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NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/20/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/20/17


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Point Guard

Eric Bledsoe
FD $7,500 DK $7,400

Bledsoe saw just 29 minutes in the opening contest, in what was a blowout at halftime against the Blazers. He has always been a guy that plays big minutes and I think it’s fair to expect around 35 on a daily basis. This style of game fits into Bledsoe’s hands perfectly, as the Lakers love to run and push the ball up the court. We didn’t see it much last night, but some of that can be attributed to PatBev giving them a nightmare. This game currently sits at a 220 total with the Suns favored by just 3, so it’ll be high scoring and close. Exactly what you’re looking for out of a game stack. The price is fair and he’s pretty safe, considering he fills up the box in every which way. He thrives in the open floor and should have no problem getting there often against a Lakers team that ranked 3rd worst in 2016 against transition baskets. Bledsoe isn’t a lock, but he’s as close as you’ll get at the position.

D’Angelo Russell
FD $8,000 DK $7,300

Jeremy Lin has already been ruled out for the year. Thoughts go out to him, but at least we got it over quickly. It’s surely a lot less stressful than him being questionable EVERY DAY for the entire season. like we dealt with for much with for much of 2016. With Lin gone at PG, D’Angelo Russell will slide over and let Caris LeVert and Sean Kilpatrick handle the 2. Russell gave us a taste of what to expect from him in game 1, shooting 22 times and putting up 42 fantasy points against some quality defenders in Indy. I know both of these guys are a bit expensive, but they are both in spots where the ceiling and floor is just too high for the respective price. Russell could very well be a $9K player very soon. It sounds crazy, but it’ll happen if he’s over 20 shots on a nightly basis. He did it just 6 times in 2016. The Magic play fast and don’t care too much about defense. Russell is a prime option for all formats.

Shooting Guard

Jaylen Brown
FD $6,200 DK $5,500

Until the price goes way up or the Celtics are facing a defensive juggernaut, Jaylen Brown will remain a safe cash game play. He’s the number 2 option behind Kyrie and has shot 34 times over the first 2 contests. The Celtics now see the 76ers, who will be one of the teams we target a lot this year. With the addition of Fultz and Simmons, they should want to run as much as possible. Brown derives a lot of his value from being able to get into the open court and make things happen. That shouldn’t be an issue here, as neither TLC or J.J. Redick have the speed or athleticism to stick with Jaylen. It may be tough to the pay the $6K tag for a guy who was just at $4k, but he’s worth close to 7 or 8. Expect him to once again see 30+ minutes against a lackluster defense that is fine running.

Andrew Wiggins
FD $6,800 DK $6,300

We still don’t really know how Jimmy Butler will cut into Wiggins and Towns, but I think it’s safe to assume that it won’t be much. Butler is a superstar, but he doesn’t need the ball in his hands a ton. He posted a 25% usage last season in Chicago and will likely end up with a similar one here. You also add in the fact that all these starters will see close to 40 minutes on most nights, and the safety is there. People generally see the “Utah” under the opponent and completely ignore. While they are a good team defense, they have Rodney Hood and Donovan Mitchell at the 2. Both of which are inexperienced and not known, at all, for their defense. Ignles will be on Butler, which could funnel some more production towards Wiggins on the perimeter. He’s not as safe as Jaylen is Point per $, but he’s close. He will also be just 5 or 10% owned, at most.

Small Forward

Harrison Barnes
FD $6,300 DK $5,700

We’ve been looking at a few of the more expensive options at PG and SG, so let’s look for a way to save here at SF. Harrison Barnes is the leader of the Mavs on offense and he’s going to be one of the more consistent SF’s we can lean on at such a solid price. He can handle 35+ minutes every night and had no problem shooting close to 20 times a game in 2016. The Kings have a gaping hole at SF with Rudy Gay out, so they’ll look to Justin Jackson and Buddy Hield to deal with Barnes on defense. Barnes doesn’t have the upside to put up 50 fantasy points, but you can lock him in there for 25 with the upside for 45. At this price, you can’t ask for more.

Evan Fournier
FD $5,600 DK $5,400

Evan Fournier left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouth after last season, including mine. It seemed like countless times that I rostered him and he just goofed around for 300 minutes and ended with nothing worthy of note. That didn’t look to be the guy I was watching the other night. While it can be tough to base decisions on things like the eye test, it’s really not with a guy like Fournier. He looked like he wanted to be there and was initiating a lot of the effective offense. He now heads up with the fast-paced Nets, who haven’t played defense in 2 years. This game is sitting at a 223 over/under with the Magic favored by 2. Get some exposure on both sides of the ball. Fournier is cheap enough where you really don’t have to consider him a “pay-up”, but has the upside to give you 50 in a tournament.

Power Forward

Anthony Davis
FD $10,900 DK $10,600

With Draymond Green doubtful as I type this, I’m going to assume he is out. Even if he is in, you can take all of what I’m about to say and just minimize it a little bit. Davis is unstoppable. Cousins is unstoppable. When you try to stop them with whatever combo of Zaza, Javale, David West and Jordan Bell, things may get ugly. With that being said, the same can be said for the Pelicans in regard to Kevin Durant/Klay Thompson. I think this one just turns into an absolutely shootout and stacking the entire game is a terrific idea. If it blows out, none of them make value. If it stays close, I think it does because of the back-and-forth nature. We aren’t going to see either of these teams grind out defense here. Davis saw 40 minutes last game, which is a terrific sign for a guy that is often on a minutes limit. If he’s seeing those types of minutes this early, it’s fair to assume we’re playing with a fully healthy Anthony Davis. A fully healthy Anthony Davis is something you won’t come across often, and when you do, you take advantage. Personally, you will catch me with 100% Anthony Davis if Draymond is out. I’d prefer to watch him abuse the backups and for me to benefit instead of grimace every time he slams it over anyone’s head in hopes I won’t be passed by the crowd. AD might end up being popular, which is when I’ll pivot over to Cousins. All in all, this game is a gold mine and you should get exposure from both sides.

Jae Crowder
FD $5,300 DK $4,700

This is just a simple case of a guy being a bit mispriced to start the season. It’s not too bad, but Crowder will put up numbers in this offense if he’s going to play 30+ minutes. He’s a lot better of an offensive player than many of the guys who have played the same role with LeBron in the near past. He will get as many open 3’s in the corner as he could ever want and could have some huge games if he gets hot. He’s also good at penetrating and scooping up peripherals on defense, which can’t be said for the usual LeBron corner guy. It’s also comforting to know Crowder will be out there when it matters. He is a good defender and helps make up for the atrocious Rose and Love (If you want to laugh, watch these 2 try to defend a PNR). I feel like they should have a coach out there grabbing their hips and throwing them into the proper defensive position. It’s just brutal. Getting back on topic, Crowder is going to be an integral part of this offense from the get and isn’t priced like it just yet. The Bucks play small and he’ll have no problem getting an excess of minutes at the 4 and maybe a few at the 5 when Thon Maker is out there. He isn’t going to go crazy but penciling in 25 at this price is a blessing in cash games.

Center

Nikola Vucevic
FD $8,400 DK $7,600

There are a lot of different ways you can go at center if you’re paying up, so take your choice. We’ll run with Nikola Vucevic here, who sees and up-paced affair with the Brooklyn Nets. He got dismantled by Hassan Whiteside in the first game, but did answer back with a solid 19-13-2-2 line. TheNets lost Brook Lopez in the offseason and will turn to Timofey Mozgov at center. I don’t know how they plan on making that work, but they are the Nets, so maybe they just don’t care. Bucevic will embarrass Mozgov for however many minutes the Nets can lie to themselves for. Trevor Booker and Rondae Hollies-Jefferson man the 4 and are way too undersized to mess with Vuc. To me, it looks like a severe match-up problem. Unless the Nets have a focus on taking away Vucevic from the start (no shot), he should have a big game. His price is still fair and will likely see a small bump if he continues seeing heavy minutes. Aaron Gordon is also questionable now, so Vuc could be leaned on even more down low than already expected.

Marcin Gortat
FD $6,100 DK $5,600

Now for what may be the most cut and dry option of them all, let’s take a look at Marcin Gortat facing off with the monster that is Andre Drummond. Gortat will need to be out there to match the size of Drummond, which Ian Mahinmi just can’t offer. Gortat is locked into a double-double and you can safely project him for 34+ minutes. For years now, Gortat has been getting a ton of minutes to start the year until eventually getting a nagging injury that keeps them down. Drummond is a huge center, but his defense is nothing to be worried about. The Pistons were 3rd worst against centers in 2016 and I can’t see a guy with Gortat’s skill set just flopping. Wall leans on Gortat to space the floor and he does it perfectly, knowing exactly how Wall likes to play. Gortat is the safest option at center for the price and I’ll have a ton of exposure in cash games.






NFL Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 7 – Draftkings Cash and Gpp Plays

by Cesar Becerra 0 Comments

Week 7 is an interesting week that doesn’t feature many heavy favorites. The biggest favorite on the slate are the Dallas Cowboys against the San Francisco 49ers, and the spread is at 6. The big game that most people would like to target is the Falcons at Patriots. However, since Draftkings recently removed the Sunday Night Game off of the Main slate, that game is not available on unless you play the Thursday through Monday slate. Since this article is mainly driven on the DraftKings main slate, I will not be addressing plays from the Sunday Night Game.

