3 NFL Player Prop Bets for Week 3

Player props can be useful in a variety of ways -- from taking advantage of them straight up to measuring a player's potential to produce in daily fantasy football on FanDuel. Here, we're going to focus on the former.

Utilizing numberFire's projections as a guide, here are some NFL player props bets that look appealing.

Please note that betting lines and numberFire's game projections may change throughout the day after this article is published. Also, the weather may be an issue in some locations.

Christian Kirk Any Time Touchdown (+185)

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a strong 26.50-point implied team total this week against the Houston Texans in a matchup that should feature plenty of scoring.

The Jags are in a nice bounce-back spot after a loss last week, and it should put their passing game on full display. The injury news for the Jags is that wide receiver Zay Jones is dealing with a knee injury and hasn't practiced this week. Jones doesn't appear on track to play, which opens up some chances for Christian Kirk.

Through two weeks, Kirk has a 23.3% target share, 17.3% air yards share, and 5.3 average depth of target (aDOT) while playing 70.7% of the snaps and running a route on 75.0% of drop backs. That target share is good for the second-highest on the team, so he's clearly been heavily involved in the offense.

However, through two weeks, Kirk does not have any red zone targets. As a team, the Jaguars have just 10 red zone targets, with Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones seeing five apiece.

With Jones unlikely to play this week, it should open up the opportunity for Kirk to grab some of those red zone targets. After all, Kirk has a 23.3% target share overall, compared to Jones' 17.8% mark, so Kirk is utilized more heavily in the passing game and should be due for some red zone looks.

When it comes to the Texans' defense, they're certainly not good, but they haven't really been tested through the air yet. In the first two weeks, the Texans have allowed a total of seven touchdowns, with six of them coming via the running game and the one passing touchdown going to a tight end.

While the Texans technically haven't given up a passing touchdown to a wide receiver, any defense that allows 28.0 points per game is worth attacking for a touchdown prop.

Zay Flowers Over 52.5 Receiving Yards (-114)

A rising rookie has a great matchup to pile up the yards this week.

That rookie would be wide receiver Zay Flowers of the Baltimore Ravens, who are 8.5-point favorites against the Indianapolis Colts. Flowers has played a large role in the Ravens' passing offense, and with an implied team total of 26.50 points, the Ravens are expected to find the endzone this week.

To this point in the season, the Colts' secondary has been torched -- allowing the fifth-most yards (474), fourth-most receptions (35), and tied for the most touchdowns (4). While it's been only two games, the Colts' defense doesn't appear to be one we need to fear -- in fact, they look like one we want to actively target for wide receiver props.

For Flowers, he has racked up 78 and 62 receiving yards over the first two games, which stems from his 27.8% target share, 21.1% air yards share, 79.7% snap rate, and 89.8% route participation rate on drop backs.

numberFire's projections have Flowers going for 54.8 yards on 4.8 receptions, putting him over this receiving prop. Between his super favorable matchup and his usage within the offense, Flowers is in a great spot to cash this prop.

Kirk Cousins Over 38.5 Passing Attempts (-128)

If there's one thing the Minnesota Vikings like to do, it's pass the ball.

It's been only two games, but the Vikings have a massive 77.97% pass-play percentage, which tops the league. Not only are they passing at a high rate, but they are doing so quickly --with an average of 25.4 seconds per play, which is the fourth-fastest in the league.

This leads us to over 38.5 passing attempts for Kirk Cousins. He has amassed exactly 44 passing attempts in each of the first two games, along with 344 yards or more in each game. Plenty of passing attempts, plenty of plays run, and plenty of value in this prop.

It helps that the Vikings have been absolutely inept at running the ball with an average of 34.5 rushing yards per game, which is the worst in the NFL. They simply cannot move the ball on the ground in any capacity and are forced to turn to Cousins time and time again.

This week, Minnesota is up against the Los Angeles Chargers, who have allowed 712 passing yards through two weeks, which is the most in the NFL. This game features a big 53.5-point over/under and a close 1.5-point spread. That points to plenty of back-and-forth action, which should give Cousins lots of chances to pile up the attempts.

Everybody and their mother can pass the ball effectively against the Chargers' secondary, and a pass-heavy team like the Vikings will likely be happy to take advantage.

Looking to build some NFL DFS lineups? Head over to FanDuel’s daily fantasy football lobby to see all the offerings for this week's slates.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.