Daily Fantasy Football Week 3: Top Picks, Value Plays for DraftKings, FanDuel

The Arizona Cardinals' acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins has worked out as well as it could through two weeks.

Hopkins has connected with quarterback Kyler Murray for 219 receiving yards, and that total may skyrocket in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions. Murray and Hopkins should be two of the best daily fantasy football options Sunday, and the best strategy is to pair the duo in a lineup stack.

Further down the salary list resides another potential stack that could save your salary to load up on the best running backs and wide receivers in DraftKings and FanDuel contests.

Quarterback

Top Pick: Kyler Murray, Arizona (DraftKings: $6,800; FanDuel: $8,400)

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Murray's dual-threat ability has made him one of the best fantasy football options in 2020.

The second-year player out of Oklahoma totaled 516 passing yards and 158 rushing yards against the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Football Team. The only concern about Murray's play is the two interceptions he has thrown to counter his pair of scoring throws. He has three other touchdowns on the ground.

Murray holds one of the most favorable matchups of Week 3 against a Detroit defense that conceded 488 total yards in its Week 2 loss to Green Bay. The Lions allowed the fifth-most yards in the NFL, and they have let up the most yards per rushing attempt at 6.5.

The Arizona signal-caller should exploit the defensive weaknesses of the NFC North side and add to his impressive totals.

Because of how poor the Lions have played, fantasy players should feel confident in a Cardinals stack led by Murray.

Value Play: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati (DraftKings: $6,200; FanDuel: $7,400)

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The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft has settled into a comfortable role in the Cincinnati Bengals offense.

Joe Burrow threw for 316 yards and three scores in Week 2's loss to the Cleveland Browns, and he could put up high totals again in Week 3 against a struggling a Philadelphia Eagles defense.

The Eagles were torched for 449 total yards in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2 and have allowed 64 points in two games. No matter which direction Sunday's game goes, Burrow is expected to throw at a high volume inside Zac Taylor's offense.

Burrow attempted 97 passes in the losses to the Los Angeles Chargers and Cleveland, and he has an abundance of targets to pick out in A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins.

The other advantage the rookie could have is his heavy reliance on tight ends. He has targeted that position on 21 occasions, and the Eagles gave up three touchdowns to Tyler Higbee in Week 2. Those trends could lead to an under-the-radar stack with Burrow and Drew Sample.

Running Back

Top Pick: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis (DraftKings: $7,000; FanDuel: $6,700)

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Arizona is not the only team with a favorable matchup in the late-afternoon window.

Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts face a wretched New York Jets defense at home and could run all over the AFC East squad. In his first game in the starting role, Taylor scampered for 101 yards and a touchdown in the Colts' 28-11 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Since he has the clear edge over Nyheim Hines with Marlon Mack out for the season, Taylor should be a go-to option at running back in most weeks.

Indianapolis has run the ball on 62 occasions compared to 71 passes, and if Taylor remains consistent, that balance should stay in place. He could be in contention for the title of Week 3's top rusher since he faces a Jets defense that was gashed for 182 yards by San Francisco's rushing attack last time out.

Since he possesses a lower salary than most of the top-tier running backs, Taylor could provide high point value at a decent price that allows you to pair him with another strong tailback.

Value Play: Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay (DraftKings: $6,200; FanDuel: $6,400)

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Leonard Fournette played a larger role in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense than any other running back on the roster in Week 2.

The former Jacksonville Jaguars running back recorded 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries. Ronald Jones II only had 23 yards on his seven rushing attempts. Tampa Bay may find more comfort on the ground against the Denver Broncos, who allowed back-to-back 100-yard rushing totals to the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Since Fournette appears to be in line for a decent workload, he is worth the salary as a No. 2 running back in your DFS lineups. He is not close to being a No. 1 option at the position, but if you combine him with Taylor, Dalvin Cook, Nick Chubb or others, it could make up for the production lost by injuries to Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley.

Wide Receiver

Top Pick: DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona (DraftKings: $7,900; FanDuel: $8,500)

Darryl Webb/Associated Press

Hopkins brought in 22 of his 25 targets in his first two games as an Arizona player.

His 22 catches against San Francisco and Washington are close to double the amount he earned in the first two contests with the Houston Texans in 2019. He had 13 receptions on 21 targets a year ago.

Even if Arizona were playing a tougher opponent, Hopkins would be a reliable anchor of any DFS wide receiver lineup because of his high target rate.

In addition to their brutal numbers stopping the run, the Lions allow 6.5 yards per play and 6.5 net yards per attempt on passing plays.

Combining Murray and Hopkins will take up a good chunk of your allotted salary, but there are plenty of solid value options to place around them.

Value Play: Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh (DraftKings: $5,400; FanDuel: $6,300)

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Until Diontae Johnson's salary increases or his production in the Pittsburgh offense drops, he is a must-play at the total assigned to him.

Johnson only has one more reception than JuJu Smith-Schuster, but he has nine more targets from Ben Roethlisberger. Johnson also holds the advantage in receiving yards and yards per catch over a player who was expected to be the No. 1 wideout by a long shot.

Roethlisberger attempted 73 passes in the first two weeks, and he has only been sacked three times and intercepted once. If he remains clean in the pocket against Houston, he could pick out Johnson on a consistent basis again.

If that happens, Johnson may have the best production compared to his value at wide receiver, which makes him a solid complement to Hopkins or any other top-salary wide receiver.

Tight End

Top Pick: Darren Waller, Las Vegas (DraftKings: $5,700; FanDuel: $6,600)

John Locher/Associated Press

Darren Waller will be a popular tight end pick from Week 3 on after his tremendous showing Monday night versus the New Orleans Saints.

Waller had 12 receptions on 16 targets for 105 yards and a touchdown in the win that moved the Las Vegas Raiders to 2-0.

Since Week 12 of 2019, Waller has four 100-yard receiving performances over a seven-game span. Monday marked the first time in that stretch in which he found the end zone.

Waller and the Raiders face a New England Patriots defense that has allowed five passing touchdowns this season, which is the joint-second-highest total in the NFL.

Since he is the most reliable target Derek Carr has in the Las Vegas offense, Waller is worth the start no matter how high his salary may be.

Value Play: Drew Sample, Cincinnati (DraftKings: $3,500; FanDuel: $4,800)

Kirk Irwin/Associated Press

Sample is the perfect low-salary option to complement a roster of heavy fantasy hitters.

When C.J. Uzomah went down with a season-ending injury against the Browns, Sample provided comfort for Burrow in the middle of the field, bringing in eight of his 10 targets for 52 yards. Even when Uzomah was healthy in Week 1, he had five catches.

The Eagles have allowed the most fantasy points and touchdowns to tight ends through two weeks. In addition to Higbee's three scores, they let up a score to Washington's Logan Thomas in Week 1.

Until Philadelphia cleans up its defending in the middle of the field, it is worth taking advantage of with opposing tight ends.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.