Welcome to Week 3 of the DFS Cash Game Breakdown! If you’re new to this article or DFS cash games, please check out my 10 Rules to Live By article. Before we get into the Week 3 picks, let’s do a quick rewind.
I have maintained from the beginning that this is a forward-thinking article, meaning we don’t dwell on what happened last week. As the great Bill Belichick once said, “We are on to Cincinnati.” With that being said, I believe credibility matters in this space. My goal is to help you all win money. If you have been following this article for the last two weeks and using the plays recommended, that’s exactly what you have been doing.
I’d like to share my FanDuel cash game lineup from last week:
Jared’s week 2 Cash Game lineup in a 100 man 50/50 Contest on Fan Duel
As you can see, I played every single play straight from the article. The result was the highest-scoring lineup in the 50/50s and winning every contest I entered, including the triple-ups, and a high finish in the GPPs. In addition to the plays from the article, I added Tony Pollard and Stefon Diggs (Credit: Zman0502). As I mentioned in this space last week, please join us in the Discord. I shared the two lineups I was deciding between in the Discord on Saturday night. Now, let’s move on to the plays for Week 3!
Week 3 DFS Cash Game Picks:
QUARTERBACK
Kirk Cousins
FanDuel: $7800
DraftKings $6900
As a Vikings fan you have no idea how much joy it gives me to be writing up Kirk Cousins. Cousins has been the highest-scoring quarterback in fantasy for the first two weeks of the season (28.05 FPG). There is no reason to expect him to slow down here against the Chargers in a game with a 54-point over/under.
The Vikings’ defense is suspect, and the Chargers have the offense to put up the points and turn this into a shootout. Everything points to another good game from Cousins.
Patrick Mahomes
FanDuel: $9200
DraftKings: $8300
Patrick Mahomes is my pay-up option for this week. He has the highest salary among quarterbacks but also projects for the most raw points on the slate. We haven’t seen a blowup game from Mahomes yet this year, but we all know that one is coming. Travis Kelce will have another week under his belt in his return from the knee injury. We saw life from Skyy Moore, and Kadarius Toney actually caught a pass that was thrown in his direction. There are worse ways to spend your salary this week than on the best quarterback in the league.
Running Back
Joshua Kelley*
FanDuel: $6100
DraftKings: $5400
This play is obviously dependent on Austin Ekeler still being out. Josh Kelley was a chalk bust last week which was not a surprise given the Titans’ stout run defense. That Titans’ run defense is also the reason Jerome Ford isn’t a must-play this week after the Nick Chubb injury.
Because Kelley had such a bad week last week, he may not be as widely owned as he should be. This is a far better match up and game environment than he had last week. If Ekeler is out, fire up Kelley.
Travis Etienne
FanDuel: $8000
DraftKings: $6900
Running back is tough this week. I’ve had trouble deciding on who would be the second running back in this spot. I have settled on Travis Etienne. Fears of Tank Bigsby coming in and taking a huge chunk of the workload were overblown. Full disclosure, I don’t know if he will actually end up in my lineup come Sunday. All the more reason to check in on the DFS Channel in Discord this weekend!
WIDE RECEIVER
Mike Williams
FanDuel: $7200
DraftKings: $6000
Another player from the Vikings/Chargers game to consider is Mike Williams. He is the top point-per-dollar wide receiver on both sites this week. While Keenan Allen had a stellar performance last week with an 8-111-2 stat line, Williams actually received more targets with 13. Choosing Williams this week will help you save on salary.
Tank Dell DK ONLY $3600
AND Nico Collins DK ONLY $5300
Most lineups on DraftKings this week will feature a Houston Texans receiver. Nathaniel Dell aka Tank Dell is the top trending player on PlayerProfiler right now.
Nathaniel Dell Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile
Dell’s snap share increased from 48.7-percent to 77.4-percent, and his routes went up from 24 to 43 from Week 1 to Week 2. Meanwhile. Nico Collins is coming off a 27.6 fantasy point game and may finally be breaking out in his third season. Between the two, I do prefer Collins, but I will play the one that fits based on the rest of my roster.
Jerry Jeudy FD ONLY $6100
Before his injury, Jerry Jeudy was being drafted as high as the 4th round in season-long drafts.
We saw him return to action last week but was clearly being eased back in. This week, he should be closer to full health. At $6100 on FanDuel, he is too cheap to pass up. Plug in Jeudy and move on.
TIGHT END
Zach Ertz
FanDuel: $5100
DraftKings: $3500
I don’t think even the most optimistic among us would have thought Zach Ertz would be here in Week 3. His opportunity stats are outstanding. He leads tight ends in both targets (18) and Air Yards (130).
Zach Ertz Opportunity Stats & Metrics
Meanwhile, his salary is still low on both sites. Yes, this is a brutal matchup for the Cardinals. I don’t know how much that actually hurts Ertz, though. No matter how good that Dallas defense is, the Cardinals will still move the ball some. Logic would dictate they would take some quick hitters to their tight end. I don’t know if he can keep up this pace, but we should take the production while we can get it from the old vet.
Travis Kelce
FanDuel: $8000
DraftKings: $7200
I expect Kelce to occupy this spot most weeks when he is on the main slate. He is still the class of the tight end position. If you have the salary to allocate, he is a great choice. With another week of healing for his knee, his production should continue to rise from here on out.
DEFENSE
Buffalo Bills
FanDuel: $4400
DraftKings: $2900
There are no viable cheap options on FanDuel this week. On DraftKings this is a pretty good price on Buffalo which is favored in the game and going up against a first-year starter.
Seattle Seahawks
FanDuel: $4200
DraftKings: $3200
Seattle is the other option on defense this week. Personally, I will simply play the cheaper one. However, if you have a preference for one over the other, don’t worry about the salary difference and go ahead and plug in the one you like.
Conclusion
I’m focusing on the Vikings vs. Chargers game across all DFS formats this weekend. It’s expected to be a popular choice, so creativity will be key to stand out. With the Cam Akers trade, this represents Alexander Mattison‘s final opportunity to claim the backfield.
While his performance has been subpar this year, if you’ve ever had faith in him, now might be the time to give him a shot in an effort to differentiate your lineups using this game. Let’s maintain the positive momentum and aim for another fantastic week! Looking forward to connecting with you all on Discord this weekend.