For Sunday’s Main slate there are four games that have respectable game totals. The Saints (26.5) at Packers (21) lead the way with a 47.5 over/under followed by the the Rams (25) at Cardinals (21.75) with a 47 o/u. The Browns (20.5) at Titans (26) and the Cowboys (26.25) at 49ers (20.25) both have a total of 46.5. Outside of those games, Vegas sees a lot of cross off games like the Jets (17.75) at Dolphins (20.75), Vikings (22.75) at Ravens (17.25), and even Bears (17.75) at Seahawks (23). Each of these games has over/under of 41 points or less.

Quarterbacks

NFL Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 7 - Draftkings Cash and Gpp Plays

Tyrod Taylor (DK $5,100) – Taylor might be the highest owned quarterback this week. Taylor is coming off of a bye and is going up against the Bucs who rank 27th DVOA against the pass this season. This gamer currently doesn’t have a line because of the injury status of Jameis Winston, but this game should feature a fair amount of possessions with both teams ranked in the top 15 of the pace of play. Taylor always provides nice rushing upside. We’ve seen Taylor rush for more than seven attempts in all but one game this season. He has yet to find the end zone on the ground, but he could be in for some positive regression.

Dak Prescott (DK $7,300) – The top projected quarterback on the board according to our partner 4for4 projections is Dak. Unfortunately, he doesn’t come cheap as he’s the second highest priced QB on the slate behind Drew Brees. Dak is going up against the 49ers defense that ranked 32 DVOA against the pass, and the Cowboys are projected to score 26+ points. I think this game has some sneaky shootout potential with both defenses ranking in the bottom half of the league (DAL 22nd DVOA). I also think Dak will be a nice pivot off of Elliott who is the chalkier play in this game.

Ben Roethlisberger (DK $6,200) – I haven’t played Ben all year, and I’m pretty happy about that. A big reason why I don’t play Ben is because of his home and road splits. This week, Ben finds himself on the positive side of that splits at home against the Bengals. The Bengals are a far from ideal matchup as they rank 8th DVOA against the pass this season. But he had a nice bounce-back effort last week against the Chiefs after a performance that had him contemplating retirement against the Jags. Ben is a little risky due to his matchup and his performance this season. I just think he has so many talented weapons on his side that this offense has to get it rolling at some point. He’ll be low owned, and the game should stay close, so I like the game script for this matchup.

GPP Value Play

Brett Hundley (DK $5,100) – I keep seeing Hundley’s name on Twitter so it makes me think he won’t be as low owned as I expect but he’s a nice pivot from Taylor. Hundley didn’t look so great replacing Rodgers last week, but this week he gets a full week with the first-team offense. Hundley has been in the Packers organization for the last three season and has a good amount of weapons at his disposal. I expect Drew Brees and the Saints to light up the Packers, so that gives Hundley plenty of opportunity to throw the ball playing catchup. Hundley did rush for over 1,700 yards and 30 touchdowns at UCLA so he can make some plays with his feet. At 5.1K it doesn’t take much to hit value.

Cash Considerations:
D. Brees, D. Prescott, T. Taylor.

GPP:
B. Roethlisberger, B. Hundley, C. Palmer.

 

Running BacksNFL Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 7 - Draftkings Cash and Gpp Plays

Todd Gurley (DK $8,200) – Gurley leads all the running backs in terms of projected raw points. Yes, even over Bell, Elliott, and Fournette who are all priced higher than him. Each of those backs are in great spots as well, but the 4for4 projections as of Wednesday night has Gurley as the frontrunner. Gurley is in an ideal spot for a running back. He’s a home favorite on a team implied to score over 25 points and has received 30 targets this season. The concern is that he’s facing a Cardinals defense that ranks 2nd DVOA against the run.

Jay Ajayi (DK $6,200) – If we’re looking for highest projection of points per dollar, Ajayi leads the charge per the 4for4 projections. Ajayi is projected at over 18 points and with his 6.2k price tag he comes in at over 3x value. Ajayi is also in the same situation as Gurley as he’s a home favorite (-3) against the Jets who rank 21st DVOA against the run. I typically like to target running backs that have more targets upside, but Ajayi has seen some 10 targets the past four weeks. He’s playing on 72% of the snaps and has 88% of the rushing attempts. This game could be low scoring, and if the Dolphins are around their implied total, Ajayi figures to be the primary beneficiary.

Jerick McKinnon (DK $6,300) – We saw McKinnon go off last week for both rushing TD and receiving TD when he was chalk. This week his ownership should regress back down to average as he’s seen his price spike up over $1k. Mckinnon is a home favorite against the Ravens. The Ravens have one of the best passing defenses and have a modest rushing defense so their somewhat of a funnel defense. Baltimore ranks 17th DOVA against the run. If the Vikings are going to attack this Ravens defense, it’s going to have to do so on the ground since Diggs has not practiced and Keenum will be behind center. I’d lean Ajayi over Mckinnon if I had to choose between the two.

GPP Value Play

Alvin Kamara (DK $5,600) – Kamara disappointed some people last week after being out produced by Mark Ingram. Last week Kamara was out snapped 30:47 by Mark Ingram and only received 29% of the rushing attempts out of the Saints backfield. We knew going into last week that Ingram was still the early downs back and Kamara would get his opportunity during 3rd downs. Kamara caught all 4 of his targets last week but only produced 12 receiving yards. He’s still a talented back, and at 5.6K he’s still relatively cheap to garnish some GPP consideration.

Cash + GPP Plays:
Gurley, Bell, Ajayi, Fournette, Elliott, Ingram.

Gpp Plays:
McCoy, Hyde, McCaffrey, Kamara, McKinnon, Henry (if Murray is out Henry is a top play).

Wide Receivers

NFL Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 7 - Draftkings Cash and Gpp Plays

Aj Green (DK $8,300) – Currently the second highest priced wideout and the second highest projected receiver on our board, Aj Green is a great play this week. Since changing offensive coordinators, Green leads the team in targets with 33 (11/game) and has scored three straight weeks. Bill Lazor is making an effort to get the ball to Green, and he’s showing them why by posting up monster games. He’s priced up with Antonio Brown, but if you want to make a contrarian lineup, paying up for both of these receivers and finding value at running back is a good way to do so.

Dez Bryant (DK $7,800) – Dez and the Cowboys receivers are going up against the 49ers who rank dead last DVOA against opposing receivers this season. Bryant has a solid floor with over 11 projected targets according to 4for4. At $7,800 he’s the third highest priced receiver on the board and has the third highest projection of the week. I think this game could be a sneaky shootout and I think a Bryant/Dak stack could be a nice hedge from the Cowboys running game.

Devante Adams (DK $5,800) – Adams was Hundley’s favorite target last week after replacing Rodgers. Adams had a difficult matchup last week against Xavier Rhodes but still saw 10 targets from Hundley. He was able to produce 5 catches for 55 yards and a score with those Targets. This week he’s going up against a Saints defense that ranks 12th DVOA against receivers, but I see Adams getting an ample amount of targets in this one.

GPP Value Play

Bennie Fowler (DK $3,300) – Emmanuel Sanders is expected to miss this week, and Fowler figures to set into Sanders’ role. Fowler saw 8 targets from Siemian last week and played 75 % of the snaps. He only has 13 catches on the season, but most of his production has come from the slot. Now he should get some time as the 2nd receiver behind Thomas. Fowler did score twice against the Chargers in week 1, so there could be something he sees against this Charger defense.

Cash + GPP Plays:
Brown, Green, Bryant, Thomas, Fitzgerald, Landry, Baldwin, Adams, Garcon.

GPP Plays:
E. Decker, K. Benjamin, J. Nelson, K. Allen, R. Matthews, M. Lee, B. Fowler, R. Woods.

Tight End

NFL Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 7 - Draftkings Cash and Gpp Plays

Delanie Walker (DK $5,800) – Walker has had a down start to the season, yet to find the end zone. But what do I always say? Play tight ends against the Browns. This week Walker is that tight end. He is second on the team in targets only behind Rishard Matthews but is averaging 14% targets per snap. He is, however, the most expensive tight end on the board.

George Kittle (DK $3,600) – Kittle’s price is starting to rise against with his production the last two weeks. In the past two weeks, Kittle has had 17 targets and has caught 13 receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown. This week the 49ers will roll out rookie QB CJ Beathard who out of Iowa. Beathard and Kittle were teammates for four years in college. The rookie could lean on Kittle to move the ball. The Cowboys also rank 31st in DVOA against the tight ends this season.

GPP Value Play

Zach Miller (DK $3,200) – Miller has seen an uptick in production since the Bears made the movie to first-round draft pick Mitchell Trubisky. Miller has 5 receptions on 10 targets with Trubisky under center and has scored twice the past two weeks. Miller is a nice value play at this price.

Cash:
Kittle, ASJ, Witten, Graham.

GPP:
Walker, Engram, Miller, Kroft, Bennett, Fleener.

Defense
NFL Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 7 - Draftkings Cash and Gpp Plays

Rams (DK $2,600) – Defenses are so volatile I usually tend to look for the defense with the best value. The Rams rank third in our projected points per dollar scoring and are home favorites against the Cardinals. The Cardinals offense airs out the ball quite a bit and gives up a lot of sacks. The Rams front seven should be able to put pressure on Palmer and get a few sack in this game.






Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 7

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations – Week 7

Lineuplab.com - Win on Fanduel & Draftkings with our tools - Daily Fantasy Football

Week 7 may not have a ton of great match ups on the schedule, but it will be highlighted by a Super Bowl rematch between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons. While that should be an exciting game, hopefully the best part of your Week 7 is bringing home money playing DFS. Put your favorite daily fantasy football recommendations from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the NFL Player Lab.

