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Week 3 DraftKings Plays: Miles Sanders, Kenyan Drake, and More

Week 3 DraftKings Plays

The Bears and Raiders are 2-0 while the Vikings and Falcons are 0-2. It’s just how everyone had it pegged to start the year. However crazy the year has been, it’s been amazing to have football back. One of my favorite aspects of fantasy football has become playing on DraftKings. Every week is like a new puzzle to figure out. Whether you are more of a cash game player or a tournament player, each presents a unique challenge. Let’s take a look at my favorite Week 3 DraftKings plays.

DraftKings Plays for Week 3

Week 2 Recap

It’s always good to be completely transparent and demonstrate accountability. That’s what I like to do with everything I do and that goes for fantasy football as well. Whether it’s bold takes or DraftKings recommendations, I always like to keep track of wins and losses. It’s not only good for the readers to know, but also helps me learn from mistakes moving forward.

Looking back at Week 2, 53.3% of my recommendations hit the 2.5x value we look for in cash game lineups. Quarterback was the best group at an 83.3% success rate. Meanwhile, the running back group brought up the rear down at a 37.5% success rate. For me personally, I rebounded from a rough Week 1 performance to turn in a very profitable Week 2.

  • Week 2 – $333 → $636 ($303 PROFIT)
  • Year Total – $628 → $677 ($49 PROFIT)

Week 3 DraftKings Plays

Quarterbacks

Russell Wilson (SEA) – $7,300 v DAL

I guess all the #LetRussCook and LetRussCook.com movements have worked to this point. Seattle is currently sitting third in the NFL in pass rate in neutral situations after years of being below league average. Better late than never as Russ has rewarded this play-calling by leading the league in passing touchdowns. He also trails only Josh Allen in fantasy points among quarterbacks so far. This week is a juicy matchup against a Cowboys team who owns the fastest pace of play in the NFL to this point. Seattle also boasts the highest implied total of any team on the slate. There’s a ton to love in here in what should be a shootout and another monster game for Mr. Unlimited.

Joe Burrow (CIN) – $6,200 @ PHI

Fun fact: Burrow is currently fifth in the NFL among all quarterbacks with 15 rush attempts. He trails only Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, and Josh Allen in rush attempts. He’s also sixth in rushing yards trailing only the previous four and Russell Wilson. It’s been consistent weekly too with seven and eight each week. That gives him a nice floor. Last week also saw him sling the rock 61 times! This week’s matchup against the Eagles may seem somewhat tough at first as Philadelphia has been worse against the run than the pass but I think most of that has been due to game script as the Eagles have been trailing more than not. This week, I’d expect the Bengals to be trailing and they have a neutral pass rate above league average. That combined with the rushing aspect of his game has me looking at Burrow as a nice option this week.

Mitchell Trubisky (CHI) – $5,700 @ ATL

It feels dirty even recommending Trubisky, but then again this is 2020 so nothing is off the table. Trubisky hasn’t necessarily looked great from a real-life standpoint, but he’s been returning solid value in fantasy so far. He was able to put up 24.3 points in Week 1 against the Lions and followed that up with a solid 15.2 points in Week 2 against the Giants. Those scores were in games they ended up winning. This week, I’m expecting them to be playing from behind against the Falcons so they should need to throw more often in this one. This game is also against a bad Atlanta defense and in a dome. Trubisky also offers a little with his legs at times as well. If you are spending down at quarterback this week, you could do worse than Trubisky in this matchup.

Others to Consider: Kyler Murray (ARI) – $6,800 v DET, Cam Newton (NE) – $6,700 v LV, Dak Prescott (DAL) – $7,200 @ SEA

Running Backs

Jonathan Taylor (IND) – $7,000 v NYJ

The Jonathan Taylor era is officially underway! After an unfortunate season-ending injury to Marlon Mack in Week 1, the Colts gave Taylor the keys to the car in Week 2. He rewarded them for that decision by turning 26 carries and two catches into 110 total yards and a touchdown in a win against the Vikings. That kind of workload is extremely valuable in today’s NFL. This week against a bumbling Jets squad, it could be more of the same. The Jets are a bit better against the run than people give them credit for, but they are also banged up and just got run over by the 49ers. Taylor is known for his combination of size and speed and he could see another 25 touches in this one, especially if the Colts are able to jump out to a lead

Miles Sanders (PHI) – $6,400 v CIN

Unfortunately, we had to wait a week for the “Miles Sanders is the lead back” tour to start but what a start it was. Coming off a hamstring injury, the Eagles gave Sanders 23 touches in his first game back, proving he was fully past that injury. He was able to rack up 131 total yards and a score. One of the most encouraging aspects was that he saw seven targets. He’s going to be a major weapon in the passing game too especially with Jalen Reagor banged up. This week he gets a tasty matchup against the Bengals. Cincinnati looks like they have one of the worst defenses in the NFL and have been destroyed by running backs so far this season. Miles Sanders is an absolute lock for me in cash game lineups this weekend.

