Week 3 of the NFL DFS season is here and we get a single slate Sunday Night Football matchup between two winless teams, the Chiefs and Giants. Despite their records, the Chiefs are still road favorites by 5.5 points. After such a bad start against two good teams in the Chargers and Eagles, the Chiefs will be extremely motivated to keep from going 0-3 following their Super Bowl loss to the Eagles.
Losses at wide receiver have killed the Chiefs offense so far, as their WR1, Rashee Rice, is out due to a suspension and their next best receiver, Xavier Worthy, is out this week with a shoulder injury. After those two, there just aren’t any receivers able to pick up where they left off.
Below we will take a look at the best DFS plays for this Sunday night showdown.
Malik Nabers, WR, Giants (FLEX $13,600, CPT $20,400)
Nabers is the most expensive player to roster in this matchup and for good reason. Russell Wilson has figured out that his chances are much better when getting their No. 1 receiver the ball. Nabers leads the league in targets with 25, including four red zone targets. We know he’s getting the ball over and over again in this game. How efficient he is will make or break his fantasy value, but we are certain he’s going to see his usual allotment of work in a game the Giants are 5.5-point underdogs at home.
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs (Flex $13,000, CPT $19,500)
If this game is closer than it is supposed to be, expect Mahomes to do his best to take it over to try to get the win. So far this year that means more running, which is great for his fantasy upside and it keeps other players from scoring points as well. Through two games he’s rushed 13 times for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Those rushing points have helped him to QB4 in fantasy despite just throwing for just 445 yards, two touchdowns and one interception through two games. With the lack of playmakers, Mahomes’ passing upside is capped, but this matchup should make things a bit easier for him, as the Giants have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks and the fifth-most passing yards.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Chiefs (FLEX $6,800, CPT $10,200)
Pacheco has yet to score a touchdown and has lost work to Kareem Hunt so far this season. It’s looking a little bleak for his fantasy value, but there is a glimmer of hope this week. The Giants have given up the most fantasy points to running backs so far and the third-most rushing EPA per play. The Chiefs can win by dinking and dunking through the air in this game, but they need to find some semblance of a rushing attack and this is the week to do that. Kareem Hunt will still be involved, but Pacheco is still the lead back and the player they’d like to see get going.
Noah Gray, TE, Chiefs (FLEX $3,000, CPT $4,500)
Gray saw five targets last week as his playing time went up with Worthy out. Unfortunately, he only caught one of those for a measly one yard. But, the usage is good and we’ve seen Gray score touchdowns last season, with five on just 40 receptions. As Travis Kelce continues to run through wet cement, it can only help Gray continue to see more work.
Tyquan Thornton, WR, Chiefs (FLEX $5,000, CPT $7,500)
Thornton has seen a nice uptick in usage with Worthy out and last week it helped him catch a long touchdown. At FanDuel, we don’t need to lean toward PPR receivers as much as we do at DraftKings, so Thornton is a bit safer than over there. Thornton is the no doubt deep threat in KC, seeing 60% of their air yards in Week 2. His five targets also tied for second on the team last week, just behind Kelce who had six.
Theo Johnson, TE, Giants (FLEX $4,000, CPT $6,000)
If things go as Vegas sees them, Russell Wilson will need to throw a lot in this game. Wan’Dale Robinson is of course a viable play, but will likely be heavily rostered after his breakout game last week. Darius Slayton has some appeal as a deep threat, but hasn’t shown much rapport with Wilson just yet. As for value, I like Johnson. We saw the Chiefs have trouble with Will Dissly and Tyler Conklin in Week 1 and in Week 2 they avoided Dallas Goedert, who was out with an injury. Johnson caught 4-of-5 targets for 34 yards last week and the Chiefs seem most vulnerable over the middle.
