This is our Monday Night Football DFS strategy breakdown for Week 3.
Both Week 1 and Week 2 looked similar for the Lions (1-1) and Ravens (1-1), with each suffering visible losses to known foes to open the year before bouncing back with strong showings in divisional matchups in Week 2. Their paths will likely diverge with the result of Monday's game between them, as the Lions head to Baltimore to face the Ravens as five-point underdogs with the over/under at 53.0.
QUARTERBACK
Like any other game, Lamar Jackson ($11800 DK, $12800 FD) is a difficult fade on this single-game slate. As much as Derrick Henry can go nuts in any given game, (A) Henry and Jackson can both post big numbers in a given game, and (B) Jackson is capable of leading the Ravens in rushing production during Henry's slow days. Granted, Henry wasn't on the Ravens the last time they faced the Lions, but in that 2023 game Jackson threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns while running for 36 yards and a fourth touchdown.
Jared Goff ($9400 DK, $11000 FD) needs to bounce back from the last time he played in Baltimore – a game the Lions lost 38-6 while Goff took eight hits scored zero touchdowns. At least he might have some momentum from his strong output against the Bears in Week 2, when Goff threw for 334 yards and five touchdowns. The Ravens will be without top interior pass rusher Nnamdi Madubuike, so perhaps that's one detail the Lions can take advantage of.
RUNNING BACK
Derrick Henry ($10200 DK, $13200 FD) is a perilous fade but sometimes has his down games, and the Lions are definitely capable and focused in run defense. With that said, Henry sometimes overrules the matchup details and his big games need not necessarily occur at the expense of Jackson's fantasy viability, especially on a single-game slate. Justice Hill ($2800 DK, $3400 FD) tends to play more the more the Ravens throw the ball, so if you're generally betting on the Lions to win then it might make sense to make Hill one of your Ravens picks. Rasheen Ali ($400 DK, $1200 FD) is mostly a kick returner and for now Keaton Mitchell has no role.
Jahmyr Gibbs ($10600 DK, $11800 FD) and David Montgomery ($6200 DK, $7600 FD) are both tough fades in single-game slates – even when you're picking the other in a single lineup – and with several expensive Ravens on the other side it gets especially difficult to afford them here. For Montgomery to thrive it might require a big upset script – one where the Lions not only win, but win with an early lead. Gibbs' application is more matchup-proof – if the Lions win it will likely have a lot or even primarily to do with Gibbs, yet if the Lions lose they'll likely lean on Gibbs even more as a pass-catching threat. Craig Reynolds ($800 DK, $1200 FD) is the likely RB3 but sometimes does not play.
WIDE RECEIVER + TIGHT END
Amon-Ra St. Brown ($10400 DK, $11400 FD) is an exceedingly difficult fade in a game where the Lions are projected to need to throw the ball, if only to keep up with the Ravens' point total if not to catch up to it. St. Brown is the most game script-proof of the Lions pass catchers – both the primary Safe and the primary Upside option. That Marlon Humphrey could be a formidable frequent matchup matters but is less significant than the fact that this is an urgent game for the Lions. Even in Detroit's blowout loss to the Ravens in 2023, St. Brown caught 13 receptions for 102 yards on 19 targets. Jameson Williams ($8000 DK, $8400 FD) is uniquely explosive on the real football field, but his modest target volume makes him a low-floor, moderate-ceiling fantasy prospect rather than a true high-ceiling one. Williams could very well be a cashing pick in this game due to his ability to post big per-target numbers, but if so it might need to occur in a script where either (A) Goff has a big game, thus making it reasonable to pair Williams with Goff or (B) St. Brown has a down game, thus making it reasonable to fade St. Brown when picking Williams.
Sam LaPorta ($5400 DK, $6800 FD) has his big games now and then but has generally seen his usage rate decrease since his excellent rookie year. LaPorta remains a very good real-life tight end, just one the Lions generally aren't as dependent on as they were two years ago. LaPorta is a reasonable pick almost always, just one who functions more like a glue guy at this point rather than a team-making pick. Kalif Raymond ($2000 DK, $2200 FD) and Isaac TeSlaa ($1200 DK, $3000 FD) appear likely to split the WR3 snaps on an unclear basis for the indefinite future, making either a reasonable punt pick along with blocking tight end Brock Wright ($2400 DK, $1600 FD).
Zay Flowers ($8400 DK, $9800 FD) has been on fire through two weeks, and the Ravens might need another significant contribution from him to decisively match Detroit's firepower. Flowers' utility as a single-game slate pick is arguably heightened by the seeming ambiguity among the remaining Ravens pass catchers – Rashod Bateman ($4000 DK, $5000 FD) seems to be at risk of losing some opportunities to DeAndre Hopkins ($4800 DK, $4600 FD), and through two games Mark Andrews ($4400 DK, $6000 FD) just hasn't done much at tight end. Andrews won't stay down forever – he's a conventionally solid pick despite his slow start – but guessing Bateman, Hopkins, Tylan Wallace ($3000 DK, $3200 FD) and Devontez Walker ($1600 DK, $1800 FD) is more difficult. Charlie Kolar ($600 DK, $1400 FD) is a viable punt play as the TE2 for Baltimore, albeit one who has mostly blocked to this point.
KICKER
It makes sense to consider either kicker in this game, because they are both capable of making a notable impact, be it a low- or high-scoring game.
Through two games Tyler Loop ($5000 DK, $6400 FD) has mostly been encouraging for the Ravens, making all four of his field goal attempts and nine out of 10 PATs. If the Ravens offense is functioning then Loop should continue to see double-digit fantasy opportunities most weeks.
Jake Bates ($5200 DK, $5800 FD) missed a 55-yard field goal but made the other three so far in 2025, and in 2024 he made six of eight field goals from beyond 50 yards. It's arguable that Bates has a little more risk than Loop given that Baltimore is safely favored, but if the Lions make the game close then Bates could be in the cashing conversation.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Though the Lions remain a formidable team, the Ravens ($4200 DK, $6200 FD) are projected to have the upper hand in this game as five-point home favorites, and the last time they played in Baltimore was a disaster for Detroit. The Lions lost that game 38-6, with Goff taking five sacks and throwing one interception while averaging 5.4 yards per attempt. It's unlikely it goes that poorly for the Lions in this Baltimore rematch, especially with Madubuike out.
The Lions ($3600 DK, $5600 FD) aren't projected to benefit from a favorable script, so it might take an upset outcome for their D/ST unit to prove useful for cashing. The Ravens will need to be careful with Aidan Hutchinson's edge rush and the Lions have two two-gap defensive tackles as starters specifically for stopping the run, so those might be the two main challenges facing the Baltimore offense.