Jerick McKinnon (SF) – $4,900 @ NYG

I’m so glad to see McKinnon back healthy and playing well. I’ve been a big fan of his back to his Vikings days so it’s nice to see him come back healthy to this point. The 49ers have been ravaged by injuries this year so far including running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman. Both won’t be playing this weekend so McKinnon figures to see an increased workload along with Jeff Wilson. There’s still some question as to how many touches McKinnon will handle, but so far, he’s been extremely effective on limited touches. He’s scored 13+ points in both games and a touchdown in both as well despite only nine total touches on the year. It only makes sense to be excited to see what he can do on an expanded workload. The matchup is nice too against a Giants defense that isn’t something to fear. McKinnon will be one of the more popular spend-down options at running back this week and rightfully so.

Kenyan Drake (ARI) – $6,000 v DET

Drake might be my favorite buy-low in season-long leagues ahead of his Week 3 matchup with the Lions. That door is going to slam shut come Sunday. While Drake hasn’t lit the world on fire to start the year, it’s encouraging to see he’s still being used as a three-down workhorse. His snap counts are some of the best in the league and he’s averaging 20 touches a game to this point. He’s scored 11+ points in both games as well and is used in the passing game. The problem is that he’s faced two of the best defensive lines in the NFL so far. This week against Detroit, it looks to be a smash spot for Drake and this entire offense. The Lions just allowed the best running back performance of the young season to Aaron Jones in Week 2. This matchup is also one of the fastest-paced, highest-scoring matchups of the week. All the stars appear to be aligning for Drake this week and considering his low salary, he’s one of the easiest locks of the week for me in cash lineups.

Others to Consider: Ezekiel Elliott (DAL) – $8,300 @ SEA, Austin Ekeler (LAC) – $6,800 v CAR, Antonio Gibson (WAS) – $4,700 @ CLE, Joshua Kelley (LAC) – $5,000 v CAR

Wide Receivers

Tyler Lockett (SEA) – $6,400 v DAL

As mentioned under Russell Wilson, this game should be a fast-paced shootout. It only makes sense that if I’m high on Russ, I’d be high on Lockett (and teammate DK Metcalf) in this one. Both Lockett and Metcalf are almost the exact same price but I prefer Lockett in this one. He is slightly cheaper ($100) and the Cowboys have been torched by the slot wide receiver dating back to last year. Last week, Russell Gage dropped a 6/46/1 line on them on nine targets. Gage is a nice player but Lockett is far better. He’s also the more efficient between him and Metcalf. I’m expecting him to get close to double-digit targets in this one and should return great value.

DeAndre Hopkins (ARI) – $7,900 v DET

Hopkins has quickly become the safest wide receiver on the slate. With Michael Thomas and Davante Adams, both banged up and not on the slate, Hopkins checks in as the premier wide receiver if you are looking to fully pay up. So far he’s been a perfect fit with Kyler Murray in this Cardinals offense. He’s seen 16 and nine targets in his first two games in Arizona and turned them into 32.1 and 20.8 points. The matchup this week is extremely enticing again. This game has the second-highest total on the slate and the Cardinals have the second-highest implied total as well. Both teams are above league average in pace-of-play with Arizona being one of the fastest. Combined this looks like it should be one of the fastest-paced, highest-scoring matchups of the week and Hopkins will be one of the safest plays there is.

Terry McLaurin (WAS) – $5,900 @ CLE

The pricing on McLaurin is a bit confusing to me this week. He was the same price last week in what seems to be a tougher matchup on paper and put up 28.5 points. McLaurin has had to face shadow coverage from Darius Slay and Patrick Peterson so far this year and has been mostly winning. He’s seen 17 targets so far turning them into 12 catches for 186 yards and a score. This week he should mostly avoid Denzel Ward. This game is also sneakily the fastest paced game on the slate. With Washington also being big underdogs, McLaurin could see another 10+ target day in a fast-paced game.

