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Week 3 DraftKings Plays: Lamar Jackson, Dalvin Cook, and More

Week 3 DraftKings Plays - Lamar Jackson and Dalvin Cook should have fantastic outings in DFS and should lead to a hefty payout.

Week 2 is in the books and we’re back in the full swing of the NFL season. Fantasy Football is also full go and 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 the best Week 3 DraftKings plays.

Week 3 DraftKings Plays Throughout the NFL

Week 2 Recap

Looking back at Week 2, it was better than Week 1. This week 60% of recommendations hit the 2.5x value we look for in cash game lineups. This time the quarterback group led the way once again with an 80% success rate. Meanwhile, the tight end group brought up the rear again as well with a 20% success rate. This was a nice bounceback week into the profits. 

  • Week 2 – $319 → $506 ($187 PROFIT)
  • Year Total – $542 → $714 ($172 PROFIT)

Quarterbacks

Lamar Jackson (BAL) – $7,800 @ DET

So much for the Baltimore Ravens wanting to run Lamar Jackson less in 2021. Through two games so far, Jackson has 193 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. He’s currently third in the NFL in rushing yards behind only Derrick Henry and Joe Mixon. Getting that type of production from a quarterback is such a huge advantage. It’s what has allowed Jackson to still be the QB4 in fantasy points per game despite only having 474 passing yards and two passing touchdowns along with two interceptions. This week’s matchup against the Detroit Lions is a juicy one. The Lions are one of the worst defenses in the NFL. This game has a nice 50 point O/U and will also be played in a dome which should help the game environment. Jackson is one of the safest and best Week 3 DraftKings plays.

Justin Fields (CHI) – $5,200 @ CLE

Some might think it’s risky throwing a rookie in his very first start against a tough defensive line right into the recommendations. It would be if that rookie wasn’t a rookie quarterback that is likely to end the game with double-digit rushing attempts. The only reason Justin Fields is this cheap is because pricing came out before Andy Dalton was officially ruled out. He had 10 carries last week despite taking over after Dalton went down and only playing 65% of the snaps. It’s very likely he should see another 10+ carries this week. If that happens, it wouldn’t be surprising at all for Fields to finish with 50+ rushing yards with upside for a lot more should he break a big play. This week’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns isn’t ideal but this price is simply too cheap to pass up, especially in cash builds.

Others to Consider: Kyler Murray (ARI) – $8,300 @ JAX, Russell Wilson (SEA) – $7,600 @ MIN, Daniel Jones (ATL) – $5,800 v ATL

Running Backs

Dalvin Cook (MIN) – $8,400 v SEA

An extremely talented running back seeing 21 carries and five targets per game against a team that just got ripped apart by Derrick Henry who also saw a $700 price drop?  The only concern here is health. Make sure to monitor it until kickoff but if Cook is active, he should see another monster workload. Cook is currently the RB4 in fantasy points per game after two games averaging just over 20 points per game. This matchup against the Seattle Seahawks is a great one. First of all, the Minnesota Vikings are playing at home, in a dome. Secondly, the Seahawks have allowed the most fantasy points per game to running backs through two games. This game also has the second-highest combined total on the week at 55. As long as Cook is active, he should be in heavy consideration for cash builds. If he sits, Alexander Mattison will likely see a big boost in workload and will become chalky at $6,000.

Austin Ekeler (LAC) – $7,200 @ KC

Everybody was freaking out after Week 1 when Austin Ekeler didn’t see a single target. That got corrected in a big way last week as he caught all nine of his targets for 61 yards. That’s good for 15.1 fantasy points just on receiving work alone. That’s the Ekeler we know and love. It should be more of the same this week against the Kansas City Chiefs. This game has the third-highest combined total on the slate at 54.5. The Los Angeles Chargers are also seven-point underdogs. If the game plays out the way it’s projected, the Chargers will likely be behind and throwing more than usual. This bodes extremely well for Ekeler as an elite pass-catching running back. If the game happens to go the opposite way, that’s fine as well because the Chiefs are currently the second-worst defense in terms of rushing efficiency. Either way, Ekeler is a great play. 

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC) – $4,800 v LAC

On the other side of that game, DraftKings is absolutely begging people to play Clyde Edwards-Helaire at this point. After sitting at $6,600 or more the first two weeks, Edwards-Helaire has dropped more than $2,000 this week. He was touted for his pass-catching chops coming out of college but that’s been the downfall so far. His usage, or lack thereof, is more a product of the offense he plays in than his own skills. Patrick Mahomes is so incredible at creating plays out of nothing that it’s rare he needs to check down very often, limiting Edwards-Helaire’s targets. Plus with weapons like Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce commanding large target shares it’s easy to see why he’s left behind. Even still, this price is extremely tempting. There’s definitely risk considering he’s averaging less than seven points per game so far but if the projected roster percentages come in low, Edwards-Helaire will make for a great GPP play on a team with the highest implied total on the slate.

