This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The Week 3 NFL main slate begins Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EDT and features 13 games, while the Panthers and Texans are set to kick off the week Thursday at 8:20 p.m., with prime time Packers-49ers (Sunday night) and Eagles-Cowboys (Monday night) matchups wrapping up the action. With two weeks in the books, we're starting to get a sense of which players (and teams) are exceeding preseason expectations and which ones may not be as impressive as we first thought. Some of the options that stand out in Week 3 include a pair of dual-threat quarterbacks, a superstar running back and a plethora of wideouts that have started the season on two-game touchdown streaks.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Daniel Jones, NYG vs. ATL ($25): Jones is at his best when using his legs, and he's done so effectively so far this season, with a rushing touchdown in each game and a career-high 95 rushing yards in Week 2. He clocked in the fastest speed reached by a quarterback (21.23 mph) last season, so Jones is a legitimate threat on the ground, plus he mustered at least 249 yards and a touchdown through the air against each of Denver and Washington so far. Having played Thursday in Week 2, the affordable Jones will have an extra three days to prepare for a Falcons defense that's allowing a league-high 40.0 points per game.
RB: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC vs. LAC ($16): In the words of Warren Buffett, it's wise to "be greedy when others are fearful, and fearful when others are greedy." There's certainly plenty of fear over Edwards-Helaire's production after he failed to reach 50 rushing yards for a second straight game and cost his team the game last week with an ill-timed fumble (the first of his career) that the whole country watched in prime time. His $16 valuation reflects CEH's lack of production thus far, but it also creates a buy-low opportunity for greedy individuals willing to go against the grain. The 2020 first-round pick remains the top option in the Kansas City backfield, and assuming he plays after being bothered by an illness during the week, the team will likely do all it can to build his confidence back up against a Chargers defense that just allowed the Cowboys' duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard to rumble for a combined 180 yards and two touchdowns on the ground last week.
WR: Zach Pascal, IND at TEN ($18): Pascal has opened the Carson Wentz era in Indianapolis by catching all three of Wentz's touchdown passes through two games. Meanwhile, the Titans have allowed a league-high six touchdown passes (as well as a league-high 572 yards) to wide receivers through two games. Pascal's worth targeting in this juicy matchup even with Wentz's status uncertain due to ankle injuries, though the slot receiver's floor certainly drops if Wentz is out or limited.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Josh Allen (BUF, $36), Teddy Bridgewater (vs. NYJ, $28), Justin Fields (at CLE, $23)
RB: Saquon Barkley (NYG, $24), Antonio Gibson (WAS, $18), James White (vs. NO, $14)
WR: Ja'Marr Chase (CIN, $21), Rondale Moore (ARI, $18), Kenny Golladay (NYG, $16)
TE: George Kittle (SF, $24), Rob Gronkowski (TB, $25)
DST: Las Vegas Raiders (vs. MIA, $16), Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CIN, $19)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
QUARTERBACK
Lamar Jackson, BAL at DET ($35): Jackson's dual-threat abilities are tough for even the best defenses to handle, let alone a Lions team that's allowing 38.0 points per game, which is second most behind the Falcons. In addition to mustering at least 235 yards and a touchdown through the air in each game, Jackson already has 193 yards and two touchdowns on the ground this season. With the injury-riddled Ravens lacking weapons, Jackson should continue to take matters into his own hands (legs, really) against a porous Detroit defense that's on a short week, having lost in Green Bay on Monday.
RUNNING BACK
Derrick Henry, TEN vs. IND ($35): After three quiet halves to start the season, Henry put any worries about his form to bed by trampling all over the Seahawks in Tennessee's Week 2 comeback, finishing the game with 237 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns. His combination of strength and burst makes Henry the best in the league at running through tired defenses after halftime, and Henry has seen a noticeable uptick in passing game usage, with nine catches on 10 targets through two games. The Titans' workhorse rushed for 281 yards and three touchdowns in two meetings with the Colts last season, and this year's Indianapolis defense has looked worse than last year's in the early going.
