I typically take a cash game approach to finding value plays, and many times, you don’t need to overthink rostering value plays in tournaments as long as you look to diversify your lineup in other areas. Be sure to check out the RotoQL Trending Players Tool to quickly identify who the top value plays are each week.
Before we get into the Week 3 picks, remember that an article like this should only be part of your DFS research. The best daily fantasy players look at more than one source before putting together their lineups. My favorite place to start is RotoQL’s NFL lineup optimizer, which, as always, played a big role in the picks below. RotoQL’s industry-leading fantasy football packages are loaded with stats and user-friendly DFS tools. You’ll be hard-pressed to find anything better.
WEEK 3 DFS GPP LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings
If you’re looking for more great NFL, NBA, or MLB, or PGA DFS advice, give me a follow on Twitter (@DFSBenj).
Week 3 Rankings:Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker
NFL DFS Picks Week 3: Quarterback values
QB Blake Bortles, Jaguars vs. Titans, DK: $5,600, FD: $6,700 Perhaps no quarterback in the league gets more stick than Jags signal caller Blake Bortles, but the fact remains that Bortles is an excellent fantasy asset and is consistently under-priced around the DFS industry. Bortles is in the bottom-10 in QB pricing on both DraftKIngs and FanDuel yet again this week despite coming off an excellent four TD performance against the Patriots last week. This week, the matchup gets even better for Bortles as he draws a home matchup with the Tennessee Titans, who are one of the most vulnerable teams in the league against the pass. Bortles has been excellent at home over the last few seasons, meeting or exceeding value in all 10 of his last 10 home starts with a plus/minus of plus-7.6. Bortles is cash game viable at his price point this week, especially since we are going to want to jam in some of the expensive running backs. Other QB Values: Cam Newton, Andrew Luck
WEEK 3 DFS CASH LINEUPS: Yahoo | FanDuel | DraftKings
Daily Fantasy Football Week 3 Advice: Running back values
RB Giovani Bernard, Bengals @ Panthers, DK: $5,900, FD: $6,400 The top running back value of the week is easily Bengals RB Giovani Bernard, who is in line for a significant usage bump with fellow RB Joe Mixon set to miss the next few weeks after undergoing a knee scope. The matchup with the Panthers is difficult, but Bernard should have no problem meeting value based on his volume alone. Bernard has an extremely safe floor in cash games given his ability to seamlessly fill in for Mixon in the passing game, and he could be in line for a boat load of targets if the game script goes his way with the Bengals being 3-point road underdogs. You can make a case to fade Bernard in GPPs given there are some solid plays in the $6,000 range and under on DraftKings, but he is the stone-cold lock of the week in cash game lineups. Other RB Values: Tevin Coleman, Kareem Hunt, Wendell Smallwood/Corey Clement, Dion Lewis
MORE: Build your perfect lineup with RotoQL
Week 3 Daily Fantasy Football Picks, Values: Wide receiver
WR Sammy Watkins, Chiefs vs. 49ers, DK: $5,100, FD: $6,200 Last week, we saw the Steelers try their best to scheme around Tyreek Hill, which opened the door for fellow WR Sammy Watkins to have a nice game of six receptions on seven targets for 100 yards, which would have looked even better had Mahomes not missed a wide-open Watkins for a 35-yard touchdown in the first half. Watkins is also the best value on team and one of the biggest upside point-per-dollar plays on the slate for only $5,100. The matchup couldn’t be much better for Watkins, who will avoid coverage from 49ers CB Richard Sherman for the majority of the day, and he should feast on a 49ers passing defense that again looks to be a bottom-10 unit in the league after letting Mathew Stafford carve them up for 347 yards at home last week. The Chiefs have by far the highest implied team total on the slate at 31.5 points, and Watkins is the clear value in terms of both salary and ownership on the Kansas City offense. WR Cooper Kupp, Rams vs. Chargers, DK: $4,900, FD: $6,300 The Rams passing attack has a solid matchup with the Chargers, who look like a completely different defensive unit without pass rusher Joey Bosa. Both Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp are viable mid-range WR values this week, but it’s Kupp who gets the nod here given his price of only $4,900 on DraftKings. Kupp has actually seen his price drop this week down from $5,500 despite seeing 15 targets and establishing himself as Jared Goff’s top red-zone option (five red-zone targets in the first two weeks). Kupp has been dominant at home over during his career, posting a plus/minus of plus-5.2 over his last nine home starts. Other WR Values: Geronimo Alison, Tyler Boyd
MORE WEEK 3 DFS: Last week’s perfect lineup | Stacks | Lineup Builder
Week 3 NFL DFS Picks: Tight end values
TE Benjamin Watson, Saints @ Falcons, DK: $3,100, FD: $4,900 The tight end position is a brutal wasteland this week, especially in cash games where you are really going to want to save some money at the position. Saints TE Benjamin Watson was a bit of a let down last week, putting up a sub-par game in a great matchup with the Browns at home. However, Watson’s poor game didn’t kill anyone as pretty much all of the tight ends outside of Travis Kelce also had bad games. This week, Watson gets a nice matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, who have tended to funnel targets to tight ends and running backs over the last few seasons under head coach Dan Quinn. The Saints have the sixth-highest implied team total on the slate at 25 points. Other TE Values: Jake Butt, Will Dissly