Others to Consider: Joe Mixon (CIN) – $6,300 @ PIT, Najee Harris (PIT) – 6,600 v CIN, Saquon Barkley (NYG) – $6,500 v ATL, D’Andre Swift (DET) – $5,800 v BAL

Wide Receivers

Keenan Allen (LAC) – $6,600 @ KC

Keenan Allen is back again as a great play. He’s now seen eight and 13 targets the past two weeks respectively. He’s had at least 100 yards in each game so far and scored at least 17 fantasy points as well. For some reason, DraftKings decided that he hasn’t done well enough so far and decided to drop his price to the lowest point of the season. Allen has been a target hog for years not but with Justin Herbert, it’s been even better. He’s now averaging more than 12 targets and 80 yards per game with Herbert as the starter. His track record against the Chiefs is strong as well. Allen has at least 71 yards in his last four healthy games against them. As mentioned before this game has a very high combined total and with the Chargers likely trailing or in a close game, Allen should be a great bet to see another 10+ targets on Sunday. This makes Allen one of the very best and most popular Week 3 DraftKings plays.

Chris Godwin (TB) – $6,100 @ LAR

The answer so far to which Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver to draft has been Chris Godwin. He’s averaging 21.9 fantasy points per game so far and has scored a touchdown in each game. Godwin is averaging nine targets per game to this point and teammate Antonio Brown is likely out for this one too which should free up some extra targets. This game environment is great too with a 56 point projected combined total and the Buccaneers being slight underdogs. The only concern is that the Los Angeles Rams are a great defense and have Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey has played more in the slot this year than usual which is where Godwin lines up which could be an issue. Even still, this matchup and price combination is too good to pass up.

Marvin Jones Jr (JAX) – $4,900 v ARI

Don’t look now but Marvin Jones Jr is averaging 10 targets and more than 18 fantasy points per game. He’s been the leading receiver so far for this Jacksonville Jaguars team. This week looks like another great matchup. The Jaguars are one of the fastest-paced teams in the NFL right now and are playing against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals were the second-fastest team last year and are playing at a fast pace once again this season. They are also one of the highest-scoring teams so far and should put up another big number on the Jaguars’ horrible defense as they have the second-highest implied total on the slate. This will keep Trevor Lawrence throwing early and often to the benefit of Marvin Jones. 

Others to Consider: Tyreek Hill (KC) – $8,400 v LAC, Tyler Lockett (SEA) –  $7,400 @ MIN, Cooper Kupp (LAR) – $6,800 v TB, K.J. Osborn (MIN) – $3,500 v SEA, Tyler Boyd (CIN) – $4,700 @ PIT

Tight Ends

T.J. Hockenson (DET) – $5,200 v BAL

Somebody has to catch passes for the Detroit Lions. So far this year that somebody has been T.J. Hockenson. This season he’s seen 20 targets and caught 16 of them for 163 yards and two scores. That’s been good enough for Hockenson to average more than 23 fantasy points per game so far. The matchup this week against the Baltimore Ravens might not seem like a good one at first glance but it is. It’s a small sample size so far but the Ravens have allows the most fantasy points to tight ends so far. That likely has more to do with facing Darren Waller and Travis Kelce but both of those guys had big games. Hockenson is seeing that level of target volume too. The game environment is also enticing. This game has a 50 point projected combined total and will be played in a dome, which boosts passing. The Lions are big underdogs too, so they should be throwing early and often.

Tyler Higbee (LAR) – $4,000 v TB

Higbee was one of the biggest busts last week after being one of the most popular tight ends played in Week 2. Recency bias should keep his roster percentage very low this week since people feel burned from last week. If that’s the case, that’s something to exploit in GPPs this week. The fact remains that he’s running route on 85% of dropbacks so far and that’s huge. Last week’s matchup can be chalked up to variance and a tough matchup. This week against the Buccaneers, the Rams will need to throw to win. Tampa has been one of the stingiest run defenses dating back to last season. As mentioned before, this is one of the best game environments on the slate. Higbee makes for one of the best Week 3 DraftKings plays, especially in GPPs.

Others to Consider: Travis Kelce (KC) – $8,200 v LAC, Darren Waller (LV) – $7,400 v MIA, Jared Cook (LAC) – $3,900 @ KC

Defense/Special Teams

In terms of choosing a defense/special teams, it’s the last spot to fill in every week. It’s pretty random but there are a few areas to gain an advantage. Target the heavily favored 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. Look to fill out the rest of your lineup first and then pick your favorite D/ST out of the remaining money.

Tentative Cash Game Lineup

  • QB – Justin Fields
  • RB – Dalvin Cook
  • RB – D’Andre Swift
  • WR – Keenan Allen
  • WR – Tyler Boyd
  • WR – Marvin Jones Jr
  • TE – T.J. Hockenson
  • Flex – Cooper Kupp
  • DST – Tennessee Titans

Make sure to tune in next week to see the results from the 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!

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