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Welcome to the Week 3 main slate edition of RotoBaller's NFL DFS Bargain Bin for the 2024 NFL season, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players across the industry who find themselves in favorable matchups and/or suddenly expanded roles.
Each week, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit. On this third main slate of the 2024 campaign, I'm glad to report that value-salary players are abundant on Yahoo, FanDuel, and DraftKings.
In addition to offering multiple candidates at each position, I'll also list at least one more player to consider, along with some site-specific value plays when applicable.
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NFL DFS Bargain Bin Intro
Before we go NFL DFS Bargain Bin hunting, a few particulars about format and content.
The nature of the beast with value plays is at least a modest amount (and sometimes substantially more) of risk. Therefore, the Bargain Bin may prove to be a bit more of a roller coaster ride on some slates than your typical “tout” article! Naturally, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an upside to be had. All of these selections are therefore suitable for GPPs and can also often serve as solid cash-game plays, while often helping you accommodate multiple higher-priced studs into your lineup.
Typically, I’ll suggest players who are value-priced across three major DFS sites (DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo). However, there are certainly occasions where one or more sites price a player significantly lower than others. Whenever possible, I’ll typically at least note those players as an “XYZ site special.”
This article is by no means intended to serve as an exhaustive list of all value options for the week. Rather, it’s meant to take a deeper dive into those I feel offer some of the best combinations of savings and upside.
The goal is to recommend truly affordable players, as opposed to say a player priced just $300-$400 away from the highest-priced option at his position. I don’t have set-in-stone price limits in mind for each site, but I do consider legitimate affordability a very important criterion.
Quarterback DFS Value Plays
Geno Smith, SEA vs. MIA | DK: $5,600, FD: $7,600, Yahoo: $28
Smith and his teammates are still in the process of adapting to Ryan Grubb's offensive system, but it hasn't prevented some big numbers already being produced early this season. Smith was able to throw for 327 yards and a touchdown in Week 2 against the Patriots, and he has completed over 70.0 percent of his passes in each of the first two games of the season.
The Dolphins have some big, experienced names in the secondary, but they've allowed some chunk plays through the air in each of the first two contests and could feature a defense that's on the field a bit more than usual his week if Skylar Thompson has trouble finding a rhythm.
4 straight plays of Geno Smith
1) Doesn't panic & completes the throw right into the free running blitzer
2) Escapes another free runner & scrambles for a 1st down
3) Steps up, gets defender to commit, finds open man. Holding penalty.
4) Hits a switch vert out of Empty. Dropped. pic.twitter.com/YAiJqeVwhI— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 18, 2024
Andy Dalton, CAR at LV | DK: $4,800, FD: $6,000, Yahoo: $20
In the first noteworthy benching of the young season, Panthers head coach Dave Canales opted to put Bryce Young's starting tenure on pause after a very tough first season-plus and elevated veteran Andy Dalton to the starting role for at least this Week 3 matchup against the Raiders.
Dalton's career has taken an interesting turn over the last few seasons after a mostly successful nine-year run with the Bengals, as he's proven a highly capable fill-in starter in Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, and most recently, Carolina.
His Panthers' starting stint thus far was all of one game last season, but Dalton threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks in that Week 3 game.
ALSO CONSIDER:
- Gardner Minshew II, LV vs. CAR | DK: $5,300, FD: $7,200, Yahoo: $24
DraftKings/Yahoo Special:
Jared Goff, DET at ARI | DK: $6,500, Yahoo: $26
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Running Back DFS Value Plays
Tony Pollard, TEN vs. GB | DK: $6,000, FD: $6,800, Yahoo: $28
Pollard has come through nicely as a value option in each of the first two games of the season, as he's been the clear lead back thus far between him and Tyjae Spears while logging 41 touches.
Spears left the Week 2 loss to the Jets with an ankle injury that will likely leave him listed as questionable when the final injury report of the week comes out Friday, but Pollard appears to be the preferred option under any circumstance.
This could also be his first true breakout game in a Tennessee uniform, considering the Packers defense has been suspect against the run over the first two games.
Tony Pollard has looked sharp in his first 2 games vs stout Jets & Bears Defenses
💥33 Carries (10th) w 4.4 YPC
💥8 receptions w 196 scrimmage yards🤝Now faces Packers Defense that has been gashed for 25.15 Fantasy PPG
Solid Floor w Upside in Week 2pic.twitter.com/oAYOuhaAkd https://t.co/MATwNeUBYQ
— Dynasty Dad (@DynastyDadFF) September 17, 2024
D'Andre Swift, CHI at IND | DK: $5,600, FD: $6,300, Yahoo: $20
Speaking of vulnerable defensive fronts, the injury-hampered one of the Colts takes the cake by far over the first two weeks. Indianapolis is surrendering an absurd 237 rushing yards per game in the first pair of contests, which makes even a player who's highly disappointed over the first two games like Swift a very appealing option at his salaries this week.
