X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

NFL DFS Value Plays: Week 3 Bargain Bin for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo

Derek Carr - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Juan's top NFL DFS value plays for the Week 3 of the 2022 season. These sleepers are cheap on FanDuel, DraftKings, and Yahoo daily fantasy football contests.

Welcome to the Week 3 Sunday main slate edition of RotoBaller's NFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players across the industry that find themselves in favorable match-ups and/or suddenly expanded roles.

Each week I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit on the Sunday main slate and I hunt for value that might be site-specific on Yahoo, FanDuel, and DraftKings.

Week 3 features plenty of teams with high implied totals, giving us a solid road map on where to hunt out some value plays that could well overdeliver on their modest salaries. Moreover, there are also the usual array of good positional matchups that bear targeting regardless of other metrics surrounding the game.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

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 roller-coaster 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              

Derek Carr, LVR at TEN | DK: $5,900, FD: $7,100, Yahoo: $29  

Carr bounced back from tossing three picks in Week 1 against the Chargers to put together a second straight two-touchdown performance versus the Cardinals, albeit in a heartbreaking loss. The veteran quarterback is typically very adept at avoiding costly mistakes -- making his season-opening performance largely an outlier -- and notably, he's already completed nine passes of 20 yards or more in new head coach Josh McDaniels' offense, certainly an encouraging number considering his Week 3 matchup.

The Titans' secondary was shredded by Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs on Monday night, and they'll now have to deal with Carr and Davante Adams on a short week, which can be nearly as daunting. Tennessee allowed an elevated 12.0 yards per completion in that game, and Carr is averaging an impressive 11.6 yards per completion thus far. With reasonable salaries across the board and another game now under his belt with Adams, Carr could be in good position to deliver strong returns, especially with Vegas likely to be especially aggressive in search of its first win.

Marcus Mariota, ATL at SEA | DK: $5,500, FD: $7,300, Yahoo: $22

The Falcons faced no shortage of scrutiny, and in some cases, ridicule, prior to the season for their offensive personnel, including Mariota. With his last season as a true full-time starter having come back in 2018, Mariota was seen as the ultimate journeyman who, to make matters worse, was carrying plenty of rust. However, the 2015 first-round pick has had his moments over the first two games against a pair of tough defenses in those of the Saints and Rams, and naturally, he's also capable of supplementing his fantasy production with his legs.

The Seahawks should be the most palatable matchup yet for the Falcons' passing game, considering Seattle has allowed 257.0 passing yards per contest and the fourth-highest yards per completion (11.7) through the first two games. The 'Hawks also have just three sacks through two games and are giving up an NFL-high 50.89 yards per drive thus far, furthering the versatile Mariota's case at his appealing salaries.

ALSO CONSIDER: Matt Ryan, IND vs. KC | DK: $5,200, FD: $6,700, Yahoo: $23

 

Running Back DFS Value Plays   

David Montgomery, CHI vs. HOU | DK: $5,900, FD: $7,100, Yahoo: $18

Montgomery was outperformed by backfield mate Khalil Herbert in the Bears' rain-soaked Week 1 win over the 49ers, but the third-year pro still logged a solid 17 carries in that contest and also saw four targets. He then bounced back in Chicago's miserable Week 2 loss to the Packers with a 15-122 line on the ground and a pair of receptions, offering a glimpse at his considerable upside. Montgomery could be well set up for a strong encore as well, considering he draws a matchup at home Sunday against the vulnerable Texans run defense.

Houston has opened the season allowing 163.0 rushing yards per game, the third-highest figure in the NFL, along with 4.7 yards per carry. Montgomery has enjoyed a significant red-zone role over the last two seasons in particular with a whopping 109 touches in that area of the field during that span, and he's quickly logged four this season despite the challenging weather conditions in Week 1. Then, the Texans allowed a co-NFL-high 22 red-zone rushing TDs a season ago, and Montgomery has opened the season trampling over defenders to the tune of a 28.1 percent broken-tackle rate, making him a good bet to fight for every yard against a vulnerable defense.

Miles Sanders, PHI at WAS | DK: $5,500, FD: $6,800, Yahoo: $17

Somewhat lost in the early Jalen Hurts/A.J. Brown/hoopla is Sanders, who's opened the season by taking 30 carries for 176 yards and a touchdown over his first two games. The versatile fourth-year back has logged 37 and 36 snaps in those contests, an encouraging development in terms of consistency after Sanders saw his playing time fluctuate rather drastically in a handful of games a year ago.

The Commanders have allowed 157.0 rushing yards per game in the first pair of contests, along with an NFL-high 7.5 yards per carry. Washington has also surrendered a pair of rushing TDs to RBs thus far, while Sanders has five receptions in the first pair of contests, and with 5.9 yards per carry in that span as well, he certainly has the speed to exploit the chunk plays on the ground Washington has been giving up.

