6 Daily Fantasy Football Tournament Dart Throws for Week 3
Every week in DFS, there is a player who comes out of nowhere to be the slate-breaker. These seemingly incognito players can be game-changers if you manage to roster them during the right week.
Tournament-only fliers have plenty of appeal -- offering low ownership, below value pricing, cheap stacking options, roster flexibility and underrated ceilings. The purpose of this article is to identify dart throws to take your shots on during the main slate on FanDuel.
Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Bucs
FanDuel Salary: $7,300
Once again, I’m ready to ride the wave of volatility also known as Jameis Winston.
The NFC South is full of gamblers such as “Riverboat” Ron, but no player is more of a gunslinger than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' signal caller, who ranks second in interceptable passes, per PlayerProfiler. What Jameis does offer this week is extreme value in a plus matchup.
Over the last five games, opposing passers facing the New York Giants defense have averaged a QB3 overall finish. Although Tampa ranks 30th in protection rate, their weakness is negated by a New York defense that currently sits in the bottom-five in sacks per game.
At only $7,300, Jameis is projected for the fifth-most points, per our models, but is the 14th-most expensive passer on the main slate. In a tightly concentrated passing offense, Winston and his receivers are in enviable spot for both fantasy production and stacking potential.
Christian Kirk, WR, Arizona Cardinals
FanDuel Salary: $5,900
FanDuel is begging users to play Christian Kirk at $5,900, and I’m obliged to pull the trigger.
We have Kirk projected for the 14th-most points, but he is the 37th-most expensive receiver on the main slate. The new-look Air Raid Arizona Cardinals lead the league in neutral pace of play, so even though the game is slated to be low scoring (a total of 45.5) there will be plenty of plays ran on the Arizona side. Despite not breaking off a big play yet, Kirk is fully capable of explosive gains with 4.47 wheels, and he currently ranks 11th in yards after the catch and targets.
Devin Smith, WR, Dallas Cowboys
FanDuel Salary: $5,200
It's back to the well with Dallas Cowboys receiver Devin Smith and the scorching-hot Dallas aerial attack. Having completed 23 straight passes to finish a route of Washington, Dak Prescott is on fire just in time to face a Miami Dolphins team that has given up nearly two touchdowns per quarter.
Michael Gallup is out for two-to-four weeks, which will allow the oft-injured Smith to fill the vertical threat role in Dallas. Against a Swiss cheese Miami secondary, one that will be without Minkah Fitzpatrick, Smith -- who offers 4.42 speed and an 81st percentile burst score, per PlayerProfiler -- could go off. Look for him to pick up right where Marquise Brown and Antonio Brown left off against the Fish Tank.
Matt Breida, RB, San Francisco 49ers
FanDuel Salary: $5,900
Matt Breida will continue to see a rotation in my tournament lineups, and this week will be no exception. The San Francisco 49ers' back is cheaply priced at $5,900. San Francisco is expected to be playing with a lead (6.5-point favorites) against the Pittsburgh Steelers, meaning Breida should see plenty of positive game script behind a road grading offensive line that ranks fifth in adjusted line yards, per Football Outsiders.
Even with a limited role (37% snap share), Breida has been the model of efficiency, ranking third in yards created, and he is in a prime position to capitalize against an average Steelers front seven.
Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
FanDuel Salary: $6,900
Coming off an explosive 23-FanDuel-point performance against the vaunted Minnesota Vikings' defense, Aaron Jones is surprisingly discounted at an oh-so-nice $6,900 price.
A top-10 value in terms of points per dollar, according to our projections, the Green Bay Packers' back is in an opportune spot for positive game flow (8.5-point favorites) and ample scoring opportunity (25.25-point implied total). Jones shouldn't see big ownership against an average Denver Broncos defense, and he makes for a strong pivot off of similarly priced David Johnson.
Austin Hooper, TE, Atlanta Falcons
FanDuel Salary: $5,800
Austin Hooper is in a juicy matchup with an Indianapolis Colts defense that has opened the floodgates to opposing tight ends. Under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Indy sports a soft cover three zone that leaves plenty of openings underneath.
Per RotoViz, in the last five games, the Colts have allowed opposing tight ends to average 7.8 targets, 69.6 yards, 0.4 receiving touchdowns and a whopping 16.1 fantasy points per game -- good for a TE1 finish overall on average.
This game itself should see plenty of passing opportunities with a close spread of one point. The Atlanta Falcons' offense will also benefit from yet another game indoors. Look for Hooper to go overlooked and outproduce his cost in this plum spot.
Nathan Coleman is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nathan Coleman also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username nac89. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
