Week 3 has some of the best matchups we could want in September games, but the irony is that four fantasy-relevant teams will be playing on Primetime and, thus, not be included in the main slate. This certainly contributes to the pricing remaining reasonable for another week.
Based on our expected Week 3 DFS game flow analysis and Week 3 Games to Target published earlier, we can carry our thoughts into actual lineup positions. The long list of players that fit the requirements set forth by the projected flow of the game was cut dramatically by the requirements set forth by salaries.
Below are Sporfolio’s DFS Week 3 Plays:
Quarterback
Teddy Bridgewater – In an honest moment, we did not set out to put Teddy Bridgewater in our list of quarterback options for Week 3. Now, he’s one of our top targets. Between the loss of running back Christian McCaffrey and the game flow expectations against the Los Angeles Chargers, Bridgewater and the Carolina Panthers should be throwing throughout the majority of the afternoon. Carolina already has the fourth-most pass attempts and ninth-most yards through-the-air, while Denver ranks 14th in the league in yards allowed.
Matthew Stafford – When the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals met to open the 2019 season, quarterback Matthew Stafford exploded for 385 yards and three touchdowns without throwing an interception. At the time, the 385 passing yards was his highest total in almost two calendar years. Granted, a new season brings forth a new opportunity for change on the defensive side of the ball — and the Cardinals’ defense already ranks seventh-best in yards after allowing the most in the league in 2019 — but we’re not using Stafford in a lineup because of how strong or weak the matchup is. We’re looking at Stafford as being the key to an ‘upset’ by the Lions. They will have to outpace Arizona’s offense if they want to leave with a win, and that likely runs through Stafford.
Justin Herbert – If you have been a reader here for a while, you should know that we are typically hesitant about jumping on board with rookie quarterbacks. Justin Herbert, however, is a major exception this week. For starters, last week, Herbert looked all around solid as a passer — with the exception of a poor decision on his interception — and also displayed his ability to escape the pocket and use his legs to make plays. Herbert put forth a good game against the best team in the NFL and nearly pulled off the ‘upset.’ After that game, his head coach went out of his way to essentially belittle Herbert and assert the fact that he is “a backup for a reason”. It seemed unfair and inappropriate, and there is no doubt Herbert is going to go out there and look to prove his coach wrong. The final piece of the puzzle is the matchup against a Panthers team that is allowing a whopping 32.5 points per game to start the season.