Daily Fantasy Football Best Bargains 2022: Week 3 Top DFS Values on DraftKings and FanDuel
The best way to cash on weekly fantasy football sites is to load up on as many stars with good matchups as possible. Due to budget restraints, however, fantasy players must sacrifice other positions to nab the stars they want.
Here, you'll find the top bargains at each position on FanDuel and DraftKings that will let you splurge elsewhere. And remember, scoring is IMPORTANT. Here are Fanduel’s and DraftKings’ scoring systems.
Quarterbacks
Mac Jones, Patriots ($6,400/$5,100): It’s difficult to find QBs below the average mark on these platforms, so this position is typically not the one to cheap out on. But if you insist, Jones has a softer matchup than he’s had in his first two weeks. The Ravens aren’t normally what you’d think of when you hear “soft pass defense,” but they’ve actually been pretty leaky since last season. Jones likely won’t light them up; he’s maxed out at 252 yards so far this year, and has yet to throw multiple touchdown passes, but the opportunity is there in Week 3 and the Ravens’ offense might force New England to chuck it a whole lot.
Geno Smith, Seahawks ($6,300/$5,000): Smith drew a lot of praise for his Week 1 performance, but if you look at his first two games it’s pretty underwhelming. Smith hasn’t gotten to 200 yards yet, and he failed to score a touchdown against the 49ers in Week 2.Now, the Falcons are a much softer defense; Denver and San Francisco have Top 10 pass defenses right now per Football Outsiders, while Atlanta ranks just 18th. They did a good job on Matthew Stafford last week, but Geno Smith could put forth a useful performance even without yardage if D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett can rekindle their past efficiency. Smith also always offers the promise of a decent run.
Running Backs
Dameon Pierce, Texans ($5,800/$5,000): Houston corrected its course quickly in Week 2, feeding Pierce 15 carries, but more importantly, having him on the field for 62% of their snaps, as opposed to 29% in Week 1. Pierce averaged 4.6 yards per carry last week, and while he’s still uninvolved in the passing game, he has a surprisingly good matchup vs. the Bears here. Chicago allowed 99 rushing yards in Week 1, and gave up 180 to the Packers in primetime. Pierce should put together a fine afternoon in Week 3 if he sees the same volume, especially since the Bears are incapable of forcing opponents into a pass-heavy game script.
Michael Carter, Jets ($5,900/$5,200): Carter always has the rookie Breece Hall looming over him, but he’s seen 60% of the snaps in back-to-back games, and is the clear-cut preferred option when the Jets are passing, which, thanks to their defense, is all the time. Carter was not good on the ground in Week 2, but he saw five targets in the passing game, after eight in Week 1. The Bengals are in desperation mode, and with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins healthy, plus the Jets’ weak pass rush, Cincinnati could send the Jets into aerial mode early. That favors Carter for usage, and mixed in with Cincy’s pass rush vs. a ragged Jets O-line means plenty of dump-offs to the RB.
Chase Edmonds, Dolphins ($5,700/$5,100): Much like the Jets, Miami could be forced to throw the ball a ton against the Bills’ buzzsaw offense. Unlike in Week 2, however, the Bills are going to be bringing a lot of pressure on Tua Tagovailoa, which means Edmonds should see a ton of work as a safety valve when Tua doesn’t have the time to get it downfield. He’s been disappointing through two weeks, but the passing volume should be there in Week 3, and his drop in snap % last week was a bit fluky.
Wide Receivers
Drake London, Falcons ($6,000/$5,800): Through two weeks, London has basically been what everyone drafted Kyle Pitts to be. He’s been dominating DBs, topping 70 yards in each of his first two games, scoring a TD vs. the Rams, and leading Atlanta in targets. He gets the Seahawks this week, who enter play with the No. 30 Pass DVOA per Football Outsiders, so at this price London needs to be in lineups.
Darnell Mooney, Bears ($6,300/$5,300): If you’re looking for a differentiator, Mooney’s your man. He’s caught two passes in two games, and Chicago’s pass game looks to be the most anemic in the NFL. They’ve also faced two very strong defenses in San Francisco and Green Bay; this week, they get Houston, who is the league’s worst defense vs. No. 1 receivers through two games. Mooney has been on the field for 90% of snaps in both games, and remains this team’s WR1. It won’t always be pretty, but in a matchup like this, Mooney should be heavily targeted and his big play ability is valuable in soft matchups.
Elijah Moore, Jets ($5,500/$5,000): While the world goes (rightfully) crazy for rookie wideout Garrett Wilson, Moore is still the team leader in snap %. Moore is on the field all game, and while he hasn’t popped for any big plays, he’s still averaging six targets per game. The Jets will have to throw a ton again in Week 3, and the Bengals actually have Football Ousiders’ No. 26 DVOA vs. No. 2 receivers. It’s a bit risky sure, but Moore is a borderline elite real-life WR, and he isn’t likely to remain quiet on the stat sheet all year. This is a nice spot for him to go off.
Tight Ends
Darren Waller, Raiders ($6,400/$5,800): Waller is a good deal cheaper than the top options at TE, despite averaging seven targets per game and being at 50 or more yards in both tilts. Waller gets a reeling Titans defense this week, and he seems to have largely reclaimed a lot of the targets that went Hunter Renfrow’s way in 2021. He’s not super cheap, but his upside at this price is awesome.
Tyler Higbee, Rams ($5,700/$4,500): Higbee was excellent last week, but we have seen this before. No doubt about it, Higbee carries major bust risk any time you play him. But, Arizona has the worst DVOA vs. TEs in the NFL through two weeks, and is allowing the most points and yards to the position. Granted, they’ve faced Travis Kelce and Darren Waller, but they also can’t afford to game plan for Higbee at all with Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson to fret about. Higbee is seeing 10 targets per game, so if that continues, the floor is actually quite high. We just need to hope that consistency doesn’t vanish like it has in the past.