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"Thunder" Dan Palyo of RotoBaller.com provides his top fantasy football running backs and wide receivers to anchor for DFS lineups for Week 3 of the fantasy football season.
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This piece looks at the top running backs or wide receivers to build your cash or tournament lineups around. Most weeks, I will recommend two running backs and two wide receivers who you can use as building blocks, but occasionally, a tight end sneaks in here, too.
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RBs and WRs to Build Around - Week 3
Welcome back, RotoBallers, to our premium DFS coverage of the NFL! Each week, my team and I try to give you every possible edge that we can when you build your DFS lineups for Sunday's main slate.
Week 2 Review
CMC-Conner-Lamb-Flowers
Conner was underwhelming, but still scored a TD to save some value. The other three all did quite well and should have helped you cash. My H2Hs on DK often came down to TE and defense, believe it or not.
Week 3 Strategy
The Jordan Mason chalk at RB is something we are going to have to deal with this week as Aaron Jones is out. He's going to be massively owned, even if the matchup doesn't quite necessitate it, and it's tough to fade him with how well he has run when he's had opportunities this season.
I may end up eating that chalk in cash games, at least on FD, where he's most egregiously priced. But I am not going to write him up as an anchor.
We almost have another "too much value" situation this week, as we have a few viable punt QBs as well, with Marcus Mariota and Carson Wentz both starting at minimum price.
With all the value, you are going to be able to squeeze multiple stud players at RB and WR into your builds, that's for sure. Let's see who the top plays this week are.
DFS Anchors - Running Backs
Bijan Robinson (ATL) at Carolina
Bijan is the flow chart play of the week, but with his massive workload, we simply can't fade him in this spot. The Panthers slowed down James Conner last week, but he's nowhere near the runner (or receiver) that Robinson is.
Bijan carried the Falcons to a big win on the road in Minnesota last week, piling up 168 total yards from scrimmage on 25 touches.
He went crazy against the Panthers in 2024, too. Check out these two performances from last season.
- 18 touches, 105 total yards, 2 touchdowns
- 30 touches, 173 yards, 2 touchdowns
He's the consensus RB1 this week with the unquestioned workload. I like him more than CMC, who faces a much tougher matchup against Arizona.
Javonte Williams (DAL) at Chicago
Williams has been a surprise for fantasy owners and one of the most productive backs in the league so far through the first two weeks. He dominated the touches in the backfield again last week, handling 24 touches and racking up 130 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. The game went to overtime, but Williams had already produced in regulation and is looking like he still has some pep in his step after injuries robbed him of his explosiveness in Denver.
With the Bears having one of the worst run defenses in the league, I am perfectly comfortable rolling with Williams in cash games this week. We want as much exposure to this game as possible - it's a 50.5-point total that dwarfs most of the others on the slate. With three TDs in two weeks, it's clear that Dallas trusts Williams in the red zone, and I look for him to have another big day at the office in a game that could be a shootout.
The price has gone up a bit, but Williams still feels underpriced for his volume of touches and this can't-miss matchup.
Honorable Mention: Jonathan Taylor at Tennessee, Jordan Mason vs. Cincinnati (PUNT)
DFS Anchors - Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Rome Odunze (CHI) vs. Dallas
Odunze really seems like he has taken over the top receiver spot for the Bears. After two weeks, he leads the teams in targets, receptions, and touchdowns. The second-year receiver now walks into an elite matchup against a Cowboys secondary that was embarrassed by Russell Wilson, Malik Nabers, and Wan'Dale Robinson last week.
Despite his hot start, Odunze's price is still slow to catch up to his production, making him an ideal play this week as he's badly underpriced for his role and this fantastic game environment.
It's possible that D.J. Moore could outdo Odunze this week, and I would make sure to have some exposure to Moore in tournaments, but Odunze is going to be the more popular play between the two Bears' receivers and the guy I want in cash games.
Keenan Allen (LAC) vs. Denver
Allen will be in my cash core on DraftKings, where his price is very appealing, especially with the PPR scoring on that site. He's been uber-productive the first two weeks of the season and added a third option for Justin Herbert to go along with Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnson.
The Chargers were supposed to be a running offense, but they have been airing it out early this season. Against the Broncos, I would expect them to have to go to the air as Denver is usually pretty tough against the run (though Jonathan Taylor ran on them last week).
The big thing about Allen for me is that he lines up in the slot for the majority of his snaps. In doing so, he should avoid the Broncos' top corner Pat Surtain, and he will run the type of routes that are appealing to Herbert if he's getting pressure from the Denver front.
We saw Josh Downs have success against Denver out of the slot last week, and Allen should be busy again this week. His PPR upside, along with his red zone looks, make him a core play this week, and we simply have to keep firing him up in cash until his price catches up with his production.
Honorable Mention: Jaxon Smith-Njigba vs. New Orleans
Good luck to everyone in your contests! Don't forget that you can chat with me and other NFL analysts in our new premium RotoBaller DISCORD at any point during the week or hit me up on X @ThunderDanDFS.
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