NFL DFS Milly Maker Recap Week 3: Anatomy of a $1 Million Winning Lineup
Through the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL season, the Milly Maker winners have been fairly predictable. Week 3 kept the streak going: 180DegreesMiami won the DraftKings Millionaire Maker and $1 million with 239.80 points, built on a five-player Jets-Lions game stack (Geno Smith, Garrett Wilson, Kenyon Sadiq, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jameson Williams) plus Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the second-highest scorer on the main slate.
So is winning the NFL Millionaire Maker lucky, or can you map it out? There’s always some luck in NFL DFS, but each week gives us more data on what a winning lineup looks like. Using our research on past Milly Maker winners as a backdrop, this Milly Maker recap Week 3 edition looks at what won, which plays you could have seen coming, and how it can shape your process for Week 4.
The Short Version
DraftKings player 180DegreesMiami won the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire with 239.80 points, 6.70 clear of second place in a 161,764-entry field. The lineup used all $50,000, played five players from Jets at Lions, and rostered the main slate’s top two scorers (Gibbs 41.40, Smith-Njigba 38.36), its best value (Sadiq, 26.5 points at $3,500) and its top defense (Vikings, 17). Seven of the nine players came from the 1:00 p.m. ET games. It followed five of the six construction trends from the last 36 Milly Maker winners.
Week 3 DraftKings Millionaire Maker Winning Lineup
The Week 3 Millionaire Maker winning lineup belonged to 180DegreesMiami: Geno Smith, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jaylen Warren, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams, Kenyon Sadiq, Juwan Johnson at FLEX and the Minnesota Vikings defense. It scored 239.80 DraftKings points and, like the first two winners this season, used every dollar of the $50,000 salary cap.
| Slot | Player | Game (Final) | Salary | Owned | Stat Line | DK Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Geno Smith, NYJ | NYJ 24 at DET 31 | $4,900 | 7.5% | 31/37, 321 pass yds, 3 TD; 12 rush yds; 2-pt pass; 1 fumble lost | 30.04 |
| RB | Jahmyr Gibbs, DET | NYJ 24 at DET 31 | $8,800 | 26.8% | 99 rush yds, 2 TD; 7 rec, 65 yds, 1 TD | 41.40 |
| RB | Jaylen Warren, PIT | CIN 27 at PIT 30 | $5,700 | 13.1% | 127 rush yds; 3 rec, 49 yds | 23.60 |
| WR | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA | SEA 31 at WAS 33 | $8,600 | 18.9% | 10 rec, 128 yds, 2 TD; 14 pass yds | 38.36 |
| WR | Garrett Wilson, NYJ | NYJ 24 at DET 31 | $6,300 | 27.9% | 10 rec, 107 yds, 1 TD | 29.70 |
| WR | Jameson Williams, DET | NYJ 24 at DET 31 | $5,400 | 8.9% | 4 rec, 49 yds | 8.90 |
| TE | Kenyon Sadiq, NYJ | NYJ 24 at DET 31 | $3,500 | 6.0% | 7 rec, 105 yds, 1 TD | 26.50 |
| FLEX | Juwan Johnson, NO | LV 35 at NO 27 | $3,700 | 5.9% | 8 rec, 53 yds, 2 TD; 1 fumble lost | 24.30 |
| DST | Vikings, MIN | MIN 23 at TB 16 | $3,100 | 6.6% | 6 sacks, 2 INT, punt-return TD, 16 pts allowed | 17.00 |
| Total | $50,000 | 239.80 | ||||
Salaries, ownership and fantasy points from DraftKings’ Week 3 contest standings; stat lines from official box scores. Owned is the share of the contest’s entries that rostered each player. Points include DraftKings’ 3-point bonuses for 300 passing yards and 100 rushing or receiving yards. The Vikings’ touchdown came on Myles Price’s 86-yard punt return, which DraftKings credits to the defense.
Geno Smith stacks for the win. I know this looks lucky, but there was a lot of logic to stacking the Jets game. Firing up Gibbs and JSN took no stones whatsoever, Jaylen Warren was a popular mid-priced back with the Steelers’ lead role to himself (Rico Dowdle was out with a toe injury), and the Vikings were a fine defense at $3,100.