ALSO CONSIDER: Josh Jacobs, LVR at TEN | DK: $5,400, FD: $6,500, Yahoo: $18

DK/Yahoo Special: Cordarrelle Patterson, ATL at SEA | DK: $5,800, Yahoo: $15 

 

Wide Receiver DFS Value Plays   

Tee Higgins, CIN at NYJ | DK: $6,100, FD: $7,300, Yahoo: $21

Higgins cleared concussion protocol just in time ahead of Week 2 to go on and log a whopping 60 snaps against the Cowboys and generate a 6-71-1 line on 10 targets. The third-year wideout had also gotten off to an encouraging start in Week 1 against the Steelers (2-27 on two targets over 25 snaps) before his injury, and he'll now get a crack at a defense whose lackluster pass rush could give his quarterback more time to throw than usual, and that also surrendered plenty of efficient passing production to the less dynamic air attack of the Browns a week ago.

The Jets have conceded 11.1 yards per completion over the first two weeks, putting them in the bottom 10 of the league in that category. New York has also surrendered four receiving touchdowns to wideouts already, while Higgins is already averaging 12.3 yards per grab and lays claim to nearly 23% of the Bengals' air yards through two games. If Joe Burrow does indeed have more time to scan the field in Week 3, Higgins could certainly be a favorite mid-range and occasional deep target, especially if there's plenty of attention being heaped upon Ja'Marr Chase.

Drake London, ATL at SEA | DK: $5,800, FD: $6,200, Yahoo: $17

London has quickly become a favorite, trusted target of Mariota, with the rookie making a quick NFL splash by bringing in 13 of 19 targets for 160 yards and a touchdown over his first two games. The 2022 eighth overall pick makes for a great, cost-conscious pairing with Mariota in tournament lineups for a game against a Seahawks defense that no longer has Jamal Adams (knee) and therefore more susceptible to the downfield prowess of a wideout like London.

The Seahawks' vulnerabilities against the pass were already discussed in Mariota's entry, and in addition to the numbers cited there, it's worth noting London has commanded over just one-third of Atlanta's targets and over 36.0 percent of the team's air yards over the first two games, making him an especially appealing option with that type of volume at his salaries.

DeVonta Smith, PHI at WAS | DK: $5,200, FD: $6,000, Yahoo: $17

As alluded to in his teammate Sanders' entry, Smith has already made a mark early this season, coming back from a blanking in Week 1 against the Lions to produce a 7-80 tally on seven targets against the Vikings on Monday night. Smith's talent and speed were naturally going to emerge before long, and Sunday, he has a shot to keep the momentum going against a Commanders defense that ranks in the bottom 10 of the league through two weeks with 11.2 average yards per completion allowed.

Washington has given up four passing touchdowns in the red zone through two games as well, along with the fifth-most receptions (29) and eighth-most receiving yards (380) to wideouts, along with 13.1 yards per reception. Smith naturally has the speed to take advantage of the Commanders' propensity to give up big plays through the air, and after his Week 2 success, Philly will undoubtedly be focused on keeping him rolling in a tough divisional matchup.

ALSO CONSIDER: Allen Robinson, LAR at ARI | DK: $5,700, FD: $6,000, Yahoo: $17; Corey Davis, NYJ vs. CIN | DK: $4,900, FD: $5,800, Yahoo: $14

 

Tight End DFS Value Plays  

Tyler Higbee, LAR at ARI | DK: $4,500, FD: $5,700, Yahoo: $18

Higbee came through nicely a week ago at even slightly lower salaries with a 7-71 line on nine targets, a performance that had been preceded by a five-catch Week 1 effort versus the Bills in which he'd drawn 11 targets. With his efficiency back on track in Week 2, Higbee now has a chance to keep rolling versus a Cardinals team that's been the league's most vulnerable to tight ends over the first two games.

Arizona has surrendered an NFL-high 19 receptions, 212 yards and three receiving TDs to tight ends through two games. Higbee's 20 targets over the first two games make him quite the value play at these salaries as well, especially considering the game could evolve into a pass-heavy, back-and-forth affair and that the Cardinals are behind only the Seahawks in yards per drive allowed (46.2) while also giving up an NFL-high seven red-zone passing touchdowns and 3.53 points per drive.

Dawson Knox, BUF at MIA | DK: $4,100, FD: $5,300, Yahoo: $16

Knox is dealing with a foot injury as the practice week begins, but assuming he's back to health by the weekend, he becomes an intriguing option to roll with at his salaries. The athletic tight end made up for a pedestrian opener where he had just one reception for five yards by posting a solid 4-41 line on five targets in the rout of the Titans on Monday night. In Week 3, Knox will find himself right in the middle of what shapes up as the marquee matchup of the week and facing a Dolphins team that's been generous to tight ends over the couple of weeks this season.

Miami has allowed an 18-200-1 line to tight ends over the first two games, putting them behind only the Cardinals in the first two categories. Miami has given up the league's fifth-highest completion percentage as well (71.2), along with an NFL-high 12.2 yards per completion. Given Knox's ability to get downfield and the fact Diggs and Gabe Davis, if he plays through his ankle issue, will be dealing with tough cornerback play, the emerging tight end could have a particularly important role in the air attack during what could be a wire-to-wire battle.

