DFS DRAWING BOARD - NFL Week 3 - Tight Ends

big-e (56)in #sports • 6 years ago

And we are back again for another DFS Drawing Board article but this time focusing in on the TE position. I hope these articles are helping you maximize your DFS lineups and, of course, win some money. If you haven't already, check out my Week 3 QB article which was posted earlier today.

To be honest with you, last weeks TE plays weren't that great. Jordan Reed was o.k. but overall the combination of Gronk, Kittle, and Doyle just didn't get it done. The big miss was Travis Kelce, who, along with the rest of the Chiefs lineup, destroyed the Steelers. But the good news is it didn't kill us considering we didn't pay up much at the position (excluding Gronk) and the better weekly TEs pretty much went unowned. In any case, its a learning experience and we are going to find both value and reliability during Week 3.

If you are new to my blog or daily fantasy sports in general, I encourage you to check out my DFS Introduction post which provides some general context on what DFS is and how to play. Spoiler alert, if you like playing fantasy sports and winning money, DFS is the platform for you. Also, if you haven’t already, feel free to follow my referral links and sign up for Fanduel and Draftkings. Each provides its own set of bonuses for new users.

You can save a ton of money this week at the TE position but at the risk of playing some chalk. Overall, no TE stands out to me in an elite position but nonetheless there are several guys we can focus in on to help carry us to the top. Below are my top-3 TEs for Week 3 NFL DFS.

Tight Ends

Zach Ertz - Philadelphia Eagles

$6,800 / vs. IND / PHI + 7

I'm not necessarily looking to spend up this week at the TE position but with the endless number of RB value plays available, you certainly have the ability to find the extra cash. If thats the case, I am spending up for Zach Ertz in Week 3 at home vs. Indianapolis. Ertz is coming off a great Week 2 in which he caught 11 balls for 94 yards on 13 targets. You have to love the amount of targets he has received so far season (10 & 13) and we all know he is one of the more talented TEs in the league. The Eagles are literally starving for receivers right now and Ertz is clearly the top target on the team.

The big difference this week is that Carson Wentz returns to lead the eagles at QB. Although this is a major upgrade to the offense, it should noted that Ertz did not average 10+ targets (more like 7-8) a game with Wentz at the helm last year. But as of now, there is literally no other prominent target besides Ertz for Wentz to air the ball out to. I still expect Ertz targets to remain high, at least until some receivers start recovering from injury and until then, Ertz is a very safe play. Ertz possess both a great floor and upside this week, so if you are so inclined to pay up, Ertz would be my target.

George Kittle - San Francisco 49ers

$4,500 / at KC / KC + 6.5

George Kittle was a big let down last week as a TE recommend in my articles but I am headed right back to him this week. In the DFS QB weekly post, we discussed how great of a spot Jimmy G is in against the horrid Kansas City Chiefs secondary. The same logic applies here with Kittle. The matchup is just too great and Kittle is priced so affordable that we shouldn't ignore him. I mean Jesse James, a TE not particularly known for his receiving skills, lit up the Chiefs for 138 yards and a TD Week 2. The Chiefs are just that bad and if I am playing Jimmy G, I almost certainly will be stacking him with Greg Kittle. Jimmy G and Kittle showed great chemistry closing out the 2017 season and Week 1 of this season. Furthermore, this 49ers / Chiefs game should be nothing less than a shootout and Kittle gives us cheap exposure to that game. I trust that Kittle's targets increase substantially against the Chiefs this week and he finds the end zone. At only $4,500 on DraftKings, Kittle easily makes my list as a top TE play for Week 3 DFS.

Eric Ebron - Indianpolis Colts

$3,500 / at PHI / PHI + 7

Eric Ebron should be a bit chalk this week but for good reason. Technically the Colts starting TE is Jack Doyle but he was injured in Week 2 and has already been ruled out for this upcoming weekends action. That leaves the starting role solely to Eric Ebron, who, even as a backup to Doyle, has performed quite well over the first two weeks of the season. Through Week 2, Ebron has caught 7 of 9 targets and scored in both weeks. More importantly, Andrew Luck has shown he loves targeting his big TEs as Doyle has a total of 15 targets through the first 2 weeks that now must be distributed elsewhere. Thats an average of 12 targets a game for TEs in the Colts offense that likely will flow primarily to Eric Ebron. Sitting at only $3,500 on DraftKings and filling in as the starting TE for the Colts, Ebron sticks out as an easy value play with a solid floor in Week 3.

Hope this article as well as the others helped you build some solid lineups for Week 3. Good luck out there and lets win some cash!