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Week 3 DraftKings Cash-Game Picks

Top Plays for DraftKings Head-to-Head and 50/50 Contests

Here are the guys I’m considering for DraftKings Week 3 head-to-heads and 50/50s:

Quarterback

Derek Carr, Saints ($5,800)

Carr ranks fourth among QBs in fantasy points through two weeks, despite sitting just 31st in pass attempts.

Yeah, his 11.4 yards per attempt and 12.8% TD rate will come down. But Carr will also start throwing it more as the Saints get into more competitive games.

That should start this week in a likely tight, high-scoring game against the Eagles. The Saints are currently favored by three points with a 49.5-point over/under. That gives New Orleans a 26.25-point implied total – second-highest on the main slate.

The Saints’ passing game is rolling under new OC Klint Kubiak. And the Eagles’ pass defense is struggling. Philadelphia ranks 25th in pass defense DVOA and 24th in fantasy points allowed to QBs through two weeks.

Also consider:

• Justin Fields, Steelers ($5,400)

Running Backs

Alvin Kamara, Saints ($7,500)

Kamara looks rejuvenated in OC Klint Kubiak’s offense. 

Beyond the whopping 69 DraftKings points he’s racked up through two games, Kamara is getting awesome usage and playing well. He’s averaging 17.5 carries and 4.0 targets per game. And he ranks 12th among 41 qualifying RBs in NFL Next Gen Stats’ rush yards over expected per attempt.

Kamara should keep rolling on Sunday against an Eagles defense struggling against the run and the pass. DVOA has Philadelphia 25th in pass defense and 32nd in run defense. Josh Jacobs totaled 104 yards against the Eagles in Week 1; Bijan Robinson went for 123 in Week 2.

Jordan Mason, 49ers ($6,200)

Everything is coming up Jordan Mason. RB Christian McCaffrey remains out. WR Deebo Samuel, who ranks second among 49ers with 10 carries, will miss Week 3. And TE George Kittle is iffy with a hamstring injury.

With the 49ers 6.5-point favorites vs. the Rams, expect a very heavy dose of Mason. Los Angeles has already coughed up 354 total yards and three TDs to RBs through two weeks.

Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks ($6,000)

Charbonnet got usage last week that we simply don’t see in the NFL very often anymore:

• 95% snap rate
• 100% of RB carries
• 77% route rate
• 5 targets (11% share)

Despite an inefficient outing (2.7 yards per carry and 6.2 yards per catch), Charbonnet scored 17.9 DK points. It’s simply hard to fail on that type of usage.

Also consider:

• De'Von Achane, Dolphins ($7,000)
• Cam Akers, Texans ($4,700)

Wide Receivers

Chris Godwin, Buccaneers ($6,500)

We’re just two games in, but it’s looking like Godwin is the focal point of this Bucs passing game under new OC Liam Coen. Godwin leads the team with a huge 33% target share and, per FantasyPoints Data, has garnered 34% of Tampa’s first-read targets. In other words, Coen is designing plays to get Godwin the ball.

The targets could tilt even further in Godwin’s direction in Sunday’s game vs. the Broncos. While WR Mike Evans will see a bunch of stud CB Pat Surtain on the outside, Godwin draws a plus matchup against CB Ja’Quan McMillian in the slot.

Chris Olave, Saints ($6,300)

Olave hasn’t delivered in the box score yet. The Saints’ low passing volume has been the biggest culprit. They rank dead last with 40 pass attempts, almost entirely because they’ve won two blowouts.

But, after a quiet Week 1, Olave dominated usage in Week 2:

• 40% target share
• 56% air-yards share

Olave remains the alpha in this passing game. The breakout could come this week against a struggling Eagles secondary. Only two teams have allowed more DK points to WRs this season.

Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers ($6,200)

It’s time for Aiyuk to get going. He’s off to a slow start after his extended holdout. But he went from a 79% route rate in Week 1 to 93% in Week 2.

So he’s back to full playing time. And the targets should come this week with RB Christian McCaffrey and WR Deebo Samuel out – and TE George Kittle iffy with a hamstring.

The icing on the cake is this matchup against the Rams, who rank 24th in DK points allowed to WRs.

Also consider:

• Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions ($8,200)
• DeVonta Smith, Eagles ($6,900)
• Tank Dell, Texans ($5,200)
• Elijah Moore, Browns ($3,600)

Tight End

Greg Dulcich, Broncos ($2,900)

Dulcich ranks eighth among TEs in expected PPR points per game.

That hasn’t translated to many actual fantasy points because QB Bo Nix has been trash. That might continue to be a problem.

But as a cash-game punt play, I’ll take my chances on a guy getting that level of usage. 

Dulcich’s Week 3 matchup gets an upgrade with Bucs S Antoine Winfield out.

Defense/Special Teams

Bears ($2,600)

This defense is playing well in real life (seventh in DVOA) and fantasy football (15.0 DK points per game).

They get the volatile Anthony Richardson on Sunday. He’s taken three sacks, fumbled twice, and tossed four INTs through two games.

Also consider:

• Buccaneers ($3,000)

Jared Smola, Lead Analyst

Jared has been with Draft Sharks since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.