ALSO CONSIDER: Logan Thomas, WAS vs. PHI | DK: $3,500, FD: $5,400, Yahoo: $15



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Weekly DFS Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Cal Raleigh

Continues Historic Homer Pace Tuesday
Jacob Wilson

Exits Early On Tuesday With Left Hand Contusion
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
Laken Tomlinson

Confident in Texans Offensive Line
J.K. Dobbins

the Starter in Denver?
JT Woods

Seahawks Release JT Woods
Darren Waller

Trade to Miami Becomes Official
Asante Samuel Jr.

Dolphins Interested in Asante Samuel Jr.
Nyheim Hines

Seeking Return to NFL
Dak Prescott

Expects to be Full-Go for Training Camp
Ajay Mitchell

Posts 16 Points in Summer League Win on Monday
Milwaukee Bucks

Vasilije Micic Waived by Bucks
Brice Sensabaugh

Logs 37 points in Summer League Win on Monday
Luis Garcia

Fans Four in Rehab Outing
GG Jackson II

Collects 27 Points in Summer League Loss
Ace Bailey

Scores 18 Points in Summer League Victory
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Kobe Bufkin

Cleared for Summer League Action
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Milwaukee Bucks

Vasilije Micic Agrees to Contract Buyout with Bucks
PGA

Sungjae Im Still a Liability at Scottish Open
James Wiseman

Pacers Bring Back James Wiseman
Ludvig Aberg

is a Solid Option at Scottish Open
Tyrese Haliburton

to Miss Entire 2025-26 Campaign
Paolo Banchero

Signs Historic Five-Year Extension with Magic
Anthony Santander

Hoping to Hit Soon
Luis Robert Jr.

Returning in Short Order
Alex Bregman

Could Return Later This Week
Ketel Marte

Day-to-Day with Groin Tightness
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Hunter Greene

Suffers Setback on Monday
Kyle Lowry

Staying With 76ers
Kyle Anderson

Lands in Utah
Kevin Love

Traded to Jazz in 3-Team Swap
Norman Powell

Traded to Miami
John Collins

Dealt to Clippers
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied For 14 at Travelers Championship
Xander Schauffele

Finishes Tied For 61 at Travelers Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Tied For 17 at Travelers Championship
Si Woo Kim

Finishes Tied For 11 at John Deere Classic
Viktor Hovland

Withdraws From Travelers Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For Second at Travelers Championship
Brian Campbell

Wins John Deere Classic
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 10 Points
Harrison Ingram

Limited on Sunday
Golden State Warriors

Isaiah Mobley Drops 16 Points
Ryan Rollins

Staying with Bucks
T.J. Watt

Pittsburgh Still Not Close on New Contract
Terry McLaurin

Still Not Pleased with Contract Situation
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Yu Darvish

to Make Season Debut on Monday
MLB

Nationals Fire Dave Martinez, Mike Rizzo
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
KaVontae Turpin

Arrested on Two Charges
Cole Ragans

to Begin Throwing on Monday
Theo Johnson

Prioritizing his Health this Offseason
Andrés Giménez

Andres Gimenez Hits 10-Day Injured List
Jermaine Burton

Continues to Show Growth
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
Cam Ward

"Not Expecting" to be handed Starting Job
Chase Claypool

Eager to Get Back on the Field
Wyatt Langford

Activated, Playing on Saturday
Jay Huff

on the Move to Indiana
Cam Whitmore

Wizards Acquire Cam Whitmore from the Rockets
LaJohntay Wester

Stands out on Special Teams
Clarke Schmidt

Likely to Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nolan Arenado

Scratched from Saturday's Lineup
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Starting on Saturday
Corbin Carroll

Activated from 10-Day Injured List
Cincinnati Bengals

Shemar Stewart, Bengals Continue Contract Talks, No Progress Made
Ha-Seong Kim

Removed Early During Season Debut
ARI

Christian Fischer Retires From NHL at 28
NHL

Spencer Martin Moves to Russia
WAS

Anthony Beauvillier Re-Signs With Capitals for Two Years
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Sitting Out With Foot Issue
Isaiah Neyor

Impresses at Minicamp
Bo Bichette

Back in Blue Jays Lineup
Miles Sanders

Works With Starters During Mandatory Minicamp
Chimere Dike

Titans Could Move Chimere Dike Inside
Keandre Lambert-Smith

KeAndre Lambert-Smith not Guaranteed Roster Spot
Anthony Bradford

Working Hard to Win Back Starting Job
Clarke Schmidt

Placed on Injured List
SJ

Sharks Claim Nick Leddy Off Waivers
SJ

Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov to Two-Year, $13 Million Contract
CAR

Nikolaj Ehlers Joins Hurricanes on Six-Year Contract
COL

Brent Burns Inks One-Year Deal with Avalanche
STL

Blues Land Pius Suter on Two-Year Deal
Morgan Frost

Agrees to Two-Year Extension with Flames
WPG

Gustav Nyquist Moves to Winnipeg
Cody Glass

Devils Re-Sign Cody Glass to Two-Year Deal
PIT

Anthony Mantha Joins Penguins