I was very close to a large cash in a DFS Guaranteed Prize Pool (GPP) contest last weekend, and I know one is right around the corner. It always takes me a couple of weeks to get in the groove of things, and last week was a step in the right direction.
All of these players won’t hit every week because of how risky they can be, but stumbling into the right ones is the way to earn a big payday!
With that in mind, let’s dive into this Week 3 slate!
The players below are ones I’m looking at for GPP considerations for Week 3:
Quarterbacks
DraftKings
Justin Fields (QB – CHI): $7,100 at KC
There’s a lot of negativity surrounding Justin Fields right now, and it’s the perfect time to capitalize in a GPP. His roster percentage will be much lower than it should be because people forget how amazing he was last season. Fields was the leading scorer in fantasy over the second half of last season and gets a spectacular matchup here. Kansas City was dead-last in total defense last season, and Fields will have to throw to keep up with KC!
Russell Wilson (QB – DEN): $5,900 at MIA
Russell Wilson might be back! Many believe that Wilson is washed up, but his early-season form would indicate otherwise. Through the first two games, Wilson is third among quarterbacks with 23 DraftKings points per game. He also showcased some of his old-school rushing last week and should have to throw in a matchup with Miami. Not only is Denver expected to play catch-up, but the Dolphins are surrendering the most passing yards in the NFL.
FanDuel
Lamar Jackson (QB – BAL): $8,200 vs. IND
Fantasy managers are panicking about Lamar Jackson, but he will get it going sooner rather than later. He’s been one of the league leaders in fantasy points since becoming a starter, and there’s a belief he’ll be asked to do more with J.K. Dobbins getting injured. That makes him intriguing against Indianapolis, owning a 24th OPRK against opposing signal-callers.
Desmond Ridder (QB – ATL): $7,000 at DET
This is risky, but Desmond Ridder has looked better than anyone could’ve imagined. The sophomore had 22.4 FanDuel points in Week 2 and should be a threat through the air and on the ground all year. We love that in a matchup with Detroit, who are surrendering the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year.
Running Backs
DraftKings
Javonte Williams (RB – DEN): $5,500 at MIA
As someone who’s suffered an ACL tear, getting comfortable always takes some time. Getting a couple of games under Javonte William’s belt should be huge for the remainder of the season because he’s expected to be the bellcow back at some point. He averaged over 13 DraftKings points per game as a starter before the injury, and we’ve seen him get double-digit carries in each of the first two outings. If he receives that type of role, he should roll a 28th-ranked Dolphins rush defense.
Justice Hill (RB – BAL): $4,800 vs. IND
Most people think Gus Edwards is taking over this backfield, but snap counts tell another story. Justice Hill has been the go-to back, leading the team with a 57 percent snap share in Week 2. That’s huge in an offense like this, especially since they enter this game as a monster favorite. The matchup with Indy is tough, but anyone below $5K in this type of role and situation is tough to avoid.
FanDuel
Raheem Mostert (RB – MIA): $6,600 vs. DEN
We’re excited about Raheem Mostert for the next few weeks! He’s been featured in many of my articles already and will remain there until Jeff Wilson Jr. returns. He’s the horse in Miami’s backfield right now. We’ve seen Mostert post ridiculous numbers as a feature back in the past, which culminated in a 25-point masterpiece in Week 2. That should be easy to duplicate against Denver, posting a 24th OPRK against opposing backs.
Alexander Mattison (RB – MIN): $6,300 vs. LAC
The fantasy community has been trashing Alexander Mattison since his ugly Thursday outing, but most players struggle against Philly’s stout defensive front. We’ll overlook that because Mattison is still the bell-cow back, with Dalvin Cook playing elsewhere and Cam Akers still transitioning after being traded to the team. That makes him too cheap because we could see a breakout game against the worst defense in the NFL, the Chargers. When Mattison has started for Cook in the past, he’s averaging nearly 15 FanDuel points per game.
Wide Receivers
DraftKings
Nico Collins (WR – HOU): $5,300 at JAX
Why do people continue to overlook Nico Collins? There’s always one legitimate receiver on every lousy team, and Nico Collins looks like that in Houston. He’ll get so much work in garbage time that he will be a great DFS option all year. That’s been the case early on, scoring 14 and 31 DK points in the first two games of the season. That makes him one of the highest-scoring receivers out there, and this is another game where Houston might be playing catchup.
Marquise Brown (WR – ARI): $4,900 vs. DAL
This might look wild on the surface, but bear with me. Marquise Brown is the top receiver in Arizona, and he will fall into production because of how bad the Cardinals are. That will be on full display this week, with Arizona projected to get blown out in this game. The Cowboys’ defense horrifies everyone, but Arizona will have to throw 30-plus times to keep up with them here. If that happens, Brown should fall into a handful of catches and some elite garbage time production for a price tag of below $5,000.
FanDuel
Michael Pittman Jr. (WR – IND): $6,700 at BAL
This Colts’ passing game isn’t pretty, but Michael Pittman Jr. is the focal point of it. This man has 16 catches and 23 targets through the first two weeks, which is less surprising since he averaged 94 receptions on 135 targets through the last two years. That role is difficult to find from such an affordable player, and we want to exploit it since he faces a Baltimore team that posts a 26th OPRK against opposing receivers.
D.J. Moore (WR – CHI): $6,400 at KC
If we want to use Fields as a GPP player, we must stack him with D.J. Moore. He’s the go-to reveiver for Fields and was one of the best wideouts in the closing months of last season. We saw glimpses of that last week, recording six catches for 104 yards. A line like that looks likely against KC, allowing the most points in the NFL last season.
Tight Ends
DraftKings
Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL): $3,900 at DET
People might be done with Kyle Pitts at this point in DFS, but he’s a worthy punt play below $4K. This is still one of the most talented tight ends in the NFL, and he’ll eventually have some big games. One of those could happen in this matchup, with the Lions allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends. If you want to use Ridder, Pitts needs to be your tight end.
FanDuel
David Njoku (TE – CLE): $5,400 vs. TEN
David Njoku is a, and there’s some thought this passing game is about to get going. They need to unleash it with Nick Chubb out, and Njoku is the second receiving option behind Amari Cooper. He only has seven targets through the first two games, but he could be utilized more here since Tennessee has an elite defensive line. That means more short passes, which means more opportunities for Njoku across the middle!
Defense/Special Teams
DraftKings
New York Jets D/ST: $2,800 vs. NE
The discord around the Jets isn’t good right now, but this defense continues to play well. The only issue is that their offense continues to put them in poor positions, but that shouldn’t be a problem here. These are two of the worst offenses in football, with this game having a minuscule 37-point total. Neither of these teams is likely to get past 20 points. That alone makes NY an enticing option below $3,000, especially since New England is allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing D/STs.
FanDuel
Seattle Seahawks D/ST: $4,200 vs. CAR
Carolina could be the worst team in the NFC. The simple fact is they have no talent on the offensive end. That’s clear since they’re 30th in total offense, and things won’t get much better with Adam Thielen and Miles Sanders as the go-to guys. That’s scary in a road matchup against Seattle because the Seahawks enter this matchup as a 6.5-point favorite in a game with a 42-point total.
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.