With two weeks in the books, some new faces are starting to emerge as DFS studs in the making. We also have a healthy dose of "the usual suspects" who are poised to continue their league domination.

By: @Ryan_Humphries

Week 3 NFL PreSnap Podcast 🎙️

Catch Tyler Wiemann and Shannon Sommerville's run down on this Sunday's NFL DFS main slate!

Also, for anyone looking to roll out some NFL props this week, be sure to check out the info at the end of this article on LineStar's new Prop Edge+ for NFL tool and how it can help you make some extra cash -- especially on sites like PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

A free three-pick PrizePicks "Power Play" is posted at the end of this article as well!

Week 3 DFS Main Slate Rundown 📝

The NFL season picks up steam as we dive into week three where a loaded 13-game Sunday main slate awaits us. Injury statuses on many key players will loom large on this slate so be sure to stay on top of things as we near kickoff. There is only so much information we can gather and assumptions we can make from only two weeks worth of regular season data but some team identities and player roles are becoming clearer by the day! Let’s crush it this week!

Main slate match-ups with implied point totals and spreads:

Weather Report

As a reminder, weather plays less of a factor in football than it does in other sports but it is still worth making note of any games that could see wet conditions, high winds, or (when we get into the winter months) frigid, snowy conditions.

The forecasts can always change so, as always, run a final weather check closer to kickoff!

BUF @ MIA (1:00 ET, 52.5 O/U): Some rain in the forecast but still a good chance this one stays dry. Winds around 10 mph.

HOU @ CHI (1:00 ET, 40 O/U): 15+ mph winds.

LV @ TEN (1:00 ET, 45.5 O/U): Slight chance for rain. Winds around 10 mph.

PHI @ WAS (1:00 ET, 47 O/U): 10+ mph winds.

GB @ TB (4:25 ET, 42 O/U): Low-end chance for rain.

Quarterbacks to Consider

Potential quarterback targets at high/mid/low price points.

Josh Allen, BUF | DK: $8.2k, FD: $9k | @ MIA

It’s already shaping up to be an MVP-caliber season for Josh Allen, who heads into week three with a 75.4% comp% and seven touchdowns. Allen has thrived in his eight previous meetings with Miami and this year’s version of the Dolphins possesses the type of offensive weapons that could realistically turn this match-up into a shootout. We saw Lamar Jackson go crazy on this Dolphins defense last week (318 yards passing, 3 TD, 119 yards rushing, 1 TD) so it’s well within the realm of possibilities that Allen posts an insane stat line of his own.

Jalen Hurts, PHI | DK: $7.6k, FD: $8.1k | @ WAS

Due to the timing to the release of main slate salaries, there is a little bit of a ‘hidden’ discount on Hurts this week since his DFS pricing is not factoring in his huge MNF performance that netted him 37 DKFP/34 FDFP. Hurts has just one passing TD through two games, but he’s completing 69.8% of his throws and currently leads all NFL QBs with a 9.1 YPA average. His real value as a fantasy asset has, of course, come with his legs. Hurts has already racked up 147 yards and three scores on the ground. The Eagles boast one of the best O-Lines in the NFL and both offenses in this game rank inside the top half in the NFL in terms of pace in neutral situations. Early on this season, the Commanders have kept their games close and high-scoring.

Jared Goff, DET | DK: $5.8k, FD: $7.1k | @ MIN

The Lions may quietly have one of the best all-around offenses in the NFL. They possess a fantastic O-Line, a dynamic duo of running backs, and capable receivers led by a burgeoning superstar WR in Amon-Ra St. Brown. Goff could be considered the weakness on the Lions' O, but he doesn’t necessarily need to be phenomenal to make this offense explode. He has completed only 57.7% of his passes, but he has thrown six TDs and he’s being fairly aggressive given his 8.5 air yards/attempt (7th highest among all QBs). The Vikings rank 23rd in pass DVOA, both of these offenses rank top 10 in overall pace, it’s a domed match-up, and Lions game totals have averaged 68 PPG through two weeks. To no real surprise, this game is tied with the BUF @ MIA match-up as having the highest total on the slate (52.5 O/U). If you’re not looking to spend up at QB, then Goff may be a solid value option to roll with.

Running Backs to Consider

Potential running back targets at high/mid/low price points.

