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Juan's top NFL DFS value plays for Week 3 of the 2023 season. These sleepers are cheap on FanDuel, DraftKings, and Yahoo daily fantasy football contests.
Welcome to the Week 3 main slate edition of RotoBaller's NFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players across the industry who find themselves in favorable matchups and/or suddenly expanded roles.
Each week, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit. On this third main slate of the 2023 campaign, I'm glad to report there is an abundance of value-salary players on Yahoo, FanDuel, and DraftKings.
In addition to offering multiple candidates at each position, I'll also list at least one more player to consider, along with some site-specific value plays when applicable.
NFL DFS Bargain Bin Intro
Before we go NFL DFS Bargain Bin hunting, a few particulars about format and content.
The nature of the beast with value plays is at least a modest amount (and sometimes substantially more) of risk. Therefore, the Bargain Bin may prove to be a bit more of a rollercoaster ride on some slates than your typical “tout” article! Naturally, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an upside to be had. All of these selections are therefore suitable for GPPs and can also often serve as solid cash game plays, while often helping you accommodate multiple higher-priced studs into your lineup.
Typically, I’ll suggest players that are value-priced across three major DFS sites (DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo). However, there are certainly occasions where one or more sites price a player significantly lower than others. Whenever possible, I’ll typically at least note those players as an “XYZ site special.”
This article is by no means intended to serve as an exhaustive list of all value options for the week. Rather, it’s meant to take a deeper dive into those I feel offer some of the best combinations of savings and upside.
The goal is to recommend truly affordable players, as opposed to, say, a player priced just $300-$400 away from the highest-priced option at his position. I don’t have set-in-stone price limits in mind for each site, but I do consider legitimate affordability a very important criterion.
Quarterback DFS Value Plays
Deshaun Watson, CLE vs. TEN | DK: $6,100, FD: $7,500, Yahoo: $30
Watson has taken no shortage of criticism this week after his Monday night performance against the Steelers, so it might seem like a relatively odd time to recommend rolling with him. However, it's always worth considering taking a player with his level of talent at what should be an especially low roster rate for tournaments. Especially in a matchup that could favor a breakout performance for a couple of reasons.
The absence of Nick Chubb for not only Week 3 but the rest of the way is naturally one, even as familiar face Kareem Hunt has rejoined Cleveland's backfield and Jerome Ford also looked very much the part of a lead back after taking over versus Pittsburgh. Additionally, the Titans are one of the most pass-funnel defenses in the league, as their commitment to stopping the run often makes it a fool's errand to try and stick with the ground game for an extended period.
Andy Dalton, CAR at SEA | DK: $4,900, FD: $6,200, Yahoo: $20
Rookie first-overall pick Bryce Young appears set to miss Sunday's game due to an ankle injury suffered Monday night against the Saints. Dalton has already taken first-team reps on both Wednesday and Thursday, leaving him poised to step in and guide an offense that's been struggling under the first-year signal-caller's leadership through two games.
Dalton has 12 seasons of NFL experience under his belt, meaning there's literally nothing that hasn't been thrown at him, especially given his extensive starting tenures. The one-time first-round pick also has a talented group of skill position players that includes a very capable pass-catching back in Miles Sanders, a dependable tight end in Hayden Hurst, and a rock-solid lead wideout in Adam Thielen. Given some of the deficiencies evident in Seattle's pass coverage in the first two weeks, Dalton could very well overdeliver on his modest salaries.
ALSO CONSIDER: Desmond Ridder, ATL at DET | DK: $5,000, FD: $7,000, Yahoo: $21
DK-FD Special: Russell Wilson, DEN at MIA | DK: $5,900, FD: $7,400
DK Special: Dak Prescott, DAL at ARI | DK: $6,600
Running Back DFS Value Plays
James Cook, BUF at WAS | DK: $6,400, FD: $6,900, Yahoo: $18
Cook came through handsomely as a value recommendation in Week 2, and the good news is his salary bumps don't truly reflect the quality of his production in that game against the Raiders. The second-year back exploded for 159 total yards versus Las Vegas, showing off his elite speed on multiple occasions and encouragingly recording four catches for the second time in as many games to open the season.
Cook did see Latavius Murray and Damien Harris vulture goal-line opportunities, but there's little doubt who the most explosive of the trio is and it's just a matter of time before Cook finds his way into the end zone. That could well come against the Commanders, who allowed solid rushing performances to the Cardinals' James Conner and the Broncos' Javonte Williams in the first two weeks of the season.
