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Week 3 on FanDuel was what you might call forgettable. Sure, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brian Quick were decent plays, but it wasn't up to our standards. Of course, that's the best part of DFS...it won't be held against us this week. With the first week of byes upon us, let's get straight to the plays. 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
Teddy Bridgewater ($5900) vs. Atlanta- Bridgewater gets his first start of 2014 due to the injury to Matt Cassel, and he couldn't have asked for a much better match up. The Falcons have given up 264 yards per game through the air even though one of their games came against the hapless Bucs. Bridgewater makes our list on both sites and could be one of the plays of the week regardless of position.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Mike Glennon ($5500) vs. Pittsburgh- Speaking of the Bucs, Mike Glennon also gets his first start of the year against a banged up Steelers defense. We have every reason to think Tampa Bay will be chasing the scoreboard in this one so Glennon should have a good shot at garbage time points if nothing else. It isn't unusual at all for a team to rally around the backup quarterback in his first game starting. Look for Glennon to get Vincent Jackson involved and put up good numbers through the air.
Running Back
Value Play
Khiry Robinson ($4900) vs. Dallas- In what could be the highest scoring game of the weekend, we like Robinson to rack up a ton of points protecting a lead the Saints should build early. The Cowboys linebackers are a mess right now and Robinson's hard-nosed style will be punishing in the fourth quarter. As one of the cheaper legitimate options on the board, Robinson has a great chance to reach value.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
DeAngelo Williams ($5700) vs. Baltimore- As much as the Panthers have invested in running backs they've sure had a hard time keeping any healthy. Williams will be the only back with any experience healthy for the Panthers this week and that means a really good shot at 20+ carries. When he's gotten that many carries he's been a must start and there's no reason to think that will be any different this week.
Wide Receiver
Value Play
Markus Wheaton ($5100) vs. Tampa Bay- We all know that Tampa Bay is absolutely awful and Wheaton has developed into a nice WR2/deep threat for Pittsburgh. It wouldn't be surprising if he got behind this defense on more than one occasion for a big play. Wheaton is a boom/bust GPP play at a cost that could provide major value.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Torrey Smith ($5000) vs. Carolina- Smith has been a major disappointment because Steve Smith has been taking all of his targets. The Panthers don't want to get embarrassed by a player they released in the offseason which makes me think they'll devote more attention to the elder Smith. The Panthers secondary is a weakness and Torrey Smith is the perfect player to expose them with the deep ball.
Tight End
Value Play
Heath Miller ($4900) vs. Tampa Bay- We've already talked about Tampa Bay's defense and how we expect the Steelers to roll in this one. Miller has always been a red zone favorite of Ben Roethlisberger and we expect the Steelers to be in the red zone early and often. He may not have a Larry Donnell day in the red zone but he should still be active enough there to provide good value.
FanDuel Bargain Buy
Garrett Graham ($4900) vs. Buffalo- The Bills have not been good in pass defense this year and they'll have their hands full with Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins. I expect the Bills to dedicate extra safety help to the Texans two receivers, leaving Graham to work the middle of the field against linebackers. The Bills strong defensive line will mean less time for Fitzpatrick and more short to intermediate targets. Look for Graham to see a lot of targets with hopefully a touchdown tacked on.
Kicker
Shayne Graham ($4500) vs. Dallas- This is simply a matter of choosing the lowest priced kicker with the highest expected total. Graham has been hot and cold this year, but this game presents too good of an opportunity to shy away from him at his price. If the Cowboys can show any resolve at all in the red zone, Graham should have a big day.
Defense
Detroit Lions ($4700) vs. New York Jets- Geno Smith has shown some signs of improvement, but I don't like his chances much in this one. It's hard to see how the Jets will be able to run the ball in this one and if this Lions defense gets to pin their ears pack and rush Smith, he will make mistakes. As much as he's improved, he's still prone to boneheaded plays and this pass rush should force a few of those.
