Week 3 Game Scripts to Target in Daily Fantasy Football
Los Angeles Rams vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Over/Under: 48.00
Rams Implied Team Total: 27.50
Chargers Implied Team Total: 20.00
This game is interesting for a number of reasons. For one, it's the first cross-town matchup between the two new Los Angeles football teams. More importantly, it'll be the first real test for the Los Angeles Rams, who have cruised through two sleepy matchups against the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals. It'll be exciting to see the Rams take on an actual playoff-contender, while I'm also curious to see how Philip Rivers and the Los Angeles Chargers offense look in their first real defensive test of 2018. With the third-highest over/under of the main slate, it's possible this game goes overlooked.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
FanDuel Price: $8,400
Folks, Melvin Gordon is currently a top-three fantasy running back. While he's still the third-most expensive running back on the slate, he's $900 cheaper than Todd Gurley despite having scored just 2.3 fewer fantasy points through two weeks. Though his offensive line has improved, we can attribute a ton of his value to his newfound receiving work. The Chargers talked about getting him more involved in the passing game throughout the offseason, and it appears they meant it.
Among running backs, Gordon ranks fourth in targets, fifth in receptions, fourth in receiving yards and first in receiving touchdowns. His receiving numbers have increased across the board each season he's been in the league, so it seems to be a bankable trend. Last year, the Rams ranked third-worst in fantasy points per game allowed to running backs. Lead inside linebacker Mark Barron was second on the team in tackles in 2017 and still hasn't practiced this season due to an Achilles injury. Coming off his own three-touchdown game, everyone will be clamoring to play Gurley in what appears to be the better matchup. Locked-in to workhorse volume, taking on an elevated passing-game role and coming in significantly cheaper, Gordon makes for an excellent pivot.
Brandin Cooks, WR, Los Angeles Rams
FanDuel Price: $7,800
Brandin Cooks is an interesting GPP play for a few reasons. His price has risen enough to cool his ownership to reasonable levels. Without a touchdown to his name, he hasn't truly blown up yet, but it's beyond encouraging that he's seen eight-plus targets in both of his first two games as a Ram. Sammy Watkins saw eight or more targets just once last year and it took until Week 11, when Robert Woods was out. Woods himself managed the feat just four times, while Cooper Kupp did it just three times. Sean McVay knows Cooks is his most dynamic receiver and has clearly made him a key component of the offense.
The price helps, but the matchup should definitely keep his ownership down. The Chargers' pass defense is scary on paper, but it's not the same unit without difference-maker Joey Bosa. Casey Hayward, meanwhile, is a bad man, but speed isn't his game as he ran a 4.57 40-yard-dash at the combine. Cooks blazed 4.33 out of college and is in the same ilk of Hill as a shifty, deep speed burner who can win after the catch. Tied to a strong team total and a strong favorite to lead the team in targets, Cooks is an exciting GPP play with almost assured low ownership.
Others to Consider
Todd Gurley ($9,300) is, of course, still an awesome play as the Chargers aren't much better in run defense and are still missing Bosa. But he just doesn't feel worth almost $1,000 more than Gordon. That said, he's always an option in GPPs and cash with one of the strongest weekly floor/ceiling combinations in the game. Especially given the matchup and cheaper options below him, Jared Goff ($7,600) doesn't exactly tickle the fancy. He has no rushing floor, but he's at least tied to a strong total at home. That makes him playable, but there are better options.
With Trevor Williams outside and Desmond King in the slot, there aren't many weaknesses in the Bolts' secondary. Woods ($6,700) is under-owned every week given his target share, so he's a worthwhile pivot off Cooks in GPPs. Kupp ($6,300) is the cheapest of the three and has the strongest red zone role, which should ensure he's the highest-owned of the bunch. Ultimately, all three are in play but Cooks is the strongest tournament option given the matchup and potential ownership.
If you can afford it, my favorite low-owned stack of the week is Gordon, Cooks and Keenan Allen. Allen is viable in cash and GPPs with an elite target floor and comfortable red zone role, but he also gets the easiest matchup in the slot against Nickell Robey. Robey is no slouch, but he stands 5'8" 180 pounds, while Allen towers over him at 6'2" 211 pounds. I'm straight-up calling my shot here on an Allen touchdown.
Typically, we prefer efficiency over volume for quarterbacks, but there aren't many things better than a Rivers-led garbage-time run. He's $7,400, which keeps him in play, but the matchup is tough enough to relegate him only to a contrarian GPP play. Los Angeles is somehow more of a home-field advantage for the Rams than the Chargers.
Don't go chasing Mike Williams' ($5,400) touchdown. He still saw just two targets last week and the Rams secondary is strongest on the perimeter. The price is nice but the matchup isn't worth it with such a low target floor. If you want a sneaky GPP play, Austin Ekeler ($5,600) is your man considering he's averaging 12 touches per game so far in 2018.
Eli Weiner is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Eli Weiner also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Eweiner2. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
