NFL DFS Yahoo Week 3

For the NFL season, we are now in week 3. That means more DFS contests whether you pay to enter or they are free. A DFS site that is often overlooked is Yahoo. The purpose of this article is to familiarise people with the format and present a couple of lineup strategies.

Note: The Thursday and Monday night games are not included in most Yahoo contests.

 

Scoring settings

1 point for 25 passing yards                        1 point for 10 rushing/receiving yards

0.5 points for a reception

4 points for passing touchdown                6 points for rushing/receiving/return touchdowns

-1 points for an interception                       -2 points for a fumble lost

 

Lineup requirements

1 QB       2RB        3WR       1TE         1Flex(R/W/T)     1 DEF                     $200 budget

 

Home and Dome

There are a few elements that I look at in order to find the most desired matchups. There is what I call Home and Dome, teams that are playing at home with an indoor stadium. While September is too early to worry about snow games, wind can be a factor that can negatively impact passing offenses. Here are the five teams that play Home and Dome in week 3:

Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints

Arizona Cardinals vs Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions vs New England Patriots

Houston Texans vs New York Giants

Minnesota Vikings vs Buffalo Bills

While I will not be looking exclusively at these Home and Dome matchups, it is something I consider strongly in my selections.

Quarterbacks

Kirk Cousins, MIN: $37 vs BUF

There are some weeks where a Home and Dome Team has an elevated over/under line for points scored. In week 3, that perfect match involves the Minnesota Vikings. Kirk Cousins is, understandably, an expensive option at QB but one worth paying up for. Going against a Bills team performing so poorly that a player retired mid-game, the Vikings are tied for the 2nd highest implied point total of week 3 with 29 projected points. Cousins should produce and he has many great targets to stack him with.

Jimmy Garoppolo, SF: $34 @ KC

I was tempted to go with Patrick Mahomes here but I will instead write about his opponent. Jimmy Garoppolo had a miserable opening game against the Vikings, followed by an alright week 2 tilt hosting the Lions. Why would I select him here? Well, it’s the team he’s facing. The Chiefs have allowed an average of 34.72 fantasy points to QBs during the first two weeks of 2018. It what Vegas lines are predicting to be the highest scoring game of week 3, Garoppolo has a decent chance to put up big numbers, while saving a little bit of cash needed to get Mahomes. The one element of concern with Garoppolo is how he will fare with the continued absences of Marquise Goodwin. I believe that the matchup is too good to pass up on.

 

Running Backs

Todd Gurley, LAR: $40 vs LAC

Normally I will try to avoid a player whose value goes up. Todd Gurley is not most players. The Rams are tied for the 5th highest implied point total in week 3 with 27.5 points. Even against their fellow Los Angeles football team with an imposing defense, the Rams should put up points. As they demonstrated last week, Gurley is the top dog in the Rams offense. Through two games he already has 4 TDs. Considering that he scored 19 times in 2017, we can expect that Gurley will continue to find the end zone throughout the season.

Jordan Howard, CHI: $31 @ ARI

The Arizona Cardinals are atrocious when it comes to stopping the run… well, that and everything else involving football. Currently, they have allowed a league-high 38 fantasy points per game to running backs on average. Next on their docket are the Chicago Bears. Jordan Howard has seen at least 14 carries and 4 targets in each of the Bears first two games. With Tarik Cohen slightly banged up, I expect Howard to have an even bigger workload. This should lead to the type of game that places him in the territory of highest scoring at the position for the week.

Sony Michel, NE: $15 @ DET

Overall, the New England rushing attack was not that significant in week 2. 82 yards on 24 carries is nothing special. The bright spot for the Patriots RBs doesn’t pop out of the box score. Sony Michel only averaged 3.4 yards per carry. He did, however, look far more decisive, elusive and explosive than Rex Burkhead, who got half of his 6 carries during the team’s opening drive. It seems that New England felt that Michel was the better option as he almost doubled Burkhead’s touches (11 to 6). Michel looks to have recovered well from his August knee procedure. I expect him to establish himself as the lead Patriots back this week.

 

Wide Receivers

Tyreek Hill, KC: $31 vs SF

While I have not chosen him for this article, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes is still a great pick. Even better is his top WR Tyreek Hill. At only $31, he represents a less expensive version of a top tier WR. For the first time this season, a team has an implied point total of over 30 points. Vegas has the Kansas City over/under at 31.5 points scored. Surely, Hill will be one of the main beneficiaries in the Chiefs high-powered offense. The 49ers were not stopping the talented WRs on the Vikings or the Lions in weeks 1 and 2. That trend should continue in Kansas City.

Stefon Diggs / Adam Thielen, MIN: $28 vs BUF

My two favorite stacks this week are Kirk Cousins with Stefon Diggs and with Adam Thielen. Both Vikings WRs cost the same amount so choosing between them really comes down to personal preference. Diggs is can be efficient with a few touches, while Thielen needs volume to sustain production. Personally, I learn towards Thielen as he has received 12 and 13 targets in the last two games respectively. It is also viable to put both Diggs and Thilen in the same lineup and fully exploit the matchup with the Bills.