**QUARTERBACKS**

Matt Ryan vs New England Patriots
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
DraftKings = $7,500
FanDuel = $8,700

Ryan and the Falcons offense have struggled this season, resulting in a 3-2 record. Ryan has only thrown for more than 300 yards in a game once this season, which came in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. He has also thrown more than one touchdown pass in a game only once this season and has six touchdowns passes and six interceptions overall. With that being said, I still like him a lot in this contest against a Patriots defense that has allowed the most net passing yards in the NFL and is tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed. If there was ever a week for a breakout performance from Ryan, this is it.

Kirk Cousins vs Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $6,500
FanDuel = $7,500

Cousins comes into Week 7 on a hot streak as he has thrown at least two touchdowns in each of the last three games while also throwing for at least 330 yards in two of those three contests. He has nine touchdowns compared to only two interceptions this season. Not really known for his running, Cousins already has a career-high 103 rushing yards this season. Week 7 brings a match up against an Eagles defense that has allowed the fourth most net passing yards per game this season. Expect a valuable performance from Cousins Sunday.

Brett Hundley vs New Orleans Saints
Stadium – Lambeau Field
DraftKings = $5,100
FanDuel = $6,500

Hundley replaced injured star quarterback Aaron Rodgers last week against the Minnesota Vikings and struggled as he threw for 157 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. With Rodgers possibly out for the season, Hundley will get a chance to make a name for himself. While you should expect him to struggle at times, Week 7 presents an interesting opportunity against the Saints. Not only have Saints allowed the fifth most net passing yards per game, but Hundley is going to have to try and keep up with their high scoring offense. If you need a cheap quarterback, Hundley is your man.

**RUNNING BACKS**

Devonta Freeman vs New England Patriots
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
DraftKings = $7,300
FanDuel = $7,800

I’ve already detailed how much the Patriots struggle in pass coverage, but they don’t do much better against the run either as they have allowed 4.7 yards per carry and 116 rushing yards per game. Although the Falcons offense has struggled, it hasn’t kept Freeman out of the end zone as he has five rushing touchdowns this season. This has the makings of a shootout, which could lead to plenty of scoring chances for Freeman.

Jerick McKinnon vs Baltimore Ravens
Stadium – U.S. Bank Stadium
DraftKings = $6,300
FanDuel = $7,000

McKinnon has played his way into the starting running back role over Latavius Murray as he has 164 rushing yards, 81 receiving yards and three total touchdowns over his last two games.  His role in the passing game creates extra value as he hauled in 11 catches on 12 targets over those two contests. Week 7 brings the opportunity to cash in against a Ravens defense that has allowed the third most rushing yards per game. Roll with McKinnon and enjoy the production.

Duke Johnson Jr. vs Tennessee Titans
Stadium – FirstEnergy Stadium
DraftKings = $4,900
FanDuel = $5,500

Johnson struggled against the Houston Texans last week as he rushed for 40 yards on five carries and had three receptions for minus one yard. Don’t read too much into that though as quarterback Kevin Hogan was terrible in the contest. DeShone Kizer will start this week in place of Hogan and while Kizer has struggled too, he seems to have good chemistry with Johnson. In four games entering Week 6, Johnson had logged 21 receptions on 26 targets for 250 yards with Kizer at the helm. Use him this week, especially considering his cheap price.

**WIDE RECEIVERS**

Dez Bryant vs San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Levi’s Stadium
DraftKings = $7,800
FanDuel = $8,200

Other than Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals, Bryant has received at least eight targets in each game this season. He has turned those opportunities into points as he has scored in three of the last four games. Week 7 brings a promising match up against the 49ers as they have allowed the sixth most net passing yards per game this season. A lot of elite receivers have tough match ups this week, leaving Bryant as one of the better expensive options.

Pierre Garcon vs Dallas Cowboys
Stadium – Levi’s Stadium
DraftKings = $5,800
FanDuel = $6,700

Although Garcon is still looking for his first touchdown of the season, he is off to a solid start with the 49ers as he has 33 receptions for 434 yards. He is a major part of their offense, evident by his 56 targets already this season. The Cowboys could be in for a big offensive performance in this game, leaving the 49ers to play catch up and throw the ball a lot. Considering the volume Garcon regularly receives, he should be very productive Sunday.

Nelson Agholor vs Washington Redskins
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
DraftKings = $4,900
FanDuel = $5,900

Agholor is in the midst of a breakout season as he enters Week 7 with 321 receiving yards, which is only 44 yards less than his previous career high for a single season. While he doesn’t get a ton of targets, he has cashed in on his opportunities as he has a 66.7% catch percentage this season. This week brings a rematch against a Washington team that he posted six catches, 86 receiving yards and one touchdown against Week 1. Make sure to plug him into your entry at this cheap price.

Rishard Matthews vs Cleveland Browns
Stadium – FirstEnergy Stadium
DraftKings = $5,500
FanDuel = $5,500

Matthews is not off to a great start this season as he has recorded 49 or less receiving yards in three of six games. He has also struggled to find the end zone as he only has one touchdown. All that being said, he gets to face a Browns defense that is tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed this season. Mattews has a chance to far outproduce his price point in this contest.

**TIGHT ENDS**

Jimmy Graham vs New York Giants
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $4,900
FanDuel = $5,800

Graham has finally become a focal point of the Seahawks offense as he has received at least eight targets in two of the last three games. He also scored his first touchdown in the Seahawks last game against the Los Angeles Rams. This is a juicy match up for Graham Sunday against a Giants team that really struggles to defend tight ends. The Giants have allowed the most receiving yards (432) and touchdowns (7) to tight ends this season. Look for Graham to cash in on their continued struggles.

Austin Hooper vs New England Patriots
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
DraftKings = $4,100
FanDuel = $5,000

Hooper stormed out of the gate this season with 128 receiving yards and a touchdown Week 1. However, he followed that up with 16 yards total over the next two weeks. It seems he has righted the ship with 98 yards total in the last two weeks. The Falcons are finally throwing him the ball more as he had 16 targets over the last two weeks compared to six over the first three weeks. He doesn’t cost much, making him a great option Sunday if you can’t afford to put Graham in your lineup.

**DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS**

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Indianapolis Colts
Stadium – Lucas Oil Stadium
DraftKings = $3,700
FanDuel = $5,400

The Jaguars defense has created a ton of havoc this season as they lead the NFL in both sacks (23) and interceptions (10). That’s fantasy gold. They get to face a Colts offense that is only averaging 19.8 points per game this season while starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett only has three passing touchdowns. The Jaguars present the best option at defense for Week 7.

New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins
Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium
DraftKings = $3,000
FanDuel = $4,400

The Dolphins have averaging only 12.2 points per game this season, far and away the worst in the NFL. Starting quarterback Jay Cutler only has five touchdowns compared to four interceptions this season and star running back Jay Ajayi is still looking for his first score of the season. At this price, the Jets defense provides great value for Week 7.

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/19/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/19/17


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Point Guard

Russell Westbrook
FD $11,800 – DK $11,000

Look, if you’re playing on this slate, it’s going to take some real guts to fade Russell Westbrook. No matter how you slice it, he’s the top raw option at any position in any format. While he may seem expensive, if you played NBA DFS last year, you know this is nothing. He did lose Victor Oladipo and Enes Kanter, but gained 2 great players in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony. They may warrant a few more shots than the guys did last year, but this team belongs to Westbrook and the ball will be in his hands as much as he wants. This match-up with the Knicks couldn’t be better. Ramon Sessions will cover him. Yes, let that sink in. Of course, the Knicks will try to remedy that with Justin Holiday and double-teams, but we all know by now that it doesn’t work. Westbrook is a guy I’ll have 100% exposure to, bar none.

Jerian Grant
FD $6,600 – DK $5,300

Point guard is typically a position where you have to pick between 5 or 6 elite options. That’s just not the case tonight. Kyle Lowry is the 2nd safest guy, but I’m trying to include some cheaper options and I’m a bigger fan of DeRozan, who we’ll get to. The Bulls are an ultimate cluster$%%@ right now and they will need more than a few guys to step up and fill the hole that Mirotic and Portis will leave. Grant won’t see any impact minutes-wise, but he’ll be looked at to lead this young offense. He showed plenty of times last year that he was able, going over 30 FD points 7 times in his last 25 games. Kyle Lowry is known as a good defender, but he’s really not. The Raptors ranked 23rd against point guards in 2016 and while Grant is far from a typical PG, his size should give Lowry some issues. I’m not expecting a huge game out of Grant, but he can fill the stat sheet in plenty of ways and will be in there for over 30 minutes against an average defensive team.

Shooting Guard

DeMar DeRozan
FD $8,800 – DK $8,300

With just 3 games on the slate, you probably want to have either Kyle Lowry or DeMar DeRozan. Chances are at least one of them will have a superb game against the inept opponent. Before going any further, go ahead and look at the Bulls projected lineup. It is like a spring training lineup in baseball or something. I’m not sure I can remember seeing anything as bad in recent past in any sport. Justin Holiday will cover DeRozan and he’s just too small, as well as not good enough. It’s no offense to Holiday, who’s young with a ton of potential, but DeMar DeRozan is a premier NBA scorer. He can put up 40 points on any given night and will probably put up 50 a time or two before the season concludes. There aren’t too many +EV ways to pay up tonight, so you probably want some exposure to the Toronto DD.

