Fantasy Football Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)

Week 3 DraftKings Cash-Game Picks

By Jared Smola 2:18pm EDT 9/23/22

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Make sure to check out the Lineup Generator for dollars-per-point value rankings at every position.

QBs

Jalen Hurts, Eagles ($7,600)

Hurts is smokin’ hot through 2 weeks. He leads all QBs in:

• Yards per pass attempt
• Pro Football Focus passing grade
• Carries
• Rushing yards
• Rushing TDs

The result? Games of 24.7 and 37.0 DraftKings points.

Next up is a Washington squad that ranks 20th in Football Outsiders’ pass defense DVOA and 31st in run defense. The Eagles’ 27-point implied total is 5th highest on the main slate.

Marcus Mariota, Falcons ($5,500)

There aren’t many viable cheap plays at RB or WR this week, so it might make sense to pay down at QB with Mariota.

He’s opened the season with games of 20.8 and 16.4 DK points vs. pretty tough Saints and Rams defenses.

Sunday brings an easier matchup vs. a Seattle team sitting 30th in Football Outsiders’ pass defense rankings.

Mariota, of course, also adds value with his legs. He ranks 3rd among QBs in both carries (18) and rushing yards (88). His 10 designed runs are 5th most at the position.

RBs

Dalvin Cook, Vikings ($7,900)

Week 2 was ugly for Cook and the Vikings.

But the offense looked awesome in the Week 1 win over the Packers. Cook went for 108 total yards on 25 opportunities (20 carries, 5 targets) in that one. He’s handled 67% of Vikings carries and registered a 14% target share through 2 games.

He’s in an awesome spot this week vs. a Lions defense that ranks 23rd in Football Outsiders’ run defense DVOA and has allowed the most DK points to RBs. Minnesota has the highest implied total on the week at 29.25 points.

Joe Mixon, Bengals ($7,600)

Mixon has racked up 46 carries and 13 targets through 2 weeks, leading all RBs in expected PPR points. He’s handled 88% of Bengals RB opportunities (carries + targets) – up from 75% last year.

In other words, Mixon is playing more like an $8,600 role right now.

His Bengals are 6-point favorites with a 25.75-point implied total vs. the Jets on Sunday. New York was just stomped for 145 yards and 3 TDs on 4.8 yards per carry by Browns RBs last week.

Leonard Fournette, Bucs ($6,500)

There are real concerns with this Bucs offense that’s been ravaged by offensive line and WR injuries. Tampa is implied for just 21.75 points this week.

But Fournette is simply a strong volume play for this price. He’s handled 85% of Bucs RB carries and seen 10% of the team’s targets through 2 games. Only 6 RBs have recorded more expected PPR points.

The matchup looks good, too, vs. a Packers defense that was just ripped for 122 yards by David Montgomery last week. Green Bay sits 30th in Football Outsiders’ run defense rankings.

David Montgomery, Bears ($5,900)

It’s unsettling to rely on any Bear at this point. But Montgomery has been good from a usage and production standpoint so far.

He’s tallied 32 carries and 6 targets through 2 games. Montgomery scored just 8.0 DK points vs. a tough 49ers defense in the opener but went for 18.6 on the Packers last week. He played a whopping 80% of Chicago’s offensive snaps in that one.

The Bears are 2.5-point home favorites this Sunday vs. a Texans squad that ranks 25th in Football Outsiders’ run defense DVOA and 30th in DK points allowed to RBs.

WRs

Tee Higgins, Bengals ($6,100)

I want a piece of this Bengals passing game in a get-right spot vs. the Jets’ 32nd-ranked pass defense, according to Football Outsiders DVOA. Give me Higgins over WR Ja’Marr Chase, who’s $2,000 more expensive.

Here’s how those guys compare over their last 17 healthy games together:

Brandin Cooks, Texans ($5,800)

Cooks checks in as the top dollars-per-point value at WR.

He’s opened the season with middling 15.2 and 9.4 DraftKings-point outings but has seen 12 and 10 targets in those games. Cooks has now tallied double-digit targets in 5 of his last 6 games, dating back to last season.

The points will come with that type of volume. There’s nothing to worry about with this weekend’s matchup vs. a Bears team sitting 17th in Football Outsiders’ pass defense rankings.

Curtis Samuel, Commanders ($5,100)

There’s nothing fluky about the start to Samuel’s season. He’s a full-time player in a pass-leaning offense that’s getting schemed touches. Samuel ranks 13th among WRs in both targets and expected PPR points.

He could lead Washington in targets again this Sunday vs. an Eagles pass defense that works to prevent big plays and force opposing teams to throw short. Samuel is sitting on a 3.3-yard average depth of target through 2 games.

Also consider: Stefon Diggs ($7,700), Russell Gage ($4,700), Mack Hollins ($3,300)

TEs

Juwan Johnson, Saints ($2,900)

We’re going back to Johnson in cash.

He delivered a passable 8.0 DK points last week, running a route on 71% of pass plays and garnering 7 targets (17.5% share). He’s at 12 targets and a 16% share through 2 weeks and ranks 10th among TEs in expected PPR points.

Johnson is a good bet to return cash-game value at this price tag.

Also consider: Dallas Goedert ($4,700), Tyler Higbee ($4,500)

DST

Panthers ($2,600)

Carolina gets a Saints team that’s coughed up the 3rd most DK points to DSTs, despite not allowing a defensive TD. They’ve allowed 10 sacks (2nd most) and turned it over 6 times (tied for the most).

Jameis gonna Jameis.