Thursday Night Football DFS Lineup Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings (Week 3)

September 23, 2020

Jorge's top NFL DFS lineup picks for FanDuel, DraftKings - the Thursday Night Football slate in Week 3 of 2020. His daily fantasy football advice and value plays.

Week 3 of the NFL season is underway and the Thursday night football showdown slate features the Miami Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars! This game currently has a 48 over/under with the Jaguars being favored by 3 points.

In this article, I will be providing you with daily fantasy football picks on FanDuel and DraftKings for Thursday Night Football on September 24th, 2020 (Week 3). These lineups can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks on FanDuel. Lineup construction can differ greatly from FanDuel to DraftKings with the biggest difference being the Captain and MVP slots. On DK, you'll pay 1.5x the salary of a player in order to roster them as your captain while the price doesn't change on FanDuel.

If you have any questions you can follow me on Twitter @jorgepucks and fire away, or sign up for a premium RotoBaller NFL package and chat with myself and other NFL DFS analysts any time you'd like! Now let's break this slate down and make some cash as we get ready for the full Sunday slate of games!

DFS Quarterbacks

This might not be the sexiest of matchups from a quarterback standpoint but both of the quarterbacks in this game are interesting in their own right. The Dolphins are starting wily veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick who is one of the more tenured quarterbacks in the league. So far this season, Fitzpatrick has started two games and has been the typical Fitzpatrick that we have grown to know. In the opening game against the Patriots, he threw three picks and finished with only 8.44 DK points. In his second start against the Bills, Fitzpatrick threw for over 300 yards and two passing touchdowns while racking up 27.32 fantasy points. Dolphins fans are getting excited to see their rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa get some action at some point this season but it most likely looks like tonight will not be the night so it is best to fade Tua.

For the Jaguars the legend of Gardiner Minshew II continues to grow and develop. Minshew mania has picked up in Jacksonville in year two as he has gotten off to a great start and looks to be settling in comfortable as the Jaguars starting quarterback. He has scored 20+ DK points in both of his starts this season and has thrown for three touchdowns in each game so far. The Dolphins Defense has struggled so far this season against the pass as they are allowing 276.5 passing yards per game which make Minshew II a great play.

Summary: Minshew II has the higher upside of the two quarterbacks but both he and Fitzpatrick are viable in cash and tournaments.  

DFS Running Backs

Both teams running back situations started out rocky to begin the season but are starting to become more clear as the season progresses. For the Jags, they moved on from Leonard Fournette and have opted to roll with James Robinson to start as the featured back. Robinson has been averaging 16 rushing attempts per game so the volume is there for him. In addition, he is averaging 17 DK points per game and is one of the more underrated fantasy players to start the season. The Dolphins are allowing 164 yards per game on the ground and with the Jags being favored, the game script could go in Robinson's favor. Backing up Robinson in the Jags depth chart is DFS star Chris Thompson. The former Redskin running back hasn't gotten quite the same run as he did in Washington but is worth a look in tournaments should he get on the field on pass-catching downs.

The Dolphins backfield is a bit messier than the Jaguars backfield situation. They have Jordan Howard, Matt Breida, and Myles Gaskin all in the mix with Gaskin being the most productive back out of the bunch. Gaskin has accrued double-digit DK points in both games so far and is featured in the passing game as well as he has seen 11 total targets combined for the first two games played. The Jags have a stingy run defense as they are averaging 105.5 rushing yards per game to opposing teams which 10th in the league. With the Dolphins projected to be behind in this game, Gaskin could be a viable asset in the passing game making him the preferred Dolphins running back target.

Summary: Robinson is the best running back option for both cash and large tournaments. Gaskin is a tad riskier due to the crowded backfield in Miami but should still be considered as a solid play regardless of contest choice. Howard, Breida, and Thompson warrant tournament consideration but all carry some sort of risk. 

DFS Wide Receivers

This game features some young receivers that are fun to watch. On the Dolphins, they are led by Preston Williams and DeVante Parker. While Parker got off to a slower start with his career, he is finally starting to emerge as the playmaker they thought he would be when he was drafted back in 2015. He has been targeted 12 times on the year and is averaging 12.5 DK points per game this season. On the opposite side of the field is Preston Williams who really came on strong last season. He has seen 12 targets on the year and while he hasn't found the end zone quite yet, he is a big body that the Dolphins can rely on once they get into the red zone. Outside of those two targets, the only other Dolphin receiver to truly consider is Jakeem Grant. He is a speedster that can take it to the house at any moment but he does have a more limited role when compared to Parker and Williams.

For the Jags, they have several receiving options that we can look at for tonight's slate. DJ Chark Jr. is listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision but if he is good to go, he is one of Minshew's top targets on the slate. Chark has caught all seven targets that have come his way and has produced double-digit DK points in his first two games played. Jags rookie Laviska Shenault Jr. has done a great job inserting himself into the Jags offense as he too has caught six of his eight targets in his first two games played. A cheaper option that could see an uptick in targets should Chark miss the game tonight is Keelan Cole. He saw seven total targets in their second game of the season against Tennessee and has hit above 15 DK points in both of the Jags games this season.

Summary:  Parker and Chark are the top receiving options when it comes to rostering receivers in this game. They are all viable for cash and tournament builds with Williams, Shenault, and Cole being other options that could diversity your lineups in tournaments.  

DFS Tight Ends

The landscape of the tight end position on this slate is not the most appealing but there is one name that truly stands out above the rest. Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki has gotten off to a great start on the season and would make a great play in all formats. He has seen 16 targets in the first two weeks of the season while hauling in 11 of those for 130 receiving yards. Geskicki has obviously been a main target of Fitzpatrick early on in the season and it is hard to see that role changing anytime soon. The Jags defense is the worst in the league in covering tight ends as they have allowed a league 198 receiving yards to the position while also allowing two touchdowns.

On the Jaguars side of things, they have two tight ends that are being involved in the offensive game plan. Tyler Eifert is the known commodity from a pass-catching standpoint but right behind him on the depth chart is James O'Shaughnessy. Eifert has only seen seven total targets on the season while O'Shaughnessy has seen five targets over the same timespan. Eifert does have a touchdown to his name on the season but when factoring in the price points of both individuals, O'Shaughnessy looks to be a better fit in lineups since the volume and target share is close while he offers tremendous value on his price.

Summary: Gesicki is the best option for both cash games and tournament builds. Eifert is in play but O'Shaughnessy offers tremendous value based on his low salary with similar production as Eifert. 

DFS Defense/Special Teams

With the game total near 48, it doesn't seem like the defenses will be strong candidates for cash games. Both have struggled defensively defending the pass as they both have allowed over 550 passing yards through the first two games which makes both of them in the bottom seven teams against the pass. From the kicking perspective, Jags kicker Josh Lambo has landed on the IR and will be unable to go in tonight's game but the replacement, Brandon Wright, was not included in the DK player pool which leaves Jason Sanders the only viable kicker in tonight's game. Sanders has been perfect on all field goal attempts and with projecting to be a back and forth game, he is worth taking a stab at his price point.

Summary: Fading both defenses seems to be the best move on this slate. Jason Sanders is the only kicker in the DK player pool which makes him a solid option at just $4,200 for cash and tournament lineups. 

Good luck, RotoBallers, and remember to mix it up and don't be afraid to be different in these large field GPPs!

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