Week 2 saw a lot of average from the FanDuel Bargain Buys with some real success at running back. Matt Asiata and Terrance West were both low cost Top 12 backs while Larry Donnell and Travis Kelce were both adequate at tight end. The only real bust this week was Brian Hartline, who is off to a very slow start in 2014. For the year we improve on our 50% success rate, but not by much. In Week 3 there are some projected shootouts that include low cost options, let's get to them. Once again we're using the projections of David Dodds for our Value Play selection and my personal research for the Bargain Buys. You clearly don't want to fill out a roster full of these guys, but once you've selected the studs you want, fill your roster with a couple of these players for profit.
Quarterback
Value Play
Ryan Tannehill ($6500) vs. Kansas City- The Chiefs rank at or bottom of the league in nearly every pass defense category. They've given up a 72% completion rate, 8.6 Y/A and 5 touchdowns in just two games. This despite the fact that they've been playing from behind for most of the year. The Dolphins may have trouble building a big lead and this looks like the perfect matchup for Tannehill to get healthy.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Matt Cassel ($6200) vs. New Orleans- The Saints have been nearly as bad as the Chiefs against the pass and Matt Cassell has plenty of weapons. The Vikings figure to be playing catch up in this one and the Saints defense looks like a good unit to do it against. With Adrian Peterson gone look for the Vikings to lean heavily on the passing game and Cassel to have a good day based on high volume.
Running Back
Value Play
Ahmad Bradshaw ($5200) vs. Jacksonville- Bradshaw was a star Bargain Buy in Week 2 and there's little reason to think the Jaguars will offer much more resistance. The Colts will roll in this one which should lead to a lot of second half carries for both Bradshaw and Trent Richardson. Richardson looked better in Week 2, but not good enough to keep Bradshaw from seeing plenty of volume in this one.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Stevan Ridley ($6200) vs. Oakland- The Raiders have given up 5.6 YPC to the Jets and Texans running backs. Those same backs have averaged 3.6 YPC in their other games. Ridley seems to be working his way out of the doghouse and should (along with Shane Vereen) see plenty of action against a woeful Raiders run defense. Don't be surprised if he tops 100 yards and scores multiple touchdowns.
Wide Receiver
Value Play
Brian Quick ($5200) vs. Dallas- Through two weeks Quick has more targets than the next four Rams wide receivers and he's catching a better percentage of them as well. The Cowboys secondary is still a mess, and Quick is talented enough to take advantage of it. He's not the cheapest option on the board but he's likely the cheapest target that's averaging 9 targets a game.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Golden Tate ($5000) vs. Green Bay- We're sticking with Tate this week because of a good matchup with the Packers. Green Bay knows this Lions offense as well as anyone and once again they'll do their best to shutdown Calvin Johnson. That hasn't worked so well in the past but the Lions didn't have Tate in the past. Expect a few less targets to go Johnson's way and those targets should land in Tate's reliable hands.
Tight End
Value Play
Larry Donnell ($4900) vs. Houston- FanDuel is just not fully buying in on Donnell yet, and that's to your advantage. Like Quick, he's leading the team in targets and he's more efficient with the targets he's getting. This Texans defense may limit red zone opportunities but Donnell should still see plenty of opportunities in the middle of the field. I'll continue to recommend him until FanDuel raises his price.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Niles Paul ($5000) vs. Philadelphia- Paul was a Week 2 breakout that now gets to face the Eagles who will likely be without Mychal Kendricks. Mychal Rivera and Marcedes Lewis had 11 catches combined against this defense when Kendricks was healthy. Paul could be in for a huge game if they're missing their star linebacker.
Kicker
Randy Bullock ($4500) vs. New York Giants- Bullock had a great game last week and I expect him to see a boatload of opportunities against the Giants as well. Ryan Fitzpatrick may struggle to get his team into the end zone against this defense but Arian Foster should ensure they're able to move the ball between the 20s.
Defense
Green Bay Packers ($4700) vs. Detroit- It may seem strange to pick a defense from one of the highest totals of the day, but here goes. The Packers have averaged 2 interceptions per game when they've faced Matt Stafford, and that creates a lot of opportunities for big plays. With this selection you're probably not going to get any bonuses for points allowed, but you may get a pick six that leads your DFS team to glory.