DRAFTKINGS WEEK 3 LINEUP RECOMMENDATIONS

DraftKings Week 3 Lineup Recommendations

By Ben Rolfe

Well Week 2 was a little all over the place wasn’t it?! The New England D put up more points than many quarterbacks and results were generally a little bit all over the place.

Once again, we have 13 games on this slate with some interesting numbers to take a look at. We have a spread of lines throughout the 40s and the Kansas City Baltimore game the star of the slate with a line as high as 52.5. However, with the potential for storms in Kansas City this weekend we may need to be careful that that line does not take a late shift down closer to 50.

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In this article, you will find my Week 3 picks on DraftKings, which are based on matchups, situation, weather and betting lines. The focus of this piece will be looking at upside, and is, therefore, more suited for use in GPP formats. However, the names below can also double up as options in cash games, alongside some safer bets.

Quarterback

Josh Allen, BUF vs. CIN | $5,900

I was on Josh Allen last week and it was a solid choice and this week has the chance to be even better. Cincinnati were absolutely gashed on the ground last week and now they face a very potent running attack in the form of Buffalo. More pressure may fall on Allen’s shoulders if Devin Singletary is missing, as Frank Gore likely comes into this with a carry limit. That will especially be the case around the goal line and I would not be surprised if Allen finds the end zone at least once in this game.

Jameis Winston, TB VS. NYG | $5,400

The New York secondary is not good, and the Tampa Bay offense is in need of a statement game. The biggest weakness for Tampa Bay is their offensive line, but New York does not have the talent to cause them many problems in this game. Winston should have all the time in the world to throw in this one. There is a very real chance that Tampa Bay open up the taps in this one and demonstrate just what their offense is capable of. However, the risk there is that you are relying on Winston to make smart decision, something he has not always been reliable at.

Running Back

Ezekiel Elliott, DAL vs. MIA | $8,900

Yes, he is expensive, and he may only play a small amount into the second half, but Miami have been very susceptible to opposing running games in the first two weeks. Baltimore went for over 200 yards on the ground and New England added another 100. Elliott has averaged 18 carries per game and 82 yards per game through the first two weeks and could add to that this week.

Austin Ekeler, LAC VS. HOU | $7,200

The season could not have gone much better for Austin Ekeler so far. 29 carries for 124 yards and two touchdowns with a further 12 receptions for 163 yards and another two touchdowns. Houston struggled with the run game in Week 1 before performing betting in Week 2, but Ekeler should be able to have success. This may be the last week Ekeler will be below $8,000, and you should be looking to take advantage while you can.

Royce Freeman, DEN @ GB | $4,400

Cheap options at running back are hard to come by this week but Royce Freeman offers some upside. The second year back have been the more productive of the two young backs in Denver. Freeman averages 5.2 yards per carry compared to the 3.3 yards for Phillip Lindsay. Freeman has also added 53 yards on the ground at an average of 8.8 yards per catch. This is still a timeshare, but Freeman has managed to put up solid numbers despite that, and now faces a Green Bay offense who gave up a couple of monster runs last week.

Wide Receiver

Chris Godwin, TB VS. NYG | $6,900

Godwin has been super impressive this season, averaging nearly 16 yards per reception and adding two touchdowns. He has taken the place of Mike Evans as the highest priced Tampa Bay player on the slate. However, the struggles of Winston mean he is still a decent bargain at under $7,000. I spoke earlier about how poor the New York defense is and both Godwin and Evans could take advantage. I just trust Godwin a fraction more right now.

Kenny Golladay, DET @ PHI | $6,600

Golladay facing a porous secondary in the form of Philadelphia has my mouth watering. Golladay leads the team in targets with 12 and has turned them into 159 yards and two touchdowns. Philadelphia gave up two 100-yard receivers last week and a also allowed Terry McLaurin to have 125 yards on five receptions in Week 1. Golladay is the main deep threat in this offense and should be in line to get close to double-digit targets once again this week.

Will Fuller, HOU @ LAC | $4,900

I have a number of boom-or-bust type receivers I like this week, including Mike Williams in this same game. However, I am going for Fuller here because Los Angeles are signing players off the street to fill their secondary right now. Fuller is on the field on nearly every snap with DeAndre Hopkins and averages an impressive 18.2 yards per reception so far this season. With most of the attention expected to be focused on Hopkins this week, look out for Fuller to have one of his monster games and potentially even find the end zone.

Tight end

Mark Andrews, BAL vs. KC | $4,600

My motto this season has largely been “pick Evan Engram, and then pick him again”. I have only really had eyes for Engram in DFS when it comes to the tight end position, but this week I am pivoting a little. Andrews has averaged 8.5 targets per game and have caught an impressive 16 of them. He is averaging 13.75 yards per catch and has a touchdown in each of the first two weeks. The Kansas City defense is nothing to be scared of as they allowed six receptions and 63 yards to Darren Waller last week. Andrews should be in line for another big week in Week 3, as he remains a favorite target for Lamar Jackson.

Darren Waller, OAK @ MIN | $4,100

The Raiders are really riding Waller hard this season. He has been targeted 15 times already and has pulled in 13 of them for 133 yards. Minnesota allowed nine receptions on nine targets for Austin Hooper in Week 1 of the season, and Waller should be more than capable of repeating that type of game and returning a double-digit production this week.

Defense/Special Teams

Buffalo vs. CIN | $3,400

Again, I would prefer to have this under $3,000 but passing up Buffalo is hard to do, especially against an offense that put up 17 points last week against San Francisco. Andy Dalton was sacked four times last week and Buffalo may arguably have an even better offensive line. This could be a long day for Dalton, who can be prone to mistakes when put under pressure.

Tampa Bay vs. New York | $2,900

This was going to be my pick either way this week but Daniel Jones under centre is the worse of the two options. Tampa Bay’s defense has allowed just 31 points this season and has generally be really impressive. As for the New York offense? They average just 15.5 points per game and have turned the ball over four times already. This game could get nasty if the Tampa Bay defensive line can dominate a mediocre New York offensive line and get after a quarterback who has fumbled a few times between the pre- and regular-season.

Disclaimer: I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is brolfe1507) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

BEN IS THE HEAD OF NFL CONTENT FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. YOU CAN ALSO FIND HIS WORK AT; FFSTATISTICS, PRO FOOTBALL NETWORK & ROTOBALLER. FOLLOW BEN @BENROLFE15 ON TWITTER.

 5/5

Image credit: USA Today