This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.
These are my favorite DraftKings plays for Week 3, picking strictly from the 14-game Sunday slate (as of Thursday afternoon). At the end of the page, I'll briefly touch on the Thursday night (Texans-Patriots) and Monday night (Falcons-Saints) games, which are part of the Thursday-Monday 16-game slate on DK.
Quarterback
Cam Newton, CAR (vs. MIN), $7,800 – I typically avoid the Minnesota defense, but with both Adrian Peterson (knee) and Jonathan Stewart (hamstring) sidelined, this probably won't look like a typical Vikings game. It's a tough matchup for these injury-ravaged running games, which could lead both teams to favor the pass. Such a setup is ideal for QB, WR and TE scoring, as fewer carries leads to more snaps, compounding the initial impact of the pass-heavy approach. I never would have expected to target his game for a potential stack a week ago, but the injuries to Peterson and Stewart will likely change the whole complexion of the contest. Also, Newton is really good.
Joe Flacco, BAL (at JAX), $6,100 – There's no shortage of excellent QB options in this price range, with Flacco joined by Bortles, Tannehill and Mariota (all listed below). Each of the four is a very strong play, drawing favorable matchups across the board. However, I do like Flacco a bit more than the others, as Jacksonville's rebuilt defense hasn't looked much different from what we're used to. The Jags do figure to improve throughout the season, but the first two weeks made it clear they still provide a heavily favorable matchup. Flacco can be part of a very cheap stack, with WR Steve Smith ($4,100) and TE Dennis Pitta ($3,400) my two favorite options among Baltimore pass-catchers.
Other options:Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (at PHI), $7,300; Blake Bortles, JAX (vs. BAL), $6,500; Ryan Tannehill, MIA (vs. CLE), $6,200; Marcus Mariota, TEN (vs. OAK), $5,900
Running Back
Charles Sims, TB (vs. STL), $4,900 – Mostly used as a passing-down complement to Doug Martin (hamstring) to this point in his career, Sims now finds himself as the unquestioned lead back, though he will likely cede some work to Jacquizz Rodgers. The matchup against St. Lous' front seven may be tough, but Sims should make up for it with his work as a receiver, and he could get a lot of clock-killing carries in the second half of a potential blowout. Ideally, he'll get the ball in open space while helping the Bucs build a first-half lead, and then stay busy as a runner as the team closes things out in the fourth quarter.
Theo Riddick, DET (at GB), $4,900 – Another injury beneficiary, Riddick is set to replace Ameer Abdullah (foot) as the lead runner, in addition to getting his usual work as a pass-catching maven. While I still expect him to accrue most of his points through the air, Riddick appears to be improved as a rusher, averaging 4.6 yards on 18 carries this season. As much as the extra carries help, the best part is that Riddick will be on the field more often, giving him more opportunities to catch short passes. He's proven capable of having big PPR games even in a part-time role, most recently in Week 1 (27.8 DK points) at Indianapolis. Just be forewarned -- Dwayne Washington could steal goal-line carries.
Other options:David Johnson, ARI (at BUF), $7,700; DeAngelo Williams, PIT (at PHI), $7,500; Matt Forte, NYJ (at KC), $7,000; Melvin Gordon, SD (at IND), $5,800; Christine Michael, SEA (vs. SF), $5,000; Justin Forsett, BAL (at JAX), $3,900; Jerick McKinnon, MIN (at CAR), $3,800; Cameron Artis-Payne, CAR (vs. MIN), $3,000
Wide Receiver
Mike Evans, TB (vs. STL), $7,000 – Averaging 20.0 DK points and 12 targets through the first two weeks of the season, Evans is oddly priced as only the 14th-most expensive receiver (16th on the Thu-Mon slate), trailing the likes of Alshon Jeffery, Randall Cobb and Jordan Matthews. The blowout potential might typically still steer me away, but with Doug Martin (hamstring) unavailable, the Bucs will likely come out throwing in the first half. A weekly top-10 option at his position, Evans could put up a full game's worth of stats before halftime. I'm guessing this is the lowest we'll see his price for years.
Allen Hurns, JAX (vs. BAL), $5,200 – Hurns seems to be underpriced each week, and yet he's never a popular selection, with people typically targeting Allen Robinson of Julius Thomas if they want a piece of the Jacksonville passing game. While Robinson is also a strong play this week, Hurns comes for $2,300 cheaper and will undoubtedly carry lower ownership. The Jags No. 2 wideout quietly put up a 64-1,031-10 receiving line in 15 games last season, despite playing through a sports hernia in November and December.