The only true head-scratcher here is Juwan Johnson, and his 5.9% ownership reflects that. He paid off with two touchdowns, and the double-tight-end punt ended up being a key part of the Week 3 Milly Maker strategy. The winning build was 180DegreesMiami’s 10th entry in the contest (the number DraftKings shows in parentheses is the entry’s sequence, not a total), and it finished 6.70 points ahead of second place, according to DraftKings’ own Week 3 recap.
What Actually Won the Milly Maker Last Week?
A full game stack of Jets at Lions was the starting point for this takedown. Geno Smith and Garrett Wilson were the low-owned leverage stack in my Week 3 NFL DFS picks, and fully stacking a game with one of the slate’s higher totals, played under the Ford Field roof, was always a viable approach. It closed at 49.5 at DraftKings, the third-highest total on the main slate behind Ravens-Cowboys (54.5) and Chargers-Bills (50.5), and it finished 31-24.
Geno and Garrett were just the start. The winner went all in, adding Kenyon Sadiq as a money tight-end punt and bringing it back with Gibbs and Jameson Williams. Williams (8.9 points) was the weak point of that strategy, but the lineup survived him. Geno finished as the third-best quarterback on the main slate behind Sam Darnold (32.66) and Brock Purdy (31.28), and Garrett Wilson was the second-best wide receiver.
239.80
DraftKings points
6.70
Points clear of second
5 of 9
Players from Jets at Lions
5
Players under 10% owned
The double tight end was also critical, because it saved the cash to go get JSN. Both he and Gibbs were pricey at $8,600 and $8,800, but they owned the top projections at their positions in my numbers, and they finished as the top two scorers on the entire main slate. Sadiq (7.57 points per $1,000 of salary) was the slate’s best value, and Johnson (6.57) was second.
The timing flipped from Week 2, too. That winner used only two early-window players; this one used seven, with only Johnson (4:25 p.m. ET) and the Vikings (4:05 p.m. ET) coming from the late games.
Did the Week 3 Milly Maker Lineup Follow Trends of Past Winners?
Mostly, yes. One of the major points of this weekly DraftKings Millionaire Maker recap is to gauge how much history actually guides the eventual winner, and the Week 3 lineup followed five of the six construction trends from the last 36 Milly Maker winners. The one it broke, for the second straight week, was the stud trend: it paid for both a running back and a receiver above $7,000.
Based on our research of past Milly Maker winners, here’s how the Week 3 winning lineup stacked up:
Once again, the Milly Maker winner followed most of the historical blueprint. It definitely won’t play out like this every single week, but three straight 2026 winners have stuck to it.
Overall, winning DK Millionaire Maker lineups tend to feature one or two studs, save at tight end, pay for defense, eat at least two high-owned players, play at least four options the field is not getting to, and stack to some degree. The stud trend is the one to keep watching: the last two winners both paid for a $7K-plus back and a $7K-plus receiver, and so did the 2024 Week 3 winner on the way to 240.14 points.
Score-wise, 239.80 sat about seven points above the 232.6 average for the last 36 winners, and right between the Week 3 winners of 2024 (240.14) and 2025 (231.06).
Was the Millionaire Maker Winning Lineup Predictable or Lucky?
Mostly predictable. Knowing Milly Maker tendencies doesn’t point you to the perfect combination, but I can safely say this was a winner I saw coming.
It did not take a smart player to cram Gibbs or JSN into a lineup. From there, if you looked at how badly the Lions defense had started (it allowed 71 points and 915 yards in its first two games), stacking the Jets made a ton of sense. The field didn’t get there, with Geno at 7.5% and Sadiq at 6.0%, but it was something we could have projected, and it was a stack I vouched for. Here’s how predictable (or lucky) each winning play was:
| Player | Fantasy Points | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Geno Smith | 30.04 | Predictable |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 41.40 | Predictable |
| Jaylen Warren | 23.60 | Predictable |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 38.36 | Predictable |
| Garrett Wilson | 29.70 | Predictable |
| Jameson Williams | 8.90 | Unlucky |
| Kenyon Sadiq | 26.50 | Predictable |
| Juwan Johnson | 24.30 | Lucky |
| Vikings Defense | 17.00 | Predictable |
There was still some luck in the Jets stack panning out the way it did. Geno reaching 30 fantasy points required some, and Sadiq being the top value on the slate did too: it was the rookie’s first career touchdown, and he had more of the tight end work with Mason Taylor out (thumb).