Week 3 NFL DFS Picks: Defense/Special teams values
Chiefs D/ST, Chiefs vs. 49ers, DK: $2,300, FD: $3,700 The defense position is absolutely loaded with excellent cheap options but for the top value defense of the week, I’m going to go with the Kansas City Chiefs. Now look, I get that the Chiefs have been a train wreck on defense this season, but remember that they had to go on the road and face two of the league best offenses in the Chargers and Steelers and were without All-Pro SS Eric Berry. This week, they head back to the raucous atmosphere of Arrowhead Stadium, where they averaged a solid 9.4 DK points in 2017, and face 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who has already thrown three interceptions in the first two games of the season. Other Value DST: Cowboys, Dolphins
title: “Week 3 Nfl Dfs Strategy Picks Advice Values For Draftkings Fanduel” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-18” author: “Dawn Mccall”
It’s so important in DFS to take advantage of value when injuries force the next man up, as these are often some of the easiest price inefficiencies to exploit. I can’t stress enough how important it is to be checking up on the injury reports and revaluating your roster builds when cheaper players do come into consideration.
It’s my hope that the values article will be used as another tool in your daily fantasy preparation, but not the only tool to work from. To gain a significant advantage in NFL DFS, I highly recommend you check out the RotoQL NFL lineup optimizer, which is as good as it gets in the DFS industry.
WEEK 3 DFS: DK cash lineup | DK GPP | Yahoo GPP | Top stacks | DFS lineup builder
RotoQL’s fantasy football packages laid the foundation for the picks you will find below. You can find all of the stats you need in one user-friendly platform, and you’ll also find a suite of fantastic DFS tools to take your game to the next level.
And don’t forget to hit me up on Twitter if you’re looking for more last-minute advice (@MLoveDFS). Let’s get to the picks!
WEEK 3 RANKINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Week 3 Daily Fantasy Football Advice: Quarterback picks, values
Kirk Cousins, Redskins vs. Raiders (DraftKings: $6,100; FanDuel: $ 7,600)
Cousins hasn’t played well for fantasy purposes, but this week’s matchup against the Raiders presents a great bounce-back opportunity at home. The Raiders have been playing good football the past two seasons, but people forget that their young secondary is still a liability. They currently rank 22nd in DVOA and just allowed two touchdowns to the Jets and Josh McCown. With a 54 implied point total, the matchup between the Raiders and Redskins is projected to be the highest scoring game on Sunday’s main slate, so Cousins is likely to find himself in a shoot-out.
Starting RB Rob Kelly suffered a rib injury in Week 2, and if he is declared out, the Redskins would be forced to use a combo of rookie Samaje Perine and pass-game specialist Chris Thompson. This bodes well for Cousins, as the Raiders strong front-seven could once again prove to be a funnel defense. If neither back finds early success, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the running game abandoned in order to stay in the game. I like the game script here for Cousins as a home underdog. The Raiders are expected to score and force the Redskins to play from behind. This should mean more passing opportunities in the second half against a worn down defense. I can easily see Kirk racking up some garbage time points if the game gets out of hand. Cousins is currently the top projected value at RotoQL and one of the top projected QBs in raw points, regardless of price. I expect Cousins to be popular choice for cash games this weekend and will likely be the foundation of my lineups.
Other Options: Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford
WEEK 3 RANKINGS:Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Daily Fantasy Football Week 3 Advice: Running back
C.J. Anderson, Broncos @ Bills (DraftKings: $5,800; FanDuel: $6,900)
Earlier this week, I wrote about Anderson in my Perfect Lineup Review, where I go over the top plays from each weekend’s NFL action, and Anderson is once again too cheap based on the amount of volume he is seeing. In my opinion, Trevor Siemian is probably playing better than his coaches expect, and the Denver game plan should still be to play defense and try to run the ball. The Broncos have no problem feeding Anderson, touching the ball 49 times through two weeks. With so much variance in the NFL, it’s hard to find this type of volume consistency, so when it exists at a cheap price, don’t overlook it.
Buffalo presents a tougher run matchup than either defense Anderson has faced thus far, but that doesn’t faze me when the volume is locked at 20-plus carries a game. Additionally, as the clear lead back, Anderson will be one of the most likely candidates to get in the end zone every single week. I’m going back to the well at a fair price tag, knowing Anderson is guaranteed the opportunity to be on the field. It’s tough to find that consistency in other value RBs.