Jordan Clarkson
FD $4,700 – DK $4,300

You have a lot of different ways to go at SG, but you’ll have to pay down in a couple spots here and Jordan Clarkson might be my favorite way to do it. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope suspended, he will be in line to play at least 30 minutes, with some at the 1 and some at the 2. Julius Randle is also questionable, so he could end up seeing a huge uptick in usage as well. Clarkson is an extremely good guard who is underpriced on both sites. He gets the ball in his hands when on the court and if his floaters are hitting, value will come in the 1st half. The Clippers will toss Austin Rivers and Lou Williams at Jordan Clarkson, so he won’t have a hard time getting to the paint. Clarkson is nowhere near a must, but I don’t see the reasoning behind his price.

Small Forward

Paul George
FD $8,600 – DK $6,100

We have no real idea how Paul George will mesh with Russell Westbrook and the Thunder, but I’m willing to take a guess. If you’ve been watching Paul George since he came into the league, you should know that he won’t be causing any problems. There were plenty of times in Indy when a guy like Jeff Teague, Roy Hibbert, or Lance Stephenson would get hot and George would have no problem taking a backseat. He would then hop back into the driver’s seat the next night and put up 30 real-life points. In this Thunder system, I suspect he turns into quite Robin to Westbrook’s Batman. His price is way too low on DraftKings and he’s a near must in cash games. On FanDuel, I love him, but it’s not a must by any means.

Paul Zipser
FD $4,800 – DK $4,200

Hey, calm down. I know Paul Zipser isn’t a guy you wanted to roster until the end of the year when we’re scratching and clawing for value. But I don’t think this is like most years. We usually don’t have a teammate breaking another one’s face and sending him to the hospital with facial fractures. These unforeseen circumstances have led to Nikola Mirotic being out for 6 weeks and Portis suspended for 8 games. It leaves a bunch of minutes for not too many guys. Paul Zipser is locked into 36+ minutes and it’s the reason he’s in play. He will sit in the corner for most of the game, occasionally takin charge and driving to the hoop for a goofy layup. With minutes, come production, and that’s the hope here with Zipser at his depressed price tag.

Power Forward

Lauri Markkanen
FD $6,500 DK $5,600

We’ll stay here with the mess that is the entire Bulls organization. With Mirotic and Portis out, we have RoLo, Felicio, and Markkanen at the 4 and 5. Felicio physically can’t play more than 20-24 minutes, so that leaves about 75 for Lopez and Markkanen (maybe a few from Zipser). Markkanen is technically a rookie, but he’s been playing pro ball in Europe for 6 years and should be able to transition a bit better than guys coming from college. Markkanen is a very good basketball player and he can fill the stat sheet in many different ways. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him well over $8,000 on both sites come next month. This match-up with the Raptors isn’t great, but like I’ve said, minutes = production.

Blake Griffin
FD $9,500 DK $9,600

This year is going to be very telling for the outlook and legacy of Blake Griffin. The last time he was without Chris Paul for an extended period of time, he was consistently one of the top 5 NBA players on a nightly basis. His production was tempered with CP3 back, but that’s not the case anymore. This offense will run through Griffin and he will be given the opportunity to do as much damage as possible. Expect plenty of face-up and PnR opportunities for Griffin from the first possession on. He will also have some games where he distributes and sees close to 10 assists, which could very well come against the Lakers. All in all, I think Griffin has the opportunity to have a huge night and I’ll be doing my best to get him in all my contests. With the current value, I have been able to fit both Westbrook and Griffin without any worries.

Center

Brook Lopez
FD $7,400 DK $6,500

For me, it’s a toss-up between Brook Lopez and DeAndre Jordan for the top high-priced center. They both couldn’t care less about defense, but produce fantasy points in very different ways. Jordan will rely on rebounding and putbacks, while Lopez will get the ball with 15 seconds left on the shot clock and go to work, both post-up and face-up. I suspect Jordan may have some trouble covering Lopez and it could put him into some foul trouble. I doubt Lopez gets into foul trouble as he would much rather just back up. Whichever way you decide to go is fine, but Lopez is probably a bit riskier with a higher ceiling. If you don’t have Griffin and are looking for safety, play Jordan.

Steven Adams
FD $6,300 FD $5,700

If you don’t want to pay up for either Lopez or Jordan, Steven Adams is a quality pivot at $2k cheaper. The Thunder face off with the Knicks, who offer up Enes Kanter and Willy Hernangomez at the 5. If you pay attention to the NBA, you know they are both embarrassingly bad at defense. I expect we will be targeting centers against the Knicks all season long. Adams isn’t a scorer, but he can score with his back to the basket when guys like Westbrook and George are pulling all of the attention away from the paint. Adams has a double-double before the game starts and it just depends on whether the game stays close enough for him to play 35 minutes.






NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/18/17

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks for 10/18/17


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Point Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Damian Lillard
FD $8,800 – DK $10,400

Welcome to the first real NBA slate of the 2017-18 season! With 11 games on the docket, we have plenty of options at each position, contrary to last night. We also have a pretty soft NBA at this point, so there are a few questionable and outs already at each position. In this circumstance, C.J. McCollum has been suspended a game for leaving the bench early in the preseason. Seems like a silly suspension, but hey, let’s use it to our advantage. This game has a 220 over/under, sitting at the 2nd highest of the night. McCollum and Lillard are the only 2 real ballhandlers on this team with Crabbe gone, so we’ll see Lillard pick up the slack like he did last season when McCollum was out. In McCollum’s absence, Lillard held a 35% usage rate, jumping from 28%. That’s a huge difference in basketball. He averaged 30 real-life points as well and sees a high-pace match-up with the run and gun Suns. Lillard is a top option at any position on this slate.

Patty Mills & DeJounte Murray
FD $4,300, $3,800 – DK $4,700 $4,100

The Spurs are starting the season without Kawhi Leonard, so there’s an immediate space to be filled in many different capacities. Tony Parker is also out for 4-6 weeks, so Murray and Mills should split time at PG, as well as a few minutes each at SG. The Timberwolves played at the 11th fastest pace last year and ranked 17th against point guards. They’re a very solid defensive team. Mills and Murray are both extremely cheap around the industry and do produce when on the court. I prefer Mills, but just slightly.

Shooting Guard

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

D’Angelo Russell
FD $6,600 – DK $6,600

D’Angelo Russell is now a member of the Nets, and it looks like he’ll technically be playing shooting guard. With that being said, him and Link should bring the ball up about equally. Russell is simply a far better scorer and playmaker than Lin. We now look at a game between the Pacers and Nets with a 218 over/under and very close spread. Victor Oladipo is an average defender and the pace here should play right into Russell’s style of play. His price is fair and his ownership should be rather high.

Malik Monk
FD $3,800 – DK $3,700

Nicolas Batum is, once again, out for an extended length of time with an injury. Jeremy Lamb should be the main benefactor, but Malik Monk has seen over 30 minutes a few times in the preseason and has exploded given the opportunity. I don’t expect a ton of minutes out of Monk, but 26-30 seems about right. This game will be rather slow, but Monk will be covered by a combo of Reggie Jackson and Stanley Johnson. I would expect Bradley to man Kemba or Lamb when the opportunity arises. Monk is extremely cheap and this should be a prime example of minutes = production.

Small Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Jimmy Butler
FD $8,700 – DK $8,100

Jimmy Butler is back to his stomping grounds with Tom Thibodeau. This is the guy who gave Butler his “Jimmy Minutes” nickname in the first place. Thibs loves running his starters into the ground and it was why Towns and Wiggins ranked in the top 10 for minutes played and fantasy points scored. We’ll now get Jimmy Butler seeing upwards of 38-40 minutes a night and the production should flow like never before. He gets a friendly match-up with the Spurs tonight, as Kawhi is out and Kyle Anderson is in. Butler should score at will on him and this game will likely stay close throughout. Butler is one of the safer plays on the slate and that phrase will be repeated all season long.

Jaylen Brown & Jayson Tatum
FD $3,700, $3,500 – DK $3,900, $4,100

We saw Gordon Hayward suffer a brutal injury midway through the first quarter last night. There are a million words that should be said before we look at the fantasy implications, but let’s cut to the chase. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum should both see over 30 minutes per night and take plenty of shots(12 & 23 last night) to sustain cash game value until the sites bump their prices. Tatum and Brown are both near locks in my cash games tonight and it’s because of the guaranteed minutes and production. Even this early in the season, it seems like we’re being forced into some strong value. As of note, Brown is the better player and he will have the ball in his hands more often. That could also change quickly if Tatum progresses as expected.

Power Forward

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Giannis Antetokounmpo
FD $10,200 – DK $10,300

You’re going to want to pay up for a guy or two with the value on this slate, and Giannis is as good as you’ll find. He’s the biggest match-up problem in basketball and there’s no question as to why. A 7 foot 2 frame, 7 foot 6 wingspan, and elite ballhandling skills are just some of the reasons. Go ahead and throw in a good shooting game and one of the brighter minds around and you see why teams should be so scared. This Boston team should win a lot of games this year, but they’ll have to score. With the absence of Gordon Hayward and the departure of Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, they will struggle defensively. Kyrie, Horford, and Tatum are all subpar defenders and will rely on the likes of Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris. As for tonight, I’m guessing Jaylen Brown covers Giannis. He doesn’t match-up well because nobody does. Expect a big game out of Giannis.

