It was another successful week of cash games for me in Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season, giving me two straight weeks of profit to begin the season. Amon-Ra St. Brown almost single-handedly carried my cash-game lineup last week, scoring 42.4 DraftKings points on 9 receptions, 184 total yards, and 2 touchdowns versus the Commanders at only a $6,500 salary.
Saquon Barkley and Davante Adams were surprisingly duds in Week 2, combining for 21 points. And I do need to take accountability for propping up Albert Okwuegbunam in my cash-game picks article last week as he finished with a goose egg against the Texans.
With the Steelers and the Browns getting Week 3 underway, here are my cash-game picks on DraftKings for the Week 3 main slate.
Quarterbacks
Josh Allen @ MIA ($8,200)
I usually don’t pay up at the quarterback position in cash games, but there are some enticing options at the top over on DraftKings. Allen has picked back up from where he left off last season and has shown no signs of slowing down through the first two weeks of the season.
In the first two weeks against playoff teams from a season ago, Allen has combined for 66.2 points and he faces the Dolphins in Week 3, who just gave up 48.6 points to Lamar Jackson in Week 2. If you have enough salary to play a quarterback $7,000 or higher, and you don’t have enough for Allen, Jalen Hurts ($7,600) leads all quarterbacks with a whopping 16.4 non-passing fantasy points per game.
Matthew Stafford @ ARI ($6,500)
After posting 10.8 points in Week 1 against the Bills, Stafford bounced back with 20.9 points in Week 2 versus the Falcons. The upcoming matchup between the Rams and the Cardinals has the fourth-highest projected total (48.5) of the games on the main slate, so the veteran quarterback is certainly viable in cash games.
The defense of the Cardinals has also allowed an average of 28.5 points to quarterbacks in the first two weeks. If Stafford can avoid multiple interceptions in this game, he should return decent value in Week 3.
Derek Carr ($5,900) @ TEN ($5,900)
Carr was on track for a 20-plus point performance on DraftKings in Week 2 against the Cardinals, only for him and the offense of the Raiders to disappear in the second half of last week’s loss. The good news for Carr is that the Raiders will get an opportunity to bounce back in Week 3 versus the Titans.
The Titans just got torched by Allen and the Bills in Week 2 for 32.7 points, and I’m not saying Carr is on the same level as Allen, but there’s 20-point upside here for the former second-round pick while he’s under $6,000.
Running Backs
Dalvin Cook vs. DET ($7,900)
It was assumed that Cook would thrive versus the Eagles in Week 2, only for him to record 7.6 points. It’s been a slow start for the dynamic running back, however, he’s got a positive matchup against the Lions in Week 3.
Also, another positive sign for Cook is that he’s garnered at least five targets in each of the first two weeks, so his usage in the passing game is in a good spot. If you’re able to pay up at the running back position, Cook is an ideal option with a home showdown against the Lions.
Leonard Fournette vs. GB ($6,500)
Super Bowl Lenny is a man of the people and he took to Twitter to say that touchdowns are on the way after failing to find the end zone in the first two games of the season. The workload has certainly been there for Fournette thus far and he’s got a favorable game against the Packers this week.
Through the first two weeks, Fournette has played 103 offensive snaps, with Rachaad White being the only other running back that has gotten snaps at running back for the Buccaneers this season with only 41 snaps. The defense of the Packers just got gashed for 122 rushing yards by David Montgomery in Week 2, so Fournette could be in store for a stellar performance in Week 3 in Tampa Bay’s home opener.
David Montgomery vs. HOU ($5,900)
Speaking of Montgomery, he actually looked pretty good running the ball in Week 2 versus the Packers. The former third-round pick had a tough matchup in Week 1 against the 49ers in a game where there were puddles all over the field and he finished with 26 rushing yards on 17 attempts.
Related: Roast & Ghost: Fantasy Football Starts & Sits for Week 3
As bad as it is that the Chicago Bears have thrown only 28 passes this season, Montgomery has the second-most targets on the team with 6.
