Building lineups on a slate without Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Michael Thomas, Davante Adams, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, or Mark Andrews feels incredibly strange. Despite the absence of those cap-hogging superstars, there are plenty of great options at each position in Week 3. I’ll be breaking down all thirteen matchups, sharing my thoughts on player prices* and stacking opportunities. As you read, please note that the player names in bold are what I consider my “core” players or guys that I’m sliding into a large percentage of my lineups. Oh, and if you’re new to DFS, you should check out my DFS Tips and Tricks article here.
*All player prices referenced are from FanDuel.
49ers @ Giants (41.5 O/U)
No Jimmy Garoppolo. No Deebo Samuel. No Raheem Mostert. No Tevin Coleman. No George Kittle. There’s not much to like about this 49ers’ offense at the moment, which is unfortunate in a favorable matchup against the Giants. However, you could find some value in the backfield as Jerick McKinnon ($5,700) and Jeff Wilson Jr. ($5,200) are expected to handle the vast majority of the RB touches in Week 3. In Kyle Shanahan’s innovative scheme, either one of those guys could enjoy a breakout performance.
The Giants are dealing with some significant injuries of their own. If you somehow missed the news, Saquon Barkley is done for the year with a torn ACL. In his absence, Devonta Freeman, Dion Lewis, and Wayne Gallman will fight for touches behind a terrible offensive line. I’m not interested in the ground game, or Daniel Jones for that matter, but Evan Engram ($5,900) and Darius Slayton ($5,500) are at least interesting dart throws in a multi-entry tournament. The 49ers will be without Richard Sherman and some of their best pass-rushers, which could make it a little easier for Jones to distribute the ball to his playmakers.
Bengals @ Eagles (46.5 O/U)
Miles Sanders ($7,400) is going to be one of the highest-owned players on the slate and for good reason. He saw 27 opportunities (carries + targets) in his season debut against the Rams, totaling 130 yards and a TD. Now he’s got a great matchup against the Bengals’ front seven, in what should be a positive game script for the Eagles’ offense. If you want to avoid the chalk, I have no problem rolling out DeSean Jackson ($5,500) or Dallas Goedert ($5,100). Despite a poor start to the season, Jackson is 2nd in the NFL in air yards, and he’s up against a secondary that has been exploited by vertical-threat WRs in back-to-back games (Mike Williams and Odell Beckham Jr.). Meanwhile, Goedert has seen more volume and has been more efficient than Zach Ertz so far this season.
On the Bengals side, you have to be intrigued by Joe Burrow ($7,400). He’s averaging nearly 50 attempts per game, and he’s got some sneaky rushing upside, as well. In a negative game script against this beatable Eagles defense, he’s a nice tournament option. Though it’s not for the faint of heart, I would recommend stacking Burrow with AJ Green ($5,900) who actually leads the league in air yards and could be in for a bounce back.
Bears @ Falcons (47.5 O/U)
Nobody wants to play Mitchell Trubisky ($7,500), but you could do worse at his price. The Bears’ offense should be in a negative game script against the Falcons, who also happen to be dead-last in fantasy points allowed to QBs. If you’re bold enough to put Trubisky in your lineup, make sure you stack him with his top receiver, Allen Robinson ($6,900). Robinson has had a quiet start to the season, but he’s received 9 targets in back-to-back games. Maybe a shootout against one of the league’s worst secondaries is just what he needs to get back on track.
So far this season, the Falcons’ offense has run through Calvin Ridley ($8,000). That should continue to be the case in Week 3 as Julio Jones deals with a hamstring injury. Russell Gage ($5,600) and Hayden Hurst ($5,700) are also strong options, regardless of Julio’s availability. Mix and match these pass-catchers with Matt Ryan ($7,800) and run it back with Allen Robinson for a sneaky mega-stack.