Kenyan Drake, LV vs. MIA ($14): Whether it's Josh Jacobs (toe/ankle) or Peyton Barber carrying the load on early downs, Drake's locked into a change-of-pace and receiving back role that's resulted in a respectable 24 touches through two weeks. With the Raiders unlikely to challenge Miami's stingy secondary downfield, Drake could play an even larger role as both a rusher and a receiver out of the backfield, especially if Jacobs sits again. Miami allowed three touchdowns to Buffalo's backfield duo of Devin Singletary and Zack Moss last week, and the Raiders will likely control possession for most of the game considering the Dolphins will be without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (ribs) and were shut out by the Bills last week with Jacoby Brissett playing most of the game.
WIDE RECEIVER
Tyler Lockett, SEA at MIN ($28): Lockett's off to a phenomenal start, as he's four yards short of Deebo Samuel's league-high 282 receiving yards and is tied for the league lead among wide receivers with three touchdowns. Despite his early success, Lockett is still valued below eight other receivers this week. Russell Wilson's most dependable target should continue to build on his hot start against a Vikings team that has allowed the third-most receiving yards (473) and second-most touchdowns (five) to wideouts in the early going.
Mike Williams, LAC at KC ($18): Williams is getting plenty of attention from Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert and making the most of it. The Chargers' No. 2 wide receiver has been thrown to 22 times through two games, catching 15 of those passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. He has been more productive than Keenan Allen (13 catches for 208 yards on 21 targets), yet Williams costs $8 less in what's expected to be an offensive shootout against Kansas City (over/under: 54.5 points).
Marvin Jones, JAX vs. ARI ($17): Jones' Jaguars tenure is off to a terrific start, even as the rest of his teammates have looked more terrible than terrifying. The former Lions wide receiver has made a living racking up solid stats on bad, pass-heavy teams, having scored nine touchdowns in three of the previous four seasons. With 11 catches on 20 targets this season and a touchdown apiece in Weeks 1 and 2, Jones has shown much better chemistry with rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence than DJ Chark (four catches on 16 targets) ahead of a visit from a Cardinals defense that has allowed four different wide receivers to find the end zone through two games.
TIGHT END
T.J. Hockenson, DET vs. BAL ($24): Hockenson quietly finished third among tight ends in receiving yards last season, but the eighth overall selection in the 2019 draft has taken his game to another level early in his third campaign, with 16 catches for 163 yards and two touchdowns through two weeks as Jared Goff's top target. He's well positioned to keep rolling in Week 3 against a Ravens defense that allowed over 100 yards and a touchdown to the opponent's top tight end in each of its first two games. Granted, Baltimore faced Darren Waller and Travis Kelce, but Hockenson's making a strong early case that he belongs in that elite tier as well.
DEFENSE
Denver Broncos, DEN vs. NYJ ($20): The ferocious Denver defense should be worth paying up for at home in its second straight game against a rookie quarterback. The 2-0 Broncos have held each of their first two opponents to 13 points, and rookie first overall pick Trevor Lawrence completed just 14 of 33 passes for 118 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions at home against them. Jets quarterback Zach Wilson, who was drafted one pick after Lawrence, is unlikely to fare much better on the road, especially coming off a zero-touchdown, four-interception home opener against the Patriots (who make for a strong play in their own right if you're looking to go the affordable route).
Honorable Mentions
QB: Kyler Murray (ARI, $39), Russell Wilson (SEA, $36), Jimmy Garoppolo (vs. GB, $23)
RB: Austin Ekeler (LAC, $29), Ty'Son Williams (BAL, $18), Miles Sanders (PHI, $20)
WR: Cooper Kupp (LAR, $32), Courtland Sutton (DEN, $24), Chris Godwin (TB, $22)
TE: Noah Fant (DEN, $17), Mark Andrews (BAL, $19)
DST: New England Patriots (vs. NO, $12), Carolina Panthers (at HOU, $15)
