Week 3 of the NFL season is set to conclude with a doubleheader of games on Monday Night Football. In the first matchup, the Buffalo Bills are set to face the Jacksonville Jaguars kicking off at 7:30 p.m. EST. About an hour later, the Washington Commanders will be facing off with the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bills enter the matchup as 5.5-point favorites over the Jaguars. Jacksonville is a +200 underdog on the moneyline and the over/under is set at 46.5 for the game on DraftKings Sportsbook.
In the late game, the Bengals are 7.5-point favorites over the Commanders. Washington is +275 on the moneyline and the over/under is set at 46.5 points as well.
There are far more ways to get involved in the action than just traditional betting. One of the more unique features on DraftKings this year is Pick6 Fantasy Football!
Bills vs. Jaguars & Commanders at Bengals Pick6 Plays
The Buffalo Bills enter with a 2-0 record while the Jaguars are searching for their first win. Buffalo has defeated the Cardinals and Dolphins while the Jaguars have come up short to the Dolphins and Browns.
While they enter as notable favorites for the game, the Cincinnati Bengals are still searching for their first win of the season after coming up short to the Chiefs and Patriots. Washington enters with a 1-1 record after it lost to the Buccaneers in the opening week and then took down NFC East rival in the New York Giants last week.
The two games give more options for Pick6 choices compared to the normal primetime slates. Here are my top six picks for two matchups.
Austin Ekeler More Than 43.5 Rushing & Receiving Yards
A bit of a boring pick but Austin Ekeler continues to be undervalued based on his level of production. The former Chargers running back led the NFL in touchdowns from scrimmage in 2021 and 2022 and has eclipsed 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of the past three seasons. Ekeler has taken a step back in terms of opportunity to join the Commanders and split carries in the backfield with Brian Robinson Jr.
In the season’s opening week, Ekeler had just two carries for 10 yards and added 52 receiving yards. He followed this up with eight carries for 38 rushing yards and 47 receiving yards in Week 2.
As Jayden Daniels continues to play through his rookie growing pains, look for the screen game with Ekeler to remain a key part of the Commanders offense. While he is not the level of back he once was, Ekeler is still among the best pass catchers out of the backfield in the NFL. The over 18.5 receiving yards is also a very appealing choice to me, but due to his versatility, we are going to keep all options open with more than 43.5 rush and receiving yards.
Joe Burrow Less Than 263.5 Passing Yards
There were plenty of questions surrounding Joe Burrow entering the 2024 season. The LSU product has battled several injuries already in his career and the torn ligament in his throwing wrist is an injury that no quarterback has dealt with before. Cincinnati has also fallen to 0-2 to start the year for the third consecutive season.
In the first week of the season, Burrow threw for just 164 yards and failed to get in the end zone. He followed this up by throwing for 258 yards in last week’s loss to the Chiefs. This also comes off a season in 2023 in which Burrow averaged just 230.9 passing yards per game.
Burrow has not gotten back to the level of production he once showed at the NFL level and I expect this to still be a work in progress. Even still, the Bengals are the more talented team and can win in a variety of ways. Expect some self-inflicted wounds to occur from the Commanders and for Cincinnati to have no problem getting a comfortable victory without Burrow needing to move the ball much. Expect him to stay below this passing margin and for Burrow to continue building back to the quarterback he once showed he was.
James Cook More Than 63.5 Rushing Yards
There is a strong argument for James Cook being the most underrated running back in the NFL. Cook made a Pro Bowl last year, eclipsing 1,500 yards from scrimmage in his second season, and is off to a hot start again this year.
The Bills lost Stefon Diggs in the offseason and have the least talented wide receiver group in the Josh Allen era. This has made the running game even more important for Buffalo. Through the opening two games, the Bills have tallied 59 rush attempts as a team compared to the 42 pass attempts Allen has thrown.
For Cook specifically, he has tallied 149 rushing yards so far. He eclipsed 70 yards rushing and 95 yards from scrimmage in both matchups. Buffalo will continue to rely on Cook and he has the talent to continue producing. Expect him to deliver for the third consecutive week and for Cook to quietly add to his resume as one of the most talented running backs in the sport.
Jayden Daniels More Than 49.5 Rushing Yards
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner will be facing off with another LSU standout in this matchup, Joe Burrow. Jayden Daniels will continue to look to establish himself as one of the top up-and-coming quarterbacks but is still finding his footing.
Daniels has yet to throw his first NFL touchdown and the Commanders have been fairly conservative with his playcalling. However, his legs remain arguably his biggest strength and Washington has allowed him the opportunity to showcase these. Daniels has tallied 26 rush attempts in the opening two games, which he has converted to 132 total yards, 10 first downs and a pair of touchdowns. He rushed for 88 yards in the opening week and 44 last week.
Expect Daniels to continue showcasing his legs and eclipse 49.5 yards in his Monday Night debut. Washington is taking the long-term plan in his development and has been careful in how much it puts on Daniels’ plate in the opening two weeks. Expect this to continue to be the case with his arm, but for Daniels to take off when the opportunity presents itself. He has big-play potential with his legs and can record 50+ yards on any given rush attempt. Having tallied 10+ carries in both games, you can feel great about him recording more than 49.5 rushing yards.
Travis Etienne Jr. More Than 0.5 Total Touchdowns
The Jacksonville Jaguars have not gotten off to the start of the season they desired. Travis Etienne Jr. is a part of this as he has tallied just 25 carries for 96 yards on the ground. Coming off back-to-back seasons with 1,000 yards rushing and coming in eighth in AP Offensive Player of the Year voting, the hope was for Etienne to continue taking a stride forward.
While this has not happened thus far, the Clemson product has still been effective in finding his way into the end zone. Etienne has scored in both games so far this season despite having just 25 total carries. He has also been underutilized in the passing game, tallying just five total receptions.
Fixing the Jacksonville offense will be a long-term goal of the team, but Etienne will be a part of the solution. Even while not receiving as many carries as expected, Etienne has made his way into the end zone in both games thus far. Look for this to continue for the third consecutive week as he remains Jacksonville’s best red-zone option and should only see this opportunity grow.
Brian Thomas Jr. More Than 43.5 Receiving Yards
One of the lone bright spots in the Jaguars offense has been rookie Brian Thomas Jr. The LSU product was selected with the 23rd overall pick in the most recent NFL Draft after tallying 1,177 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns last year at LSU.
Thomas opened the season up with 47 receiving yards and a touchdown in the first week and followed it up with 94 receiving yards in Week 2. He has an intriguing combination of big-play potential while having impressive route-running ability in the red zone. Expect Thomas to continue climbing up the pecking order as he still currently trails WR Gabe Davis in targets on the season.
Regardless, look for him to tally more than 43.5 receiving yards for the third consecutive week. Thomas has a chance to grow into the best wide receiver Trevor Lawrence has had in his NFL career. Look for him to use this Monday Night opportunity to put himself on the national stage while having no trouble tallying more than 44 yards.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of two to six players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing between 2-6 players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you cannot pick the same player twice and you must select players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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