Ben Simmons
FD $5,600 – DK $7,100

We just touched on a hybrid player in Giannis Antetokounmpo and now move to the guy who hopes to the best player in basketball in a few years. He is a hybrid in every sense on the word. That feels weird to say, but he was the number 1 pick just 2 years ago after being hyped as the next LeBron James since 8th grade. He enters this season with some tempered expectations because of the last season, which may help. He’s going to have the ball in his hands a ton and has proven in the preseason that he can be as diverse of a player as we thought. This match-up with the fast-pace Wizards is juicy, as I suspect Simmons will derive a lot of his value in the fastbreak game. Markieff Morris is out, so they’ll be forced to use some smaller guys on Simmons like Kelly Oubre and Otto Porter. He’s definitely a bit risky because of the team and injury past, but I feel safe with him in all formats. He’s a bit too cheap across the industry.

Center

NBA Daily Fantasy Basketball Lineup Picks

Andre Drummond
FD $8,000 – DK $7,600

Maybe I’m just reaching or looking for something to grasp onto, but Drummond is a guy I look to have an insane 2017 season. In the offseason, he got a surgery done to open his nasal passage, and supposedly, it has turned him into a different player. It doesn’t look to be fake news, either. He played 36 minutes in his last preseason game and threw up a stat line that we don’t typically see out of him (17 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists). We may be running into an Andre Drummond that’s ready to play 35 minutes per game, which will put him in the pricing range of Boogie and Towns very soon. He also has a match-up with Dwight Howard, so I don’t think either team will turn to the “hack-a” strategy. Dwight Howard is a very fun guy to watch, but he’s not too worried about stopping centers at this point. He steps up for blocks far too often and leaves the block unattended. Drummond is a lock for a double-double and has 20/20 upside every time he takes the court.

Willie Cauley-Stein
FD $4,700 – DK $5,900

In cash games, at this price, you’re better off with Marcin Gortat. He’s a safe bet for 32 minutes and 25 fantasy points. If you’re looking for some fun in tournaments, look towards Willie Cauley-Stein. He’s the backup PF and C, so he’s figuring to see around 24-28 minutes on a regular basis. If you played NBA DFS last year, you know how valuable he can be in that amount of time. He put up nearly 1 FP per minute last season and is still working into the player he is at just 23. This match-up with the Rockets will be up and down and I look for Cauley-Stein to run himself into 30 fantasy points. We may also see one of the starting interior big men get into foul trouble with Harden, which could push WCS minutes over the projected 26.






DraftKings Pick’Em Breakdown – Week 7

by Chris Durell 0 Comments

*Chris Durell*

DraftKings Pick’Em Breakdown – Week 7

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Welcome back for another week of daily fantasy football. The decisions are really starting to get interesting no matter the format you are playing as injuries are starting to pile up across the league. The good thing about the Pick’Em contests on DraftKings is that the decisions are not nearly as difficult. Let’s jump in and break down the players in each tier along with my favorite picks in each.

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Week 7 - October 21, 2017

Tier 1

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Week 7 - October 21, 2017

Rookie Leonard Fournette is neck and neck with Todd Gurley when looking at fantasy points per game this season. Fournette has the edge in rushing as he trails only Kareem Hunt in rushing yards with 596(4.6 per carry) while Gurley has 521 yards(4.2 per carry). Gurley has the slight lead in PPR points per game due to his 5.0 targets per game and 245 receiving yards while Fournette is averaging 3.3 targets per game with 145 yards receiving. Of the two backs, I lean Gurley as Fournette is questionable with an ankle injury and even if he plays could be limited as Chris Ivory looked good as his backup last week. If you are looking to go a bit off the board, LeSean McCoy is likely going to be lower owned than Gurley and has out targeted both the other backs averaging 6.4 per week. It makes sense as Tyrod Taylor doesn’t really have many targets these days. He gets a matchup vs. the Bucs who could be without Jameis Winston this week which should help with the game flow giving McCoy some extra opportunities if the Bills can get ahead early.

Tier 2

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Week 7 - October 21, 2017

The second tier gives us three target monsters all on the road. Fitzgerald has been the most productive this season averaging 10.3 targets per game with 465 yards and three touchdowns but has the toughest matchup of the bunch vs. the Rams who rank 7th overall in DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts and will see a lot of Nickell Robey-Coleman who has graded out as a Top 30 cornerback via Pro Football Focus. Mike Evans has yet to break 100 yards in a game and comes with a ton of risk if Jameis Winston should sit out. He also gets a tough matchup vs. the Bills who do sit in the middle of the pack when looking at the DraftKings points per game but rank 3rd overall when looking at DVOA defense vs. the pass. Michael Thomas trails both in targets per game(8.6) but gets the best matchup facing the Packers who rank 20th in DraftKings points per game and 19th when looking at DVOA defense vs. the pass. He also has the highest upside quarterback throwing to him in Drew Brees.

Tier 3

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Week 7 - October 21, 2017

Right off the top, I will be fading both Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston for injury reasons. I already discussed Winston’s questionable tag as he is dealing with a shoulder issue and did not attempt any passes in Wednesday’s portion of practice. Mariota is working on a short week after returning for the Monday night game and was limited in the sense that he remained in the pocket for the majority of the game and only attempted two rushes for zero yards. For me this week, it is either Carson Palmer or Drew Brees depending on who you chose in the tier before between Thomas or Fitzgerald. I will be splitting my exposure between them and favor Brees slightly as he gets the better matchup vs. the Packers who rank 19th in DVOA defense vs. the pass this season.

Tier 4

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Week 7 - October 21, 2017

In the fourth tier, we get some middle of the road quarterbacks and all but Josh McCown face a defense that rank outside the Top 25 in DraftKings points per game to the position. Looking at the matchup and the weapons available to each, I favor Jared Goff in this tier who not has been the most productive but also sees a large gap in offense vs. defense as the Rams rank 5th in DVOA offense while the Cardinals rank 24th in DVOA offense. Alos, looking at Vegas lines, the Rams have the highest projected point total at the moment at 25.5 with Jaguars and Blake Bortles up next with 23.5 but I don’t trust Bortles one bit without his top wideout, Allen Robinson who was lost for the season. My second choice in this tier would be Tyrod Taylor who faces a Bucs defense that ranks 31st in DVOA defense vs. the pass and DraftKings points per game allowed to the position. He also adds the ability to rush the ball as he has done so 32 times this season for 121 yards.

Tier 5

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Week 7 - October 21, 2017

For the record, I am a die-hard Vikings fan but will be avoiding both McKinnon and Thielen this week as this game has one of the lowest point totals of the week at 40. Not only that but the Ravens have allowed under 190 yards passing to their opponents and rank 2nd when looking at DVOA defense vs. the pass. When looking at the other two receivers, I prefer Jarvis Landry who has been Jay Cutler’s favorite option and sits second to only Antonio Brown with 11.4 targets per week. Kelvin Benjamin also sits with a questionable tag after leaving Wednesday’s practice with another knee injury. We are then left with two running backs who were teammates just two weeks ago but with Peterson being traded to the Cardinals, opens up more touches for both of them. In his first game with the Cards, Peterson went far and above expectation rushing 26 times for 134 yards with two touchdowns and looked like the “All Day” of old. While Ingram and the Saints have the edge when looking at Vegas(-5.5 favorites & 26.5 point projection), Peterson has the matchup edge as the Rams rank dead last in DraftKings points allowed per game to the running back position. I honestly don’t think you can go wrong with either this week.

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Week 7 - October 21, 2017

Tier 6

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Week 7 - October 21, 2017

The selection in tier six gets bigger but is not short of tough decisions. It starts with the injuries as Devonta Parker, DeMarco Murray, and Stefon Diggs all missed practice on Wednesday and are questionable to play on Sunday. Then we have a pair of wideouts who come with a ton of risk. It starts with Jordy Nelson who leads the league with six touchdown catches but lost his MVP quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, for the foreseeable future. Then we have last season’s receiving yards leader, T.Y. Hilton, who faces one of the toughest matchups in the league against a Jaguars team who has limited opponents to 166 yards per game and rank #1 when looking at DVOA defense vs. the pass. For me in this tier, it comes down to one of the three other running backs and I am torn between Jay Ajayi of the Dolphins and Christian McCaffrey of the Panthers. Ajayi has the preferred matchup vs. the Jets who rank 25th in DVOA defense vs. the rush and 26th in DraftKings points allowed to running backs while McCaffrey has been a PPR beast as he leads all backs with 8.3 targets per game and has totaled 293 yards and two touchdowns. It comes down to personal preference and for me, I will be splitting them and constructing multiple Pick’Em lineups.

Tier 7

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown - Week 7 - October 21, 2017

The next tier gives us our first look at some tight ends and both have excellent matchups. Delanie Walker will be the lowest owned of the two as he is having a disappointing season, reaching the end zone just once through a rush. He gets an elite matchup vs. the Browns who rank dead last in DraftKings points per game to the position. Seferian-Jenkins has been targeted 19 times over the last two weeks, catching 14 of them and has scored a touchdown in both games. I think both make nice separation plays with the chalk picks in the other tiers but my favorite play in this tier is easily Davante Adams who was targeted 10 times by Brett Hundley last week after Rodgers exited the game and scored a touchdown. With most of the attention paid to Jordy Nelson, like most weeks, Adams should once again see a high target share vs. the Saints who rank 26th in DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts.

