DraftKings NFL Millionaire Picks: Best DFS Plays for Week 3

The first two weeks of NFL action are in the books, with plenty of surprises and a growing sense of urgency for several teams. Week 3 brings a full slate of Sunday action, with some heavyweight matchups worth tuning in for.

You can get involved with DraftKings Sportsbook and DFS contests. As you look to maximize your DFS lineups, here are a few players poised to outperform their price point and give you an edge across the Sunday slate. Here’s my top DFS lineup and the logic behind each selection.

Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]

DraftKings NFL Millionaire Picks: Best DFS Plays for Week 3

Quarterback

Bryce Young ($5,600)

Bryce Young’s career has been rocky so far. But the former first overall pick is playing high-level football out of the gate, with 648 passing yards and six touchdowns, plus an additional rushing score through his first two weeks of 2026. The Panthers standout has tallied 59.5 fantasy points based on DraftKings scoring, which ranks third among quarterbacks and ninth among all players. Young and the Panthers will face the Cleveland Browns in this Week 3 matchup. Cleveland has had a more encouraging start than expected, including a Week 2 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But they were shredded for four passing touchdowns by Trevor Lawrence in Week 1 and rank 23rd in opponent points allowed. Young has been decisive with the football this season, and both Jalen Coker and Tetairoa McMillan continue their progression alongside him. Carolina is trending in the right direction as an organization, and is coming off a dominant 34-3 win over the Falcons last week, which could have some major divisional implications. Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns in this victory. Expect him to build on this success in a favorable matchup and outperform his $5,600 price point.

Other Considerations: Josh Allen ($8,000), Joe Burrow ($6,600), Trevor Lawrence ($5,700), Tyler Shough ($5,400)

Running Back

Jonathan Taylor ($7,600)

He may not get quite the same buzz as some of the other top running backs, but Jonathan Taylor continues to put his head down and produce at an exceptional rate. The Colts’ star has kicked off the season with 190 rushing yards, an NFL-best four rushing scores, and 63 receiving yards. He has tallied 55.3 fantasy points through the first two weeks, ranking fifth among all running backs. The Colts have slipped to 0-2 to start the season, and desperation has set in. The stakes are high this season after last year’s collapse following an 8-2 start. They will attempt to get a win in the column for the first time against the Texans. While Houston has branded itself as a defensive-minded team, it has been gashed for 36 points by the Bills and 20 points by the Bengals through the first two weeks. Taylor has already tallied 50 touches through the first two weeks and should see similar volume in Week 3. Expect the Colts to make a deliberate effort to establish the run and build their attack around their star running back in what should be a must-win matchup. Taylor’s floor is extremely high, and expect him to be leaned on heavily throughout the matchup.

James Cook III ($6,900)

Another underrated running back, James Cook III should put up an impressive scoring total in this Week 3 matchup against the Chargers. It is officially time to hit the panic button in Los Angeles, given its ugly 0-2 start. They have lost 26-14 to both the Cardinals and Raiders and will take on a Bills team that has made a clear case for why it is the best team in the AFC. Cook has been a key part of this effort, recording 208 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown through the first two weeks. He has tallied 33.8 fantasy points this season, ranking 12th among running backs. The Cardinals gashed the Chargers for 116 rushing yards in Week 1, and Buffalo has a much more dynamic attack. Josh Allen is always a threat to vulture touchdowns near the goal line, but I expect the Bills to be playing from in front and have plenty of chances to score. Cook is coming off 135 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 2 and got some additional rest because it was a Thursday Night Football matchup. The Bills’ star should get plenty of touches and could be one of this week’s top fantasy performers.

Other Considerations: Derrick Henry ($7,700), Omarion Hampton ($6,800), Breece Hall ($6,400), Jadarian Price ($5,300)

Wide Receivers

Malik Nabers ($6,500)

The outlook for the Giants’ season shifted sharply when Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury early in last week’s Monday Night Football matchup. Jameis Winston will step in as the starting quarterback moving forward and did not exactly inspire confidence in Week 1. But Winston has shown his arm talent and gunslinging mentality throughout the years. He provides a higher production floor than backup quarterbacks often do, and his downfield passing tendencies will be especially favorable for star receiver Malik Nabers. Nabers struggled greatly in Week 2, catching just one reception on four targets for one yard. But caught six of his nine targets in New York’s season opener for 69 yards. The 23-year-old is one of the league’s most talented wideouts, and his rookie season showed it: 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns. New York will face off with the Titans this week, who have made a clear case for the worst team in football. Tennessee is 0-2 and ranks 20th in net yards per pass attempt. The entire identity of this Giants’ offense changes without Dart on the field, and Winston should take more big-play risks. Expect a “Nabers is down there somewhere” mindset in Winston’s decision-making, and a chance for the star receiver to make several big plays against one of the league’s worst teams.

