Daily fantasy football continues to climb in popularity as jackpots have risen consistently and more fans are joining sites every week. Our weekly article showcases players to target at three general levels of value: The big dollar talent (Heavy Hitters), the average-priced contributors (Average Athletes), and the guys very questionable players at the bottom of the cost charts (Sneaky Sleepers). Our selected players are based on DraftKings values as that is our daily fantasy site of choice, but the values should translate fairly well to any other sites you may use. We don’t share specific lineups or optimized computer rankings, but we will give you some great candidates for you to consider. We set this breakdown up that way because while winning is great, a big part of the fun draw of daily fantasy is mixing and matching your lineups to see how you can maximize your team. That and the fact that we are trying to win the same way that you are, and quite frankly, we don’t want our readers to all have the same exact lineups.

NFL Week 2 Recap

Another strong showing in week number two as we worked in some nice cheaper priced players, and elite talent for some more winnings. The most disappointing piece of the weekend was getting only average production from our Star of the Week Derek Carr. The Raiders quarterback was on track for a big game with a pair of TD’s in the first half against the Cardinals, but a completely quiet second half stymied the monster production we were hoping for. With some other quarterbacks throwing up monster numbers, we really needed Carr to keep pace. Still, a whole lot more good than bad with our player selections as we take a look at some of those players below.

These Players Made Us Look Good:

Matthew Stafford – 272 Yards Passing, 3 Total TDs
Carson Wentz – 337 Yards Passing, 23 Yards Rushing, 3 Total TDs
Jared Goff – 256 Yards Passing, 4 Total TDs
D’Andre Swift – 56 Yards Rushing, 31 Yards Receiving, 1 Total TD
Nick Chubb – 87 Yards Rushing, 26 Yards Receiving, 3 Total TDs
Amon-Ra St. Brown – 116 Yards Receiving, 68 Yards Rushing, 2 Total TDs
Mark Andrews – 104 Yards Receiving, 3 Yards Rushing, 1 Total TD
Jahan Dotson – 59 Yards Receiving, 1 2pt. Conversion, 1 Total TD

These Players Made Us Look Foolish:

Cordarelle Patterson – 41 Yards Rushing, 0 Total TD
T.J. Hockenson – 26 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
Chase Edmonds – 33 Yards Rushing, 8 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD

NFL Week 3 Preview

We mentioned a sample size after week one, and we now have increased data and performance to analyze. Not quite to the point of where the opposition rank metric means anything just yet, however it’s starting to round into form. This week begs the question of, do you want to strictly play the numbers here, or are you willing to take a chance with some players offering higher upside at a better price? For our money, we’re going to roll the dice with some players who haven’t necessarily looked great up to this point. In fact, Kirk Cousins is a quarterback that you’ll want to consider this weekend, and was almost our selection for Star of the Week. Yes, we’re serious. At some point we’ll see some more high production rushing stats, but for right now, spending your big money is best invested at the wide receiver position. Our strategy for week number three is definitely focused on grabbing two legitimate WR1’s and going small at the running back position.

Before we highlight our three levels of talent, let’s look at our projected star of the week:

STAR OF THE WEEK:

Without taking the time to go back throughout the BetCrushers history, this week’s Star of the Week should be the second time a Chicago Bear has held the honor of this title. The first time was also David Montgomery, so that should tell you about the diversity of the Chicago Bears offense. Daily Fantasy Football is all about playing the right matchups (if you’re playing single entry contests), and Montgomery has a favorable one against the Houston Texans. Montgomery has had a couple of tough matchups to start the season with the 49ers and the Packers, but despite a rough outing against SF, he’s still averaging 4.7 yards per carry. The Texans conversely, were shredded in week number one against an offense in Indianapolis that is similarly constructed to the Bears scheme and gameplan, albeit with a lesser offensive line and passing threat. Really what this comes down to, is the fact that Montgomery is the 16th ranked RB at a very affordable $5,900 price tag, making him a great centerpiece to build around. This will allow you to cherry pick the high end talent you want at RB1 or WR1 and still feel good about the potential for big points from Montgomery. Yes, it’s a Bears offensive player, but get over that stigma and give Montgomery a chance in this home matchup.

Quarterbacks:

Josh Allen – $8,200 vs. Dolphins
Jalen Hurts – $7,600 vs. Commanders

Running Backs:

Dalvin Cook – $7,900 vs. Lions
Leonard Fournette – $6,500 vs. Packers

Wide Receivers:

Justin Jefferson – $9,300 vs. Lions
Tyreek Hill – $7,600 vs. Bills

Tight Ends:

Travis Kelce – $7,900 vs. Colts
Darren Waller – $5,800 vs. Titans

Defense / Special Teams:

New Orleans Saints – $3,500 vs. Panthers

Quarterbacks:

Kirk Cousins – $6,700 vs. Lions
Matthew Stafford – $6,500 vs. Cardinals

Running Backs:

David Montgomery – $5,900 vs. Texans
Cordarelle Patterson – $5,800 vs. Seahawks

Wide Receivers:

Brandin Cooks – $5,800 vs. Bears
Tyler Lockett – $5,800 vs. Falcons

Tight Ends:

Tyler Higbee – $4,500 vs. Cardinals
T.J. Hockenson – $4,200 vs. Vikings

Defense / Special Teams:

Seattle Seahawks – $2,700 vs. Falcons

Quarterbacks:

Joe Flacco – $5,300 vs. Bengals
Matt Ryan – $5,200 – vs. Chiefs

Running Backs:

Dameon Pierce – $5,000 vs. Bears
Rashaad Penny- $4,900 vs. Falcons

Wide Receivers:

Jakobi Meyers – $5,000 vs. Ravens
Jahan Dotson – $4,600 vs. Eagles

Tight Ends:

Logan Thomas – $3,500 vs. Eagles
Austin Hooper – $3,300 vs. Raiders

Defense / Special Teams:

Arizona Cardinals – $2,400 vs. Rams

If you play Daily Fantasy Football, we love talking sports and we’d love to hear your take and who you like each week, find us on Twitter @TheBetCrushers and let us know. Good luck and enjoy the weekend!