Tier 8

DraftKings Pick'Em Breakdown

The final tier is another tough one and to start off, I will be avoiding Sammy Watkins who is likely going to draw shadow coverage from Patrick Peterson of the Cardinals. I think this is going to open up rookie Cooper Kupp in the slot to see possibly a team-high amount of targets this week in a much better matchup. I also really like the matchup for Duke Johnson this week facing a Titans team that ranks 25th in DVOA defense vs. the pass and the Browns have been using him almost exclusively as a receiving option. He is likely lower owned as well coming off a down week where he rushed for 40 yards and caught just three of five targets for -1 yards. This week it will be Deshon Kizer back behind center who he has been much more comfortable with this season.

 

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions leading up to Sunday morning lineup lock, be sure to hit me up on Twitter(@Jager_Bombs9). Good luck everyone!






MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Tuesday, October 17, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Put your favorite MLB daily fantasy baseball lineup stacks from the article below in our MLB Lineup Optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

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Houston Astros @ New York Yankees
Match-Up – Brad Peacock Vs Sonny Gray
Park – Yankee Stadium
Vegas – N/A

Pitchers

Lance McCullers Jr.

Brad Peacock was the projected starter here for a few days, but it looks like the Astros will make a last-second pivot to Lance McCullers. While McCullers is a much better pitcher at the peak of his game, we have no idea if he will be there. He’s been injured and up and down all year long, but did hold a 2.67 xFIP and 11+ K/9 when he was on the mound. The Yankees took a game back last night and will look to even it up. They have the bombers in Judge/Sanchez, but the strikeouts make them well worth it. All in all, these 4 pitchers are in a somewhat comparable spot. None are safe and you have to look more at which offense you dislike. The Yankees are explosive as anyone, but their statistically the worst offense by a good margin on this slate. McCullers is a fine play in all formats that comes with the inherent playoff risk.

Sonny Gray

I would like to think I can admit when wrong, but maybe not. I made it a point a couple years back to bask Sonny Gray. It had more to do with an average pitcher like himself getting lucky in Oakland and being looked at as an ace. He then fell back to Earth for 2 years, so everything in the world was right. This year, however, he’s returned with some fire. He’s been effective against both sides of the plate with a .281 wOBA. He’s striking out nearly 9 batters per 9 innings and walking just over 2. He’s a good pitcher by all means and that young guy from Oakland striking out 6 and BABIP’ing teams to death is gone. The big problem comes in the form of the Astros offense. They are swinging a hot stick right now and have one of the more overall lethal lineups in the game. Gray is a stay away for me, but I get the K appeal and low ownership.

Hitters

Lance McCullers and Sonny Gray are 2 excellent pitchers. There’s no getting around that. The problem is these offenses are nearly as good. On the Yankees side, I don’t have much interest. As we’ve already touched on, Sanchez and Judge have immense upside and can put 2 in the seats on any given night. THe rest of the order is pretty volatile with a lot of strikeouts, but I could see getting into Didi Gregorious. He has hit righties to a .372 wOBA on the season and has transferred that to the playoffs quite well. Guys like Brett Gardner, Todd Frazier, and Greg Bird are fine, but they aren’t guys you should be seeking out. I have a bit more interest in the Astros side. While Sony Gray is fine, this lineup is disgusting. Altuve and Correa are looking like the best duo in the league and both ae excellent cash game options with just 2 games. Josh Reddick and George Springer nail righties as well, so don’t leave them off. I will likely be stacking the Astros tonight, so here’s to hoping they get Sonny Gray.

Los Angeles Dodgers @ Chicago Cubs
Match-up – Yu Darvish Vs Kyle Hendricks
Park – Wrigley Field
Vegas – N/A

Pitchers

Yu Darvish

In my opinion, all 4 of these pitchers are very close together. On a set of games like this, any team can go off for no rhyme or reason. One bad pitch. One bad call. All it takes is 1 very volatile event to change the direction of the entire slate. It’s the reason I haven’t played cash games in the playoffs. It will often come down to a 1v1 or 2v2 matchup, which lowers any edge you may have had. On to Yu Darvish, I don’t like him. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a top 10 pitcher in baseball. I just don’t think the Cubs lie on their side and go down 3-0 at home. The lineup is obviously very capable and at home, ranked 3rd with a .332 wOBA against righties. Darvish is an excellent pitcher and if your stance is anti-Cubs, play him. He’s in no more of a drastic spot than any of the other guys. He may end up being the most highly owned, too.

Kyle Hendricks

Kyle Hendricks is quietly one of the best pitchers in baseball. He doesn’t strike many guys out and he doesn’t get past 92, so nobody really pays attention. What he does do, however, is consistently shut down batters from both sides of the plate. He also has one of the best pickoff moves in baseball, which hinders the run a lot better than the other Cubs arms. Hendricks has allowed a .291 wOBA over the year while giving up just a putrid 24% hard contact rate. Now with that being said, this Dodgers lineup is just as lethal as the Cubs. They’re swinging the bat well and I do like them h2h against Hendricks. Personally, McCullers and Hendricks are the 2 guys I will have exposure to. It’s the 2 teams I think to get a W, so it wasn’t tough to pull apart. All in all, every pitcher on this slate is very risky and every offense on this slate is very risky. Welcome, once again, to playoff baseball.

Hitters

At first glance, I think the Dodgers get a lot of attention in Wrigley tonight. Kyle Hendricks has a somewhat bad perception and the Dodgers are killing the baseball. As someone who will own a lot of Kyle Hendricks, I can’t necessarily jump on board. However, I get it. Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger are no fun for righties and I assume Hendricks will have some trouble with both. The rest of the order is filled with guys who can do damage but will more often just piss off the pitcher with 8 pitch at-bats. Hendricks will be on a short leash and the Cubs bullpen is average, so take that into consideration as well. On the Cubs side, I like the usual suspects. Rizzo and Bryant are excessive but have the upside to take you to the promise land. I do think the Cubs get the victory here, so I’ll be waiting for that lineup to come out and picking my spots. Good luck tonight and good luck in opening night NBA!






NFL Lineup Daily Fantasy Football: Week 6 Cash and GPP Plays

by Cesar Becerra 0 Comments

The Week 6 teams on bye aren’t as difficult to overcome compared to last week’s teams. This week the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and Seattle Seahawks are all on bye. That being said there are a few games that are worth targeting if you are starting your research with Vegas totals. There are 7 games with a game total over 46 points, including the most appealing of them all in New Orleans (50). Let’s take a look at some plays this week from each position.

Quarterback:

NFL Lineups Daily Fantasy Football - Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints - Lineup lab

As I’ve mentioned throughout this year, quarterback ownership is almost always spread out equally, that there rarely is a QB that we see over 20% owned. That figures to be the case this week with several good options on the slate.

Drew Brees (DK $7,200, FD $8,600) – Brees is surprisingly not the highest priced QB on neither DK or FD. He’s the third priced QB on both sites and is in a pretty damn good spot. If you’re a football fan, you’re well aware of Bree’s home and road splits. Brees has averaged over 300 yards and has had a 2:1 TD to interception ratio in dome stadiums. This week Brees is at home coming off a bye against a Lions team that has been over performing to start the season. To add more frosting to the cake, Brees is a slight home favorite implied to score 27.25 points. This game has the slates highest over/under (50), so Vegas is expecting these two teams to light up the scoreboard. Brees will be popular this week.

Matthew Stafford (DK $ 6,500, FD $8,500) – For all the reasons mentioned in the Brees section, I think Stafford will be popular on this slate. He’s $700 cheaper on DK than Brees so the savings could make him higher owned than Brees, but on FD he’s essentially a pick ‘em with only $100 separating the two. This game is one of the few games with a high total and a relatively close spread so if any game is going to shoot out; it will likely be this one.

Deshaun Watson (DK $6,700, FD $7,900) – Watson is another QB I expect will garnish some ownership based on his recent play. Watson has averaged 31.8 DK points over the past 3 weeks, and his price spike reflects his performance. He does have a good matchup as a home favorite against the Browns who are worst in the league in adjusted fantasy points allowed (26.3). His rushing ability gives him a nice floor for cash games, but in gpps, I like fading him for my favorite quarterback on the week (next player). He’s not a bad play at all, but he’s gotten to be a little too expensive for my taste, especially when you consider that most of his TD production last week came during garbage time against the Chiefs.

Kirk Cousins (DK $6,800, FD $ 7,800) – Cousins is the same price point as the last two QBs I mentioned above, and I feel he will be the least owned, which is why I like him for gpps. Cousins is coming off of a bye week and facing the 49ers who are coming off their second consecutive road overtime loss. Cousins and the Redskins go into week 6 with the highest implied team total (28.8) and are 10.5 point favorites. The 49ers are probably the best winless team in the league, losing 4 games by a combined 11 points, but their secondary can be attacked. Per PFF, the 49ers have 3 of the worst rated corners. Dontae Johnson rated no. 108 of 109, Rashard Robinson is no. 104, and K’Waun Williams is no. 99. The Redskins should be able to attack through the air, especially with Rob Kelly expected to be out.

Bargain Barrel:

Carson Palmer, Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett

Running Backs:

NFL Lineups Daily Fantasy Football - DeVonta Freeman - Lineuplab.com

Kareem Hunt (DK $8,200, FD $9,300) – I wasn’t going to write up Hunt because by now you should be aware of the amount of volume he’s been getting this season. On DK he’s $1,400 cheap than Bell, which is insane when you factor in that the Chiefs are home favorites over the Steelers. Hunt lost a lot of fantasy points last week with two flukey touchdowns by Charcandrick West. This week Hunt is going up against the Steelers who are 31st DVOA against the run and just got burned for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns from top rookie Leonard Fournette. Hunt is currently projected as our top RB this week over Bell, regardless of price.

