Every DFS slate has obvious stars.

The real challenge is finding the cheaper pieces that make those stars fit.

This week, there are several lower-priced players who aren’t just desperation punts. They have legitimate paths to volume, matchup-driven upside, or expanded roles created by injuries.

We’re not looking for the cheapest player at each position. We’re looking for players who can outperform salary while still giving us enough upside to win tournaments.

These are our favorite Week 3 DraftKings value plays and sleepers.

Quarterback Value

Kyler Murray — $5,100

Kyler is our favorite cheap quarterback on the slate.

Tampa Bay has struggled to generate pressure despite blitzing aggressively, which creates an ideal setup for a mobile quarterback capable of punishing defenses with both scrambles and downfield throws.

Minnesota’s backfield is also dealing with injuries, potentially shifting even more responsibility toward Kyler.

At $5,100, he doesn’t need to match the raw production of Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to be a strong DFS play.

A 20-25 point performance at this salary can completely change roster construction.

Verdict: Best cheap quarterback.

Geno Smith — $4,900

Detroit has been one of the league’s most attackable secondaries through the first two weeks.

That alone puts Geno on the radar.

The Jets offense has also shown more functionality than many expected, and Geno has enough weapons to take advantage of Detroit’s depleted secondary.

He lacks Kyler’s rushing ceiling, but the game environment is appealing.

Verdict: Strong midrange value.

Jacoby Brissett — $4,800

This one is more tournament-specific.

San Francisco’s defensive front has been decimated by injuries, including Nick Bosa being ruled out.

That should give Brissett significantly more time than he might normally see against the 49ers.

Arizona also has concentrated targets through Trey McBride and Michael Wilson, giving Brissett a straightforward stacking path.

Verdict: Deep GPP quarterback punt.

Jameis Winston — $4,000

This is where things get uncomfortable — which is often exactly what we want in tournaments.

Winston is starting at home against Tennessee and has never been shy about throwing downfield.

The floor is extremely low.

The ceiling is much higher than most quarterbacks priced at $4,000.

If we’re trying to build an extreme stars-and-scrubs lineup, Winston is one of the few quarterbacks cheap enough to completely reshape the build.

Verdict: Large-field GPP only.

Running Back Value

Quinshon Judkins — $5,500

Judkins may be our favorite cheap running back.

Carolina has allowed opposing running backs to average over six yards per carry through the first two weeks and has surrendered four rushing touchdowns.

Judkins also saw his passing-game role expand after Dylan Sampson landed on injured reserve.

That gives him multiple paths to production.

He doesn’t need 25 carries if he can add catches and goal-line work.

Verdict: Best cheap RB combination of matchup and role.

Jeremiyah Love — $5,500

Love remains part of a committee, which keeps him from being a core play.

But the matchup is difficult to ignore.

San Francisco’s defensive front has been gutted by injuries, opening the door for explosive runs.

Love has the type of talent where he doesn’t need 20 touches to pay off at $5,500.

That makes him much more appealing in tournaments than in safer lineup formats.

Verdict: High-variance GPP RB.

Jaylen Warren — $5,700

Warren becomes substantially more interesting if Pittsburgh’s backfield remains thin.

Rico Dowdle is trending toward being unavailable, which could push Warren toward one of the heaviest workloads of his career.

Cincinnati’s defense has been excellent overall, but running backs have found success as receivers against them.

That matters for Warren, whose receiving role gives him a second way to produce.

Verdict: Injury-dependent value with PPR upside.

Aaron Jones — $5,900

Jones is no longer a pure sleeper, but his price remains interesting.

Jordan Mason is already on injured reserve, and Jones enters the week without a final injury designation.

If his knee holds up, the backfield could consolidate heavily around him.

The matchup isn’t perfect, but the workload opportunity is difficult to ignore at under $6,000.

Verdict: Volume-based value.

Chuba Hubbard — $6,100

Hubbard is slightly more expensive, but he deserves mention because his role has become extremely secure.

Jonathon Brooks is out, leaving Hubbard as one of the league’s true every-down backs.

When a player owns this much of his backfield, price matters less than expected touches.

Verdict: Safer value than true sleeper.

Wide Receiver Value

Adonai Mitchell — $4,300

This is our favorite cheap wide receiver.

Mitchell owns one of the highest air-yard shares in football and now gets a Detroit defense that has repeatedly allowed explosive plays through the air.

Detroit is also thin at safety.

That creates a perfect DFS combination:

• Cheap salary
• Deep targets
• Weak secondary
• High-scoring environment
• Big-play ability

Mitchell doesn’t need eight catches.

If two or three of those downfield opportunities connect, he can crush this salary.

Verdict: Best WR value on the slate.

Devaughn Vele — $4,400

Vele is less explosive than Mitchell, but his role is easier to trust.

He has already drawn 16 targets through two games in one of the league’s most pass-heavy offenses.

That gives him a legitimate floor at a very modest salary.

For builds where we don’t necessarily need a 30-point ceiling, Vele makes plenty of sense.

Verdict: Safest cheap WR.

Rashod Bateman — $4,700

Bateman’s value hinges heavily on Zay Flowers’ status.

If Flowers is limited or inactive, Bateman becomes one of Baltimore’s primary wide receivers in one of the highest-upside game environments of the week.

Dallas has already shown vulnerability through the air.

At $4,700, Bateman becomes a very appealing way to gain exposure to the Ravens-Cowboys game without paying premium prices.

Verdict: Strong injury-contingent tournament value.

Jordan Addison — $4,900

This is one of our favorite lower-owned tournament plays.

Justin Jefferson will command most of the attention, but Tampa Bay’s inability to generate pressure creates opportunities for Minnesota’s entire passing game.

Addison has the talent to produce without massive volume.

