We have made it through two weeks of the NFL season. Our lottery ticket parlay struggled last week, as Anthony Richardson fell short of his rushing attempts prop due to an injury. Typically, DraftKings Network suggests individual player props or gives picks on spreads. We understand that sometimes you want that big money play for little risk. Here is our favorite Week 3 lottery ticket parlay, assuming you would only risk a few dollars on this longshot bet at DraftKings Sportsbook.
NFL Week 3: Lottery Ticket parlay
James Cook, over 52.5 rushing yards (-120)
Miles Sanders, over 2.5 receptions (+105)
George Pickens, over 4.5 receptions (+105)
Russell Wilson, under 231.5 passing yards (-115)
Zack Moss, over 2.5 receptions (-120)
Rhamondre Stevenson, under 57.5 rushing yards (-115)
6-pick parlay: +4837. $5 would net $246.85.
Going to be honest, Cook’s inclusion is because I like the matchup and also because he had a baby this week. I don’t know that it has statistically been tracked, but new fathers in the NFL tend to ball out in their next game. If you don’t like the rushing prop, swap in Cook as an anytime TD scorer and then make side bets with friends on whether the TD celebration will be baby-related.
Sanders will be without starting quarterback Bryce Young against the Seattle Seahawks. Andy Dalton will take over under center, but I don’t think that changes Sanders’ outlook for this prop. The Carolina offensive line has not been good this year, and Dalton’s days of scrambling out of pockets are likely in the past. This will result in more check-downs and block and release routes for Sanders. When writing this article, the line is 2.5, and Sanders has at least three receptions in both games so far this season.
Pickens will be the focal point of the Steelers passing game on Sunday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. Teammate Diontae Johnson is on IR, and there isn’t another top receiving threat on the roster outside of tight end Pat Freiermuth. There are calls by fans for the termination of offensive coordinator Matt Canada. He will have to draw up a primetime game plan involving the Kenny Pickett to Pickens connection that worked so well in the preseason. Pickens had four receptions on 10 targets last week.
It seems that every time Russell Wilson is going to cook again, the kitchen gets shut down. Last week, he looked like himself in the first half of the team’s game against the Washington Commanders but fell apart down the stretch. His stat line benefitted from a hail mary tipped-around touchdown pass as time expired, but then he missed the two-point conversion throw and couldn’t force overtime. The Miami defense has been fierce this season, limiting Mac Jones and Justin Herbert to fewer than 232 passing yards.
The Indianapolis Colts are two weeks from star running back Jonathan Taylor being eligible to return to the field. Week 1 saw Deon Jackson try and show he could take over the backfield, but he was replaced by Zack Moss last week. Jackson has since been released, suggesting Moss will see a high workload on Sunday. In Week 2, Moss had 18 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown with his four receptions for 19 yards. The good news for this prop is that all the receptions were from backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, who will start Sunday.
Stevenson and the New England Patriots will face the New York Jets defense. While the offense doesn’t inspire much fear with Zach Wilson at the helm, the defense hasn’t lost a step. They kept James Cook to 46 rushing yards in Week 1. Last week, Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Pollard tallied 72 yards, but he carried the ball 25 times for just 2.9 yards per carry in a 20-point win. Stevenson picked up 50 yards and a score last week but should stay under 57.5 against the Jets.