Leonard Fournette (DK, $8,000, FD, $8,600) – Speaking of rookies. It’s about time to start talking about Fournette on a consistent basis. He’s averaging 24 touches per game and has scored in all but one game this season. There’s no secret the Jags are trying to keep the ball out of Bortles’ hands as much, which leads to Fournette carrying the offensive workload. Through the first 5 weeks, Fournette has received 70% of the carries and has been targeted 15 times. He’s going up against a Rams defense that ranks 32nd in aFPA (32.8). The Jags are a slight home favorite, so that also bodes well for Fournette.

Devonta Freeman (DK $7,400, FD $ 8,500) – Freeman is the better play on DK since his salary gives you bigger savings from the two backs mentioned above. Freeman has the luxury of playing behind the number 1 rated run blocking offensive line according to PFF. The Falcons are among the biggest home favorites this week (11.5) and are implied to score over 28 points. The Dolphins rank in the middle of the pack in aFPA with an average of 21 PPG. There’s always a concern with splitting carries with Tevin Coleman, but through the Falcons first 4 games, Freeman has 73% of the carries compared to Coleman’s 27%.

Mark Ingram (DK $4,400, FD $ 5,900) – A true committee that a lot of DFS players will have their eye on. With the trade of Adrian Peterson, this backfield is now a true timeshare between Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara (DK $4,500, FD $ 5,800). My initial thought is that Kamara will be the more popular back because of his involvement in the passing game and his big game before last week’s bye. Kamara went for 25.6 DK points on 10 receptions for 71 yards and a TD. This game has shootout written all over it so Kamara could continue to see more passing targets out of the backfield. My only concern here is that although Ingram is being phased out by the coaches, he’s still seeing over 55% of the carries and 36% of the targets. Ingram does have pass-catching upside and is still the goal line back, so he’d be the preferred choice on FD. However, on DK I think I’d have to lean on Kamara for the bigger PPR upside.

Jerick McKinnon (DK $4,100, FD $5,600) – Another running back situation that people will monitor is the Vikings’ committee. Last week in their first week without Delvin Cook, McKinnon saw 67% of the snaps compared to Murray who saw 31%. The carries were 55% for McKinnon and 41% to Murray. McKinnon led all backs with 6 receptions on 6 targets, while Murray seemed to be phased out in the second half. McKinnon was more successful with his workload averaging 5.9 YPC compared to Murray’s 2.6. McKinnon is currently rated as our top value play (points per dollar) on DK and FD.

Chris Thompson (DK $5,000) – A nice GPP pivot off the chalkier cheaper options I mentioned above. If Rob Kelly misses like the reports indicate he is, Thompson could be a great gpp option against the 49ers. He’s not that cheap on DK but has a lot of upside. Samaje Perine could work the early downs but Thompson is the featured back in the passing game, which I expect the Redskins to focus on.

Other Viable Options:

CJ Anderson, M. Gordon, T. Gurley, A. Jones *T. Montgomery out*, L. Miller, E. McGuire.

Wide Receivers:

NFL Lineups Daily Fantasy Football - DeAndre Hopkins - Lineup Lab 

Wide Receiver is a little more open season when compared to running backs. There are a lot of teams that are big favorites so there are really only a few passing offenses that you want to use.

DeAndre Hopkins (DK $8,100, FD $8,000) – Nuke’s price took a STEEP hike on DK, rising over $1,700 after a 3 touchdown performance against the Chiefs. But even at over 8K, that price is finally warranted for a guy that is receiving over 12 targets per game. Through 5 weeks of the season, Hopkins only trails Antonio Brown for most targets in the league. This week Hopkins has an above average matchup against Jason McCourty, who actually has a great grade on PFF(91.7), but the past two seasons he’s averaged a grade in the mid 50’s. It’s also worth noting that Hopkins is expected to lineup against Jamar Taylor (has a 45.1 PFF rating) in two WR sets. Hopkins should be able to produce with the 12+ targets he’s expected to see.

Julio Jones (DK, $8,300, FD $8,400) – I have yet to roster Julio this season, and thankfully so. Julio has yet to score this year and only has 30 targets on the season (4 games). But I have a feeling this is the week we see Julio get back on track. The Falcons are really thin at WR and Julio will be facing either Cordrea Tankersley or Xavien Howard. Regardless of who Julio matches up against, he’s virtually matchup proof. Julio notoriously plays better at home than on the road. It’s about time Julio finds the endzone this week.

Pierre Garcon (DK $ 6,300, FD $6,800) – I loved Garcon last week against the Colts despite going up against Vontae Davis. This week I want to go back to the well in a game that I expect the 49ers to be trailing. The Redskins will be without Josh Norman which helps Garcon. Garcon is currently 8th in the league in targets with 44 through 5 games. This week Garcon could face Quinton Dunbar and Bashaud Breeland who are both targetable corners. I expect Garcon to get 10-12 targets this game and can very well see him putting up over 14 fantasy points.

Adam Thielen (DK $6,000 FD $6,500) – Thielen gets a great matchup here against a bad Packers secondary. Thielen is the primary slot receiver for the Vikings so he’ll face Quinten Rollins who is one of the worst slot corners according to PFF. The Packers should jump out to an early lead, which would mean the Vikings would have to pass the ball more. It’s worth monitoring Bradford’s status as game day gets closer.

Cash Viable Plays:

M. Thomas, K.Allen, L. Fitzgerald, J. Landry, G. Tate,  C. Hogan, A. Cooper.

Gpp Flyers:

D. Jackson, John Brown, M. Jones Jr., T. Hill, D. Amendola, B. Cooks, T. Pryor Sr.

Value Receivers

A. Wilson, J. Kearse, J. Crowder.

Tight Ends:

Hunter Henry - NFL Lineups Daily Fantasy Football - San Diego Chargers - Lineuplab.com

Hunter Henry (DK $4,100, FD $5,400) – Henry looks to have finally taken over the tight end position for the Chargers. After 3 weeks of force-feeding Antonio Gates, Henry has finally become a part of the offense. He has now scored in two straight weeks. He ran 33 routes in over 75% of snaps he played last week.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins (DK $4,300, FD $5,600) – ASJ came through last week by scoring a touchdown. That now gives him an average of 6 targets the past 3 weeks. He’s going up against the Patriots who will get out to a big lead and have allowed the most passing yards in the league. 

Travis Kelce (DK $6,100, FD $7,200) – Kelce is the top projected TE on both sites this week. Kelce has 20 targets the last two weeks. Keep an eye out on the Chiefs injury report to make sure Kelce is active.

Defense:

 NFL Lineups Daily Fantasy Football - Baltimore Ravens - Lineuplab.com

There are 5 teams that are currently more than a touchdown favorite. The Patriots are the only team in that bunch that is not at home. The Ravens (16.5), Falcons (17.25), Redskins (18), Texans (18.5), and the Patriots (20) are all going up against teams implied to score less than 20 points. Defense is very volatile so any one of these could land atop the leaderboards. The Ravens are currently our top projected defense. While the Bucs are the best value projected to score nearly 3x.

Good Luck!






Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 6

by Mike Barner 0 Comments

*Mike Barner*

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations – Week 6

Lineuplab.com - Win on Fanduel & Draftkings with our tools - Daily Fantasy Football

With four teams on a bye this week and injuries mounting across the NFL, some unexpected players will be valuable options in DFS. Their names might not be flashy, but their potential to produce should not be overlooked. Put your favorite daily fantasy football recommendations from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the NFL Player Lab.

Deshaun Watson - Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations - Lineup Lab

**QUARTERBACKS**

Deshaun Watson vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – NRG Stadium
DraftKings = $6,700
FanDuel = $7,900

Watson has burst onto the scene this season and has established himself not only as the starting quarterback of the future for the Texans, but also a valuable fantasy option. He has already thrown for 1,072 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions to go along with 179 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Although some of his production came in garbage time last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, he still finished the game with a whopping five touchdowns. Week 6 brings a favorable matchup against the Browns who have allowed 11 passing touchdowns this season, tied for second-most in the NFL. Start Watson with confidence.

Kirk Cousins vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – FedEx Field
DraftKings = $6,800
FanDuel = $7,800

After a rough first two games this season, Cousins turned things around as he threw for 585 yards and five touchdowns combined Weeks 3 and 4. With Washington coming off of its bye week, they have had extra time to prepare for an already weak 49ers passing defense that has allowed the seventh most net passing yards in the NFL. The last two weeks, they allowed Jacoby Brissett to throw for 314 yards and Carson Palmer to throw for 357 yards. Cousins is a much better quarterback than both of them and I expect him to put up big numbers Week 6.

Josh McCown vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $5,200
FanDuel = $6,900

I never thought I’d be recommending you play McCown this season, but I’m doing just that this week. The Jets are off to a surprising 3-2 start and McCown has been a steadying veteran presence at quarterback for them. While he has helped them improve in the win column, his numbers aren’t great as he has five touchdowns compared to four interceptions through five weeks. The reason I’m inclined to give him a shot Sunday is because the Patriots have allowed the most net passing yards per game this season. The Jets may also need to throw the ball more in an effort to keep up with the Patriots offense, so go with McCown if you need a cheap quarterback for your entry.