Other Options: Christian McCaffrey, Ameer Abdullah, Isaiah Crowell, Chris Thompson
MORE: Build your perfect lineup with RotoQL
Daily Fantasy Football Week 3 Picks, Values: Wide receiver
Davante Adams, Packers vs. Bengals (DraftKings: $5,600; FanDuel: $6,800)
Adams is going to be super chalk if either Jordy Nelson (quad) or Randall Cobb (shoulder) miss this week. For me, his rosterability is dependent on one of those two receivers being out. If either miss, Adams immediately becomes a cash game lock. We’ve seen his performance be elevated by injuries in the past, and using the RotoQL player card filters, I can see that anytime Adams receives over six targets he has met or exceeded value 75 percent of the time.
As the primary receiving threat, Adams should have both the floor and ceiling for cash games and GPPs. However, there is one area of concern: Green Bay opened as a 10-point home favorite against the Bengals. While the Packers defense continues to struggle, Cincinnati’s offense has been so pathetic that I can’t see the Bengals keeping this close. The Packers should find themselves playing with a lead, so if Adams doesn’t do his damage early, I’m not sure the opportunity will be there late in the game. Keep an eye on what happens in Green Bay this week and draft Adams in your lineup if either Nelson or Cobb miss this game.
Devin Funchess, Panthers vs. Saints (DraftKings: $4,200; FanDuel: $4,800)
Funchess is by no means a safe play, even with the Panthers losing TE Greg Olsen theoretically moving him to the No. 2 pass target. But, Funchess is so cheap for a matchup with the NFL’s worst pass defense that he is worth taking a shot on, especially in tournaments. Funchess was the second-most targeted Panthers receiver last week, and if he is going to get those type of targets in this matchup, he has a strong possibility of finding the end zone.
The key to watch here is whether Saints rookie CB Marshon Lattimore is going to play after leaving Week 2 with a concussion. If he does, I want to elevate Funchess, assuming Lattimore will be on Kelvin Benjamin the majority of the day. Lattimore seems to be the real deal, and the one bright spot on this Saints D. When the Saints gave up 446 passing yards in Week 2, Lattimore was only responsible for 28 of them. The talk of Brandin Cooks under-performing last week was because Lattimore did a great job defending him, jamming him at the line while also having the speed to stay with Cooks and instinctive ball skills to know when to break up passes. If Lattimore does end up playing, that could mean added targets for Funchess. I’d like to take advantage of any and all extra looks against a New Orleans defense that has allowed a top fantasy performer each week of 2017.
Other Options: Demaryius Thomas, Martavis Bryant, Kendall Wright, DeSean Jackson, Jermaine Kearse
WEEK 3 DFS: DK cash lineup | DK GPP | Yahoo GPP | Top stacks | DFS lineup builder
Week 3 NFL DFS Picks: Tight end values
Eric Ebron, Lions vs. Falcons (DraftKings: $3,300; FanDuel: $5,200)
Ebron is this week’s beneficiary of playing in the Monday night game and not being priced up after performing well. A popular breakout candidate, Ebron is expected to get the majority of red-zone targets in the Lions pass heavy offense after the departure of Anquan Boldin. This game is currently projected as the second highest scoring game of the week, and I believe it will live up to that hype, with both offenses having the matchup advantage over the opposing defense.
At this price, it shouldn’t take much for Ebron to pay off his price tag as long as he is somewhat involved in the offense. This is one of the most inefficient price tags you’ll find on any DFS site, and the type of pricing mistake I want to capitalize on every time.
Other Options: Zach Ertz, Kyle Rudolph
MORE: Last week’s perfect DraftKings lineup
Week 3 NFL DFS Advice: Defense
Philadelphia Eagles D/ST vs. Giants (DraftKings: $3,000; FanDuel: $4,500)
The Eagles can really put pressure on the quarterback, and after suffering through two primetime Giants’ games, it’s easy to see that New York’s offensive line is not going to be able to keep Eli Manning safe this season. Left tackle Ereck Flowers is one of the worst in the game, but the Giants refuse to admit their mistake and bench the former first-round pick. On the other side, starting right tackle Bobby Hart was forced to leave after the first series Monday night, moving right guard Justin Pugh to the outside – a position he has rarely played in the pros – and he did not look comfortable. The Giants offense is broken, and unless Odell Beckham breaks off a big play, I don’t believe they will be able to move the ball.
The Eagles have recorded the fourth-most sacks in the league through two weeks. At the same time, the Giants are tied for third in sacks allowed. I think the defense comes away with at least three sacks, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they get to Manning more often than that. With that type of pressure likely to result in a turnover or two, the Eagles have both the floor and ceiling to make them my top value at the position.
Other Options: Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns
