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2014 Fantasy Football Daily Fix: Week 3 Running Backs

Daily Fantasy Baseball Fix

For today’s Daily Fix I’ll list several different options in different price ranges at DraftKings, a great daily fantasy sports site. DraftKings is currently running a special contest with a $100,000 prize pool, which is free to enter with your first deposit. DraftKings will match that deposit up to $600. Otherwise, the entry fee is just $2, with first place winning $10,000. Be sure to check that out. Here are the full NFL scoring and settings rules at DraftKings.

Now here are this week’s running back picks:

Expensive

DeMarco Murray – $7,900 at St. Louis – Murray has 25 and 30 touches, respectively, in his first two games this season, so you know you’re going to get a ton of work from him. He also has 143 and 173 total yards, respectively, in those games, too. St. Louis held Adrian Peterson in check in Week 1, but the Rams have allowed a 100-yard rusher in each game – Cordarrelle Patterson and then Bobby Rainey (22 for 144) in Week 2. The Rams miss a ton of tackles and the shifty Murray should exploit that Sunday.

Giovani Bernard – $7,300 vs. Tennessee – Bernard has seen 20 touches both games, racking up 110 and 169 total yards, respectively. He’s averaging 5.5 catches a game this season, so he’s a huge boost in DraftKings’ PPR format. Tennessee just gave up 220 yards on the ground to Dallas running backs, who averaged 5.1 yards a carry and scored twice. Bernard should tear up the Titans defense.

Reasonable

Joique Bell – $5,400 vs. Green Bay – This game figures to be a shootout, and Bell should see a large role in it. He has 16 touches in each game this season with goal-line work all his. The Green Bay defense was run over by Seattle but did well against New York, which is what you’d expect. Whether Detroit has a late lead or is playing catch-up Bell should be on the field; he’s played in both roles in Detroit’s first two games. I’d expect 90 total yards, four catches and a touchdown.

Zac Stacy – $5,200 vs. Dallas – St. Louis’s Week 2 game is more of an indicator of how the Rams will want to play this year. The game against Minnesota just got away from them after going to Austin Davis, but once Davis got a chance to work with the first team the Rams were able to move the ball efficiently on offense. That involves a lot of Stacy as evidenced by his 19 carries Sunday against Tampa. The Rams trailed for roughly half the game so even when they were down he was still able to get a high amount of touches. Snap data isn’t available yet, but Stacy out-carried Benny Cunningham 19-6 Sunday. Dallas is allowing 5.25 yards per carry to opposing running backs.

Cheap

Ahmad Bradshaw – $4,800 at Jacksonville – Bradshaw has looked a lot better than Trent Richardson this season, and in the first half Monday he and Richardson were near-equal in snaps. Jacksonville has allowed 296 rushing yards and four touchdowns to running backs this season. Alfred Morris scored twice from one-yard out Sunday, and Bradshaw had early goal-line work and a goal-line receiving touchdown Monday night. Bradshaw is a safer play in 50/50 contests as he doesn’t have really high upside, but as long as he continues seeing consistent work he’ll produce.

Matt Asiata – $4,600 at New Orleans – This play is contingent on Asiata starting and Adrian Peterson being inactive in Week 3. Asiata has produced – albeit inefficiently twice – in his three starts in the last year, but as a pass-catcher and goal-line back he has some good value here. Atlanta has allowed 230 rushing yards and two scores to running backs so far, and Minnesota will look to control the tempo by running Asiata early and often. Even if the Vikings fall behind Asiata will still be on the field and involved in the passing game.

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2014 Fantasy Football, Week Three Waiver Wire: Add Knile Davis and Bobby Rainey