Why the Jets Stack Was a Logical Call
The market set it up. Detroit closed as a 7-point favorite with a 49.5 total, which works out to an implied 28.25 points, the third-highest team total on the main slate behind Buffalo and Baltimore (28.75 each). New York’s implied 21.25 didn’t scream ceiling, but a defense that had given up 71 points in two games made the Jets’ side of a likely shootout a live leverage play. Both sides cleared their numbers: Detroit scored 31 and New York 24.
Juwan Johnson Was the Lucky One
Raiders-Saints closed at a 43.5 total with New Orleans a 4.5-point favorite at DraftKings, a middling game environment. It finished 35-27 in Las Vegas’ favor, 18.5 points over the total, and Johnson scored twice on eight catches. That’s the kind of spike that’s hard to see coming for a $3,700 tight end, even though Saints quarterback Tyler Shough threw four touchdowns.
But Jets stacks looked good, the spot was awesome, and they delivered. If you went for it and also paid up for Gibbs and JSN, you were on your way to a big week. Maybe even a million dollars.
What We Got Right Going into Week 3
The Jets stack was the headliner. It was the low-owned leverage stack on my card, and Geno, Wilson and Sadiq combined for 86.24 points. I also built my core around Gibbs and JSN despite their hefty salaries, and I liked Tyler Shough as my top quarterback value.
| Play | How I Carded It | DK Points |
|---|---|---|
| Geno Smith + Garrett Wilson (+ Kenyon Sadiq) | Low-owned leverage stack | 30.04 + 29.7 (+ 26.5) |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | Core play | 41.4 |
| Jaxon Smith-Njigba | Top spend at WR ($8,600) | 38.36 |
| Tyler Shough + Chris Olave | Best value at QB ($5,400) / Stack No. 4 | 26.8 + 22.7 |
| Josh Allen + James Cook | Stack No. 1 | 20.46 + 23.4 |
| Lamar Jackson + Derrick Henry | Stack No. 2 | 20.44 + 21.9 |
| Patrick Mahomes + Kenneth Walker III | Stack No. 3 | 16.94 + 21.3 |
DraftKings points from official Week 3 box scores (CBS Sports and footballdb). Salaries and tiers as published in my Week 3 NFL DFS picks on September 25, 2026.
Shough finished as the fourth-best quarterback on the main slate even with two lost fumbles, and the running-back halves of my top three stacks all cleared 21 points. Lamar Jackson (20.44), Derrick Henry (21.9) and Kenneth Walker III (21.3) all made my list as stacking options we were high on, and James Cook ran for 154 yards to finish as the slate’s third-best back.
What We Got Wrong
There was a lot that didn’t go right last week. I thought Justin Herbert was a solid GPP play and he failed, Ashton Jeanty didn’t live up to his workload, Dalton Schultz fell flat as chalk, Dalton Kincaid got nothing going, and Justin Jefferson exited with an injury.
| Play | How I Carded It | DK Points |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Herbert | GPP target at QB ($5,800) | 13.74 |
| Ashton Jeanty | Top spend at RB ($7,100) | 12.3 |
| Dalton Schultz | Best value at TE ($4,200) | 6.0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | GPP target at TE ($5,500) | 4.8 |
| Justin Jefferson | GPP target at WR ($7,500) | 5.2 |
Jefferson’s was the unlucky one. He hurt his right ankle in the first quarter at Tampa Bay and was ruled out in the third, finishing with two catches for 32 yards. Schultz hurt more: with Nico Collins out again, he was the tight end I was happiest to eat as chalk, and he caught three passes for 30 yards in a 19-17 loss in Indianapolis.
Geno stacks with Gibbs and JSN let me cash, but the misses elsewhere kept me from a big win, personally.
