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RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 3

Sat Sep 24 8:50am ET
By MIKE BARNER
Contributing Writer

Bye weeks have yet to begin in the NFL, and we only have one Monday Night Football game in Week 3. That means we have a ton of options to consider in DFS. Let’s get right down to business and highlight some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

Quarterbacks

Jalen Hurts, PHI at WAS ($7,600): Hurts isn’t here for his passing prowess. While he did throw for 333 yards against the Vikings in Week 2, he only has one passing touchdown this season. However, he’s done plenty of damage on the ground, totaling 147 yards and three touchdowns through two weeks. With his 28 total rushing attempts in those games, his ability to rack up yards on the ground makes him an extremely appealing option.

Matthew Stafford, LAR at ARI ($6,500): Although the Cardinals pulled off a comeback win over the Raiders on Sunday, they allowed two more touchdowns through the air. That came on the heels of them giving up five passing touchdowns in Week 1. Coming off of a three-touchdown performance against the Falcons, Stafford could be in line for another juicy stat line.

Player to Avoid

Russell Wilson, DEN vs. SF ($6,800): Wilson’s tenure with the Broncos has not started off on the right foot. He only has two passing touchdowns through two games, and he only threw for 219 yards in a narrow victory over the Texans last week. The scary part was that he completed only 14 of 31 pass attempts. The 49ers have allowed a total of 26 points over their first two games, so it’s difficult to justify seeing if Russ can finally cook up a savory stat line in your DFS lineup, when Stafford has a much better matchup, to go along with a cheaper salary,

Running Backs

Dalvin Cook, MIN vs. DET ($7,800): The Vikings were dominated by the Eagles on Monday, playing from behind for much of the game. That resulted in Cook only getting six carries. His role is certainly not in doubt, especially after he turned 20 carries into 90 yards in Week 1. This should be a closer contest against a Lions team that has allowed the seventh-most rushing yards in league, so look for Cook to have a nice bounce back performance.

Jeff Wilson, SF at DEN ($5,300): In the 49ers’ first game with Elijah Mitchell (knee) on IR, Wilson was their lead back. He didn’t disappoint, rushing 18 times for 84 yards and catching both of his targets for an additional 19 yards. Add in Trey Lance (ankle) now being out for the season and the 49ers should run a more traditional style of offense under Jimmy Garoppolo. With Wilson leading their backfield and having such a cheap salary, he has the potential to provide value.

Player to Avoid

AJ Dillon, GB at TB ($5,800): Dillon and Aaron Jones continue to get significant work out of the backfield for the Packers. Dillon had 18 carries for 61 yards last week, while Jones had 15 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown. The problem for Dillon this week is that he not only will have to continue to share work with Jones, but he has a very difficult matchup against the Buccaneers. Last season, the Buccaneers allowed the third-fewest rushing yards per game in the league. They have allowed just 173 rushing yards through two games this season.

Wide Receivers

A.J. Brown, PHI at WAS ($7,300): Brown certainly looks settled in with the Eagles, totaling 15 receptions on 21 targets for 224 yards. This will be another tough test for the Commanders, who allowed Amon-Ra St. Brown to record nine receptions, 116 yards and two touchdowns in Week 2. If you’re rolling with Hurts at quarterback, be sure to pair him with Brown.

Jakobi Meyers, NE vs. BAL ($5,000): There’s very little touchdown upside with Meyers, who has only reached the end zone two times during his career. However, he had 126 targets last season, and he already has 13 receptions on 19 targets this season. If the Patriots fall into an early hole and have to play catchup, Meyers could see enough of a workload to provide value at such a cheap salary.

Player to Avoid

Marquise Brown, ARI vs. LAR ($6,000): It’s been a modest start to the season for Brown, who has 10 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. He’s still lined up to be the Cardinals’ top wide receiver with DeAndre Hopkins suspended, but that might not actually be a good thing this week. He could be shadowed by Jalen Ramsey, who is one of the top cornerbacks in the league.

Tight Ends

Kyle Pitts, ATL at SEA ($4,800): Talk about a disappointing start. Pitts hasn’t been overly involved in the Falcons’ offense, catching four passes for 38 yards. The odd thing is that he only has 10 targets through two games. Having Marcus Mariota as his quarterback will likely prevent Pitts from living up to his full potential this season. However, he still has the talent to be worth taking a chance on against the rebuilding Seahawks, who have allowed 123 yards and a touchdown to tight ends through two weeks.

Tyler Higbee, LAR at ARI ($4,300): It’s quickly become apparent that the Rams are going to rely heavily on Higbee this season. He had 11 targets in Week 1, then followed that up with nine more targets last week. In total, he has 12 catches for 110 yards. Adding him and Stafford to your entry creates plenty of upside, while neither player’s salary will destroy your budget.

Player to Avoid

Taysom Hill, NO at CAR ($4,300): No longer needed at quarterback, Hill is basically a gadget player for the Saints. He showed his upside in Week 1, rushing four times for 81 yards and a touchdown. However, he played just six offensive snaps in Week 2, rushing three times for 14 yards. Higbee has the same salary and a much more stable role with the Rams, so taking a chance on Hill this week isn’t necessary.

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.

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Courtland Sutton May 13 7:30pm ET

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