If you’re playing Week 3 DFS and trying to figure out which website you’d like to play on, this is probably one to take a shot on FanDuel. There is massive opportunity to squeeze big name players in, if you’re able to save on just a few budget plays. Seeing that this is a cash game lineup, we can’t take too much risk, but we really don’t have to with the value plays that I’ve found. Let’s take a look at the lineup I’m rolling out in cash games this week.
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Quarterback
Andy Dalton (CIN @ GB): $6,800
There’s so much to like about Dalton this week. The matchup, the price, the narrative about having a new offensive coordinator, and the narrative about how much he’ll target A.J. Green. On top of that, the Packers announced yesterday that they’ll be without the services of defensive tackle Mike Daniels, who is one of the biggest cogs in their defense. You don’t need me to tell you that despite having Daniels, the Packers defense has been a fantasy playground, and one that should allow Dalton to look a lot better than he did against the Ravens and Texans.
Running Back
Le’Veon Bell (PIT @ CHI): $8,700
Since we saved up at quarterback, we’re able to spend up at the running back position this week. Bell logged 31 touches last week against the Vikings, eliminating all concerns about his potential workload and whether or not the Steelers planned to limit it. Going against the Bears who will be without their best linebacker Jerrell Freeman, Bell should be a lock for 20-plus touches and a touchdown (if not two of them).
Jay Ajayi (MIA @ NYJ): $8,200
The fact that Ajayi has a questionable tag next to his name will have a lot of DFS players leaving him out of their cash game lineups. This is a situation where the Dolphins are likely just limiting his work during practice, as they know how vital he is to their team’s success. I mean, wouldn’t you want some rest after racking up 28 carries in a game. This game is on the road and is a divisional one, so it should remain somewhat competitive throughout, which would eliminate blowout concerns. Even if it is a blowout, Ajayi would be part of the players contributing to that.
Wide Receiver
A.J. Green (CIN @ GB): $7,500
Seeing that we have Dalton, it would seem unnecessary to include Green in our cash game lineup too, right? Well, not when you consider that about 80 percent of the field will have Green in their lineup, considering he’s just the 11th most expensive wide receiver on the slate. The Packers have no solution for alpha wide receivers, as they attempt to cover them with the likes of Damarious Randall, Davon House, and Quinten Rollins, who would all be on the bench for a majority of NFL secondaries. Green said that he needs to get targeted more after the brutal loss to the Texans last week, leading to the Bengals firing their offensive coordinator. When Green talks, the Bengals, and specifically Andy Dalton, need to listen.
Keenan Allen (LAC vs KC): $7,200
Some doubted that Allen would return to collect the same target share that he did pre-injury, but after two weeks, his share sits at just above 27 percent. That’s enticing on its own, but what about when we add in the fact that he’ll be lined up across from a backup this week? After slot cornerback Steven Nelson was placed on I.R., the Chiefs were forced to put Phillip Gaines back on the field, the one they benched last year after Emmanuel Sanders destroyed him on prime-time television. The Chiefs also lost Eric Berry for the season, a player who would often come down to help in coverage.
Davante Adams (GB vs CIN): $6,800
With all the injuries piling up for the Packers, I’ll take the one who we know is actually healthy and has rapport with Aaron Rodgers. It seems like Jordy Nelson is going to play, but you have to wonder how effective he’ll be coming off a game in which he was ruled out almost immediately. On top of that, you have Randall Cobb out for this game. Some are automatically assuming that Nelson goes into the slot, but if the Packers are smart (they typically are), they should use Adams out of the slot a lot more in this game.
Tight End
Martellus Bennett (GB vs CIN): $5,600
This is something that Mike Tagliere has talked about for the last few weeks, and it’s that when you’re getting targeted heavily by Aaron Rodgers, good things are bound to happen. Bennett hasn’t quite hit his stride with the Packers yet, but he was targeted a team-high 11 times last week once Nelson and Cobb left the game. The Bengals were one of the softest teams against tight ends last year and are still without linebacker Vontaze Burfict for one more game. Bennett will need to be targeted once again out of necessity.
Kicker
Matt Prater (DET vs ATL): $4,700
Any time you can snag a kicker for this price in a game that’s projected to be high-scoring, you do it, especially when he’s in a dome. With the way Matthew Stafford has been playing, there should be plenty of scoring opportunities for the Lions, and they aren’t afraid to let Prater try 50-plus yard field goals.
Defense
Philadelphia Eagles (PHI vs NYG): $4,500
Have you watched Eli Manning recently? If so, you know that the Eagles pass rush is going to get to him and likely cause multiple turnovers. The Eagles are tied for the third-highest sack percentage in the league right now, while the Giants are allowing the fifth-highest sack percentage. The secondary is definitely concerning, but there’s enough positives here to overcome the negatives, especially at the price, which is somehow just the 10th most expensive.
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Thanks for reading. If you haven’t already, please check out the FantasyPros Football Podcast (below) that I co-host with Mike Tagliere. Good luck this season.
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