Can Joe Burrow bounce back and pick up his first victory of the season? Will Tee Higgins return and team up with Ja’Marr Chase to lead Cincinnati to victory? As we look to the Monday night matchup with the Washington Commanders taking on the Cincinnati Bengals there are many intriguing storylines. The intention is to always finish off the week on a high note. Getting to see Jayden Daniels in prime time will also be a treat even if the Bengals will be too much for the Commanders to handle. Let’s take a look at how our options rank. Here are some Monday Night Football NFL DFS picks with preferences ranked within each category so you can find success.
Monday Night Football NFL DFS Picks – Washington Commanders @ Cincinnati Bengals
Captain
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Now that we are entering Week 3, the rusts should be off for Joe Burrow. After dealing with an injury-filled 2023, it made sense that the Bengals would take things slow with Burrow to begin 2024. The problem with that is the beginning of the regular season essentially resembles the preseason.
Burrow did look better last week though as the Bengals almost escaped Arrowhead Stadium with a victory over the Chiefs. After throwing for just 164 yards in Week 1, Burrow got up to 258 yards last week. More importantly, he threw his first two touchdown passes of the season with a long completion of 47 yards. A recent knock against Burrow has been his inability to create downfield, so that was a good development.
To begin the season, the Commanders have allowed the most DFS points to opposing quarterbacks. That shouldn’t come as a surprise and it represents a great landing spot for Burrow.
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
While Jayden Daniels hasn’t thrown for a passing touchdown through two weeks, that isn’t exactly what we are here for. Daniels’ ability with his legs provides a nice fantasy floor. In his debut, Daniels rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns and followed that up with 44 rushing yards last week.
From a passing perspective, it’s clear that Washington is looking to be conservative with Daniels. He has completed more than 70% of his passes each week and has yet to throw an interception.
If we like Burrow and the Bengals to win big here, then game flow should work in Daniels’ favor. At the least, we should see him throw for his first career touchdown.
Flex
Brian Robinson, RB, Washington Commanders
If I felt better about Washington in this game, I’d likely be higher on Robinson. We know that Washington will be conservative with Daniels and that also means leaning on Robinson to control the game script. He has been busy to begin the season with 29 carries through the first two games.
In Week 2, Robinson turned 17 carries into 133 yards while catching just one pass for three yards. With three receptions for 49 yards in Week 1, Robinson had a bigger role in the passing game. We know the ball will be in Robinson’s hands, but the second-half workload could be a concern.
Zack Moss, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
While Zack Moss is the number one back for Cincinnati, their first two games haven’t allowed for a full suite of production. Through his first two games, Moss has 2 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown while catching three passes for another 30 yards. If there were a game that would line up for Moss to be busy in the second half, this would be it.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
There was a plethora of drama around Ja’Marr Chase in the preseason, but he ended up suiting up for Week 1. He has caught 10 of 11 targets to begin the season for 97 yards. He has yet to really make an impact or have a touchdown, but that should be coming. And this is the matchup for it to happen. The return of Tee Higgins will also help take the pressure off.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Tee Higgins has yet to play this season while dealing with a hamstring injury. The receiver has returned to practice and it appears that he is trending towards taking the field in Week 3. This is a great matchup for Higgins and having the Bengals offense at full strength should lift all of their skill players.
Check out all of our Week 3 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex
Value
Austin Seibert, K, Washington Commanders
Maybe we should just rename this as the kicker tier. By no means can we expect Austin Seibert to attempt, and make seven field goals again like last week, but anything is possible. It was an impressive feat, and especially so as it came in his season debut. Seeing Washington stall before reaching the end zone would not be surprising, so Seibert could have another strong game.
Evan McPherson, K, Cincinnati Bengals
As we expect to see the Bengals moving the ball downfield, there should be a correlation to DFS points for Evan McPherson. The concern is that Cincinnati converts everything to touchdowns, but McPherson was busy last week. He made all four of his field goal attempts, but more impressively, converted a kick from beyond 50 yards for the second straight week.
Fade
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
When looking at the Washington skill position players, Terry McLaurin is the best and most recognizable. The problem though, is that he can’t do it alone. He needs help from his quarterback, and at this point, Daniels is not in the position to consistently provide it.
It’s possible the big game comes, but this is something I’d like to see first. In the first two weeks, McLaurin has eight receptions for 39 yards on 12 targets. That is not going to cut it even though he is seeing the volume.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 3 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!