This week's NFL DFS main slate offers a number of presumptive shootouts and exciting developments, and it starts with Justin Fields making his first career start. He leads our Week 3 DraftKings Lineup picks, and to abate some of the risk inherently associated with a rookie QB, were pairing him with two of the best daily fantasy football RBs and one of the best WRs on the entire slate.
Before we goet into our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
WEEK 3 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | Yahoo
DraftKings Picks Week 3: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Sunday main slate, $50,000 budget
QB Justin Fields, Bears @ Browns ($5,200). We’re equally enticed by the savings Fields provides as we are about the upside -- both as a runner and passer. Don’t be surprised if this marks the last week Fields is available at such a cheap price.
RB Derrick Henry, Titans vs. Colts ($8,600). It took four games for Henry to collect his 10th target in 2020 and six in '19. He’s at 10 targets through two contests and appears to be handling a more featured role in the passing game under new offensive coordinator Todd Downing. What other convincing do we need to make him a fixture in our weekly lineups? Suddenly, he's even more valuable in DraftKings full-point PPR format.
MORE WEEK 3 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
RB Austin Ekeler, Chargers @ Chiefs ($7,200). Ekeler should be heavily involved in a matchup that promises plenty of points. He’s handled 50 percent of the team’s carries so far and caught all nine of his Week 2 targets. We’re always going to be interested in backs who can threaten the 100-yard plateau on the ground and through the air.WR Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals @ Steelers ($5,400). This spot was originally reserved for Antonio Brown ($5,200) before he was placed on the COVID list. Chase hasn’t ascended to the unquestioned target leader in Cincinnati yet, but he certainly hasn’t forgotten how to catch the ball. His 22.1-yard/catch average won’t hold up as his volume increases, but we love that his big-play ability has translated to the NFL so soon.
WEEK 3 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
WR Quintez Cephus, Lions vs. Ravens ($3,900). The connection between Jared Goff and Cephus continued to develop on Monday night with the latter garnering seven targets and another touchdown. Baltimore doesn’t present an easy matchup, but cheap opportunity is what we’re banking on in this spot.
WR K.J. Osborn, Vikings vs. Seahawks ($3,500). Osborn has been one of the biggest surprises of the season and heads into Week 3 leading the Vikings in receiving yards (167). Vegas odds suggest this game could turn into a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair. If it does, there will be enough opportunity for Osborn to continue his hot start.
WEEK 3 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
TE T.J. Hockenson, Lions vs. Ravens ($5,200). The Ravens have been susceptible to tight end production through two games, allowing Darren Waller and Travis Kelce get loose for 29.5 and 26.9 DK points, respectively. Hockenson isn’t mentioned alongside those two -- yet -- but he’s averaged 23.2 DK points through two weeks and leads the Lions with 20 targets.
Flex (WR) Tyreek Hill, Chiefs vs. Chargers ($8,400). We originally had Dalvin Cook here, but given his injury situation, we're subbing in a stud WR. Hopefully, other DraftKings players are scared off by Hill's quiet Week 2. He's too good to be held down two weeks in a row.
WEEK 3 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
DEF Washington Football Team @ Bills ($2,700). The Football Team hasn’t demonstrated the dominant defensive chops we anticipated leading up to the season. However, it’s early enough to continue betting on the players and teams we expected -- and expect -- to produce. That includes the Football Team and their attractive price tag against a relatively disappointing Bills offense.