Keelan Cole, JAX: $19 vs TEN

The Titans have allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to WRs through two weeks. While it is never a surprise when DeAndre Hopkins puts up 20 fantasy points in a game, seeing Kenny Stills score 24.68 is quite shocking. Especially so when considering the amount of talent that Tennesse brought to their secondary. Perhaps they need more time to gel. While they are figuring it out, Keelan Cole makes for an interesting play in DFS this week. As the Jaguars top WR, he is likely candidate to produce in a week 3 contest that may or may not feature Leonard Fournette.

 

Tight Ends

Rob Gronkowski, NE: $28 @ Det

I have been waiting for Rob Gronkowski‘s price to drop. It only took two weeks, but Gronk entered a difficult matchup @ the Jaguars and could not produce. This lowered his Yahoo DFS cost to $28, making him a bit of a value at his price. With the 2nd highest implied point total of 29 (tied with the Vikings), the Patriots should be in a position to put up points. After facing one of the most difficult matchups in the NFL, Gronk will probably see more targets from Tom Brady in week 3. This is the time to pounce on Gronk.

Travis Kelce, KC: $25

I do not normally advise paying up for TEs in this DFS format. However, week 3 provides the perfect time to spend big at the position. There are not a lot of high-end RBs with great matchups. Because of this, my strategy is to spend less at RB and get top-tier WRs and TEs. I am looking for players on high scoring teams and it does not get any better than the Chiefs. With an implied point total of 31.5, Travis Kelce should be in a position to score TDs in week 3.

 

Flex RB

Matt Breida, SF: $19 @ KC

The 49ers game against the Chiefs is expected to be the highest scoring contest in week 3. The Vegas over/under for total points in the game is set at 56.5. In all likelihood, this will be a shootout, which favors the pass-catching back from the San Francisco offense. Matt Breida has seen triple the numbers of targets given to Alfred Morris so far in 2018. Even though Morris had more rushing attempts in each of the first two games of the season, Breida had more rushing yards in those contests. Clearly, Breida is the more productive back right now, and that should continue in Kansas City. To get a lead back at $19 is certainly a bargain.

Corey Clement, PHI: $13 vs IND

Corey Clement‘s inclusion on this list is a combination of team situation as well as the opponent. First off, the Eagles are dealing with injuries to the backfield. Darren Sproles missed week 2 against the Buccaneers and Jay Ajayi left the game at one point due to injury. With all of the extra work, Clement had a productive fantasy day. He may be on track to have another big workload in week 3. Furthermore, it appears that Carson Wentz will make his 2018 debut this week. In his first game since his ACL tear, Philadelphia’s coaching staff will probably take it easy on Wentz and either run the ball a lot or focus on passes to the RBs in the game plan. If Sproles misses the game, then the role of pass-catching RB falls to Clement. That bodes well against the Colts. Last week, Indianapolis was gashed by Chris Thompson, Washington’s primary pass-catching back, while stopping Adrian Peterson from producing on the ground.

 

Flex WR/TE

Sammy Watkins, KC: $16 vs SF

As I have mentioned throughout this article, the Chiefs are likely to put up a lot of points against the 49ers. Sammy Watkins offers a way to get a piece of the offense, without breaking the bank. Watkins had a much better week 2 than he did in the preceding contest. If his upward trajectory continues, he should pay dividends in week 3 at his current price tag.

Calvin Ridley, ATL: $13 /  Austin Hooper, ATL: $12 vs NO

I like to get a piece of potentially high scoring offenses in DFS. According to the Vegas betting lines, the Falcons have the 4th highest implied point total for the week with 28.5. There are several factors for that line, one of which is the fact that Atlanta is a Home and Dome team this week. Also helping their cause is the Saints defense which made Ryan Fitzpatrick look like a league MVP in week 1. While they improved in week 2, I still believe that New Orleans is a vulnerable defense. Both Calvin Ridley and Austin Hooper offer inexpensive options in order to get a piece of the Falcons offense.

 

Defense

Dallas Cowboys: $11 @ SEA

Normally, a great QB like Russell Wilson would make the Seahawks a matchup to avoid for team defenses. However, due to injuries or lack of investment at other positions, Seattle is struggling on offense. They have allowed the most sacks through two weeks of NFL action. Even at home, they are a team that I would like to target at the right price. Coming in at $1 over the minimum, the Cowboys offer that perfect blend of a good matchup at a cheap cost. The Seahawks have actually allowed the 2nd most fantasy points to opposing defenses in 2018. With the Cowboys pass rush, I expect that trend to continue in week 3.

Baltimore Ravens: $10 vs DEN

The Ravens defense dropped significantly in value after scoring negative fantasy points in week 2. Some would be hesitant to select the Ravens, especially after a Thursday Night game where they could not stop the Bengals from getting into the end zone. That was, however, a divisional game on the road. In week 3 the Ravens return to Baltimore to face a Broncos offense that allowed porous defenses (Raiders, Seahawks) to score an average of 5.5 points. Imagine what a better unit can do against Denver. At the $10 minimum, you do not need to make a high investment to find out.

 

Thank you for reading and good luck with all of your DFS contests. For more advice regarding DFS on Yahoo and other platforms, check out Going for 2 daily.

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