Another "Monday Night Football" doubleheader awaits in Week 3, which means we have two opportunities to craft lineups that finish above the cash line for DraftKings DFS. The first matchup takes place in Tampa where the 2-0 Eagles visit another one of the league's remaining undefeated teams, the Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield has the Bucs balling on a budget as he rebuilds a career that once appeared to be on its last legs.
On the flip side, Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have put up plenty of points to win their first two, but it's been ugly, at best. Is the Super Bowl hangover going to impact them all season, or is this the week we see a return to the Philly offense of 2022?
Before we get into our lineup and strategy, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They're full-point PPR and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player's original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.
Eagles-Buccaneers DraftKings Picks: DFS lineup for Week 3 Monday Night Football
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary): TE Cade Otton, Buccaneers ($6,300)
Otton checks in as our "Captain" as we continue to target tight ends against the Eagles' defense. They've given up three touchdowns to the position in two weeks to go along with 12 catches for 122 yards on 14 targets. Otton quietly posted six targets in Week 2, a sign of a developing rapport with Baker Mayfield. Considering that reality, the Bucs tight end should be in for a big day and comes in with an even better price to help balance our lineup.
FLEX WR A.J. Brown, Eagles ($10,200)
Brown was seen complaining to Jalen Hurts on the sidelines in Week 2 on Thursday night against the Vikings. That means we're in for the classic overcorrection in Week 3, so expect Hurts to pummel Brown with targets on Monday night. It's a good matchup for that against a Tampa defense that has been generous to WR1s thus far. Justin Jefferson and DJ Moore have each gone for over 100 yards receiving, Brown should continue that trend while being a great candidate to find the end zone, too.
FLEX WR Mike Evans, Buccaneers ($9,200)
Evans has also had his fair share of success in 2023. He's scored a touchdown in each of the first two weeks while recording six catches in both games. Mayfield is spreading the ball around but always reverts back to his favorites, and there's no question that Evans is on that list. The Eagles didn't have to contend with a tough receiver room in Week 1 when they played the Patriots, but their secondary was exposed in Week 2 when the Vikings came to town. That's not to say it isn't a good group, but the Eagles are vulnerable. Evans has always been capable of making his presence felt and should continue to do that on Monday night as Mayfield keeps looking his way.
FLEX QB Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers ($8,800)
Tampa is 2-0, and Mayfield is thriving as the successor to Tom Brady for the Buccaneers. There isn't a single soul that ever thought that sentence would be written, let alone be true, but that's an indication of how weird life is in 2023 as Mayfield slices up defenses in a way that is reminiscent of his days at Oklahoma. He's been nearly automatic on third down, completing 20-of-23 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns, showing no signs of slowing down. The Eagles might be 2-0, as well, but they still feel like a team that hasn't woken up yet. Mayfield's team is a more well-rounded bunch than the ones Philadelphia has played so far, making him a solid choice over Hurts to earn a spot in our lineup.
MORE DK SHOWDOWN: How to win a Showdown contest
FLEX RB Rachaad White, Buccaneers ($8,400)
White is the clear RB1 in Tampa and continues to be utilized as such. He's totaled 17 carries in each game and has yet to show off the receiving ability that made him such an attractive fantasy option in the first place. While the Eagles' defensive line is their strength, this should be the week where White starts catching some passes as Tampa works around that challenging Philly front. Consider White a sleeping giant in that regard who could catapult up the rankings with another impressive showing.
FLEX TE Dallas Goedert, Eagles ($6,400)
Goedert caught as many passes as you and I did in Week 1, taking a good old-fashioned goose egg in the box score. He responded in Week 2 with six catches on seven targets. The problem is that it only translated to 22 yards, but as Goedert's salary drops in DFS, we are still planning on buying that stock. That level of workload will bring results sooner rather than later in an offense that has to wake up at some point. Week 1 was an outlier for Goedert that the fantasy and betting community are still trying to comprehend. Buy low and expect a positive return on investment.
