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DraftKings NFL Lineup Advice: Week 3 (Thur/Sun/Mon)

DraftKings NFL Lineup Advice: Week 3 (Thur/Sun/Mon)

Week 2 brought about more injuries along with some big outings from last week’s recommendations. Unfortunately, there were misses as well, and transparency has always been paramount when looking back at these articles.

Taking a peek at the recommendations from Week 2, there were plenty of positives to be had. Tom Brady (33.8 DKP), Drew Brees (25.2 DKP), Todd Gurley (27.6 DKP), DeAndre Hopkins (14.3 DKP), Tarik Cohen (13.8 DKP), and Coby Fleener (12.3 DKP) all came through for us. Russell Wilson (15.3 DKP) didn’t quite get to where we needed him in terms of value, as was the case for Eli Manning (12.6 DKP) and Mark Ingram (11.6 DKP).

DeSean Jackson (6.9 DKP) was excruciatingly close to a monster outing, as he and Jameis Winston missed ever so closely on a few big plays. Antonio Brown (11.2 DKP), Ezekiel Elliott (6.2 DKP) Odell Beckham (7.6 DKP) and Tyler Eifert (7.2 DKP) were the letdowns last week. The defenses were OK, with the Cardinals (10 DKP) and the Bengals (7 DKP) proving as serviceable options. Let’s take a look at some top plays for Week 3 on DraftKings.

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Quarterbacks

Derek Carr (OAK): $6,800 @ WAS
One could worry a bit about the travel from one coast to the other, but it’s tough not to love Carr this week. The Redskins have been beatable through the air through two weeks, and this game is expected to feature plenty of scoring. The total currently sits at 53.5 points, with the Raiders carrying an implied total of 28.25 points.

They are favored by just three points right now, which should translate to a competitive game. Carr has been very efficient through three games, as he’s completed 75% of his attempts while tossing five touchdowns against no interceptions. He’s a top three projected play this week at the position, with some profit potential still built into his salary.

Matthew Stafford (DET): $6,200 vs. ATL
The Falcons allowed 343 passing yards and two touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last week, and they will now be tasked with containing Stafford in a game that could feature plenty of scoring. Stafford was efficient again in Week 2, and while he tossed two touchdowns, he threw for just 122 yards. I expect that to change in a big way this week, with Stafford carrying top-five upside at quarterback.

DeShone Kizer (CLE): $5,000 @ IND
Kizer was dealing with some migraine issues in Week 2, which could have partially played a role in his performance. Provided that’s not an issue going forward, he’s poised to bounce back in a prime matchup against the Colts in Week 3.

Indianapolis has been shredded through the air thus far, allowing 300+ passing yards in both games. Kizer is a top 10 value at the quarterback position this week, and his salary allows for you to load up at other positions.

Jacoby Brissett (IND): $4,800 vs. CLE
Brissett is my top value pick this week in terms of dollar per projected point, as he needs just 14.4 DKP to hit value. While he’s not an overly exciting pick, the matchup does present some upside.

The Browns have allowed 480 passing yards and four touchdowns through two games, and while Brissett isn’t a Ben Roethlisberger or Joe Flacco, I think there’s enough potential to justify using him as he creates all sorts of salary flexibility.

Running Backs

Le’Veon Bell (PIT): $8,800 @ CHI
Bell’s salary finally plummeted after another disappointing week, which is unfortunate as his ownership levels should now be through the roof. This might be one of those instances where you need to eat the chalk, which is OK to do with one of your two running backs. He’s the highest projected play at the position by far this week, as he should finally come through with a big game in a far easier matchup than he had last week.

Kareem Hunt (KC): $8,000 @ LAC
Hunt continues to shine for the Chiefs, and it looks as though he will receive as much of the workload as he can handle. The Chargers have allowed over 100 rushing yards in each of their first two games, which should translate to yet another strong outing from Hunt in Week 3. His salary is kind of in No Man’s Land now, but I still don’t mind utilizing him across all formats this week.

Ty Montgomery (GB): $6,900 vs. CIN
Montgomery appears to be emerging as a true workhorse for the time being, as he was on the field for 85% of the offensive snaps in Week 2. He carried the ball 10 times, while he also caught six of seven targets in the passing game.

