Adam’s Eye: Week 3 DFS DraftKings Cash & GPP Lineups Breakdown

📅 September 20, 2025 👤 Adam Krautwurst 📁 DFS, Season Long – All Sports

Week 3 DFS DraftKings Cash and GPP Lineups Breakdown

Master Week 3 DFS – DraftKings lineups with expert cash game and GPP strategies, featuring top picks and tournament stacks!

Welcome back to our Weekly DFS Feature Adam’s Eye written by high-stakes winner Adam Krautwurst. Week 3 of the NFL season is here, and the DraftKings main slate offers plenty of opportunities that I am eyeing to build strong cash lineups. With injuries already shaking up backfields and a few breakout performances changing player pricing, finding the right balance between safe floor plays and value options is key. This week’s slate gives us a mix of underpriced workhorses, emerging receivers, and steady veterans who can anchor cash game builds while leaving enough salary flexibility to avoid unnecessary risk.

Below is a list of Cash game targets at each position that I can see making a difference.

Quarterback (QB)

Carson Wentz — ~$4,000 — Great value, minimal salary, lets you spend elsewhere.
Daniel Jones — ~$5,400 — Good mid-range; gives upside and still saves some salary.
Justin Herbert — ~$6,200 — Higher priced but justified for safety and ceiling.

Running Back (RB)

Javonte Williams — ~$6,100 — Strong anchor; good volume and matchup.
Jordan Mason — ~$5,400 — Value RB with potential for a plus performance with Aaron Jones out.
(Other expensive RBs like Bijan Robinson are even more, possibly used if paying up)

Wide Receiver (WR)

Rome Odunze — ~$5,300 — Great value, good upside especially in pass-friendly game scripts.
Keenan Allen — ~$4,700 — Lower risk / solid floor; reasonable price.
Puka Nacua — ~$7,700 — More expensive option; safe ceiling, but costs bite into budget.
Sleeper / value WR like Dontayvion Wicks (~$3,700) if you need cheap flex piece.

Tight End (TE)

Juwan Johnson — ~$3,900 — Value TE; gives room for spending elsewhere.
Trey McBride — ~$5,700 — Premium TE spend; more reliable and ceiling is higher.

Defense / DST

Falcons DST — ~$3,200 — Good cheap DST to free up salary.
(If you go higher, might spend up on DSTs in favorable matchups, but above is a value)

DraftKings Cash Lineup Builds – Week 3 (Sunday/Monday Main Slate)

Strategy Notes

Lineup 1 is safer — spreads risk across mid-tier players, avoids minimum-priced QB.
Lineup 2 is more aggressive — minimum QB lets you jam in studs, which can be safer in cash if those studs have locked-in touches (like Bijan + Puka).
Both leave you $1.4k–$4.3k left — flexibility to swap based on injury news (ex: if 49ers WRs are ruled out, you could pivot into another value play).

Tournament/GPP Strategy

Stack / Matchup Ideas for GPPs
Stacking is especially important in GPPs. Look for game(s) with high Vegas totals, mismatches, or pass-friendly environments. Here’s what experts are pointing out:
Cowboys stack: Dak Prescott + CeeDee Lamb + George Pickens — Bears have allowed a lot of passing yards and big plays.
Chargers vs. Broncos: With Keenan Allen in a favorable matchup, maybe stack with Herbert or WR2/WR3 in that offense.
Look for “one off” / low ownership players with upside like Jordan Mason, Odunze etc. These can differentiate your lineup.

Players / Picks to be Cautious With
For tournaments, avoid overpaying for players whose risk is elevated:
High-priced WRs or RBs whose value is too tied to TDs, especially when their QB situation is uncertain. (Ex: Ja’Marr Chase, given change at QB)
Players in tough defensive matchups unless their upside is huge.

Sample Tournament-Style Build Philosophy
Here’s how you might build a GPP lineup using the above:
One or two “safe anchors” – e.g. a WR with stable volume like Puka Nacua, or a top RB like Bijan Robinson.
One cheap QB or mid-price with upside – like Wentz or Daniel Jones.
A couple of high-ceiling WRs or RBs who are underpriced – Mason, Odunze, maybe even stack into game you like.
A stack – e.g. QB + WR(s) from same team to take advantage of touchdowns / correlation.
One “punt” or cheap play – someone with low salary but possible path to big value if things break right.

DraftKings Week 3 GPP Tournament Lineup Breakdown

QB – Daniel Jones ($5,400)
Jones offers a strong mix of rushing ability and passing efficiency at a mid-tier salary. He’s cheap enough to unlock upside elsewhere and has a path to 20+ DK points if the Colts stay competitive.

RB – Jordan Mason ($5,400)
With Aaron Jones sidelined, Mason slides into a bigger role at value pricing. He’s a leverage play against more popular RBs, and his goal-line potential makes him a high-ceiling tournament dart.

RB – Bijan Robinson ($7,900)
One of the slate’s most expensive backs, Robinson is a true dual-threat who can rack up points as both a runner and receiver. Paying up here gives the lineup a stable stud with 30-point upside.

WR – CeeDee Lamb ($8,000)
Lamb is the focal point of Dallas’ passing attack and gets a matchup against a Bears secondary that’s already been burned deep this season. He provides tournament-winning ceiling with multi-TD potential.

WR – Rome Odunze ($5,300)
A breakout candidate at a mid-tier price, Odunze has seen heavy targets in Chicago’s offense. Pairing him with Lamb creates a mini-stack that benefits if this game shoots out.

WR – George Pickens ($5,900)
Pickens is a boom-or-bust play but has flashed big-play ability. At this price, he’s a strong GPP option who can separate your lineup from chalkier mid-range receivers.

TE – Trey McBride ($5,700)
McBride has established himself as the Cardinals’ top pass-catcher. His target volume provides both floor and upside, and he brings tournament leverage as a premium TE option.

FLEX – Dontayvion Wicks ($3,700)
Wicks is the punt play that balances the salary. His role in Green Bay is growing, and at near-minimum pricing, even one splash play or red-zone score would deliver significant ROI.

DST – Saints ($2,300)
Matchup vs. Seahawks; Seattle has been vulnerable to defensive points; Saints have pass rush and turnover potential.

Why This Lineup Works for GPPs
This build mixes safe anchors (Bijan, Lamb, McBride) with value ceiling plays (Mason, Odunze, Wicks) and sprinkles in high-variance upside (Pickens). Jones at $5,400 keeps salary reasonable while still offering rushing upside, and the Lamb–Odunze mini-stack provides correlation in a potentially high-scoring game. With differentiation at WR and FLEX, this lineup is well-suited for tournaments where ceiling matters more than floor.

Good luck this week and let’s make some money!!

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