NFL DFS Week 3 Picks, Projections & Playbook For DraftKings & FanDuel

Even when Lamar is having a “average” game his mobility raises the floor and therefore raises what his ceiling can be as well. We just saw this Cowboys defense get torched by the Saints in Week 2 at home and while the Ravens feature a much different style of offense than the Saints their own dynamic can cause issues for this Dallas defense and all it takes is one big run for Lamar to lock in his fantasy upside.

Speaking of running QB's we have Hurts who got the “tush push” TD in Week 2 and with A.J. Brown out of the lineup we saw the Eagles QB still perform at a solid level, completing 76.7% of his passes while rushing 13 times for 83 yards. There is no A.J. Brown again this week and the Saints have had a decent run defense in years past but Hurts is just a special kind of QB that can do a lot with a little and I like that for GPPs.

Murray figures to be among the highest rostered QBs this week. The game total between the Lions and Cardinals sits at 51.5 and the way to beat the Lions is by throwing on them. It helps that Murray is also averaging over 50 yards per game rushing through the first two weeks as that is a free five fantasy points and when the passing numbers come through like they did in Week 2 we really see the ceiling.

Opposite of Murray and a good play in cash games here is Jared Goff. We haven't seen the monster production yet but he is due for a multi-touchdown performance and having Jameson Williams looking poised for that big year three leap will only help Goff in a game with the highest total on the slate.

Carr has been the covered athlete on a few pieces of content this week and I find him to be a great play on DraftKings in both cash games and GPP lineups. The Eagle secondary is super leaky as evidenced by their struggles against the Falcons last week and the Packers in Week 1.

With Kenneth Walker looking unlikely to suit up again this week I'm looking at the Seahawks offense moving the ball through the air against this Dolphins team that is traveling across the country and one that will be playing without Tua Tagovailoa. Why is the Dolphins missing their starting QB good for Smith? Well, because the Dolphins offense could be in for an inefficient day meaning quick turns and more possessions for the Seahawks to score points.

How do you not plug a guy who just had four touchdowns in your lineup? We knew the Saints offense would be improved with Clint Kubiak's offensive scheme but nobody saw this team averaging over 40 points per game through the first two weeks. Kamara has been nails on the ground and he is still a big threat in the passing game as evidenced by his 50-yard touchdown catch last week.

The Eagles identity is to run the football and they finally found a back fit for their system. No disrespect to Miles Sanders or D'Andre Swift but they are not Saquan Barkley and Barkley has not let fantasy managers down yet this season.

He is the cover of the playbook and he will be the highest rostered player on the slate this week. The Rams have been dreadful against the running game this season and with the 49ers missing CMC, Samuel and likely Kittle this week as well it would only make sense that they lean even harder on Mason to carry the offensive workload.

The Packers have not had a good time against opposing running backs with Saquon Barkley getting it done against them in Week 1 and and Jonathan Taylor rushing for over 100-yards in Week 2. Yes, Pollard is not on the level of Barkley or Taylor when it comes to talent but he has had a lot of success to start the year for the Titans and Tennessee has not been shy when it comes to giving him the football either.

One of my absolute favorite plays of the week is Jerome Ford. The Giants defense is allowing over 5.0 yards per carry on the season and Ford is a big-play runner. I think we may even get him at some lower ownership this week because we saw D'Onta Foreman finish with more carries but I'd still be willing to bet that Ford  is the highest scoring running back in this game.

Head coach Antonio Pierce told us he wants to get Zamir White 20 carries and the Panthers would be one of the best matchups on the board for him to  do so against. Giving up nearly 5.0 yards per carry this season we've seen Alvin Kamara and JK Dobbins light up this Panthers defense over the first two weeks of the year and now it is looking like it's White's turn to do the same.

On the other side of that matchup how about we look at Chuba Hubbard? Yes, the Panthers offense has been horrific through two weeks but with Andy Dalton now the starting QB who is to stay they don't look better? The Raiders run defense has been nothing special with JK Dobbins and Derrick Henry doing the damage against them over the first two weeks of the season.

Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce are out this week for the Texans which means Cam Akers is the starting running back for Houston. Akers looked good in training camp and some thought maybe even good enough to supplant Pierce as the primary backup for Mixon. Now, that ended up not being the case with Akers inactive this season but here is an opportunity for him to show what he still has in the tank as he works back from yet another season ending injury.

Lamb is ready to go this week after not being listed on the final injury report. The Ravens defense has given up plenty of fantasy points this season to opposing top receivers as Davante Adams last week and Rashee Rice in Week 1 both got the job done for DFS players.