Raiders @ Patriots (47.5 O/U)
Through two weeks, Cam Newton ($7,700) looks like Cam Newton. He’s already scored 4 rushing TDs, and he racked up nearly 400 passing yards against the Seahawks in Week 2. He’s one of my favorite values this week. You can play him alone and bank on another big rushing day, or stack him with Julian Edelman ($6,500) or N’Keal Harry ($5,300).
For the Raiders, you really only need to look at Darren Waller ($6,600) and Josh Jacobs ($8,300). Even in a tough matchup, Waller has a good chance to finish as this week’s top tight end on volume alone. Since the Raiders could be playing from behind, Jacobs is a little bit riskier. However, he has been more involved in the passing game of late, and he’s always a threat to punch in a couple TDs.
Rams @ Bills (47 O/U)
This matchup has under-the-radar shootout potential. The Bills have been throwing far more often than anyone expected, and the Rams are known to go up-tempo in negative game scripts. I’m ready to buy into the Josh Allen ($8,100) and Stefon Diggs ($6,900) stack this week. Even John Brown ($6,400) and Devin Singletary ($5,900) are viable as cheaper options.
Cooper Kupp ($7,100) is my favorite play on the Rams’ side. So far, the Bills have allowed huge games to Jamison Crowder and Mike Gesicki, two players that operate primarily out of the slot. I won’t be surprised at all if Jared Goff ($7,200) locks onto Cooper Kupp in this one. Of course, you can also choose to chase the points with Tyler Higbee ($6,100) or rely on the volume of Robert Woods ($6,600).
Texans @ Steelers (45 O/U)
Ben Roethlisberger ($7,500) is set up to smash in this home matchup against the Texans, as long as Deshaun Watson and co. can keep the game competitive. I love the idea of stacking
Big Ben with JuJu Smith-Schuster ($7,000) and Diontae Johnson ($6,300). Together they’ve accounted for nearly 51% of Ben’s targeted attempts and 49% of his passing yards. Although, if the game gets out of hand early, we could see James Conner ($7,100) get a ton of work against Houston’s 26th-ranked run defense.
If you want to stack the Steelers’ offense, run it back with Brandin Cooks ($5,700) or Will Fuller ($6,000). Deshaun Watson will be looking for his big-play receivers all game long, especially if he’s forced to lead a desperate comeback attempt.
Titans @ Vikings (49 O/U)
The Vikings’ offense has been frustrating to watch thus far. Dalvin Cook ($8,600) and Adam Thielen ($7,200) should be thriving as the only legitimate weapons in that offense, but Kirk Cousins has struggled to distribute the ball at times. I’m still willing to roll out Thielen this week against the Titans in what should be a negative game script.
Derrick Henry ($8,200), who overperformed in the TD department in 2019, is now a candidate for positive TD regression. Somehow, all 6 of the Titans’ TDs this season have come through the air, despite Henry’s 56 rushing attempts. I’m still playing Henry with confidence in this favorable Week 3 matchup. With AJ Brown set to miss another game, you can also look to Jonnu Smith ($5,600), who has scored three TDs so far this season.
Washington @ Browns (45 O/U)
I’m not excited about many of the players in this game. Washington’s defense is underrated, especially up front. The pressure from their front seven, which has generated 11 sacks through two games, could give Baker Mayfield trouble. Even in a positive game script, Nick Chubb could struggle to get much going on the ground. Odell Beckham Jr. ($6,800) is really the only Brown I want any exposure to in this one.
Meanwhile, there are two Washington players that I believe are worth considering: Terry McLaurin ($6,700) and Logan Thomas ($4,900). McLaurin is leading the league in yards after catch, and he’s eighth in overall receiving yards. It’s still early in his sophomore campaign, but he looks like a real breakout candidate. Meanwhile, Thomas hasn’t necessarily lit up the box score, but he has commanded a 27% target share (third among TEs). I think we could finally see Thomas break out this week against a Browns’ defense that notoriously struggles to guard TEs.
