With two weeks of data to run on, we are now officially cooking with gas as we look to set our Week 3 NFL DFS lineups on DraftKings for cash games. The first couple weeks are for finding our footing, and now it all can coalesce. Week 3 is Coalescence Week. It has to be.
Last Sunday had its lessons, but I'll say JuJu Smith-Schuster would've carried us across the cash line if not for Big Ben Roethlisberger getting injured, and that cannot be unproven.
Give me my $50K DraftKings: I've got cap to spend, and it's time for Week 3.
WEEK 3 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
NFL DFS Week 3: DraftKings cash lineup picks
QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens @ Chiefs ($7,000). If he's going to run about 15 times in a game that's remotely close, we'll have to jump on the wagon. Paying up a bit at QB, but the rushing floor has me on the $500 discount from Patrick Mahomes.
RB Dalvin Cook, Vikings vs. Raiders ($7,100): Down 21-0 early, the Vikings showed that Cook's a man for any game script. OC Kevin Stefanski confirmed this in consecutive 20-plus carry weeks for Cook, whose Vikes are TD-plus favorites.
Week 3 DFS Lineups:
FD cash | FD GPP | DK cash | DK GPP | Y! cash | Y! GPP
RB Aaron Jones, Packers vs. Broncos ($6,100). Grabbing another heavy favorite here, as Matt LaFleur laid out their template for positive game script in feeding Jones 23 carries Sunday. And those six targets indicate true bell-cow potential.
WEEK 3 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
UPDATE: WR Kenny Golladay, Lions @ Eagles ($6,600). The injury developments with Cam Newton and ensuing quarterback change for Week 3 push us to view DJ Moore's target volume with more uncertainty. Switching to Golladay here, who ranks 13th in targets and fourth in air yards heading into a matchup with Philly's 31st-ranked unit in DK points allowed to receivers.
INITIAL: WR DJ Moore, Panthers @ Cardinals ($5,900). Saving $1,900 off the receiver ceiling at our WR1, while still securing the fourth-ranked receiver in targets. The dough we spent on QB and RB does require a more frugal approach here.
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals vs. Panthers ($5,100): Fortunately, there are underpriced receivers in the $5K range who do project for high floors based on high usage thus far. We get two top-five receivers in targets for $11K combined.
WR Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos @ Packers ($4,800). Sanders ranks fifth in the league in receptions, but playing for the Broncos keeps his price depressed. Projected game flow works in Manny's favor with the Broncos entering Lambeau as heavy dogs.
MORE WEEK 3 DFS: Stacks | Top values | Lineup Builder
TE Mark Andrews, Ravens @ Chiefs ($4,600). Andrews leads all tight ends in yards and ranks third in targets, putting him ahead of Travis Kelce — at $2,500 cheaper. Another spot where we get the discounted side in the Ravens-Chiefs bout.
UPDATE FLEX Nelson Agholor, Eagles vs. Lions ($3,600). Agholor saw 11 targets with Alshon Jeffery and DeSean Jackson sidelined on Sunday night. We could see a fair amount of Darius Slay, though if Jeffery's active maybe that draws coverage. Still, D-Jax out and Jeffery banded up means the projected target floor is quite high for this price.
INITIAL FLEX Darren Waller, Raiders @ Vikings ($4,100). Nominally just a tight end, Waller also sees work split out and did draw at least seven targets in both contests so far. Waller's 13 receptions would rank top 10 among receivers.
D/ST Cowboys vs. Dolphins ($4,300). We're in Full Peterman Mode here with fading the Dolphins at the team defense spot. Their opponents locked in 20-plus DK points each of the past two weeks.