NFL DFS Week 3: Tiers For Fears

Week 2 was the week of the wide receiver.

More than 10 wide receivers scored 25 points or more, and this meant a big increase in the millionaire-making point totals: the top General Prize Pool (G.P.P.) tickets scored 30 more points in Week 2 than in Week 1. However, similar numbers were needed to win 50/50s (15.3 points/player) and $1,000 in the big G.P.P. (22.6 points/player).

The top ten G.P.P. rosters had a lot of Gronk (his salary this week $7,400) and a lot of DeAngelo Williams ($4,400). In fact, stacked tickets of Patriots and Steelers were super successful. One Patriots fan had all of the standard Patriots except Dion Lewis ($4,200) and that omission cost her a million-plus dollars. And to be in contention, selecting four of the top ten wideouts was an absolute requirement.

We've only got two data points in 2015, but points per game is starting to become an important statistic when choosing a player. It reflects either consistency or high upside. This week, unless you're named Le'Veon Bell ($7,500) or a defense, I want to see at least 10 points/game. And soon that number will jump to 15.

Once again, there are viable options from $4,000 to $8,000-plus at WR and RB with tiers and tiers galore. And this leads to myriad strategies for roster construction. So far this year, I've personally done much better stacking teams than I have cherrypicking players in what I thought were top situations, or who had top matchups. Stacked tickets I'm building for Week 3 will include include several Patriots, Cardinals, Seahawks and Steelers. And they're all getting paired with Adrian Peterson ($7,500) as he takes on a Chargers run defense I don't particularly love.

QB (even when I'm not stacking)

Tom Brady ($7,700) – I'm buying what he's selling, though Belichick can change tacks instantly.

Russell Wilson ($7,200) – If not now, versus the Bears, then when?

Carson Palmer ($6,600) – Still cheap; DraftKings doesn't believe.

RB

Latavius Murray ($5,800) – Clear RB1 against a poor Browns run defense.

Devonta Freeman ($4,600) – Has the Falcons backfield all to himself this week.

Isaiah Crowell ($4,500) – He improved on Week 1.

T.J. Yeldon ($4,400) – Patriots run defense still feels leaky.

James Starks ($3,000) – Minimum price; a bargain if Lacy doesn't play.

WR

Jordan Matthews ($6,900) – I can't quit him, even with the prospect of Revis.

Jarvis Landry ($6,400) – So consistent it's scary.

Brandon Marshall ($6,200) – Clear WR1 now with Decker hurt.

Larry Fitzgerald ($5,800) and John Brown ($5,100) – Mini stack of love.

Terrence Williams ($4,600) – Is there anyone left in that Cowboys receiving corps?

Percy Harvin ($4,400) – Miami pass defense gave up bombs to Jacksonville.

Travis Benjamin ($4,200) – The sharps will ignore because of too few targets; I'm with the suckers.

Doug Baldwin ($4,000) – I like the target potential of the Seahawks' wideouts.

TE

Rob Gronkowski ($7,400) – Harder and harder to stay away.

Jared Cook ($2,800) – Top Rams target against a bad Steeler pass defense.

Gary Barnidge ($2,500) – Raiders defense has given up four TE TDs in two games.

D

Seahawks ($3,400) – Clausen and the Bears coming to the Pacific Northwest.

Broncos ($3,000) – I like them to beat up a weary Stafford, assuming he plays.

Jets ($3,000) – Chip Kelly picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue.

My Week 3 DraftKings Ticket:

Russell Wilson, Adrian Peterson, Latavius Murray, Jarvis Landry, Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin, Gronk, Travis Benjamin, Jets defense

Craig Clark is a Daily Fantasy Sports expert who appears weekly on the Harris Football Podcast (www.HarrisFootball.com). You can follow him on Twitter @pcclark59.