Wide Receivers
Stefon Diggs @ MIA ($7,700)
I need to preface this pick by saying if you have the salary to get Cooper Kupp into your lineups, go ahead and get the guaranteed 25+ points. But as good as Kupp has been, Diggs has scored 77 points compared to Kupp’s 70.6 through the first two weeks.
Given how he’s performed to begin the season, I though DraftKings would put his salary at $8,000 or higher, but he’s only $7,700 in Week 3. The Pro Bowl wideout has a massive 32.4% target share in Buffalo’s pass-heavy offense and plays in a game that is tied for the highest projected total at 52.5 points.
Amon-Ra St. Brown @ MIN ($7,200)
Once again, I have no one to credit for my success in cash games last week but St. Brown. Everyone tried convincing themselves that the second-year wideout wouldn’t be able to produce at the level he did in the second half of last season, only for him to prove last season wasn’t a fluke thus far.
St. Brown has the second-highest target share (33.8%) among wide receivers this season, with Kupp being the only player ahead of him. Targets should be there for St. Brown again this week against the Vikings, especially in a game that is tied with the Bills/Dolphins matchup for the highest projected total on the main slate.
Greg Dortch vs. LAR ($4,300)
The Cardinals have needed other wide receivers to step up amid the suspension of DeAndre Hopkins to begin the season and Dortch has been a bright spot for them. Dortch has scored a combined 28.8 points in the first two weeks and he’s seen his salary increase each week.
The green site has raised his salary to $4,300 in Week 3 and I still feel that’s too cheap for his current role. Rondale Moore hasn’t practiced yet this week and Dortch has ran the 10th-most routes among wide receivers in the NFL in the first two weeks.
Tight Ends
Tyler Higbee @ ARI ($4,500)
With Van Jefferson likely sidelined for the third straight week to begin the season, Higbee has been operating as the No. 3 option in the passing game. Higbee has the second-highest target share (26%) among tight ends this season and he also has the second-most red-zone targets among tight ends this season with four.
While Higbee isn’t even close to the same tier as Travis Kelce or Darren Waller, who Arizona’s defense faced in the first two weeks, Kelce and Waller combined for 46.1 points in the first two weeks against the Cardinals.
Logan Thomas vs. PHI ($3,500)
Paying down at tight end is typically ideal in cash games, and if I’m looking for someone between $3,000 and $4,000, Thomas is a solid choice. Carson Wentz has always loved targeting his tight ends and he’s continued that trend by targeting Thomas 11 times in the first two weeks despite the veteran returning from a season-ending knee injury.
The Commanders could easily find themselves playing from behind in this game and it wouldn’t surprise me if Thomas garnered double-digit targets this week.
Juwan Johnson @ CAR ($2,900)
Johnson has been a pleasant surprise for the New Orleans Saints to begin this season and he’s been a nice salary-relief option on DraftKings. Despite receiving a combined 12 targets in the first two weeks, Johnson has yet to have a salary over $3,000 on the green site, so he’s an ideal choice for those that prefer to save salary at the tight end spot.
Through the first two weeks, Johnson is tied for the second-most red-zone targets on the Saints with two, tying with Chris Olave and putting him one target behind Michael Thomas.
D/ST
Carolina Panthers vs. NO ($2,600)
Jameis Winston just showed in Week 2 versus the Buccaneers that he’s still capable of throwing multiple interceptions in any given week. While the offense of the Panthers has left a lot to be desired, the defense has a ton of talent.
New York Jets vs. CIN ($2,400)
The offense of the Cincinnati Bengals has been a mess to begin the season as Joe Burrow has been sacked 13 times despite the team making a concerted effort to improve the offensive line. Even though the defense of the Jets hasn’t been great, the Bengals will likely drop back enough with Burrow to allow them to return decent value at $2,400.