NFL DFS Week 3: Monday Night Showdown Slate

Published: Sep 27, 2021
So how did NFL Week 3 treat you in DFS? The #FAmily had another impressive weekend and the Playbook was, once again, dominant. Whether you are a cash game player or you love to swing for the fences in large-field GPP tournaments, we’ve always got you covered. Yes, even for Showdown contests like we’re going to play tonight.
We’ve got a nice NFC East rivalry going with the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Philadelphia Eagles and this game is, obviously, loaded with fantasy football stars. Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts will go toe-to-toe tonight in an attempt to lead their teams to victory and the army of players behind them are loaded with talent. High-scoring tonight? It seems likely with an over/under of 52, so let’s jump right in.
Now before we begin, please take a moment to understand what exactly you are getting yourself into by playing single-game Showdown Slates. We love to have some skin in the game, for sure, but these slates are, for all intents and purposes, a lottery ticket. Sure, there are times when the chalk hits and everyone shares in the prizes, but, more often than not, you need to hit on that random dart-throw that differentiates your lineup from that of the herd in order to claim the top prize. As a result, we encourage you to play responsibly and not over-invest. Stick to the GPP contests (single-entry preferred), don’t blow your whole bankroll, and understand that, unless you are a max-entry player, you should prioritize having fun.
OK. Lecture over. Let’s get to tonight’s action.
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
Spread: Cowboys -3.5
O/U: 52
Weather: Partly-cloudy, mid-80’s with winds blowing SSE at 13 mph
Notable Injuries:
Philadelphia Eagles
Boston Scott, RB – illness (questionable)
Jordan Mailata, LT – knee (out)
Dallas Cowboys
Carlos Watkins, DT – knee (out)
Keanu Neal, LB – COVID (out)
DVOA Defensive Rankings
Eagles
vs Pass: 6th
vs Run: 18th
Cowboys
vs Pass: 21st
vs Run: 14th
**Please note that players not listed below are not necessarily a complete fade and any player listed can certainly be used as the MVP/Captain. These are merely suggestions for players to use when setting Showdown lineups.
MVP/Captain
Dak Prescott, QB DAL – He can sling the rock with the best of them, as evidenced by his 400-plus yard performance against Tampa Bay in Week 1, and this game feels like the two teams could be trading scores in the second half as they look to gain position on the other. The Eagles pass defense rates fairly well, but that also might be the result of facing the Falcons and 49ers in the first two weeks. Prescott leads a high-octane offense and that should be on display tonight.
CeeDee Lamb, WR DAL – He appears to be Prescott’s favorite receiver and has turned his 24 targets into 15 catches for 185 yards and a touchdown. He lines up on the outside in two-receiver sets and often moves into the slot when they line up with three or more. That keeps the coverage match-ups different and he always finds a way to exploit the mismatch. With his abilities and that target volume, the top spot in your lineup beckons.
Jalen Hurts, QB PHI – We’ve seen him air it out when he needs to, but even when he’s not successful through the air, Hurts gets it done with his legs. Last week he only threw for 190 yards, but salvaged his fantasy day with 82 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. The games where he dominates with both his arm and his legs? Like maybe tonight? That’s when you want him in your captain’s seat.
Mid-Tier
Amari Cooper, WR DAL – The Dallas wideout was sidelined with a rib issue during the week, but by Friday, he was off the injury report and ready to go. Whether he lines up against Darius Slay or Steve Nelson, there isn’t a whole lot of concern as Slay is nowhere near the cover guy he used to be and Nelson was jettisoned by Pittsburgh in the offseason. Not great, Bob! Cooper should see some decent targets as Dak looks to air it out in the second half.
Dallas Goedert, TE PHI – The Cowboys rank 29th in DVOA against the tight end position and are allowing an average of 70 yards per game to them. Yes, Zach Ertz is back from his bout with COVID, but Goedert continues to still get enough looks inside the red zone to warrant a spot in your lineup. Sure, he might block more, but his snaps indicate who the lead is at the position.
Jalen Reagor, WR PHI – He was one toe away from killing it last week with a long touchdown catch, but just barely stepped out of bounds and the play was nullified. That certainly would have given him a much more impressive stat line. He sees five to six targets per game and does a real nice job stretching the field with his speed. Expect him to get some downfield looks in this one.
DeVonta Smith, WR PHI – He could see a lot of Trevon Diggs, but Smith gets enough attention from Hurts that, if you believe the Eagles can win or, at the very least, keep it close, then Smith warrants a spot on your roster. He’s seen 15 targets through the first two games and if the two QBs start trading haymakers, he’ll bring you the points.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB DAL – Everyone is so freaked out by Tony Pollard’s presence that you may actually be able to get Zeke at a lower-than-usual ownership rate. Yes, the Cowboys are managing his workload, but he still leads this backfield and when the game is on the line, the Cowboys want him on the field. He may not see 20 carries per game, but 15-ish seems likely and he should also see the bulk of the red zone carries too.
