game this season, and with Mark Ingram (hand) out for a month, it's very possible that the leader of the Saints could be airing the ball out against the Vikings -- no matter how good their defense has been against passers.

When Brees does look down the field, there is no doubt he'll be able to spot his favorite target, tight end Jimmy Graham. Graham managed 10 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Cleveland Browns, and his stellar performance in that game gives him 18 catches on the year for 200 yards to go with those two scores. He's just entering the prime of his career and is the hands-down, No. 1 target in New Orleans, which makes him a must-start in Week 3.