DFS Gut Plays week 3 2017

By JJ Buck

If you’re reading this, you are amid a whirlwind of fantasy opinion and football statistic overload. With this article, we are looking at matchups that standout after a quick look over of the schedule and prices; going with your gut. Sometimes the obvious play is the best. Other times, it burns us. We’ll try to split the difference. Here we’ll look at DraftKings (DK) and Yahoo Sports (YS). As always, be sure to know the scoring settings of what every you are playing; DK is a PPR league as opposed to .5 PPR for Yahoo.

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford – Detroit – (DK $6,200 – YS $36)
Atlanta will be without their top pass rusher Vic Beasley for at least a month. Their front will still get after Stafford and unlike Monday night where the Lions grinded out a win over the Giants, Sunday they’ll need touchdowns. That means plenty of passes for the underdog home quarterback. (ATL -3, O/U 50).

Kirk Cousins – Washington – (DK $6,100 – YS $32)
I was all set to go back to the well and spout about Derek Carr. Everyone is already on the Carr train. How about a sputtering offense and a quarterback that hasn’t clicked yet with his new group of receivers? Sunday night in Washington Cousins, like Stafford, will need to sling-it to keep pace with the Raiders. Cousins was 18-of-27 passes for 179 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions in their cross-country win at the Rams. Let’s roll the dice on 250-yards and two touchdowns this weekend.

Running Backs

Jay Ajayi – Miami – (DK $7,700 – YS $32)
Last week Melvin Gordon was my running back I fit into most of my lineups. This week that honor goes to Ajayi. Coming off 122-yards against the Chargers, I’m expecting touchdowns to accompany a Benjamin Franklin this weekend.

Isaiah Crowell – Cleveland – (DK $4,800 – YS $23)
After the week one disaster that was spear headed by Scott Tolzien, Indianapolis turned the table as Carson Palmer and the lost Arizona offense was the story. We’re talking about Crowell here, a one-point road favorite for only the fourth time in 10-years. The stats show a running back averaging 2.6 yards-carry and 35-yards a game. Easy to say move on, but I think Hue Jackson will give his ball-of-knives plenty of carries as Crowell could post a Todd Gurley like effort. Not playing a division front seven means it’s time for Crowell to breakout. Duke Johnson (DK $4,200 – YS $11) got six targets last week and has lined up as a WR. I’m going to mess around with a Browns stack this weekend, because YOLO.

Chris Thompson – Washington – (DK $4,500 - $18)
Thompson is the first of three Cousin’s targets I will talk about. Samaje Perine smacked into the line 20 times for 61-yards as Rob Kelly left with a rib injury. Even if Kelly is active Sunday, how long will the pre-game ‘help’ keep him from feeling those ribs? We’re chasing the receptions here, not the touchdowns, so this could also be a potential fade candidate.

Darren Sproles – Philadelphia – (DK $3,900 – YS $13)

My pivot off Thompson out carried LeGarrette Blount 2-0 in the red zone last week. Those numbers will be we’ll known by this weekend. As six-point favorites in their home opener against the New York Giants – who can’t block but defend very well – I expect the veteran to be counted on the bailout Wentz underneath when their run game stalls. Blount (DK $3,900 – YS $14) is a TD league, I base jump on the weekend, fantasy pick.

Wide Receiver

Amari Cooper – OAK – (DK $7,100 – YS $29)
Michael Crabtree was one of our touchdown makers last week and the odds are still in his favor this week. This is betting the scale leans the other way. Cooper checks in as the 10th highest priced WR on DK, $300 less than Crabtree. He hasn’t had that wow moment yet and Sunday night is just the time for Cooper to post his first 100-plus yard game of the season. Crabtree is $25 on YS this week.

Davante Adams – Green Bay – (DK $5,600 – YS $21)
With Jordy Nelson’s status still questionable and Randall Cobb missing the end of Sunday night’s game, Aaron Rodger’s number one target is Mr. Adams. At that price, we’re all over it.

T.Y. Hilton – Indianapolis – (DK $5,200 – YS $22)
In his first start with Indy, Jacoby Brissett targeted Hilton six times and he hauled in four of them for 49-yards. All it takes is one 40-yard plus touchdown to seal the day. Hilton has the talent and Brissett will take the shot against the Browns secondary.

Jamison Crowder – WAS – (DK $4,900 – YS $17) and Terrelle Pryor Sr. (DK $5,900 – YS $18)
The $1,000 DK difference could be a decider in your lineup building on DK. The two could also see a boost pending the health of Jordan Reed. A Captain Kirk stack, not sexy but functional this weekend.

DK Receptions Fillers – Golden Tate ($6,900), Mohamed Sanu ($4,800).

YS Touchdown Makers – Kelvin Benjamin ($21), Michael Thomas ($26).

Tight Ends

Martellus Bennett – GB – (DK $4,000 – YS $18)
Early drops didn’t stop Rodgers from targeting Bennett (11) Sunday night. He’s going to get the reps and chances to produce a top-five TE weekend.

Hunter Henry – L.A. Chargers – (DK $3,900 – YS $15)
Now that Antonio Gates has the TE touchdown record out of the way, Henry can build off his 7-80-day last week.

Defense

The Broncos hit the road for the first time this season and are only $3,600 on DK. Pittsburgh (DK $3,400 – YS $19) gets Mike Glennon. On Y.S. the Dolphins will be one of my plays ($17) at the Jets.

Yahoo Cup Review

115.32 points scored Week 2. 13,457th place out of 306,928 entries through two weeks. Thank goodness for my DK entries last weekend…
QB – Russell Wilson – (15.32) – Swing and a miss. That offensive line is a mess.
RB – Melvin Gordon – (17.30) – A true three-down work horse and weekly option.
RB – James White – (13.60) – 8-for-85 receiving…thank you for trusting him Tom.
WR – Doug Baldwin – (7.40) – See Wilson, Russell.
WR – Randall Cobb – (10.00) – The .5 pre-reception needed a TD boost.
WR – Mohamed Sanu – (11.00) – Solid not spectacular.
TE – Zach Ertz – (12.20) – Swapped out Gronk Saturday night. Appreciate the missed INT.
Flex – J.J. Nelson – (20.50) – Good name, had him in almost every lineup after John Brown news.
DEF – Seattle – (8.00) – Only gave up nine points…

Odds from VegasInsider.com