Jets @ Colts (43.5 O/U)
Avoiding the Jets should just be second nature at this point, but I’ll say it again: avoid the Jets.
Jonathan Taylor ($6,700) is the only player I’m interested in on either team. The Colts are favored by 11 points in this one, so Taylor could top 25 carries for a second straight week as the Colts look to burn clock in the second half.
Panthers @ Chargers (43.5 O/U)
Through two games, the Chargers are the most run-heavy team in the NFL, and the Panthers have the worst run defense in the NFL. When you combine these two facts, it’s easy to see why I’m bullish on both Austin Ekeler ($7,500) and Joshua Kelley ($5,900) this week. Kelley is my preferred option in tournaments for two reasons: his price and his role on the goal-line. Keenan Allen ($7,100) is also viable against the Panther’s poor secondary, though he’s hard to trust with a rookie under center. If you have a lot of extra salary cap, don’t be afraid to pay up for the Chargers D/ST ($5,000).
The Panthers are going to have to throw a lot in this one, especially with Christian McCaffrey out, but I’m not interested in any of the receiving options outside of DJ Moore ($6,700). The Chargers have a tough secondary, but Moore could see a ton of volume in a negative game script.
Buccaneers @ Broncos (43.5 O/U)
This matchup isn’t particularly exciting. With Jeff Driskel at the helm, I’m not really interested in anyone on the Broncos’ offense. Noah Fant ($5,800) isn’t a terrible tournament play, but he’s not among my favorite values at the position.
I’m avoiding Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones until we see one player emerge as the clear backfield leader. Fournette appeared to pull ahead in Week 2, but there are other players I prefer at his price. Chris Godwin ($7,900) and Mike Evans ($7,700) are always capable of massive performances, but I wouldn’t advise playing them together or stacking them with Tom Brady in what could be a low-scoring affair.
Cowboys @ Seahawks (56 O/U)
Finally, we’ve come to the slate’s marquee matchup. The pieces in this game are going to be highly-owned, so you’ll need to be creative with your stacks to gain some leverage over the field. One way to do that is by mixing and matching Dak Prescott ($8,500) with two of his pass-catchers and bringing it back with one of Seattle’s WRs. I love Ceedee Lamb ($5,600), but Amari Cooper ($7,000) and Michael Gallup ($5,700) are strong plays, as well. If you want to be a little contrarian, you can avoid the passing game altogether and just play Ezekiel Elliott ($9,000). Zeke was a little disappointing last week, but we shouldn’t expect Dak to vulture three rushing TDs again anytime soon.
Of course, the Seattle side is just as exciting. You can’t go wrong stacking Russell Wilson ($8,700), the most efficient QB in the league, with one or both of his primary weapons, Tyler Lockett ($6,800) and DK Metcalf ($6,500). Or, if you expect the Seahawks to come away with the win, you could choose to play Chris Carson ($7,700) instead.
Lions @ Cardinals (54.5 O/U)
With the second-highest point total on the slate, this matchup will also be heavily stacked. Kyler Murray ($8,400) is one of my favorite cash plays this week due to his rushing floor, but he also has the upside to finish as the top QB on the slate, especially in this matchup against the Lions. Stacking Kyler with DeAndre Hopkins ($8,500) is an expensive, but exciting, tournament option. Kenyan Drake ($6,500) is also a great value at his position. He could potentially steal the spotlight against this Lions team that allowed Aaron Jones to pile up over 230 total yards in Week 2.
For the Lions, everything hinges on the availability of Kenny Golladay ($7,500). If Golladay plays, I love the idea of stacking Kyler with Hopkins and running him back on the other side. I wouldn’t even mind stacking Matthew Stafford ($7,300) with Golladay and T.J. Hockenson ($5,400) and running back with Kenyan Drake. In that scenario, you’d be expecting the Cardinals to get out to a big lead and ride Drake as the Lions make a comeback attempt.
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