Get this -- last week's Yahoo daily fantasy football cash lineup was let down by Lamar Jackson! Yes, the most bankable player in all of fantasy had what's likely to be his worst fantasy day of the day of the year in our lineup. It's a shame because we did well with most of our other picks (Austin Ekeler, Jonathan Taylor, DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, Tyler Higbee, Cardinals D/ST), but Lamar was merely "decent." We'll chalk that up to bad luck and look to rebound with our Week 3 Yahoo NFL DFS cash picks.
To be fair, our biggest whiff last week wasn't Jackson -- it was Benny Snell, who we stayed with despite knowing James Conner would play. We thought Snell would still get 10-plus touches and perform well, and given his minimum price, still had the potential to pay off. How wrong we were. We're not making that mistake again, instead opting for three workhorse RBs to go with three high-targets WRs, a stable QB, and good TE.
MORE WEEK 3 DFS: Best stacks | Lineup Builder
Clearly, we're banking on volume here, and hopefully locking in those high floors should help us get above the cash line again.
WEEK 3 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: Yahoo | DraftKings | FanDuel
Yahoo NFL DFS Picks Week 3: Daily fantasy football for cash games
This lineup is for the Yahoo DFS main slate, $200 budget (half-point PPR, four-point passing TDs)
QB Ryan Tannehill, Titans @ Vikings ($31)
Another week, another two-plus TD performance from Tannehill -- the ninth straight regular season game in which he's done that. He's not a risk, despite what you might hear about Tennessee's "run-first offense." In cash games, he'll easily get the job done against a reeling Vikings defense that hasn't been able to get out of its own way.
RB Dalvin Cook, Vikings vs. Titans ($29)
Cook has scored three TDs this year but still ultimately disappointed, totaling just 119 total yards in two games. The Titans allowed good rushing days to Melvin Gordon and James Robinson so far this season, and Cook has more upside than both. Look for Minnesota to rely on its top player in order to get its offense back on track.
WEEK 3 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts vs. Jets ($27)
Taylor was a chalk play last week, and even though his price has jumped $8, he's still worth every penny. After 28 touches in Week 2, it's clear he's the Colts' bellcow back. The Jets were embarrassed by 49ers backs last week and allowed an RB touchdown to the Bills in Week 1. Taylor should post an easy 100 total yards and a score, and he could have a monster day if he does more work in the receiving game.
WR DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals vs. Lions ($35)
Hopkins is about as safe of a play as there is right now. He's caught 22-of-25 targets for 219 yards and a score through two games, and with the Lions coming to town, those numbers are set to get even gaudier. He's not cheap, but he'll still pay off.
WEEK 3 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
WR Diontae Johnson, Steelers vs. Texans ($18)
With 23 targets through two games, it's clear the Steelers want to get Johnson involved early and often. He mainly runs short crossing routes, so he shouldn't be considered a high-ceiling player, but against the Texans, he should do enough to pay off his relatively cheap price. Johnson is perfect for cash games this week.
WR A.J. Green, Bengals @ Eagles ($16)
Green has done very little this year aside from gingerly getting up after virtually every hit, but it's worth noting that he's received 22 targets. If he's going to get that many looks, he'll eventually produce. The Eagles have had more trouble with TEs than WRs, but at just $16, Green is worth trying in cash games.
TE Hayden Hurst, Falcons vs. Bears ($18)
Hurst got going in Week 2 by catching five-of-eight targets for 72 yards and a TD. That's more in line with what we can expect going forward, at least in terms of catches and targets. Chicago struggled against T.J. Hockenson (5-56-1) and Evan Engram (6-65), so Hurst is in a good spot here even if he comes with some risk because of Atlanta's plethora of receiving talent.
WEEK 3 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
FLEX David Johnson, Texans @ Steelers ($16)
Johnson was slowed down by a good Baltimore defense last week (13 touches, 50 total yards), and Pittsburgh has been similarly tough against Saquon Barkley and Melvin Gordon this year. However, both Barkley (6-60) and Gordon (14 yards, TD) had some success through the air, and Johnson can just as easily do damage as a receiver. He's not a high-ceiling play, but we'll take the guaranteed volume at an affordable price in cash games.
DEF Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Broncos ($10)
Paying the minimum for a decent defense facing Jeff Driskel is a gift. Don't overthink it.