Joshua Downs ($5,700)

If their 0-2 start wasn’t concerning enough, the Indianapolis Colts got some unfortunate injury news: Alec Pierce has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least the next four games. Josh Downs will be one of the biggest beneficiaries, as he will likely be the top receiver threat moving forward. Downs leads the team with nine receptions on 13 targets for 109 receiving yards through the first two weeks. But this still isn’t the level the team needs, and he should leap this week as the Colts face off against the Texans. Houston has been extremely underwhelming defensively this year, ranking 25th in passing yards allowed, 27th in net yards per pass play, and 24th in opponent points allowed. Indianapolis must win to avoid a 0-3 start in a season with high expectations. Houston gave up 95 yards to Tee Higgins and 75 yards to Ja’Marr Chase with two touchdowns between them. The week before, Josh Allen threw for 324 passing yards, with two pass catchers recording 100+ receiving yards. Expect Downs to see plenty of pass volume and have a clear shot at WR1-type production in DFS this week. His expanded role should help him comfortably outperform his $5,700 price point. 

Jameson Williams ($5,400)

The Detroit Lions are off to a 1-1 start, with their offense performing largely as expected. But their defense is among the worst in the league. This will make it harder for Detroit to reach its desired heights this season, but it forces the skill players to step up. They face the New York Jets this week, who have an overall stingy defense and an encouraging level of competency through the opening two weeks. But Jameson Williams is an X-factor in an offense that hasn’t reached its peak yet. Williams has seen 13 targets but has pulled in just six receptions for 78 yards. He hasn’t reached the end zone yet, and he hasn’t been used in the running game at all. New York hasn’t been tested with the caliber of weapons the Lions have yet this year, but the defense has looked the part and ranks sixth in points allowed while giving up the fewest yards in the league. Detroit is at its most dangerous when each playmaker is involved, and they haven’t done a good enough job leaning on Williams yet. Expect a focused effort to get the ball in his hands, especially as Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs draw most of the defensive attention. Williams averaged 13.6 fantasy points per game last season on DraftKings scoring, ranking 19th among all wide receivers. He has tallied just 13.8 total fantasy points through the first two games, but that is an outlier given the caliber of production we have come to expect. Count on Williams finding a way to reintroduce himself as one of the top fantasy football wide receivers this season, and for this matchup with the Jets to be an excellent springboard.

Other Considerations: Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($8,600), CeeDee Lamb ($7,800), Garrett Wilson ($6,300), Chris Godwin Jr. ($5,300)

Tight End

Travis Kelce ($4,500)

It felt as if Travis Kelce was losing the battle with Father Time and ready to ride off into the sunset by the end of last year. But Kelce chose to return this season and has turned back the clock at a level that didn’t seem realistically possible. The future Hall of Famer has tallied 12 catches on 16 targets for 172 yards and a touchdown through the opening two weeks of the season. He has generated 38.2 total fantasy points, which ranks third among tight ends. Patrick Mahomes is healthy and looking like the best version of himself, and Kelce remains his most prevalent security blanket. Kansas City will face off against the Miami Dolphins, who are 0-2 and have been outscored 62-26. George Kittle notched 80 receiving yards and a touchdown against them last week, while Michael Mayer notched six receptions against the Dolphins in the season opener. The Chiefs look extremely dangerous again, and this matchup has real blowout potential. Kelce will be a top red-zone option each time and involved in the flow of the attack throughout. Count on the star tight end to continue his resurgent years and put up another strong week of fantasy production. 

Other Considerations: Trey McBride ($6,800), Colston Loveland ($5,300), Harold Fannin Jr. ($4,200)

Flex

Emmett Johnson ($4,400)

Sticking with the Chiefs, Emmett Johnson has emerged as one of the more intriguing players on this roster and across the league. Kenneth Walker has made a major statement, recording 369 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns through the opening two weeks. But it hasn’t just been Walker impressing out of the backfield, as Emmett Johnson has shown an eye-popping ability to make opponents miss in his limited opportunities. Through his first two weeks, Johnson has handled 10 carries for 39 yards and four receptions for 64 yards. Walker has a clear lead as the offense’s top running back. But the reigning Super Bowl MVP has already logged a monstrous workload and has some injury concerns. Week 3 offers Kansas City a clear chance to assert itself and show why its Super Bowl window isn’t closed just yet. Expect this to open the door for a larger role for Johnson in the offense and for the rookie to be eager to put his fingerprints on this game. Johnson has made a clear case for why his role deserves to expand, and he should stay hungry in Week 3 against an inferior opponent. This is a risky choice, but Johnson is the type of big-play talent who can change the outlook of the DFS contest with one long score. His tolerable $4,400 price point leaves room for more notable stars above.

Defense & Special Teams

New York Giants ($3,400)

The New York Giants are still figuring out how they will navigate life without Jaxson Dart, but more pressure will be on their defense moving forward. This unit has been better than it’s sometimes given credit for, and it’ll face a disappointing Titans offense that currently ranks 27th in scoring and 31st in total yards this year. Cam Ward is still going through his growing pains early in his career, and there isn’t much talent around him to count on. Sometimes projecting a team’s defensive outlook is more about the matchup than the unit overall. Tennessee has not looked capable of inflicting major damage offensively, and New York has largely looked respectable while facing the Cowboys’ and Rams’ high-powered attacks thus far. New York currently ranks 22nd in production based on DraftKings fantasy scoring, but I am fading the Titans’ offensive outlook and backing the Giants to have their strongest showing yet. 

Other Considerations: Seahawks ($3,800), Saints ($3,300), Jaguars ($2,900)