He also gives us leverage off Jefferson-heavy builds.

Verdict: Sneaky GPP pivot.

Tre Tucker — $5,000

Tucker is coming off a 119-yard performance and continues to show explosive ability.

The downside is volatility.

He can disappear for stretches, especially in an offense where Ashton Jeanty commands so much volume.

But at $5,000, we’re paying for ceiling rather than consistency.

Verdict: Boom-or-bust tournament WR.

Deebo Samuel — $5,300

Deebo isn’t exactly a sleeper.

He may simply be underpriced.

San Francisco carries one of the highest team totals of the week, and Deebo remains an every-down player in an offense missing depth elsewhere.

He offers rushing usage in addition to receiving work, giving him multiple paths to a touchdown.

Verdict: Mispriced midrange WR.

Tight End Value

This may be the easiest position to save money.

T.J. Hockenson — $3,200

Hockenson remains our favorite cheap tight end.

Tampa Bay’s linebackers have struggled badly in coverage, and Minnesota may be forced into a more pass-heavy approach because of its running back injuries.

At $3,200, the threshold for success is low.

Five catches and a touchdown would likely make him one of the better point-per-dollar plays on the slate.

Verdict: Favorite TE punt.

Michael Mayer — $3,300

This one depends almost entirely on Brock Bowers.

If Bowers is inactive or clearly limited, Mayer immediately becomes one of the better salary-saving tight ends.

He has already shown that he can command meaningful targets when Bowers is unavailable.

Verdict: Monitor Bowers. Upgrade aggressively if he sits.

Kenyon Sadiq — $3,500

This is one of the more interesting true sleepers.

The Jets are short-handed at tight end, while Detroit has already been hammered by opposing TEs.

Sadiq has explosive athleticism and could see a meaningful increase in snaps.

There’s risk because the role is still developing.

That’s also why the price remains low.

Verdict: High-upside TE sleeper.

Oronde Gadsden II — $3,500

The Chargers’ tight end room has been hit hard by injuries.

That creates a clearer path to playing time for Gadsden in a game where Los Angeles may be forced to throw while chasing Buffalo.

He doesn’t have a safe floor, but the game environment gives him real tournament appeal.

Verdict: Cheap game-stack piece.

Juwan Johnson — $3,700

Johnson continues to play a large role in New Orleans’ pass-heavy offense.

He’s not a pure punt, but $3,700 is still cheap for an every-down tight end attached to one of the league’s highest-volume passing attacks.

Verdict: Strong combination of route participation and salary.

Pat Freiermuth — $3,800

Pittsburgh’s offense has been poor.

Freiermuth is one of the few players Aaron Rodgers appears to trust.

Cincinnati has also surrendered major production to tight ends through two weeks.

If Pittsburgh moves the ball at all, Freiermuth has a legitimate chance to be involved.

Verdict: Low-ceiling floor play with TD upside.

Cheap Defense Options

Cleveland Browns — $2,500

Carolina’s offensive line has allowed one of the league’s highest pressure rates.

That immediately puts Cleveland into consideration at this salary.

Bryce Young has played well, so this isn’t a risk-free spot.

But pressure creates sacks and turnovers, and $2,500 leaves a lot of money for skill players.

Verdict: Salary-saving defense.

Las Vegas Raiders — $2,600

This is our favorite cheap GPP defense.

New Orleans lost starting left tackle Kelvin Banks.

Now the replacement has to deal with Maxx Crosby and a Raiders defense generating pressure at one of the highest rates in football.

Tyler Shough has played well enough that Las Vegas isn’t safe.

But sacks alone can create a tournament-winning DST performance at this salary.

Verdict: Best cheap tournament defense.

New England Patriots — $2,700

New England’s defense looks legitimately strong.

They’ve been good both against the pass and up front, and Jacksonville enters a much tougher matchup than it saw in Week 1.

The Patriots don’t have the obvious sack upside of Las Vegas, but the defense itself may simply be better.

Verdict: Solid all-around cheap DST.

Cincinnati Bengals — $2,900

Cincinnati remains our favorite overall defense for the money.

Pittsburgh’s offense has been one of the least functional units in football, while Cincinnati has consistently generated pressure and sacks.

At only $2,900, we don’t need to drop all the way into punt territory.

Verdict: Best salary-adjusted defense.

The Value Cheat Sheet

If we’re building lineups and need salary relief, these are the names we want closest to the top of the player pool:

QB

• Kyler Murray — $5,100
• Jacoby Brissett — $4,800
• Geno Smith — $4,900
• Jameis Winston — $4,000

RB

• Quinshon Judkins — $5,500
• Jeremiyah Love — $5,500
• Jaylen Warren — $5,700
• Aaron Jones — $5,900

WR

• Adonai Mitchell — $4,300
• Devaughn Vele — $4,400
• Rashod Bateman — $4,700
• Jordan Addison — $4,900
• Tre Tucker — $5,000

TE

• T.J. Hockenson — $3,200
• Michael Mayer — $3,300
• Kenyon Sadiq — $3,500
• Oronde Gadsden II — $3,500
• Juwan Johnson — $3,700

D/ST

• Browns — $2,500
• Raiders — $2,600
• Patriots — $2,700
• Bengals — $2,900

Our Favorite Salary Savers

If we had to narrow the entire value pool to five players:

1. Adonai Mitchell — $4,300
Explosive role, massive air-yard share, weak Detroit secondary.

2. T.J. Hockenson — $3,200
Starting tight end in a favorable coverage matchup at near-minimum salary.

3. Quinshon Judkins — $5,500
Strong rushing matchup with an expanding receiving role.

4. Kyler Murray — $5,100
True dual-threat ceiling without premium quarterback pricing.

5. Raiders D/ST — $2,600
Elite pressure production meeting an injured Saints offensive line.