Miles Sanders, RB PHI – He was limited for one day of practice with a chest issue, but Sanders is totally fine and good to go for tonight’s action against the Cowboys. He’s yet to find the end zone this season and his results haven’t exactly been strong, but he’s on the field even if the Eagles are down and passing and should see his usual workload in this game.
Dart Throws
Cedrick Wilson, WR DAL – With Michael Gallup sidelined, Wilson steps in as the No. 3 receiver and saw 58-percent of the snaps last week. He’s got the speed to help stretch the field and if Lamb and Cooper are being blanketed, he should be able to shake his coverage and find a way downfield.
Quez Watkins, WR PHI – Watkins has seen a slight uptick in snaps over the first two weeks and he’s the first guy on the field during three-receiver sets. He started to make a name for himself late in the preseason and he even popped off for 117 yards last week on just two catches. If he can get in between defenders against this Dallas secondary, he could be the dart-throw you need.
Tony Pollard, RB DAL – I have a sneaking suspicion that Pollard is going to be a little on the chalky side tonight. He serves as a solid pay-down from Zeke and he looks explosive when the Cowboys get the ball into his hands. But here’s the thing about Showdown slates – when everyone is on a guy, it’s time to look the other way. Without a leading role in this offense, he’s hit or miss and you may want to throw a dart elsewhere. But if you’re setting multiple lineups, you may want to at least have some exposure to him.
Kenneth Gainwell, RB PHI – Everything I just said about Pollard, works for Gainwell. Everyone is looking for something big to happen with a back-up running back and while it may at some point, wanting a player to do well doesn’t mean he will. Again, if setting multiple lineups, he should be worth a look in one or two, but you should treat him as you would any other dart.
Zach Ertz, TE PHI – With how bad the Cowboys have been against the tight end, would it surprise you to see Ertz catch a touchdown tonight? Probably not. Goedert is the better blocker and Ertz could run more routes, so if you’re looking to get a little contrarian, it might be worth a look.
-------------------------------------------------
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Player News
Chargers LT Rashawn Slater participated at the opening practice of mandatory minicamp amid contract talks.
Though he missed OTAs, Slater was a full participant in the Chargers’ first practice of mandatory minicamp. The 26-year-old franchise left tackle is looking for a contract extension as he enters his fifth season. He is on his fifth-year option, worth $19.05 million on the season. The Chargers will extend Justin Herbert’s blindside protector soon, and Slater should soon join the ranks of the league’s highest-paid tackles.
49ers WRs Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are expected to be ready for training camp, according to head coach Kyle Shanahan.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco reports that Shanahan said Jennings (calf) and Pearsall (hamstring) will be out for minicamp, but should be ready for training camp. Jennings ascended to the team’s WR1 option with Brandon Aiyuk out, totaling a career-best 77/975/6. Meanwhile, Pearsall dealt with injuries as a first-round rookie last season, tallying a 31/400/3 line in 11 games. With Aiyuk (ACL/MCL) out for at least the beginning of the season, the 49ers will need production from these next two wideouts on the depth chart. Shanahan also mentioned rookie EDGE Mykel Williams (hamstring) will miss minicamp and return for training camp.
NBC Sports’ Matt Maiocco reports 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan indicated WR Brandon Aiyuk will start the season on the PUP list.
Aiyuk is still rehabbing a torn ACL and MCL he suffered in Week 7 last season. He was not expected to be ready until midseason, so it is not a surprise Shanahan indicated the 27-year-old wideout would start the season on the physically unable to perform list. Safety Malik Mustapha and rookie quarterback Kurtis Rourke are also expected to land on the PUP list. Meanwhile, Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall are expected to be ready for training camp and will see bigger roles without Aiyuk to start the season.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders served as the fourth-team quarterback to open the team’s mandatory minicamp.
Sanders was last in the quarterback rotation behind Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel during OTAs. Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot reports Sanders “served once again as the fourth-team quarterback” to begin mandatory minicamp. Cabot added, “he’s not getting work with the starters yet like the other three, but he did get the second set of 11-of-11s on Tuesday after Gabriel.” As the rookie with the lower draft pedigree, Sanders has an uphill climb for starting snaps despite his prolific image. He will need to work his way up the roster to compete with Gabriel and the two veterans, Flacco and Pickett.
Packers signed DT Cameron Young, formerly of the Seahawks.
Young is a former fourth-round pick of the Seahawks, playing in 17 games over two seasons. He tallied 18 tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass defended as a rookie but did not register anything of note in his second season. The Seahawks cut the 25-year-old in April and he now joins the Packers as defensive line depth heading into minicamp.
49ers LT Trent Williams said, “I’m definitely not going to retire with some left in the tank.”
Williams missed the second half of 2024 with ankle and heel injuries and enters the 2025 season with “some left in the tank.” He turns 37-years-old before the start of the season and retirement questions have been circulating around the All-Pro tackle. With two years left on his deal, Williams could look to play it out, saying “it’s one of them things to where I’m gonna do everything possible to play as long [as I can].” For now, the 49ers have the franchise left tackle to protect the newly-paid Brock Purdy heading into the season.