In Week 1 everyone was worried due to the lack of volume but in Week 2 ARSB saw 19 targets. Yeah.  that is certainly good enough as we head into a Week 3 matchup against the Cardinals with the highest game total on the board. 

The Panthers pass defense was actually pretty good last year and they have a decent cover corner in Jaycee Horn who will be on Adams in this matchup but the Raiders passing attack has been pretty efficient under Gardner Minshew and in Week 2 we saw Adams put everyone on notice that he is still an elite WR in this league. 

Another WR that had everyone clutching their pearls after his non-existent Week 1 that exploded in Week 2 with over 100-yards and two scores. The way to beat the Lions is through the air and you know that Kyler is going to be taking some shots to Marvin Harrison Jr. in this game.

After limited practice sessions earlier in the week we see Collins not on the injury report heading into the weekend. What this means for us is that all systems are a go for the Texans passing attack that will be at the forefront of their offensive plan this week with Joe Mixon out of the lineup.

I said it in the WR coach and I will say it again here. If Smith was on almost any other team than the team with A.J. Brown he would be a bonafide WR1. With Brown out of the lineup due to injury last week we saw Smith step up and be the top dog for Jalen Hurts and he did not waste his opportunity. I'd be looking for more of the same this week against a Saints pass defense that has lost a few steps over the last few years.

He exploded in Week 2 against the Raiders and while he has a tougher matchup this week I really love what his upside can be in this Ravens offense. He is an elite route runner with elite hand and really good speed. The key is just getting him the football in space so he can make plays after the catch as he is not someone that is often used to stretch the field.

The clear cash game option this week and one that will be used in GPP stacks. Olave is far too cheap but the price is based off of his current season production. The Saints haven't been in a spot where they are in a competitive back and forth game and the limited pass attempts obviously has limited the production. We are expecting a more competitive game this weekend and the Eagles pass defense is not very good.

He torched the Patriots in Week 2 and with Geno Smith throwing 40 times I wonder if the game plan will be similar with Kenneth Walker still not healthy enough to suit up this week. We also have the Jalen Ramsey vs  DK Metcalf matchup to look forward too as these guys have quite the rivalry dating back to Ramsey's days with the Rams.

Another one of my favorite receivers for the week. With CMC, Samuel and Kittle out we assume that Aiyuk is going to be force fed targets by Brock Purdy. He may end up being a safer cash game play but I really like this price tag in tournaments as well as a high floor option.

Another week where Shaheed hit the home run with a 70 yard touchdown catch following his 59 yard touchdown catch in Week 1. The Eagles defense gave up some big plays to downfield man Darnell Mooney in Week 2  and you just know that Clint Kubiak is going to be dialing up some shots for Shaheed this week.

The Rams are missing Nacua and Kupp which moves Robinson into the top receiver spot. You can go Robinson or Tyler Johnson for a little bit cheaper this week as both figure to be highly involved against the 49ers this weekend.

With Deebo Samuel is out and George Kittle is questionable we are likely in for a bigger workload for Jennings who had a big opening night in the teams win against the Jets.

McBride is the top priced tight end this week and it makes sense as he continues to be among the top targets for Kyler Murray and we've talked a lot about this matchup with the 51.5 game total. If not stacking Murray with MHJ then McBride is the way to go and for cheaper cost.

While McBride is the top priced play, it feels like we need to just keep playing Brock Bowers until he is the most expensive tight end and honestly this may be the last week that he isn't the top priced tight end in DFS. The rookie has come into the league and has been as advertised through two weeks, sitting as TE2 by 0.1 FP behind Isaiah Likely in overall scoring and point per game this year.

Goedert is a good cash game option here this week. He should see 5-to-6 targets with A.J. Brown out of the lineup here again and come away with somewhere around 10 fantasy points.

Value tight end for the week. Yes, Parkinson did not do anything remotely productive in Week 2 but now with Cooper Kupp out there is an opportunity for him to be more involved this week against the 49ers. 

They are home and they are facing the Giants. This is setting up to be a good week for the Browns defense who have proven to be the strong point of this Browns team so far this year.

The Rams can't run the football and now the Rams might not be able to throw the football with with Nacua and Kupp ruled out. This is also a divisional matchup and these two teams more than others know the tendencies here as well. 

Justin Herbert is not 100% and may not even play due to the high ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2. The Steelers defense has also been on point, having yet to allow more than 10 points in a single game this season.

Bo Nix is looking very much like a rookie. He is turning the football over and taking sacks. Those are the things you love to see when picking a defense in DFS.