Sunday’s Week 3 slate is stacked with 13 games kicking off across the 1:00 p.m., 4:05 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. ET windows, and there’s no shortage of intriguing DFS storylines. Josh Allen and the Bills host a reeling Chargers team, Jared Goff and the Lions try to bounce back at home against the Jets, and the marquee matchup of the day sends Lamar Jackson and the Ravens across the equator to face Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in Brazil. With a 53.5 total, that Ravens-Cowboys game projects as one of the highest-scoring on the board.

For today’s NFL DFS picks, the approach is simple: lock in a premium running back with a clean workload, pair him with a rising WR1 who’s been unguardable through two weeks, sprinkle in a cheap tight end sitting in a plus matchup, and round it out with a value quarterback and a change-of-pace back who still commands enough volume to hit value. This build works whether you’re grinding cash games or firing GPP lineups on DraftKings or FanDuel.

Jonathan Taylor, RB — Indianapolis Colts ($7,600 DK)

Taylor has been a two-man wrecking crew through the first two weeks, rushing for 190 yards and four touchdowns on 43 carries while adding seven catches for 63 yards out of the backfield. He opened the season with 98 yards and two scores against Baltimore, then followed it up with 92 yards and another two touchdowns in an overtime loss to the Chiefs. Both performances came against defenses that entered the year with real expectations, which makes today’s matchup even more appetizing.

Houston comes to Indianapolis missing WR Nico Collins (hamstring) and having rushed for only 60 yards as a team last week, but the bigger story for Taylor is on the ground: the Texans have allowed 85.5 rushing yards per game, and Taylor has historically feasted on Houston, averaging 95.5 rushing yards per game with five rushing touchdowns in six career meetings. The Colts have also leaned run-heavy at times this season, giving Taylor a stable enough workload that he’s a strong building block for both cash and tournament lineups today.

Bettors backing the Colts on the moneyline can find current lines and props at Live NFL Odds to see how the market is pricing this AFC South clash.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR — Seattle Seahawks ($8,600 DK)

Smith-Njigba has been the best receiver in football through two weeks, hauling in 17 of 22 targets for 277 yards and four touchdowns. He opened with an 8-catch, 122-yard, one-touchdown effort against the Patriots, then followed with a monster 9-catch, 155-yard, three-touchdown showing against the Cardinals. That’s a target share and catch rate that DFS players dream about, and it’s translated directly into elite fantasy production two weeks running.

Today’s matchup only sweetens the pot. Washington’s secondary has been a soft spot for the Commanders early in the year, and Seattle’s implied team total sits at 24 points on the road, per the game’s 40.5 total with the Seahawks favored by 7. With Sam Darnold slinging it at a high volume and Smith-Njigba clearly locked in as the top read, he’s a premium play at every salary tier today, even at a near-max price tag.

Travis Kelce, TE — Kansas City Chiefs ($4,500 DK)

Kelce has quietly been every bit as productive as ever, posting a combined 12 catches for 172 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets through his first two games, including a 9-for-101 performance with a score in an overtime win over the Colts last week. At $4,500, that kind of target volume at the tight end position is a rare value on a slate where the position is otherwise thin.

The matchup is the real selling point here. Miami just allowed George Kittle to torch them for four catches, 80 yards and a touchdown on only four targets last week, and Kansas City travels to Hard Rock Stadium as 10.5-point favorites with a 28.25-point implied total, the highest on the entire slate. If Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs are moving the ball at that kind of clip, Kelce is squarely in line for another heavy target night against a defense that has struggled to contain tight ends.

De’Von Achane, RB — Miami Dolphins ($6,500 DK)

Achane’s efficiency has taken a hit early this season, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry compared to his career mark of 5.6, and he’s yet to find the end zone through two games. But the volume tells a different story: Achane is playing 82.9 percent of Miami’s offensive snaps, handling 66 percent of the team’s rushing attempts, and posting a 22 percent target share, all of which make him the clear focal point of the Dolphins’ offense regardless of matchup.

Facing Kansas City today, Achane draws a run defense that has allowed the 10th-highest rushing success rate and the 14th-most yards before contact per attempt league-wide, both signs that there should be running room even if the box numbers look imposing on paper. With touches this concentrated, Achane only needs one explosive play to hit value, and as a receiver out of the backfield he still has a workable floor even in a game where Miami may be playing from behind.

Bryce Young, QB — Carolina Panthers ($5,600 DK)

Young has been one of the most surprising storylines of the young season, completing 46 of 73 passes for 648 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception through two games, good for a 113.3 passer rating. He followed up a 361-yard, three-touchdown Week 1 outing against Chicago with a 287-yard, three-touchdown performance against Atlanta last week, averaging 8.9 yards per attempt in the process. For a player who managed a 64.3 rating over the same stretch in each of his first three seasons combined, this is a legitimate step forward.

Today’s road matchup against Cleveland lines up well: the Browns have allowed the fifth-highest passing success rate and the seventh-highest passer rating to opposing quarterbacks this season. At $5,600, Young offers premium-caliber upside at a mid-range price, making him one of the sharper pivots away from the chalkier, more expensive names at the position.

Building Your Lineup

The most natural stack here pairs Jonathan Taylor with the Colts’ passing attack if you want to lean into game correlation, but Taylor’s rushing volume is strong enough to stand on its own if you’d rather build around the Smith-Njigba and Seattle passing attack instead. Given how much of the public will gravitate toward Taylor and Smith-Njigba as the slate’s top raw projections, using Kelce and Achane as lower-owned, still-productive plays gives you a way to differentiate in GPP picks without sacrificing floor.

Salary-wise, this build leaves a manageable amount of cap space to fill out the rest of your roster with additional value plays once inactives are finalized closer to kickoff. Always double-check the final DraftKings lineup and FanDuel picks against confirmed inactives before locking anything in, since even small role changes can swing exposure decisions in cash game picks. Bettors looking to pair their DFS builds with same-game action can also check the latest lines through the Live NFL Odds hub before the early window kicks off.