NFL Monkey Knife Fight Picks: Week 3

NFL Monkey Knife Fight Picks: Week 3

This article is part of our DFS NFL series.

Still no bye weeks to worry about in the NFL, leaving us with a ton of games to enjoy. A packed slate also means lots of options to consider on Monkey Knife Fight.

Three Game Types are offered, including "More Or Less," "Rapid Fire" and "Stat Shootout." For a full breakdown of the rules for each game, see the House Rules page. Let's dive into some of the contests within each Game Type, and discuss how things might play out.

More Or Less Contest

Right out of the gate, let's examine a 2/2 goal for 3X the prize. Our two choices to make are Josh Allen 25.5 completions and Joe Burrow 24.5 completions. First, give me the over on Allen. He's had exactly 26 completions in both of his games this season, which were both lopsided victories. This could be a high-scoring game on the road against the Dolphins, who exploded for 42 points against the Ravens in Week 1. If this does unfold to be a high-scoring matchup, Allen could easily hit the over.

For Burrow, let's also go with the over. He completed 33 passes in an overtime game against the Steelers in Week 1, but followed it up with a modest 24 completions last week against the Cowboys. All of his top receiving options are healthy, and the Jets showed some life in their win against the Browns last week, scoring 31 points along the way. This game could be surprisingly close, which might mean added pass attempts for Burrow.

Rapid Fire Contest

For this contest, let's look at a 2/3 goal for 1.5X the prize. The options are Allen vs Patrick Mahomes passing yards (with Mahomes receiving a +6.5 yards bonus), Derrick Henry vs. Jonathan Taylor rushing yards (with Taylor receiving a +10.5 yards bonus) and Justin Jefferson vs. Stefon Diggs receiving yards (with Diggs receiving a +12.5 yards bonus).

With regards to the rushing yards battle, I'll lean toward Taylor, who is getting a significant bonus. Keeping up with the Chiefs' offense won't be easy, but the Colts have the advantage of playing at home and likely will try to run the ball a lot to keep it away from Mahomes. Taylor only had nine carries in Week 2, which came on the heels of him carrying 31 times for 161 yards in Week 1. For Henry, the Titans' offense has been a mess, which has contributed to him combining for only 107 rushing yards through two games.

Jefferson against Diggs is an excellent battle for receiving yards. Diggs has a tough matchup, though, against cornerback Xavien Howard of the Dolphins. Meanwhile, Jefferson faces a Lions team that has allowed the sixth-most receiving yards per game in the league. Despite Diggs getting the bonus, give me Jefferson to outproduce him.

Stat Shootout Contest

We have the potential for a few high-scoring games, so let's focus on a 2.5-plus total touchdowns goal for 1.5X the prize. First up, let's go with Jefferson. Through two games, he has two touchdowns and five red-zone targets. Second, let's select Ja'Marr Chase, who is coming off a muted Week 2 performance against the Cowboys. The Jets allowed 101 receiving yards and a touchdown to Amari Cooper last week, so think about the damage that Chase could do to them.

Finally, let's go back to the Vikings and make Dalvin Cook our final selection. The Lions have already allowed five rushing touchdowns, most in the NFL. Cook had 45 red-zone rushing attempts in 13 games last season, and could get plenty of looks in close if this game does evolve into a shootout. The Lions have weapons on offense, helping them score 71 points in their first two games.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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