Week 3 of the daily fantasy football season has arrived, and a few NFL players should be viewed as must-starts in DraftKings lineups.
Although Carson Palmer was a hot item in Week 2, the Arizona Cardinals gunslinger backed up the billing and held his spot for at least one more outing. Additionally, a receiver highly touted in the preseason who struggled in the season opener reminded football fans why he was a breakout candidate.
Using the following five players—or at least a combination of them—leaves enough cap room for you to complete your roster with a variety of clear-cut studs and value plays. Let’s get to it.
Quarterback: Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals ($6,600)
Palmer just threw four touchdowns against the Chicago Bears. Had the Cardinals not tallied two non-offensive scores, it likely would’ve been more.
Oh, and his price dropped ever so slightly on DraftKings.
Next up for Arizona is the San Francisco 49ers, whom Ben Roethlisberger just gashed for 369 yards, three touchdowns and 33.66 points—without Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant.
So the Cardinals have more weapons than the Pittsburgh Steelers had available for the matchup. And considering how the not-so-great Pittsburgh defense stifled Colin Kaepernick and Co., just imagine what Arizona’s will do.
Palmer will have plenty of possessions to compile gaudy numbers, and there’s little doubt he’ll execute.
Running Back: Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs ($7,400)
Don’t let the two lost fumbles in Week 2 scare you off. Jamaal Charles is still a solid DFS choice, especially because DraftKings offers a point per reception.
Plus, head coach Andy Reid called the 28-year-old the “best running back” in the league, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Wichita Eagle), so Charles likely won’t lose carries next week against a purely decent Green Bay Packers defense.
Now, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is really good at home, but that bodes well for Charles down the stretch when Kansas City must throw its way back into the game.
He should grab a handful of targets as Alex Smith’s checkdown receiver, and Clay Matthews—who is moonlighting as an inside linebacker—isn’t a great open-field tackler. A player of Charles’ caliber should have few problems shaking the edge-rusher, and your DFS lineup will prosper.
Wide Receiver: Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars ($5,200)
The hype must’ve affected that touted second-year wideout. After all, Allen Robinson managed just one catch in his 2015 debut.
Nope.
Jacksonville coaches misused the Penn State product. Matt Harmon of NFL Media charted 42.9 percent of Robinson’s routes as straight verticals. The Jaguars altered that plan in Week 2, and Robinson torched the vaunted Miami Dolphins defense for six receptions, 155 yards and two touchdowns.
He was no stranger to spectacular catches, too.
Although the New England Patriots might limit Robinson’s impact early on, in fantasy circles, there’s nothing wrong with being a garbage-time hero (see Jordan Matthews in Week 2).
New England has allowed the fifth-most points to opposing receivers, per FF Toolbox. Yes, each of the three touchdowns surrendered came in the fourth quarter, but unless you’re a fan of the other team, that’s not disappointing. Robinson shouldn’t be, either.
Tight End: Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions ($3,300)
Eric Ebron disappointed in his rookie season, but he’s off to a great start in 2015. The North Carolina product has registered exactly 15.3 points in both games.
Now, the Detroit Lions’ Week 2 matchup isn’t favorable overall since the Denver Broncos defense is spectacular. Chris Harris and Aqib Talib are a couple of locksmiths on the outside, and Calvin Johnson might not enjoy his production.
Passes aren’t regularly going to the X or Y receivers, so they have to go somewhere else—like the tight end and slot receiver. Fortunately for Detroit, Ebron is both.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 6’4″, 245-pounder has run 55 of his 74 total routes from the slot. Matthew Stafford should regularly target Ebron across the middle, and he’ll easily reach value.
Defense/Special Teams: New York Jets ($3,000)
Andrew Luck struggled in his season opener, and the New York Jets didn’t allow the Indianapolis Colts star to assemble a bounce-back performance. Rather, Gang Green snatched three interceptions and recovered two fumbles.
While five takeaways certainly won’t happen every game, that dominance shouldn’t be an aberration.
The Philadelphia Eagles offensive line is already a mess, and Todd Bowles‘ blitzing schemes should sufficiently confuse the unit throughout the game. New York will consistently pressure Sam Bradford, who’s repeatedly made questionable decisions in 2015 and committed five total turnovers.
Additionally, Philly’s rushing attack is borderline nonexistent, and the Jets are a top-five fantasy defense against backs. A limited impact from DeMarco Murray will put even more pressure on Bradford behind that already-shaky line.
New York is a virtual lock to sack Bradford a couple of times and snatch a couple of interceptions, and a defensive touchdown isn’t out of the question, either.
DraftKings is paying out millions of dollars in prizes during Week 3 of the NFL season. Use this knowledge to help you win some of that cash. Play now for FREE at DraftKings.com.
Follow Nerdy Football CFB and DFS writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.
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