This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
With two weeks in the books, there's a wealth of information for DFS owners to sift through heading into Week 3. Whether it's building on certain trends or trying to find new ones before they emerge, there are plenty of ways to find value and construct an effective lineup. The suggestions below include a couple of Cowboys ready to add to Miami's struggles, as well as a young quarterback having a hot start and a stud running back available at a bargain after an injury to a prominent teammate.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Dak Prescott, DAL vs. MIA ($39): Prescott certainly doesn't look like a deal as this slate's most expensive quarterback at $39, but he'll be at home against a Dolphins team that has looked historically inept through two games, getting outscored 102-10 without yet having to go on the road. Meanwhile, Dak's off to a blistering start this season with a completion percentage of 82.3 percent, 674 yards and a 7:1 TD:INT through two weeks. Even if the Cowboys choose to take their foot off the gas late, what Prescott does up until that point could be enough to lead the position in scoring this week.
RB: Ronald Jones, TB vs. NYG ($11): Coach Bruce Arians has said that he'll ride the hot hand between Jones and Peyton Barber. After Jones was the better back with 75 yards on 13 carries in Week 1, the pendulum swung Barber's way in Week 2, as Jones was held to nine yards on four carries. While the masses will flock to Barber at $13 against a Giants team that's surrendered four rushing touchdowns through two games, it's entirely possible that Jones comes out of the gate hot and ends up being the far more productive back here. At just $1 above the minimum price, he could provide tremendous bang for the buck.
WR: Mecole Hardman, KC vs. BAL ($13): It was easy to overlook Hardman's strong performance against the Raiders with teammate Demarcus Robinson breaking out for 32.2 fantasy points, but the rookie played quite well himself in the first game sans fellow wide receiver Tyreek Hill (shoulder). Hardman scored a 42-yard touchdown en route to a four-catch, 61-yard performance, and he would have had a huge day had he not also had a 72-yard touchdown called back due to a penalty. While Robinson will likely earn plenty of love at $15 against a Ravens defense that just allowed Kyler Murray to throw for 349 yards, it could be Hardman who ends up being the unheralded Patrick Mahomes target to own this week.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Josh Allen (BUF, $30), Kirk Cousins (MIN, $25)
RB: Le'Veon Bell (NYJ, $29), James White (NE, $16), Aaron Jones (GB, $20)
WR: Antonio Brown (NE, $26), John Ross (CIN, $18), Preston Williams (MIA, $10)
TE: O.J. Howard (TB, $18), T.J. Hockenson (DET, $19)
DST: Cincinnati Bengals (at BUF, $13), Washington Redskins (vs. CHI, $12)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
QUARTERBACK
Lamar Jackson, BAL at KC ($36): Based on what we've seen through two weeks, this one could turn into a shootout, as the Ravens and Chiefs have both looked nearly unstoppable offensively. Jackson's made the sophomore leap as a passer, tossing seven touchdowns without an interception through two games. He's still arguably the most dangerous runner at the quarterback position as well, rushing for 120 yards in last week's competitive win over the Cardinals after wisely keeping himself out of harm's way in a Week 1 blowout of Miami. A third straight performance over 30 fantasy points to open the season is well within Jackson's reach.
RUNNING BACK
Alvin Kamara, NO at SEA ($31): Kamara was held in check by the Rams last week after Drew Brees had to leave early with a thumb injury that will keep him out for six weeks, but head coach Sean Payton has now had a full week to prepare a game plan sans Brees, so he should be able to scheme his explosive running back open while likely leaning more heavily on the ground game. You might not find a better deal on Kamara all season, so roll him out at $31 without fear.
Austin Ekeler, LAC vs. HOU ($25): Melvin who? Ekeler has helped the Chargers forget all about Gordon's holdout with 287 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries and 12 receptions through two games. While the Texans held up against a Jaguars offense that was missing its starting quarterback in Week 2, they were gashed by Kamara and the Saints in the opener, and Ekeler's elusiveness and versatility are reminiscent of Kamara's.
WIDE RECEIVER
Adam Thielen, MIN vs. OAK ($24): Thielen has been pedestrian with eight catches for 118 yards and a touchdown thus far, but he'll have a nice breakout opportunity here against an Oakland team that proved to be extremely susceptible to big plays in last week's loss to the Chiefs. With all eyes on leading rusher Dalvin Cook, this is a nice buy-low opportunity on the crown jewel of Minnesota's passing game.
Amari Cooper, DAL vs. MIA ($29): With or without Prescott, your lineup is almost certainly better off with Cooper in it against the lowly Dolphins. Cooper has found paydirt in each of the Cowboys' first two games, and he now has 63 catches for 875 yards and eight touchdowns in 11 appearances with the team dating back to last season. He should also see a boost in targets here, as fellow wide receiver Michael Gallup (meniscus) will be out after gobbling up 15 targets through the first two games.
Kenny Golladay, DET at PHI ($20): After topping 1,000 yards in his sophomore season, Golladay looks ready to take his game up another notch in Year 3, with 12 catches for 159 yards on 19 targets to go with a touchdown in each game. The Eagles are yielding 340 yards per game through the air -- one yard short of Oakland's league-worst mark -- so Golladay has a terrific mix of volume, skill and matchup here.
TIGHT END
Zach Ertz, PHI vs. DET ($20): With offensive skill position players dropping like flies around him, Ertz earned a whopping 16 targets last week and should see all the volume he can handle again in Week 3, as Alshon Jeffery (calf) is questionable and DeSean Jackson (abdomen) is expected to sit out. The Lions are yet to face a tight end anywhere near Ertz's caliber, having faced the Cardinals and Hunter Henry-less Chargers in the first two games, so their strong start against the position isn't a reason to consider fading Ertz.
DEFENSE
New England Patriots, NE vs. NYJ ($20): It's easy to point to the Dolphins' ineptitude and hand-wave away the Patriots' dominant Week 2 performance, but New England still deserves credit for scoring a pair of pick-sixes in a shutout win after holding the Steelers to just three points in Week 1. There's little reason for the Patriots to slow down in Week 3, when they'll be at home against a Jets team that will start third-string quarterback Luke Falk.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Patrick Mahomes (KC, $38), Russell Wilson (SEA, $32)
RB: Ezekiel Elliott (DAL, $33), Marlon Mack (IND, $28), Sony Michel (NE, $21)
WR: Keenan Allen (LAC, $30), Julio Jones (ATL, $34), Larry Fitzgerald (ARI, $18)
TE: Vance McDonald (PIT, $17), Greg Olsen (CAR, $16)
DST: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NYG, $12), San Francisco 49ers (vs. PIT, $13)
