Underdog Fantasy NFL Picks Week 3: Deebo Samuel Is A TNF Top Pick for San Francisco 49ers vs Giants
NFL Week 3 kicks off tonight with the New York Giants vs San Francisco 49ers matchups on Thursday Night Football. There are a couple of key injuries to monitor ahead of this game as Giants RB Saquon Barkley and 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk both come in questionable on the Week 3 injury report. Let's now break down some NFL Underdog Fantasy picks for this Giants vs 49ers TNF showdown. Our top NFL picks today feature 49ers WR Deebo Samuel and Giants LB Bobby Okereke. Enjoy these NFL Underdog top plays and Thursday Night Football picks as you watch tonight's game. If you're making more NFL picks tonight or setting NFL DFS lineups, check out our NFL daily projections. Now, let's dive into the top NFL Week 3 picks on Underdog Fantasy for Thursday night's Giants vs 49ers matchup.
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NFL Underdog Fantasy Top Picks
Week 3 Thursday Night Football Giants vs 49ers Picks
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers – HIGHER than 72.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards
One of the big pre-game storylines to keep an eye on tonight is the status of Brandon Aiyuk, who is a game-time decision with a shoulder injury. If he’s out, then it obviously boosts up the rest of the 49ers’ pass-catchers. Even if plays, though, Deebo Samuel will still be a key part of the offensive game plan. Samuel’s 16 targets lead the team through two games, barely edging out Aiyuk’s 14. The only other San Francisco players to see targets this year are George Kittle (9), Christian McCaffrey (8), and Jauan Jennings (4).
Samuel has 55 and 63 receiving yards in the first two games, but we also have to factor in his rushing. The dual-threat wideout also ran for 38 yards on five carries last week for 100+ total yards in the win. He only had two carries for eight yards in Week 1, but he really wasn’t needed in the running game with the 49ers leading big early. In this matchup against the Giants, expect Samuel to be involved as both a receiver and rusher. The Niners could look to lessen the workload of CMC after he carried it 22 and 20 times in the first two games. With it being a short week, don’t be surprised if Samuel gets more touches out of the backfield. If Aiyuk is ruled out, Samuel’s target share can increase even more.
Bobby Okereke, New York Giants – HIGHER Than 8.0 Tackles + Assists
If this game plays out as Vegas suggests and the general public expects, the San Francisco 49ers will likely be leading for most of the night as double-digit favorites. That means plenty of carries for Christian McCaffrey and others while the Niners lean on the run with a lead. That also means plenty of opportunities to rack up tackles for New York Giants inside linebacker Bobby Okereke. In a similar situation in Week 1, the Steelers’ inside backer trio of Kwon Alexander, Elandon Roberts, and Alex Highsmith combined for 23 total tackles with 7+ for all three as San Fran ran it 34 times. In Week 2 with the 49ers leading in the second half, Rams ILB Ernest Jones had 10 total tackles as the Niners had 28 rush attempts.
Meanwhile, Okereke is the main tackler in the middle of the Giants defense. He was signed in the offseason to do just that after totaling 151 tackles last year (8.9 per game) and 132 two years ago with the Colts. The veteran had eight total tackles last week while playing every defensive snap for New York. It was second on the team behind Jason Pinnock’s 13, but the free safety may need to play back more to account for the 49ers’ receiving weapons. When San Fran runs the ball, though, Okereke will be there more often than not to be involved in either solo or assisted tackles.
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Jaguars signed No. 2 overall pick WR/CB Travis Hunter to a four-year contract.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Hunter’s $46.65 million contract is fully guaranteed and his "$30.57 million signing bonus is paid entirely upfront. The latter aspect makes him “the first non-quarterback not drafted first overall to receive his entire signing bonus upfront.” Securing such a deal makes sense for a player who could lead his team in overall snaps this season. Good on the Jaguars for giving it to him.
ESPN reports that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro reaffirmed that the state will not provide funding for new sports arenas.
Per the report, Shapiro hopes to bring more sports, including NASCAR, to Pennsylvania, but is “very worried about the overall budget.” The state refrained from financially supporting the Sixers, who “decided to partner with Comcast Spectacor, their current landlord, to build a new arena in South Philadelphia.” Both the Eagles and Steelers could someday be impacted by Shapiro’s decision but the Eagles’ Lincoln Field lease runs through 2032. Per the report, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is “‘torn’ over the idea of replacing the stadium or staying put in the home where they raised their only two Super Bowl championship banners.” It’s unclear whether renovations, strictly speaking, would fall under Shapiro’s “new” stadium policy, but there should be ample time to resolve the issue.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson said “I’m all good” when asked about his shoulder injury and availability for training camp.
Richardson said he expects to be ready for training camp, which aligns with a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport from a few weeks ago that said Richardson is “expected to be fine” by the start of camp. Richardson downplayed his most recent injury, saying it was “not really even a bump in the road” and that he has “hit the ground running again.” The former No. 4 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft is expected to battle Daniel Jones for the Colts’ starting job this summer, and is shaping up to be the underdog in the battle given last year’s performances and time lost due to injuries this offseason. He’ll get a fair shake at the job, but he’s far from a lock to be handed the keys in Week 1.
Raiders.com reporter Levi Edwards said WR Dont’e Thornton Jr. “has already become a top target” for Geno Smith.
Edwards writes, Thornton is “using his speed to get vertical down the field,” towers “over smaller defenders in the middle of the field and [uses] his acceleration to create separation consistently.” Questioning Thornton’s 2025 fantasy impact is reasonable. In a best-case outcome, Thornton would likely be operating as the No. 4 receiving weapon behind Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers and Ashton Jeanty, leaving him with an unreliable target share. Still, this is the second positive report on Thornton in as many weeks. Perhaps, the Raiders found a starter in the fourth round. Stay tuned.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan said Darius Slayton has formed a “really quality connection” with Russell Wilson.
Raanan notes that Malik Nabers has been sidelined, but Slayton’s “really solid” spring showing, coupled with Jalin Hyatt’s minor leg injury, bodes positively for Slayton’s grip on the No. 2 perimeter role. If Hyatt can get healthy and improve his play, he could challenge Slayton in-season, but for now, it appears as though the Giants’ steady 28-year-old field-stretcher will continue doing his thing. He can be treated as a volatile, likely matchup-based flex option.
Saints waived RB Xazavian Valladay.
The Saints also waived S Tra Fluellen and correspondingly signed CB Jayden Price, TE Seth Green and OT Barry Wesley. Cam Akers’ recent signing made Valladay obsolete, while also putting Kendre Miller, Devin Neal and Clyde Edwards-Helaire on notice.