Week 3 presents a juicy matchup, as the Bengals have been gashed on the ground for 157 and 168 yards, respectively, over the first two weeks. With Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb both banged up, Montgomery could continue to see increased work in the passing game, which gives him a nice boost.

Carlos Hyde (SF): $5,200 vs. LAR
Hyde should be a cornerstone of your Thursday night lineups, as he draws a phenomenal matchup at home against the Rams. The Rams have allowed 304 rushing yards and three touchdowns through two games while proving particularly vulnerable last week.

Hyde is coming off of a strong outing against the Seahawks last week, as he rushed 15 times for 124 yards. He also saw six targets in the passing attack, which should be what we can expect regarding volume this week.

Wide Receivers

Antonio Brown (PIT): $9,000 @ CHI
Brown will look to bounce back after a down outing in a tough matchup against the Vikings in Week 2. While his price didn’t plummet nearly as much as teammate Le’Veon Bell’s did, it’s still worth targeting, especially given the matchup.

Mike Evans had his way with this defense in Week 2, hauling in seven of nine targets for 93 yards and a score, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility for Brown. The one concern is a potential blowout, but be sure to still have plenty of exposure to Brown this week.

A.J. Green (CIN): $8,100 @ GB
I was hoping that Green’s salary would go down heading into Week 3, but it went up instead. I’m playing the narrative game with this pick, as I’m hoping a change in play-calling duties gets this offense kick-started.

Green has received 18 targets over two weeks, but the output has obviously been disappointing as the Bengals have yet to score a touchdown. I will boldly predict that all changes this week, with Green leading the way.

Keenan Allen (LAC): $7,200 vs. KC
Allen is coming off of a strong outing in Week 2, as he hauled in nine of 10 targets for 100 yards against the Dolphins. His priced spiked $1,400 heading into a plus Week 3 matchup against the Chiefs, but I still think he needs to be squarely on your radar for tournaments. While he doesn’t possess big touchdown upside, he still brings great value in full point PPR scoring formats due to the sheer volume he sees when healthy.

Rashard Higgins (CLE): $4,000 @ IND
Higgins figures to see plenty of looks yet again in Week 3 after he saw 11 targets in Week 2 with Corey Coleman out of the picture. Higgins turned in seven catches for 95 yards last week, and he should be in line for a repeat in a far easier matchup against a weak Colts’ defense.

Higgins needs just 12 DKP to hit value, and he showed last week that he has plenty of upside as well. In terms of dollars per projected point, he’s a top 10 value at the position in Week 3.

Tight Ends

Zach Ertz (PHI): $5,000 vs. NYG
Ertz has received 18 targets through two games, and he’s certainly not disappointed thus far, as he’s caught 13 of those passes for 195 total yards. He’s yet to find the end zone, but with Carson Wentz relying on his talented tight end, that should change in time. The Giants have allowed a passing touchdown to a tight end in each of their first two games, and I think Ertz will make it three in a row in Week 3.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins (NYJ): $3,000 vs. MIA
Seferian-Jenkins figures to be one of the primary options in the Jets’ passing attack, and with the soon to be 25-year-old seemingly rededicated, now could be the time to buy. Athleticism has never been an issue for the talented tight end, but issues off of the field have.

I would certainly have some exposure this week in tournaments, especially at this price. If reports are true about his renewed dedication to the sport, this could be a breakout season for the mercurial tight end from the University of Washington.

Defense/Special Teams

New England Patriots (NE): $3,800 vs. HOU
The Patriots are nearly two-touchdown favorites at home, which historically creates an excellent opportunity to buy the defense. Furthermore, they will be returning home to face a rookie quarterback, so there’s still some upside at this price.

Philadelphia Eagles (PHI): $3,000 vs. NYG
After watching the Giants on Monday night, it’s tough not to like the Eagles’ defense this week. The Giants’ offensive line is in shambles, and with no semblance of a running game, this offense can be somewhat predictable. Through two games, the Giants have allowed at least 12 fantasy points to opposing defenses, and I don’t expect that trend to change anytime soon.

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Adam Sutton is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Adam, follow him @DraftStars_Adam. You can find more of Adam’s work at DraftStars.net

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