NFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 3 – Quarterbacks

The quarterback position has been decimated by injuries of late, including two significant ones to Drew Brees (thumb) and Ben Roethlisberger (elbow). That makes things a bit interesting for Week 3 in DFS, so let’s break down the options and discuss which matchups to exploit. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our NFL Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

CASH TARGETS

Lamar Jackson, BAL at KC
FanDuel = $8,500
DraftKings = $7,000

I think we can put to rest the narrative that Jackson can’t throw the ball well. He’s been spectacular through his first two games, completing 71.9 percent of his passes and throwing for seven touchdowns. He even chipped in his customary added value on the ground last week, carrying the ball 16 times for 120 yards. He has played two putrid defenses in the Dolphins and Cardinals and this is another favorable matchup in what should be a shootout against the Chiefs. His floor is about as high as it gets here.

Dak Prescott, DAL vs. MIA
FanDuel = $8,400
DraftKings = $6,500

Speaking of the Dolphins, they have been embarrassingly bad after having been outscored 102-10 across their first two games. They are clearly tanking to get a high draft pick, so teams should be able to score on them with ease throughout much of the season. Prescott already has seven touchdown passes through the first two weeks and even threw for 405 yards in Week 1 against the Giants. Losing Michael Gallup (knee) is significant, but that shouldn’t scare you away from using Prescott in cash lineups.

GPP TARGETS

Josh Allen, BUF vs. CIN
FanDuel = $7,500
DraftKings = $5,900

The Bills are off to a 2-0 start after defeating the Jets and Giants on the road. They will return home with a favorable chance to make it three straight wins during a matchup against the Bengals, who just gave up 41 points to the 49ers last week. Allen is off to a dynamic start, recording at least 250 passing yards, one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown in both of the Bills’ first two games. His price is great on both sites, making him one of the prime options to deploy in tournament play.

Jameis Winston, TB vs. NYG
FanDuel = $7,300
DraftKings = $5,400

The good news is that Winston did not throw an interception last week against the Panthers. The bad news is that he completed 16 of 25 passes for only 208 yards and one touchdown. The talent is there, but Winston has proven to be a turnover machine in his career. That might not be a problem for him here, though, against the Giants. Their defense is lacking talent in the secondary outside of Janoris Jenkins, so it wouldn’t be all that surprising to see Winston come through with one of his finer performances.

Matthew Stafford, DET at PHI
FanDuel = $6,900
DraftKings = $5,500

With Brees and Roethlisberger out, people looking to go cheap at quarterback might turn to Teddy Bridgewater or Mason Rudolph. However, don’t sleep on Stafford. He’s thrown at least two touchdown passes in both of his first two games and will be facing an Eagles secondary that gave up 380 yards and three touchdowns to Case Keenum in Week 1. The Lions might also have to throw a lot to keep up, leaving Stafford as someone to at least consider if you want to differentiate your lineup in a GPP.

PLAYERS TO AVOID

Cam Newton, CAR at ARI
FanDuel = $7,900
DraftKings = $6,000

Newton’s 324 passing yards last week against the Bucs looks nice, but he completed only 24 of 50 passes and didn’t record a touchdown. He’s still looking for his first touchdown pass of the season and has been a non-factor with his legs, rushing five times for -2 yards. If he’s not going to provide added value with his legs, it’s hard to have much faith in him moving forward. This is a great matchup against the Cardinals, but with how he’s looked so far and the fact that you can roster Allen for a cheaper price on both sites, avoiding him might be prudent.

Philip Rivers, LAC vs. HOU
FanDuel = $7,500
DraftKings = $5,800

The Chargers pulled out an overtime win against the Colts in Week 1, but fell short Sunday against the Lions when they scored just 10 points. Rivers finished with no touchdowns and an interception and is missing a key piece in the passing game with tight end Hunter Henry (knee) out. This isn’t the toughest of matchups, but again, I feel like Allen has both a higher floor and a higher ceiling when you factor in his rushing contributions, so I want no part of Rivers.

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.