Brian Robinson Jr., WAS vs. BUF | DK: $5,800, FD: $7,500, Yahoo: $18
Speaking of the Commanders, Robinson has already looked to be exponentially healthier than during a 2022 rookie campaign that got a delayed start due to a gunshot wound he suffered during a robbery attempt against him. Robinson posted an 18-87-2 line on the ground and a 2-42 tally through the air in Week 2 against the Broncos. Despite the fact Washington will deal with an aggressive opponent in Buffalo in Week 3, the second-year back could still play a big part.
The Commanders may indeed try to grind the ball out as much as possible in an effort to keep Josh Allen and company off the field, and Robinson has already handled 37 carries and 40 total touches through two games. The Bills did an outstanding job against the Raiders' Josh Jacobs in Week 2, but Breece Hall lit them up for 127 yards on 10 carries in Week 1. Buffalo has demonstrated lapses in the rush defense in recent years despite having elite defensive units overall.
ALSO CONSIDER: Raheem Mostert, MIA vs. DEN | DK: $6,000, FD: $6,600, Yahoo: $15
Wide Receiver DFS Value Plays
Mike Williams, LAC at MIN | DK: $6,000, FD: $7,200, Yahoo: $20
Williams turned in another strong performance relative to salary in Week 2, posting an 8-83 line on a robust 13 targets in a loss to the Titans. The athletic veteran could be set for career-best volume in 2023 under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and especially during any additional games Austin Ekeler misses with his ankle injury.
The Chargers-Vikings game is projected as the shootout of the week given the star power on both offenses, and Williams could certainly be a big beneficiary of such a game environment. Williams' downfield role dovetails particularly well against a Minnesota secondary that's been inconsistent over the first two weeks and gave up a big chunk play to the Eagles' DeVonta Smith in Week 2.
Jordan Addison, MIN vs. LAC | DK: $5,500, FD: $6,800, Yahoo: $22
Addison makes for an appealing bring-back piece in the same Chargers-Vikings showdown. The rookie has already flashed his own big-play ability and carries very reasonable salaries across all three sites despite having produced a 7-133-2 line on 11 targets over the first two games of his career while playing on a pass-centric offense.
The Vikings reportedly will try to be more run-focused in Week 3 with Alexander Mattison and trade acquisition Cam Akers if he's active, but head coach Kevin O'Connell may eventually have no choice but to rely on Kirk Cousins' arm again considering the presence of Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen and Williams on the other sideline. In such a scenario, Addison could certainly deliver on the very reasonable investment he requires.
Drake London, ATL at DET | DK: $5,000, FD: $6,500, Yahoo: $16
London could be in a prime spot to offer handsome returns in his own right, considering the second-year speedster's upside and the matchup on a Ford Field fast track against a Detroit secondary that struggled versus the Seahawks in the second half and overtime of a Week 2 loss.
London went for a 6-67-1 line against the Packers in his home dome environment in Week 2, and he could be a featured piece in the air attack on Sunday during a game Atlanta figures to have to remain aggressive in.
ALSO CONSIDER: Amari Cooper, CLE vs. TEN | DK: $5,700, FD: $6,200, Yahoo: $24
Tight End DFS Value Plays
Evan Engram, JAX vs. HOU | DK: $4,800, FD: $5,900, Yahoo: $20
Engram has been busy over the first two games despite the arrival of another prominent mouth to feed in the air attack in the form of Calvin Ridley. The veteran tight end has secured 11 of 13 targets for 106 yards, making him especially valuable on a full-PPR site like DraftKings. However, Engram could deliver nicely on all three sites in Week 3 for a couple of different reasons.
To begin with, receiver Zay Jones, who operates in many of the same short-to-mid-range passing windows that Engram often does, could miss Sunday's game due to a knee injury. Additionally, the opposing Texans looked susceptible to tight ends in Week 2 against the Colts, surrendering six catches for 80 yards and a TD to the position.
Sam LaPorta, DET vs. ATL | DK: $4,000, FD: $5,200, Yahoo: $15
LaPorta has enjoyed an excellent start to his career, posting five catches apiece in each of his first two games while logging 11 targets overall. The rookie has clearly earned Jared Goff's trust early. He could be needed even more than in the first pair of contests in Week 3 against a Falcons defense that allowed a 5-41-1 line to the Panthers' Hayden Hurst back in Week 1.
Amon-Ra St. Brown could miss the game for Detroit or be limited due to his toe injury, and LaPorta could well inherit some of St. Brown's short-area/mid-range work. The rookie will also have the benefit of playing on the fast track of his home field against an Atlanta defense that's already allowed four touchdowns through the air in the first two weeks.
ALSO CONSIDER: David Njoku, CLE vs. TEN | DK: $4,200, FD: $5,400, Yahoo: $15 // Jake Ferguson, DAL at ARI | DK: $3,600, FD: $5,000, Yahoo: $11
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