Swift has partly been a victim of circumstance so far, considering he's been limited to just 24 carries in two games as Chicago has trailed for significant parts of its first two contests.
ALSO CONSIDER:
- Jerome Ford, CLE vs. NYG | DK: $5,800, FD: $6,500, Yahoo: $23
- Zamir White, LV vs. CAR | DK: $5,500, FD: $6,000, Yahoo: $18
DraftKings/Yahoo Special:
- Jordan Mason, SF at LAR | DK: $6,200, Yahoo: $28
Wide Receiver DFS Value Plays
DJ Moore, CHI at IND | DK: $6,700, FD: $6,500, Yahoo: $25
Moore is the first of three receivers I'll be spotlighting who are likely to have lower roster rates than they deserve this week after disappointing starts to their seasons. Each has a case to be made for them in tournaments this week, and in Moore's situation, it begins with the fact he's already been targeted 18 times in the first two games.
Caleb Williams is naturally still very much a work in progress through two games, but Moore is his unquestioned top target and could once again be taking the field without Keenan Allen (heel), who failed to practice both Wednesday and Thursday.
1. DJ Moore
He had the HIGHEST snap percentage (99%) amongst ALL WR’s in week 2.
➖10 targets (8th MOST)
➖11.3 Fantasy Points (WR30)There was an abundance of routes run and targets, DJ Moore’s fantasy production will inevitably increase as Caleb Williams improves.
1,000+… pic.twitter.com/XpttsTtaQF
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) September 19, 2024
Tank Dell, HOU at MIN | DK: $5,200, FD: $6,200, Yahoo: $24
Dell is our second wideout who we're taking a bit of a leap of faith on this week, with the second-year speedster having generated a highly disappointing 4-37 line across 11 targets over his first two games. Dell has also rushed five times for 35 yards, corroborating he's once again expected to enjoy a robust, diversified role this season.
With Houston expected to be down Joe Mixon (ankle) this week, there will be some additional targets to go around, and Dell is also facing a Vikings defense that has been susceptible to the pass despite success over the first two contests.
Diontae Johnson, CAR at LV | DK: $4,900, FD: $5,300, Yahoo: $19
The toughest sell of this trio is undoubtedly Johnson, who is suffering from an ultimate case of "guilty by association" due to having played the first two games of the season with Young as his quarterback.
There's no questioning Johnson's track record after his body of work in Pittsburgh, and the swap of Young to Dalton may be the key that unlocks the veteran receiver's potential in Dave Canales' offense. They match up against a Raiders defense that's yet to be truly tested this season.
ALSO CONSIDER:
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA vs. MIA | DK: $5,400, FD: $6,100, Yahoo: $20
- Jauan Jennings, SF at LAR | DK: $4,100, FD: $5,200, Yahoo: $15
Tight End DFS Value Plays
Mark Andrews, BAL at DAL | DK: $4,800, FD: $6,400, Yahoo: $16
There was a marked difference between Andrews' Week 1 and Week 2 performances, with the 10 days between games seemingly doing him plenty of good. Andrews logged 12 fewer snaps than in Week 1, but he was able to double up his reception total to four and his yardage total by 37 to 51 yards overall.
The athletic tight end outplayed position mate Isaiah Likely in Week 2 after the latter's Week 1 breakout, and Andrews could well play a key role in what could be a high-scoring game that the 0-2 Ravens will be desperate to win.
Mark Andrews
- 10.1 Fantasy Points Week 2
- Cash in on TEs ranked 6-12 for AndrewsIsaiah Likely cooled off in Week 2 with only 3 targets.
Andrews’ utilization increased.
Overthrown by Lamar on what would’ve been a huge gain.
Mark is back. Top 5 TE.pic.twitter.com/hZXm5le4GS
— Joe Orrico (@NoExpertFF) September 18, 2024
Jonnu Smith, MIA at SEA | DK: $3,400, FD: $5,000, Yahoo: $10
Smith saw a nice bump in involvement in Week 2, logging 32 snaps (compared to 18 in Week 1) and recording a 6-53 line on seven targets after mustering just one reception for seven yards in the opener.
Smith could be a beneficiary of the move from Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) to Skylar Thompson at quarterback, as the latter could rely on his tight end as a security blanket early and often against a Seahawks defense that's already surrendered an 11-126 line to tight ends over the first two games.
DraftKings/FanDuel Special:
- Brock Bowers, LV vs. CAR | DK: $5,400, FanDuel: $6,300
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