Week 3 of the NFL is here, and Awesemo has a ton of great tools and NFL DFS strategy to help you tackle all the largest contests in DFS. This article will take you through a quick walk through and give you some first impressions of the slate, including some of the top matchups and values plays on the slate. We will discuss the pricing and who sticks out at various tiers for Yahoo daily fantasy NFL picks this week.
There will be a lot more injury information to digest for Week 3. At least five quarterbacks suffered some kind of injury in Week 2: Andy Dalton, Carson Wentz, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyrod Taylor and Derek Carr. If one or more of those starters sit, that could open deeper value at quarterback and make stacking studs at other positions easier.
Yahoo Daily Fantasy: Week 3 NFL First Look & Value Plays
QB Kyler Murray ($39)
Murray tops the quarterback price structure on Yahoo for Week 3, but he is a great pay-up candidate. He was the top fantasy quarterback in the league last year after 11 weeks (prior to him getting injured), and so far he has not only been the top fantasy quarterback on the year but also the top fantasy scorer overall. The Jaguars have looked terrible on both sides in 2021, and Arizona comes into this week with the largest implied team total on the slate, at 29.75 points. Paying the couple extra bucks to get up to his price tag is advised.
QB Matthew Stafford ($36)
After Murray, there is a group of other elite quarterbacks that all look enticing, and Stafford seems to have the best upside. Teams throw a ton against the Buccaneers (53 pass attempts on average so far in 2021), and Stafford is off to a hot start, throwing for five touchdowns and just one interception and averaging close to 300 yards. The Buccaneers secondary is banged up and has allowed the most completions to opposing wide receivers thus far. Stafford looks like an excellent pay-up option here.
QB Justin Fields ($23)
Using Fields in Week 3 is dependent on the health of Dalton (bruised knee), who does not have a torn ACL but likely will not practice much this week regardless. If Fields starts, expect lots of cheap points on the ground given that he ran 10 times in Week 2 despite coming in just half through the game. Cleveland has not been great at stopping the pass either and have had little in the way of pressure. Fields is a high-upside option regardless of opponent but could find himself in a healthy game script here given Cleveland’s solid offense and the fact that the Bears are +7.5 underdogs.
QB Jacoby Brissett ($20)
Brissett is an interesting GPP punt play for Week 3. He is the bare-minimum price and plays the Raiders, who have been terrible at stopping the run this year and last. Brissett has some elite wide receivers, but the main attraction here is the rushing upside. Expect Miami to use the Brissett as a runner inside the red zone if he starts, which gives him a shot at a multi-touchdown day on the ground.
RB Austin Ekeler ($29)
Ekeler has the potential to be in a fantasy-positive game script this Sunday against the Chiefs. Los Angeles is a -6.5 favorite in a road matchup, and Ekeler has showcased great usage, as he led the Chargers running backs in targets, receptions and carries in each of the first two games. The Chiefs have also allowed 6 yards per carry through two games and make for a terrific opponent. At under $30, Ekeler has upside to be the highest scorer at running back this week.
RB Chase Edmonds ($20)
Edmonds has vastly outperformed James Conner through two games. He is averaged 5.4 yards per carry to Conner’s 3.2 and has been the only Arizona running back to see targets in the passing game. Even if he continues to play just 60% of the snaps, eventually Edmonds’ explosiveness will lead to big plays and touchdowns. He gets another weak opponent in the Jaguars this week, and the Cardinals are -7.5 favorites. Edmonds could get a lot more opportunity here.
RB Najee Harris ($19)
Harris broke through against a weak Las Vegas run defense in Week 2, going for five receptions and a receiving touchdown. He struggled again on the ground, though, and the Steelers’ horrible offensive line remains a concern. Still, Harris has played on all but three of the offensive snaps for Pittsburgh through two games, and his volume alone makes him a screaming value again in Week 3. Cincinnati had one of the worst run defenses in the league last season, so a breakthrough game on the ground here would not be overly shocking.
WR Justin Jefferson ($28)
Jefferson has played second fiddle through two weeks to Adam Thielen, who already has three touchdowns. Jefferson has out-targeted Thielen (19-17), however, so the fact he comes at a discount from Thielen (who is $30) is an opportunity. Seattle’s pass defense again looks worth attacking after they allowed over 340 yards passing to Ryan Tannehill and 127 yards receiving to Julio Jones. Jefferson and the Minnesota passing offense in general should be high on the list of targets for Week 3.
WR Robert Woods ($25)
Woods tied Cooper Kupp in targets last week but was vastly outperformed for fantasy purposes again. With all the attention now moving to Kupp, though, because of his hot start, Woods is a GPP target in Week 3. Tampa Bay has allowed the second-most points to the wide receiver position, and opponents against Tampa have thrown the ball an average of 41.5 times per game over the last 18 games. Woods is in a great breakout spot this week.
WR Mike Williams ($18)
Williams now has 22 targets, 15 receptions and two touchdowns through two weeks, stats which put him ahead of assumed No. 1 Keenan Allen. Allen is likely to keep taking a heavy share of the targets (and likely makes for a good play in his own right this week), but the price on Williams is too low to ignore, as he comes in $8 cheaper than Allen on Yahoo this week. The game script calls for more passing too, with the Chargers nearly a full touchdown underdog on most sportsbooks.
WR Michael Pittman ($17)
Pittman had a breakout game in Week 2, as he went for 123 yards on eight receptions and 12 targets. He profiles as a true WR1, so the fact that he finally showcased his true fantasy upside should be taken as a cue to start trusting him a little more in these upside matchups. The game against Tennessee in Week 3 could not be better for fantasy upside either, as they have allowed the fourth-most receptions to wide receivers. Even without Wentz (questionable, ankle), Pittman would be one of the best value targets on Yahoo for the week.
TE Travis Kelce ($31)
Kelce may be the most expensive tight end on the slate, but he is still priced below the top four wide receivers, which makes him a decent value and good Flex option. The Chiefs have the sixth-highest implied team total on the slate for this Sunday and may be getting overlooked a little in both odds and fantasy pricing after losing a thriller to Baltimore. Paying up here secures an incredible floor and a great piece of the Chiefs offense.
TE T.J. Hockenson ($24)
Through two games Hockenson has essentially been the Lions de facto WR1. He is starting to perform the same role that Travis Kelce and Darren Waller do for their teams. Hockenson has averaged 10 targets per game thus far (more than Kelce) and gets a matchup against Baltimore, a team that has allowed the most receptions to opposing tight ends through two weeks.
TE Mike Gesicki ($11)
Gesicki is an interesting punt play for Week 3. After putting up a bagel in Week 1, he rebounded with six targets against the Bills in a game where the Dolphins offense imploded. Brissett starting may help Gesicki, as the Dolphins would likely look to get a little more conservative and take advantage of Gesicki’s athleticism on short throws. Gesicki is risky but really cheap, and if he finds the end zone, he will be a great source of value.
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