Allen Robinson (CHI) – $6,200 @ ATL

Is it just me or is this the greasiest of the squeaky wheels here? A-Rob has struggled out of the gates in 2020 and has also been vocal about his contract situation. He’s still seen nine targets each week although they haven’t been of the highest quality as he’s only hauled in eight of them so far. This week he gets a mouth-watering matchup against a Falcons defense that has been shredded so far. It’s also a game in Atlanta in a dome which helps as well. This matchup should be a bit faster paced as well and might be one where the Bears are actually trailing more than they have so far (shocking 2-0 record so far). If they fall behind early, Robinson could easily see double-digit looks and produce a great game in this one.

Others to Consider:  Diontae Johnson (PIT) – $5,400 v HOU, Amari Cooper (DAL) – $6,500 @ SEA, Golden Tate (NYG) – $4,500 v SF, CeeDee Lamb (DAL) – $5,400 @ SEA, DK Metcalf (SEA) – $6,500 v DAL, Tyler Boyd (CIN) – $5,900 @ PHI

Week 3 DraftKings Plays: Tight Ends

Tyler Higbee (LAR) – $5,900 @ BUF

After a down Week 1, Week 2 was redemption week for Higbee and his truthers (*points to me*) Normally Buffalo is not a team to target with your tight end plays. At this point, however, they are dealing with a good amount of injuries to their linebackers which should make life much easier on Higbee. Mike Gesicki was able to take advantage last week to the tune of 30 points by posting an 8/130/1 line on 11 targets. I think Higbee could see seven-plus targets this week as the Bills may funnel passes away from teammate Robert Woods if he’s shadowed by Tre’Davious White. This is another game with two fast-paced, high-scoring teams so expect Higbee to be heavily involved again.

Hayden Hurst (ATL) – $4,700 v CHI

Hurst was another guy who had a rough opening week only to bounce back in Week 2. Last week he came through turning his eight targets into 18.2 points. We know that the tight end position is a valuable piece of Dirk Koetter’s offense. We also know that the Falcons will pass the ball all over the field and they sport one of the worst defenses in the NFL. This week’s matchup isn’t anything special but it should be a faster-paced matchup and it’s at home, in the dome. If Julio Jones ends up missing, that should help even more giving Hurst a probable target boost, but either way, Hurst should be a solid option this week.3

Logan Thomas (WAS) – $3,700 @ CLE

Went back to the well with Chris Herndon last week to no avail and I guess I haven’t learned my lesson because I’m going right back to the well on Thomas this week. While he didn’t produce last week, it was encouraging to see him still getting the targets. He saw eight targets in Week 1 and upped that to nine targets in Week 2. As mentioned with McLaurin, this is the fastest paced game on the slate. The Browns have some injuries to their safeties and not a very strong linebacker group and that should allow Thomas to take advantage of those targets. I highlighted Thomas in my “Stream Team” article as well. Thomas’ combination of target volume, matchup, and price are just too good to ignore this week.

Others to Consider: Zach Ertz (PHI) – $5,100 v CIN, Noah Fant (DEN) – $5,400 v TB, Jonnu Smith (TEN) – $5,200 @ MIN

Defense/Special Teams

In terms of choosing a defense/special teams, it’s the last spot I fill in every week. It’s pretty random but there are a few areas to gain an advantage. I look to target the heavily favorited teams as they usually are playing with a lead. This forces their opponent to throw it more often which can help lead to extra sacks and turnovers and hopefully a touchdown. Another aspect to target is turnover and sack-prone quarterbacks. With that being said, my advice is to fill out the rest of your lineup first and then pick your favorite D/ST out of the remaining money.

My Tentative Cash Game Lineup

  • QB – Kyler Murray
  • RB – Jonathan Taylor
  • RB – Miles Sanders
  • WR – Allen Robinson
  • WR – Terry McLaurin
  • WR – Diontae Johnson
  • TE – Logan Thomas
  • Flex – Kenyan Drake
  • DST – Cincinnati Bengals

Make sure to tune in next week to see the results from my Week 3 DraftKings plays and to see the best picks for Week 4. Best of luck to everyone and let’s all enjoy some football and win some money!

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