Phillip Dorsett, IND (vs. SD), $4,400 – Quiet through the first two weeks of his second season, Dorsett is primed for a major breakout following the news that Donte Moncrief (shoulder) will miss four-to-six weeks. Now the unquestioned No. 2 wideout in an Andrew Luck-led offense, the 2015 first-round selection also draws a nice Week 2 matchup, with top Chargers CB Jason Verrett quite possibly shadowing T.Y. Hilton. Given the team's unimpressive receiving talent at running back and tight end, Indianapolis is going to need a lot out of Dorsett and Hilton over the next few weeks. The Colts also don't figure to get much from their other wideouts, as undrafted rookie Chester Rogers will likely take over as the No. 3.
Other options:Antonio Brown, PIT (at PHI), $9,600; Amari Cooper, OAK (at TEN), $7,700; Allen Robinson, JAX (vs. BAL), $7,500; Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (at BUF), $6,900; Jarvis Landry, MIA (vs. CLE), $6,600; Marvin Jones, DET (at GB), $6,200; Travis Benjamin, SD (at IND), $5,200; Stefon Diggs, MIN (at CAR), $5,100; DeVante Parker, MIA (vs. CLE), $4,900; Tajae Sharpe, TEN (vs. OAK), $4,700; Steve Smith, BAL (vs. JAX), $4,100; Tavon Austin, STL (at TB), $4,100; Terrelle Pryor, CLE (at MIA), $3,400; Chris Conley, KC (vs. NYJ), $3,100
Tight End
Jimmy Graham, SEA (vs. SF), $3,000 – Graham quietly returned to a full workload in Week 2 -- his snap count jumping from 17 to 55, though he only caught three passes for 42 yards (on four targets) in a dismal showing by the Seattle offense. With an easier matchup on tap and both Doug Baldwin (knee) and Tyler Lockett (knee) a bit banged up, Graham is back in the low-end TE1 conversation, which makes him a nice bargain at $3,000. If Baldwin doesn't end up playing, Graham could even (temporarily) emerge as Russell Wilson's favorite target.
Other options:Greg Olsen, CAR (vs. MIN), $5,800; Antonio Gates, SD (at IND), $4,600; Eric Ebron, DET (at GB), $3,700; Dennis Pitta, BAL (at JAX), $3,400; Kyle Rudolph, MIN (at CAR), $3,100; Clive Walford, OAK (at TEN), $2,800
Team D/ST
Miami Dolphins (vs. CLE), $3,000 – The Miami defense played well in a narrow Week 1 road loss to the Seahawks, but any optimism was crushed when Jimmy Garoppolo rolled them over in the first half of last week's game, making it difficult to buy into this unit. Of course, it shouldn't matter much Sunday, as the Cody Kessler-led Browns won't have Josh Gordon (suspension) or Corey Coleman (hand), not to mention their top two quarterbacks. Even accounting for the likelihood of high ownership, it's hard to make an argument against this combination of price and matchup.
Other options: Seattle Seahawks (vs. SF), $4,100; New York Giants (vs. WAS), $3,300; Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. STL), $3,100; Cincinnati Bengals (vs. DEN), $2,800; Dallas Cowboys (vs. CHI), $2,500
Extended Slate
Houston at New England – With third-round rookie Jacoby Brissett under center against a tough Houston defense, this isn't the week to roster players from New England's passing game, even though Julian Edelman ($6,400) and Chris Hogan ($3,900) carry very reasonable prices for players with their respective skillsets and roles. The Patriots will likely try to pound LeGarrette Blount ($4,400), but he probably won't have much luck against J.J. Watt and friends. On the other side, Lamar Miller ($7,000) is the only player I'm considering, as DeAndre Hopkins ($8,600) and Will Fuller ($4,800) face a tough New England secondary and are now properly priced. This game will likely be low-to-medium scoring.
Atlanta at New Orleans – This will be a popular game to load up on, with everyone wanting a piece of the potential MNF shootout, and not having another opportunity (on the regular Sunday slate) to roster players from the contest. WR Julio Jones ($9,500), TE Jacob Tamme ($3,200) and RB Mark Ingram ($5,900) are all strong plays, but if I'm going to stack a game, I'd rather go with a less popular choice such as Baltimore-Jacksonville, Minnesota-Carolina or Oakland-Tennessee.
