4 NFL DFS Studs to Target in Week 3

Hitting on high-salary players is the first step to having success in NFL DFS on FanDuel.

These players take up the biggest chunk of your salary cap, and they need to deliver quality performances for your lineup to reach its ceiling.

With some help from our NFL DFS projections, here are four studs to target on this week's main slate, which starts at 1 p.m. ET.

All betting odds come from the NFL odds at FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

NFL DFS Studs to Target for Week 3

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

FanDuel Salary: ($8,800)

After popping for 28.12 FanDuel (FD) points in Week 1, Lamar Jackson mustered just 17.38 FD points in Week 2. He attempted 7 fewer passes and 11 fewer rushing attempts in Week 2, but a 47.5-point total in this Baltimore Ravens-Dallas Cowboys game should result in Lamar's usage getting dialed back up.

It helps that Dallas was just shredded by Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints, dropping them to 20th in schedule-adjusted defense, per numberFire. While they haven't exactly faced an onslaught of rushing quarterbacks through two weeks, they did give up a rushing touchdown to Derek Carr and have surrendered the ninth-highest rushing EPA to the position, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

With Baltimore favored by 1.5 points on the road, we could see a back-and-forth affair where the Ravens lean heavily on Lamar.

Our NFL DFS projections peg Lamar for 21.8 FD points, the most on the slate and enough to make him the second-best point-per-dollar value at the position.

De'Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins

FanDuel Salary: ($7,700)

If not for Tua Tagovailoa's concussion, De'Von Achane would likely carry a higher salary than his current $7,700 tag. Following a 19.5-point outing in the opener, Achane exploded for 26 FD points on Thursday Night Football. That came via a staggering 36 adjusted opportunities (carries plus 2x targets) and 165 scrimmage yards.

Now, Tua's absence has soured the Miami Dolphins' offensive outlook, reflected in their measly 18.5-point implied team total. Skylar Thompson will start in his place, and he's far from a reliable option under center.

But Thompson's inability to push the ball down field could be a plus for Achane's usage. In the three full games he played in 2022, Thompson fed running backs 10, 10, and 15 targets.

Entering Week 3, Achane has averaged 7.0 targets per game, good for a 19.2% target share.

There's a chance Raheem Mostert returns for Week 3, but we saw Achane remain productive with Mostert active in Week 1, and Mike McDaniel has hinted at increasing Achane's usage going forward.

Week 3 would be a good time to do it on the road against the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle just coughed up 16 FD points to Rhamondre Stevenson, and they're 19th in schedule-adjusted run defense. Through two games, Seattle has coughed up the 11th-highest target rate (22.2%) to running backs.

Everything's lined up for Achane to see another monster workload on Sunday. We project him for 15.5 rush attempts, 3.6 targets, and 15.3 FD points, the third-most points among running backs.

CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys

FanDuel Salary: ($9,300)

CeeDee Lamb hasn't been bad thus far -- 11.1 FD points in Week 1 and 17.0 in Week 2 -- but he's yet to live up to last year's lofty standards. However, both of the Cowboys' first two games were all but over by halftime, so I'm bullish we get a true breakout in a tighter contest this week.

Even with his somewhat middling output, Lamb has paced Dallas with a 23.6% target share and 34.6% air yard share. That could translate to stellar fantasy production against a Ravens secondary that's yielded the eighth-most FD points per target (1.73) to opposing receivers. We saw that lead to a 24.5-point performance from Davante Adams last week, and Lamb could follow suit.

He benefits from the same stellar game environment as Lamar Jackson, and the Ravens have been more fantasy-friendly through the air early on. They're 25th in scheduled-adjusted pass defense compared to 5th in run defense.

We project Lamb for 15.8 FD points, tied for the most among wide receivers on the main slate.

George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

FanDuel Salary: ($7,100)

Both Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel are out this week, and that explains George Kittle boasting the second-highest salary among tight ends. But Kittle's feasted when the San Francisco 49ers have been down a man in the past, and his matchup is absolutely mouth-watering.

In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Kittle appeared in 12 games where either Samuel or Aiyuk played less than 60% of snaps. In those games, he averaged 4.5 receptions, 6.1 targets, 70.9 yards, and 13.8 FD points per game. He scored nine touchdowns in that sample, recording multiple scores three times.

Kittle has +150 odds to score a touchdown on Sunday.

For context, last year's top tight end on a per-game basis (Travis Kelce) averaged 6.4 receptions, 8.4 targets, 69.3 yards, and 12.3 FD points per game.

We saw Kittle pop with a 22.2% target share and 17.1 FD points last week, and his prior utilization sans one of San Fran's top targets suggests more heavy volume is in store this week.

This is certainly the matchup for the Niners to feed Kittle. The Los Angeles Rams have surrendered the most FD points per target (1.94) and the seventh-highest target rate (20.6%) to tight ends this season. That comes after a 2023 season that saw them allow third-most FD points per target (1.59) to the position.

Their defense has struggled in nearly every facet early on, and that's reflected in San Francisco's 25.75-point implied total, the third-highest on the main slate.

That sets Kittle up for a busy afternoon. We project him for 11.3 FD points, second at the position.

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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.