Week 3 Flex Targets DraftKings 2017

By Armando Marsal

After some sloppy football last week, it is time to move on to Week 3 and hopefully we’ll see some better performances by some of these teams. Below I will go over some players who are reasonably priced and can be considered viable options for your flex position. Lineup construction is something to place a lot of emphasis on when building lineups, so although some of these players can be played at their actual position, plugging them into your flex to start your roster construction can lead you to create a more unique lineup when it is all said and done. Let’s jump right into it and take a look at some of the players I am considering at the flex position this week.

Running Back

Theo Riddick $5,100 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Riddick gets a very good matchup this week against a Falcons defense that allowed the most receptions (109), second most receiving yards (870), and six receiving touchdowns to opposing running backs, which was tied for first. They have picked up this season where they left off last season, allowing 19 receptions for 143 yards and two touchdowns, while yielding the second most fantasy points per game through the first two weeks. Going back to his last 25 games, Riddick has averaged 6.3 targets per game. He is not on the field for most of the snaps, nor does he receive many rush attempts in the red zone, however, he is very involved in the passing game. In PPR formats such as DraftKings, that goes a lot way. I expect this game to be high-scoring and with Atlanta favored on the road, the Lions could be chasing points, making this a potential positive game script for Riddick.

Christian McCaffrey $6,100 vs. New Orleans Saints
McCaffrey has played in 66 percent of the Panthers snaps through the first two weeks and has been peppered with 12 targets which is second amongst Carolina pass catchers. He also accounts for 16.7 percent of the red zone targets and 25 percent of the red zone rush attempts. He faces a Saints defense that is giving up 117.5 rushing yards and 92.5 receiving yards per game to opposing backs through the first two weeks, while yielding two total touchdowns to the position. Even if you go back to last season, the Saints were amongst the bottom three against the run. With Greg Olsen out, I can certainly see some of those short passes going McCaffrey’s way this week. The Panthers are home favorites this week, which checks another box off for me and makes me like him even more.

Wide Receiver

T.Y. Hilton $5,200 vs. Cleveland Browns
Let’s face it, if Andrew Luck were under center, Hilton’s price would be closer to $8,000. I am fully aware that Luck is not playing and that the quarterback under center this week is nowhere near Luck’s talent, but Hilton is still very talented and possesses plenty of upside. This is one of the better matchups for a wide receiver as he is projected to see plenty of Jamar Taylor this week who Hilton has a 21 percent advantage rating against, per PFF. Hilton has been targeted 13 times so far this season and accounts for 40 percent of the Colts red zone targets. This price is just too cheap considering the caliber of receiver Hilton is and although the QB play is limiting his upside, if there is a matchup where he can reach his ceiling, it is this one.

DeAndre Hopkins $6,200 at New England Patriots
The Patriots typically do a good job at shutting down opposing teams’ best offensive players and that can be concerning for Hopkins this week, however, the volume he receives is just too much to ignore. Through two games, Hopkins has received 29 targets and accounts for 75 percent of the Texans red zone targets. Houston is the biggest underdog this week at 13.5 points, so they should be chasing points in this contest, which should equal to plenty of targets for Hopkins once again this week. Although New England has a defense I respect, they have allowed 28 receptions for 422 yards and two touchdowns to opposing receivers in their first two games. There is plenty to like about Nuk this week and at this price, exceeding value is certainly attainable for him.

Tight End

Jared Cook $3,100 at Washington Redskins
We are not use to seeing the Raiders utilize their tight ends often, but this season it appears that they are changing that. Cook has received 11 targets through the first two games, including one in the red zone and has actually played in 75 percent of the Raiders snaps. He faces a Redskins defense that has allowed over 100 receiving yards to opposing tight ends in each of their first two games. This contest has the highest over/under of the week and the Raiders have a healthy implied team total of 28.5 points, so I expect them to score some points. Taking all of this into consideration, along with an affordable price tag, Cook makes for an interesting option this week at a possible low ownership.

Good luck to all this week. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me on the Twitter machine: @Armando_Marsal