Austin Ekeler, LAC | DK: $8k, FD: $8.7k | vs. JAX

I wouldn’t call this a safe play but, in theory, it could be a huge week for Ekeler. QB Justin Herbert is dealing with fractured rib cartilage and may not be the typical gun slinger that we’ve come to know in this game. And if Herbert doesn’t suit up, it would be backup Chase Daniel at the helm. However the Chargers QB situation works out, it could be a heavy check-down week for this passing game. Ekeler will need to improve upon his 2.7 YPC average, and there are questions surrounding how involved he would be around the goal line. But Jacksonville has allowed 15 receptions to RBs already this season along with the second-most receiving yardage. Ekeler is worth a look in GPPs if you’re planning to go a little contrarian at the position.

Dalvin Cook, MIN | DK: $7.9k, FD: $8.3k | vs. DET

Cook and the entire Vikings offense could get nothing going against the Eagles on Monday night, but it’s a strong spot for a bounce-back. The Lions were awful against the run all of last season, and that trend seems to be carrying over into the 2022 season as well. They have already surrendered a league-high four rushing TDs to RBs along with 13 RB receptions (T-6th most) and the second most FPPG to the position. Cook has garnered at least five targets in both of Minnesota’s games. If the touchdown equity shows up, Cook could be in line for a huge outing in week three.

Leonard Fournette, TB | DK: $6.5k, FD: $7.2k | vs. GB

It hasn’t been pretty, but Fournette has dominated in touches across both games this season. His 37.1% touch% in week one ranked 4th among RBs and his 40% touch% in week two ranked 2nd. He is currently on the injury report with a hamstring issue, but assuming he’s a full go on Sunday, Fournette is likely in line for another heavy dosage of touches. This assumption is amplified even more due to the extensive list of injury/suspension problems that the Buccaneers’ receiving corps is currently dealing with. We saw David Montgomery slice and dice this Packers run defense in primetime on Sunday night. The Packers now come in ranking 30th in rush DVOA while allowing 5.6 YPC (4th highest).

David Montgomery, CHI | DK: $5.9k, FD: $7.1k | vs. HOU

Speaking of that Montgomery Sunday night performance, he will certainly get an ownership boost after showing out in primetime and taking 15 carries for 122 yards (8.1 YPC) and adding a couple of catches for an additional 14 yards. Awful weather did play a significant factor in Chicago’s week one game, but they have run the ball on a massive 69.6% of their plays. While playing from behind on SNF, Justin Fields attempted just 17 passes. Montgomery has been on the field for 72% of offensive snaps this season, and he led all NFL RBs with a 41.5% touch% in week two. The Texans enter ranking 25th in rush DVOA and, in a very winnable home game for the Bears, we can expect another heavily involved day from Monty.

Miles Sanders, PHI | DK: $5.5k, FD: $6.8k | @ WAS

The threat of Hurts vulturing some rushing production and TDs from Sanders is always there. However, on the flip side, it also means Sanders will face fewer stacked boxes as defenses must respect Hurts’ scrambling ability. The Eagles do have three RBs that regularly see the field between Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell, and Boston Scott. But, up to this point, Sanders has out-snapped them 79 (53% snap%) to 42 and 29, respectively. He’s also handled 35 touches through two weeks which is not too shabby either. The real appeal for Sanders comes down to the battle in the trenches. Sanders has that elite Eagles O-Line in front of him, and the Commanders have been utterly ineffective on the defensive front. Washington ranks 31st in rush DVOA and has allowed an atrocious 7.5 YPC average.

Dameon Pierce, HOU | DK: $5k, FD: $5.8k | @ CHI

It didn’t take long for the rookie to supplant journeyman RB Rex Burkhead. Pierce played on 60% of the snaps in week two compared to 35% for Burkhead. Pierce was the only Texans RB to log any carries, and he out-touched Burkhead 16-to-2. Chicago’s defense (27th in rush DVOA) just got toasted by Packers RBs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon for 193 total rushing yards last week, including 132 from Jones who averaged 8.8 YPC. He’s still a rookie playing behind a suspect offensive line on a bad offense, but Pierce has shown some explosiveness and the ability to fight for extra yards. If given the volume, he could make some nice things happen in this game.

Wide Receivers to Consider

Potential wide receiver targets at high/mid/low price points.

