5 Daily Fantasy Football Matchups to Exploit in Week 3

Carolina Panthers Rushing Offense

If you had to pick a word to describe the Panthers' rushing offense this year, I would not disagree with you for a second if you chose "uninspiring." They're currently 22nd in Adjusted NEP per play despite holding a 2-0 record. They've logged 20 and 24 points respectively through their first two games, and there aren't a lot of weapons on offense that'll get you excited outside of Cam Newton. A matchup with the New Orleans Saints can help fix that.

As with the Titans in the previous section, we have to do a balancing act with the Saints. They are currently eighth in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play in 2015. However, they were dead last in 2014, and it wasn't even close. Their Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play was -0.11, while the Atlanta Falcons were second worst at -0.08. So, what's the big difference?

Again, we can look at the teams they've faced: the Arizona Cardinals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Where did those two teams finish in Adjusted Rushing NEP per play last year? They were 26th and 30th, respectively. Additionally, the two leading carriers in those two games -- Doug Martin and Andre Ellington -- were 29th and 41st respectively in Rushing NEP per play out of the 43 running backs who had at least 100 carries last year. That doesn't scream efficiency, and that doesn't scare me off of this matchup.

I realize that Jonathan Stewart has probably frustrated those of you who have rostered him in the first two weeks. In those bouts, he has notched 118 rushing yards on 35 attempts, which equates to an Earth-shattering 3.37 yards per carry. Why, exactly, would we want to target this?

Again, it's a small sample size. The Houston Texans ranked seventh in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play last year, while the Jacksonville Jaguars were 18th. They weren't at the top of the league, but these weren't two bad rush defenses. The Saints were.

Additionally, the Panthers enter this game as three-point favorites at home. Their implied total is 24, which is (somehow?) tied for the fifth-highest total of the week. Finally, you add in that Stewart will only cost you $6,500 on FanDuel -- making him the 26th most expensive running back of the week -- and $4,900 on DraftKings. That's an unreal bargain for a guy who presents as much potential as Stewart does in this one.

Obviously, with this in mind, Newton is a great play, too. He's averaging 53.63 rushing yards per game over his last eight games if you include last year's postseason, and he's averaging 8.36 FanDuel points per game on rushing stats alone over that span. He good. I'm generally averse to using SuperCam in cash, but if we're talking tourney, go all in.