It’s finally here- Week 3 of the 2023 season, and the third DraftKings main slate. We are back offering you DFS advice to try and help you navigate your way to victories throughout the season. The players selected here are based on their price, their ability to hit value and likely ownership. The selections are leaning more towards GPP slates, rather than cash (50/50) slates. But let’s get into it
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Kirk Cousins v LAC ($6,900)
Kirk Cousins is the QB1 for fantasy on the season so far and he shows no signs of slowing down in week 3 as the pass-happy Vikings take on the LA Chargers and their 32nd rank defense against the pass. Captain Kirk has set phasers to kill, and he’ll look to add to the 708 yards and 6 scores he has already put up this season. You like that? I sure do…and at only $6900 you start Cousins with confidence.
Trevor Lawrence v HOU ($6,800)
T-Law had a frustratingly poor week against the Chiefs last time out in a matchup many were forecasting to be a shoot-out. Amongst QB’s who played the majority of their team’s snaps, only Derek Carr finished behind Lawrence as the 1st pick in the 2021 draft amassed a measly 10.24 fantasy points. Look for the Jags signal caller to bounce back this week against the Texans and potentially take advantage of a lower ownership % as fantasy managers fade the former Clemson Tiger following last week’s disappointment.
Dak Prescott @ AZ ($6,600)
For all his naysayers, Dak went up against a solid New York Jets defense in week 2 and balled out. Prescott completed 81.6% of his 38 pass attempts for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns and now gets to take on the very enticing Arizona Cardinals. The Cards have been woeful stopping the pass so far this season and are fresh off allowing Danny Dimes to throw on them for 321 yards and a score in their week 2 defeat to the Giants. Prescott could easily outscore Lamar Jackson or even Josh Allen this week, and with a price tag $1100 lower than the former and $1500 than the latter; Dak will be in a lot of my line ups this week.
Also consider Justin Herbert @ MIN ($7,500), Deshaun Watson @ TEN ($6,100) & Geno Smith v CAR ($5,700)
Travis Etienne v HOU ($6,900)
It was a disappointing fantasy day for all Jaguars not named Christian Kirk last time out against the Chiefs, particularly for Travis Etienne who could only put up 42 all purpose yards on 16 total opportunities. Thankfully the Houston run defense is the perfect remedy for any ailing running back, and after allowing Zach Moss to tote over 100 yards in week 2, Etienne will be aiming for a return to form in a big way against the Texans in week 3. He suffered some cramping early in the week but is now off the injury report and a full go for your DFS lineups.
Ken Walker III v CAR ($6,200)
Anyone else care to admit they were wrong on the Ken Walker/Zach Charbonnet situation in Seattle? I, like many, thought the 2nd round rookie would heavily cut into Walker’s work and in quick time given the draft capital Seattle invested to acquire him. Heading into week 3, this is still Walker’s backfield, seeing a mammoth 29 carries to Charbonnet’s 7. Walker is also getting plenty of looks from T-Law in the passing game, exactly what we like to see in PPR formats. Sure Walker has been priced up $400 this week, but it’s not enough to put me off. Keep riding the sophomore as the Seattle offense continues to find its rhythm.
Alexander Mattison v LAC ($5,800)
Mattison was originally in this column based on his 82% share of the carries in the Minnesota backfield, the 10 targets he has received from Kirk Cousins in the first two weeks, and his $700 reduction since week 1…then the Vikings added Cam Akers. Alexander Mattison is still in this column for all of the reasons above, despite getting a new running mate. Akers ran for an abysmal 1.3 yards per carry on 23 attempts in week 1 and won’t have time to truly acclimatize to his new home. This week at least, Mattison is still the guy for the Vikings, and may try extra hard this week to show his coaches why it should remain that way.
Breece Hall v NE ($5,600)
The squeaky wheel gets the grease, at least that’s what Breece Hall will be hoping for after taking to Twitter to vent his frustrations at his week 2 usage in Dallas. It’s hard to blame Hall and those who rostered him last week would have been just as disappointed with the Jets star RB only being given 4 carries in the blowout loss to the Cowboys. Hall has been priced down $300 this week and gets a much kinder matchup against a Patriots defense that got obliterated by Raheem Mostert on Sunday night – go Breece Lightning.
Also consider Jahmyr Gibbs v ATL ($6,600), Miles Sanders @ SEA ($5,700) & Joshua Kelley @ MIN ($5,400)
DJ Moore @ KC ($5,700)
Safe to say, if you drafted DJ Moore in re-draft leagues, you’ve been left less than impressed so far with the return on your investment. The Bears have been awful, there’s no sugar coating it, and Justin Fields has vocalised his concerns with the coaching, albeit “out of context”. Moore did have a fairly good week 2 outing in Tampa, posting over 100 yards on his 6 receptions, and he’ll be looking for a further uptick in targets as Chicago travels to Arrowhead to face the Chiefs. This game could get away from the Bears, and fast, so Fields may be forced into throwing early and often. Moore should be the main beneficiary should Chicago need to try and keep up with the reigning champs.