Cooper Kupp, LAR | DK: $9.9k, FD: $9.8k | @ ARI

I mean, what is there to say about this man? He’s nearly $10k on both sites, and somehow he still feels like a bargain. Kupp has picked up right where he left off in 2021, logging double-digit receptions in both games this year to go along with 100+ yards each game, three total TDs, and he owns a preposterous 38.2% TGT%. The Cardinals secondary is exploitable and Arizona has a capable enough offense that will force plenty of shootouts this season. They do have a solid CB in Byron Murphy, who managed to shut down Davante Adams much of last week in shadow coverage. However, Murphy is likely to stick to the perimeter (perhaps shadowing Allen Robinson II on most plays) as he rarely travels into the slot, which is where Kupp runs the majority of his routes.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET | DK: $7.2k, FD: $7.8k | @ MIN

There are so many great WRs to choose from on this slate, but “Sun God” comes in at the lower end of pricing in what I would consider a “tier one” receiver. He set an NFL record last week by catching eight or more passes and a touchdown in his sixth consecutive game. The guy is a superstar in the making, and he has deservedly commanded a 33.8% TGT% through Detroit’s first two games. St. Brown is now well-established as QB Jared Goff’s safety blanket. Despite a rather poor 57.7% comp% by Goff, St. Brown has brought in 70.8% of his targets. He spends most of his time in the slot and will draw a plus match-up with Vikings slot CB Chandon Sullivan, a former undrafted free agent.

Drake London, ATL | DK: $5.8k, FD: $6k | @ SEA

He has just eight quarters of actual NFL experience under his belt but we’re already seeing why Drake London was the first WR off the board as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft. He has quickly developed a rapport with QB Marcus Mariota and has caught 13-of-19 targets (33.3% TGT%) for 160 yards and a TD. London has also accounted for 39% of Atlanta’s total air yards. The Seahawks have allowed the 9th fewest FPPG to WRs in the early goings of the season, but pass defense is not expected to be their defensive strength and they currently rank 30th in pass DVOA. They’ll also be without safety Jamal Adams (quad) for the remainder of the season which is a big blow to their secondary as a whole.

Garrett Wilson, NYJ | DK: $5.4k, FD: $6.1k | vs. CIN

Another young gun that has made an early splash in his rookie season is Jets standout Garrett Wilson. He enters week three fresh off of a yuuuuge 8-102-2 receiving day on 14 targets. He did all that while playing only 61% of snaps (49% of snaps in week one). If Wilson’s snap% doesn’t rise closer to 80% or beyond, the Jets are sabotaging themselves. He has run most of his routes out of the slot, and the Bengals have given up the 3rd most FPPG to slot WRs. Oh, and what is most glaring about Wilson? His eight redzone targets lead the entire NFL -- only one other player has more than five redzone targets (Ja’Marr Chase, 6).

Curtis Samuel, WAS | DK: $5.1k, FD: $6.3k | vs. PHI

Here is a list of WRs who have more targets than Curtis Samuel (20 TGT, 23.5% TGT%) through two weeks: Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill, Ja’Marr Chase, Davante Adams, Jaylen Waddle, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Stefon Diggs, Ceedee Lamb, Diontae Johnson, Brandin Cooks, Garrett Wilson, and AJ Brown. Maybe it’s not an incredibly short list, but it is a star-studded list. The Commanders obviously want to get the ball into Samuel’s hands as he takes some snaps as a running back on occasion as well. The Eagles secondary is stout on the perimeter (26th fewest FPPG allowed to perimeter WRs) with CBs Darius Slay Jr. and James Bradberry. Eagles slot CB Avonte Maddox isn’t necessarily a soft match-up but he does represent the weak point of the secondary. Opposing offenses have targeted Maddox on 32% of routes ran against him leading to the Eagles allowing the 4th most FPPG to slot WRs. Samuel has run just over two-thirds of his routes out of the slot and continues to stand out as a worthy value option.

Jakobi Meyers, NE | DK: $5k, FD: $6.2k | vs. BAL

We’ll need to monitor Meyers’ availability as he deals with a knee injury and has been sidelined in practice this week. If he’s active on Sunday (this game is a 1:00 ET kickoff), then he’ll be a quality value option, especially on DraftKings, given the full PPR scoring. Meyers’ lack of touchdowns in his career is well-documented, but he does command a huge target share when he’s on the field. His 19 targets through two weeks represent a 29.7% TGT% and the Patriots slot man draws an enticing match-up against the Ravens, who have allowed the most fantasy points to slot receivers.

