Fantasy football projections, Week 3: Chargers-Vikings featuring Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon and Adrian Peterson

The Week 3 matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the Minnesota Vikings features an emerging running back against a counterpart destined for the Hall of Fame. We've got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.

Last week, running back Melvin Gordon showed glimpses of the speed and acceleration that allowed the Chargers to part ways with Ryan Mathews in the offseason. Gordon parlayed 19 touches into 98 total yards in a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2. While he still gives way to Danny Woodhead on passing downs and in hurry-up situations, Gordon could see his role expand going forward. He's worth taking a flyer on against the Vikings in Week 3.

Another Chargers player worth starting this week is quarterback Philip Rivers. Rivers threw for just 241 yards and two touchdowns in last week's defeat. It wasn't his greatest performance, but he's always been a high-volume passer. That means Rivers should take his usual spot in starting lineups on Sunday. He sometimes gets off to a slow starts in a new season, but there's no reason he can't kick things into high gear in Minnesota.

Fantasy owners breathed a sigh of relief last week when running back Adrian Peterson got his groove back. He had 16 carries and 70 rushing yards in the first half alone and ended his day with 192 total yards on 31 touches. That kind of volume would make any running back in the NFL an asset, but when you're talking about Peterson, you're talking about the best. Peterson should be a top-notch performer against the Chargers now that he's got the cobwebs out of his system.