Amari Cooper v TEN ($5,700)
Almost every week on DraftKings we get a player’s pricing that just feels broken…and on this week’s slate it’s the turn of Amari Cooper. The Browns main aerial threat was a risk to miss their MNF encounter with division rivals the Steelers through injury, however not only did Cooper play, he dominated, finishing with 90 yards on 7 receptions in the narrow defeat. Those grabs came on team-high 10 targets, a trend Cooper will hope continues as Cleveland welcomes the Tennessee Titans and their incredibly generous secondary to the Dawg Pound on Sunday.
Jordan Addison v LAC ($5,500)
Speaking of impressive rookie performances, Vikings wide receiver Addison now has two of them heading into his third NFL start. Stepping immediately into an offense that boasts the best receiver in the league in Justin Jefferson, and a target machine in TJ Hockenson was never going to be easy for the rookie out of USC – but Addison has lived up to his 1st round draft capital already with back to back games of 60+ yards and a score. Minnesota host the Chargers in a matchup that has seen the O/U move from 51.5 to a whopping 54 – I want as many pieces as possible in this one and Addison is by far the most cost effective investment. Stack him with Kirk Cousins and ride this one to the moon.
Tank Dell @ JAX ($3,600)
Nico Collins put up 146 yards and a touchdown in the Texans’ week 2 loss at home to Indianapolis; the exact same production as fellow wideouts Robert Woods and Tank Dell COMBINED. Despite Collins’ stellar output, it was Tank Dell who led the team in targets in his first NFL start, filling in for the injured Noah Brown. Expect fantasy managers to chase a repeat of Collins’ week 2 performance when the Texans travel to Jacksonville and capitalise on the lower ownership of the rookie Dell. At the time of writing this one have an O/U of 44 points, I expect these two offenses to surpass that with CJ Stroud again peppering his fellow rookie with targets.
Also consider Tyler Lockett v CAR ($6,400), Zay Flowers v IND ($5,400) & Josh Reynolds v ATL ($4,200)
PSA – The Tight End pool this week is not attractive and facing the Bears, Travis Kelce sits atop the pile in a world of his own…Kelce will be massively owned, particularly in cash lineups, so let’s look at some more contrarian plays on the main slate:
Mark Andrews v IND ($6,000)
Outside of Kelce, Mark Andrews feels like the only tight end you can consistently place any trust in on a weekly basis. After sitting out week 1 through a quad injury, Andrews was back to business in the Ravens 27-24 victory over the Bengals in Ohio, posting 45 yards and a touchdown on 5 receptions. It was no surprise to see Andrews slip straight back into the role of Lamar’s number one target, and another week further removed from his injury will only see the 6’5” TE gather more steam in Baltimore’s passing game. If you want to play Kelce but don’t have the cash, the $1200 drop to Andrews is your next best option.
Sam LaPorta v ATL ($4,000)
LaPorta has caught over 90% of his targets from Jared Goff over the opening two games, and this level of security should see his role continue to increase in a Detroit offense that will lean heavily on the passing game throughout the absence of David Montgomery. Amon-Ra St. Brown has returned to a limited role in practise and will undoubtedly carry a designation heading into the weekend. Should St. Brown miss out, or even play at less than 100%, look to LaPorta to benefit against the Falcons.
Dalton Kincaid @ WAS ($3,400)
Those of you who have read this week’s Bargains article will be familiar with my case for starting Dalton Kincaid in Washington on Sunday. The rookie has impressed in both his outings so far, reeling in 9 of his 10 targets for a total of 69 yards – not too shabby for a rookie. Kincaid was drafted to be a part of this offense from the off, and so far the only thing missing from his performances is a touchdown. With Dawson Knox set to miss this week due to a back injury, I expect even more opportunities for Kincaid in the passing game, and for it to be third time lucky as he grabs his first TD as a pro.
Also consider Jake Ferguson @ AZ ($3,600) & Taysom Hill @ GB ($3,300)
Kansas City Chiefs v CHI ($3,900)
Those looking to fade the Cowboys DST this week can save $500 and roster the Chiefs at the position instead. Dallas have lost superstar CB Trevon Diggs for the season to an ACL injury, so may not prove to be a full value at $4400, even against the lowly Cardinals offense. KC hosts the Bears this week, who rank dead last against the pass so far this season. There’s a real chance Mahomes and the Chiefs offense put this one to bed early, forcing Justin Fields to throw the ball more than he would prefer to – perhaps not surprising given the Chicago QB already has more INTs than touchdowns this year…look to the Chiefs to force a couple more this weekend.
New York Jets v NE ($2,800)
If you’re looking to spend down at the position this week, the Jets DST are worthy of consideration. After a less than stellar performance against the Cowboys in week 2, things should get a little easier for Gang Green as they welcome divisional rivals New England to East Rutherford. This one has the lowest O/U of the week at a paltry 36 points. Look for the Jets to bounce back to fantasy relevance in week 3 against Mac Jones who has tossed a pick in both of his games this season.
Also consider Cleveland Browns v TEN ($3300) & Indianapolis Colts @ BAL ($2400)
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Image Credit: Matt Pendleton – USA TODAY Sports