Scotty Miller, TB | DK: $3.8k, FD: $5k | vs. GB

As of Friday morning, nearly the entire Bucs WR corps carries some sort of injury designation. Mike Evans (suspension) is a lock to miss Sunday’s game, and neither Chris Godwin (hamstring) nor Julio Jones (knee) have logged a practice yet this week. In contrast, Russell Gage (hamstring) and Breshad Perriman have only practiced on a limited basis. Scotty Miller popped up on the injury report with a calf injury earlier in the week, but he practiced fully on Thursday. Depending on who is available come Sunday, Miller may be the only healthy WR with real rapport with QB Tom Brady. Miller didn’t start in week two, but he was thrust into a more prominent role and drew eight targets on just 29 offensive snaps. I’d say he’ll be worth a dart throw if at least three of those four WRs mentioned sit out this game.

Tight Ends to Consider

Tight end targets at high/mid/low price points.

Travis Kelce, KC | DK: $7.9k, FD: $7.8k | @ IND

Not much needs to be said here, but it is feasible that folks will stay away from Kelce this week, both due to his lofty DFS salaries, which rival the high-end WRs on the slate, and because of his lackluster 5-51-0 receiving line in the primetime spotlight last Thursday night. However, this feels like a prime bounce-back spot for Kelce as he faces a Colts defense that ranks 29th in pass DVOA and has given up 12-114-2 to opposing TEs this season on just 14 targets. Kelce is no stranger to seeing upwards of 14 targets in a single game and, to state the obvious, he is easily the best TE the Colts will have faced up to this point.

Irv Smith Jr., MIN | DK: $3.1k, FD: $5k | vs. DET

Smith was essentially a non-factor in week one when he played just 19 snaps (31% snap%) and failed to catch either of his two targets. He had thumb surgery back on Aug. 2nd, which caused him to miss most of training camp and all of the preseason, so it’s reasonable to assume he was on a snap count to begin the regular season. His workload jumped to 34 snaps (56% snap%) last week, resulting in a 5-36-1 day on eight targets. Smith should continue seeing the field more in week three. He’s usually good for a handful of targets and stands out as a major redzone threat. There’s nothing wrong with the Detroit defensive match-up, either.

Juwan Johnson, NO | DK: $2.9k, FD: $4.8k | @ CAR

Johnson has played 76% of snaps for New Orleans, and he has 40+ receiving yards in both games this season. He’s seeing some fairly deep looks with a 10.1-yard aDOT so if those deeper targets continue; he won’t need huge volume to pay off his bargain bin DFS salaries. The volume has been nice, however, with five targets Wk1 and seven targets Wk2 and a couple of those targets in the redzone. As long as QB Jameis Winston (back/ankle) is available on Sunday, Johnson is a solid TE punt, especially on DraftKings.

Defenses to Consider

D/ST is a very volatile “position” and shouldn’t take up too much time in your DFS research. However, here are some D/STs I’m on board with this week.

Overall: New Orleans Saints | DK: $3.5k, FD: $4.3k | @ CAR

DraftKings Preferred: Baltimore Ravens | DK: $3k, FD: $5k | @ NE

FanDuel Preferred: Seattle Seahawks | DK: $2.7k, FD: $3.4k | vs. ATL

Stacks & Bring Backs 🥞

Below are a few team/game stack ideas to consider for this slate. In some examples, I will include a “bring back” option which will feature a normal "QB + Receiver" stack along with a player from the opposing team in the same game that could also benefit should the primary "QB + Receiver" stack go off.

QB + WR + Opp Receiver

Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, Curtis Samuel

QB + WR + Opp Receiver

Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Justin Jefferson

QB + Two Pass Catchers (aka “Double Stack”)

Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle

QB + Two Pass Catchers (aka “Double Stack”)

Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee

Full Team Stack - QB/WR/RB

Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook

Value Team Stack

Marcus Mariota, Drake London, Cordarrelle Patterson

“Ugly Duckling Stack” | QB + WR + Opp RB

Joe Flacco, Garrett Wilson, Joe Mixon

Touchdown Call 🏈

Garrett Wilson, NYJ | DK: $5.4k, FD: $6.1k | vs. CIN

Reminder: Follow @LineStarApp on Twitter and retweet the weekly Touchdown Calls tweet! Three retweeters are randomly selected and assigned a player from the TD calls between myself, @FlatTyler83, and @ShannonOnSports. If your player scores a touchdown, you’ll win your choice of cash (via PayPal) or a one-month subscription to LineStar!

PrizePicks Sunday NFL Power Play ⚡

This is an early three-pick NFL "Power Play" I have over on PrizePicks. Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but these three props did stand out so I'll be rolling it out with confidence!

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Once again, if you have any questions DM me on Twitter or hit me up in LineStar chat @Ryan_Humphries. Good luck this week!

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