How the Rest of My Week 3 Card Scored
For the full picture, here is the rest of that Week 3 card. Isaiah Williams was the one clear bust among my values, while the Vikings and Texans stacks never got going.
| Play | How I Carded It | DK Points |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | Top spend at QB ($6,200) | 16.94 |
| Trey McBride | Top spend at TE ($6,700) | 16.5 |
| Aaron Jones Sr. | Best value at RB ($5,900) | 14.2 |
| Isaiah Williams | Best value at WR ($3,300) | 3.1 |
| Chase Brown | GPP target at RB ($6,600) | 8.9 |
| Kyler Murray + Justin Jefferson / Aaron Jones | Stack No. 5 | 11.42 + 5.2 / 14.2 |
| C.J. Stroud + Dalton Schultz | Stack No. 6 | 11.68 + 6.0 |
A performance recap of published picks, scored on official box scores. DFS contests are not single wagers, so this is not a profit or loss result.
What Week 3 Teaches Us About the Milly Maker Lineup
Week 3 didn’t reveal much we didn’t already know. Stacking works, paying up for one or two studs is still smart, a stable defense is worth the money, and tight end is deep enough to save on.
But each slate is different, and even with the right stack and the top studs, a few misfires can keep you from winning all the money. That said, the historical trends have been useful through the first three weeks, and last week’s winner followed the same blueprint with a completely different set of names. If you want to find your own Sadiq-style leverage, reading ownership projections is the place to start.
Carry These Into Week 4
Stack, and don’t be afraid to go all the way to a full game stack when a bad defense faces a live offense. Pay for the one or two players with the best projections at their positions, save at tight end (even twice), and pay a little for a defense. Then find four or more players under 10% ownership. Three straight 2026 winners have followed that blueprint.
If you’re hoping to use this to your advantage, check my Week 4 NFL DFS picks before you finalize your lineups, and our daily fantasy sports hub has the rest of the NFL DFS playbook. Good luck!
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Week 3 Milly Maker FAQ
Here are quick answers to the questions DFS players ask most about the Week 3 Milly Maker winner and what the result means for Week 4.
Who won the DraftKings Milly Maker in Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season?
A DraftKings player named 180DegreesMiami won the Week 3 NFL Millionaire Maker with 239.80 fantasy points. The NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire drew 161,764 entries and paid $1 million to first place, and the winning lineup finished 6.70 points clear of second. It was built around a five-player Jets-Lions game stack plus Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
How many points did it take to win the Milly Maker in Week 3, and is that a normal winning score?
It took 239.80 DraftKings points, a little above a normal winning score. The average across the last 36 Milly Maker winners from 2024 and 2025 was 232.6, and the Week 3 winners in those seasons scored 240.14 and 231.06. This season’s first two winners scored 273.98 and 232.38.
Why did the Week 3 Milly Maker winner stack the Jets and Lions game?
Because the setup was good and the field ignored it. Jets at Lions closed at a 49.5 total, the third-highest on the main slate, it was played indoors at Ford Field, and Detroit’s defense had allowed 71 points in its first two games. Geno Smith was only 7.5% owned and Kenyon Sadiq 6.0%, and the game finished 31-24.
Can you really win the Milly Maker with two tight ends under $4,000?
Yes, the Week 3 winner did it with Kenyon Sadiq ($3,500) at tight end and Juwan Johnson ($3,700) at FLEX. They scored 26.5 and 24.3 points and were the two best values on the main slate. The savings paid for Jahmyr Gibbs and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the slate’s top two scorers.
Was the Week 3 Milly Maker winning lineup more skill or more luck?
Mostly skill. Seven of the nine plays were sound calls before kickoff, including Gibbs and Smith-Njigba, a Jets stack against a struggling Lions defense and a $3,100 Vikings defense. Juwan Johnson’s two touchdowns were the lucky part, and Jameson Williams at 8.9 points was the unlucky part.
What should I take from the Week 3 Milly Maker winner into my Week 4 NFL DFS lineups?
Take the construction, not the names. The Week 3 winner stacked a full game, paid for two studs with the best projections at their positions, saved at tight end, and paid a little for defense. Then it got different with five players under 10% ownership, the same blueprint the first two 2026 winners followed.
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