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations - Kareem Hunt - Lineup Lab

**RUNNING BACKS**

Kareem Hunt vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
DraftKings = $8,200
FanDuel = $9,300

Hunt continues to be a reliable fantasy option as he has rushed for at least 100 yards in four of five games this season. While he hasn’t scored in either of his last two games, he still has four rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns on the season overall. Week 6 brings a great match up against a Steelers defense that allows the fifth most rushing yards per game in the NFL. Fellow rookie Leonard Fournette exploded for 181 rushing yards and two touchdowns last week against the Steelers, so the Steelers could be sick of seeing rookie running backs after this contest.

Marshawn Lynch vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
DraftKings = $5,000
FanDuel = $6,000

Lynch had a favorable matchup last week against the Ravens and while he only had 43 rushing yards on 12 carries, he did find the end zone for the second time this season. He has rushed for 45 yards or less in four of five games this season, but I’m rolling with him against the Chargers in Week 6. The Chargers are allowing an average of 161 rushing yards per game, most in the NFL. Did you see what the Giants did to them last week? The Giants, who have one of the worst rushing attacks in the NFL, managed to come away with 152 rushing yards. That’s scary. I can’t pass up Lynch in this matchup considering his cheap price.

Andre Ellington vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – University of Phoenix Stadium
DraftKings = $5,300
FanDuel = $5,500

Ellington is clearly not a factor in the running game for the Cardinals as he only has 49 total rushing yards this season. He is a major factor in the passing attack though as he already has 257 receiving yards on 28 receptions. The last two games have been even better for Ellington as he has 18 receptions on 24 targets for 151 yards. Don’t worry about the addition of Adrian Peterson, Ellington is clearly their passing-down back. The Buccaneers have allowed the second most net passing yards per game this season, making Ellington a great option again this week at a cheap price.

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations - DeAndre Hopkins - Lineuplab

**WIDE RECEIVERS**

DeAndre Hopkins vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – NRG Stadium
DraftKings = $8,100
FanDuel = $8,000

Week 5 wasn’t looking great for Hopkins, but he cashed in for two touchdowns during garbage time to finish with three scores and 52 yards on the day. Hopkins had a rough 2016 season, finishing with 78 receptions on 151 targets, 954 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He already has 35 receptions on 61 targets, 363 receiving yards and five touchdowns this season. Clearly Watson’s preferred receiving option, Hopkins has racked up at least 12 targets in four of five games this season. I’m a big fan of a Watson/Hopkins stack this week.

DeSean Jackson vs. Arizona Cardinals
Stadium – University of Phoenix Stadium
DraftKings = $5,800
FanDuel = $6,400

Jackson has had an inconsistent start to his Buccaneers’ career, recording 39 receiving yards or less in two games while hauling in at least 84 receiving yards in the other two contests. He is coming off of his best game last week against the Patriots where he had five receptions on nine targets for 106 yards. He gets the Cardinals this week and while much is made about star cornerback Patrick Peterson, he will be matched up against Mike Evans in this game. The Cardinals have actually allowed 10 passing touchdowns this season, tied for third most in the NFL. Look for Jackson to take advantage of their other cornerbacks in this contest.

Jermaine Kearse vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $4,800
FanDuel = $6,100

Yes, I again like Kearse. It’s hard not to when he is so cheap every week. The Jets don’t have great receiving options, leaving Kearse with a prominent role each week. He had 38 yards on four receptions last week, but also reached the end zone for the third time this season. I believe the Jets are going to have to throw more than they usually do in this game, leaving Kearse with even more targets coming his way. I’m on his bandwagon again Week 6.

Marvin Jones Jr. vs. New Orleans Saints
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Superdome
DraftKings = $4,600
FanDuel = $5,900

Jones has not put up big yardage totals this season as he has 42 yards or less in four of five games. However, he does have two touchdowns this season and has received at least six targets in two of the last three weeks. I like this matchup against the Saints who have allowed the fifth most net passing yards per game this season. The Lions might find themselves in a high scoring game on the road, meaning Jones has the potential to outproduce his price point Sunday.

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations - Austin Seferian Jenkins - Lineuplab.com

**TIGHT ENDS**

Austin Seferian Jenkins vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $4,300
FanDuel = $5,600

If you had told me before the start of the season I’d be recommending three Jets offensive players in a game against the Patriots, I would have told you that you were crazy. Well, I guess I’m the crazy one this week. Seferian-Jenkins is another viable fantasy option after reaching the end zone for the first time last week against the Browns. While he hasn’t hauled in more than 46 receiving yards in any of his three games this season, he has received at least six targets in a game twice. I expect him to be heavily involved Sunday.

Evan Engram vs. Denver Broncos
Stadium – Sports Authority Field at Mile High
DraftKings = $3,800
FanDuel = $5,300

It’s not too often that a team loses their top three receivers in one game, but that’s exactly what happened to the Giants last week against the Chargers. By the end of the game, they only had one healthy wide receiver, meaning Engram was forced to play the role of wide receiver. The Giants are plucking guys off their practice squad to fill out their receiving core for Week 6, so expect Engram to be one of their main pass-catching options. While the Broncos pass defense is tough, they have allowed 245 receiving yards on 24 receptions to tight ends this season.

Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations - Denver Broncos - Lineuplab.com

**DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS**

Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants
Stadium – Sport Authority Field at Mile High
DraftKings = $4,000
FanDuel = $5,400

This is going to be one ugly game for the Giants. I already mentioned they are decimated at receiver, but now they have to face a Broncos defense that has four interceptions and 10 sacks this season. The Giants offensive line is really bad and quarterback Eli Manning can be turnover prone. They are the most expensive defense this week, but this match up is too good to pass up for the Broncos.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Chicago Bears
Stadium – M&T Bank Stadium
DraftKings = $3,700
FanDuel = $4,900

The Ravens get to face rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky after he made his first start for the Bears last week, completing 15 of 25 passes for 128 yards, one touchdown and one interception at home against the Minnesota Vikings. He gets a tough test on the road Week 6 against a Ravens defense that has the second most interceptions in the NFL. A rookie quarterback making his first career start on the road is a great recipe for success for an opposing defense, making the Ravens a great option this week.






MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Saturday, October 7, 2017

by Austyn Varney 0 Comments

*Austyn Varney*

MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Playoffs – Saturday, October 7, 2017

Put your favorite MLB daily fantasy baseball lineup stacks from the article below in our MLB Lineup Optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.

Lineuplab.com - NFL Daily Fantasy Sports - We have the tools to help you win DRAFTKINGS & FANDUEL

Chicago Cubs @ Washington Nationals
Match-Up – Jon Lester Vs Gio Gonzalez
Park – Nationals Park
Vegas – 8, Even

Pitchers

With just 2 games on this slate, we have to thoroughly consider each option. Starting us off in D.C., we have Jon Lester and Gio Gonzalez. The Nats opened as a slight -115 favorite, but it’s moved to even since. Looking at Gio, he’s had a very strong season. Through 190 innings, he’s allowed a .265 combined wOBA, while striking out nearly 8.5 batters per 9. He’s been one of the more consistent pieces in an inconsistent Nationals season. With that being said, I don’t love him against the Cubs. They are hitting the ball well and have some guys that are truly insane against lefties. However, these are 4 good offenses, so what can you do. Gio is a fine play in all formats, but you have to fully understand what the risk is. As for Lester, it’s nearly the same situation. Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon scare the hell out of me against lefties, sporting a .432 and .417 respective wOBA’s. The rest of the order does have a lot of lefties and Lester has held a .214 wOBA against them. I prefer Lester just slightly to Gio in all formats. He should have a bit of a longer leash as the Cubs are up in the series 1-0. I do expect all of the offenses to pay off today, so I’m not sure how successful you can possibly be. All in all, both of these guys are extremely talented and so are the offenses.

Hitters

The hitters are basically in the same spot as both of the pitchers. You’re obviously not excited to bat against either of these guys, but it’s necessary. With me liking Lester just a bit more, I’ll be forced into plenty of Cubs. Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras are 2 guys who specialize against lefties and are some of the best hitters on the slate. Rizzo and Baez are the next 2, sporting .386 and .355 wOBA’s. Nationals Park is a bit better for pitching, but these Cubs can hit it out anywhere. After the core 4, wait for the lineup to come out and take advantage of anyone in a friendly spot. On the Nationals side of the diamond, Rendon and Zimmerman are great cash game options if you’re not playing Lester. You can also take a shot on one of the elite lefties in hopes that righties from the bullpen come in sooner rather than later. Trea Turner is another guys that’s always in play, as he has a combo of speed and power that nobody else does. Putting it together, these are 2 elite offenses facing great pitchers. We will see who avails.

Arizona Diamondbacks @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Match-up – Robbie Ray Vs Rich Hill
Park – Dodger Stadium
Vegas – N/A

Paul Goldschmidt Daily Fantasy Baseball Stack Lineuplab

Pitchers

Robbie Ray and Rich Hill will take the mound tonight in Dodger Stadium. The O/U hasn’t been dropped yet, but I do expect it to be lower than the Cubs and Nats. These are 2 solid pitchers facing off in a very pitcher-friendly ballpark. The Dodgers won last night, but ended up having to use some of the bullpen in a 9-5 affair. Rich Hill is a guy that you have to consider a few things with. First, this isn’t the same as regular season Rich Hill. The guy has been battling blisters for 2 years now and I’m sure the Dodgers have been letting him heal for the postseason. When healthy, Hill has allowed a .311 wOBA against both righties and lefties. He is a guy that I’m willing to play in cash games in hopes that he has a solid 5 or 6 innings. I don’t like him as much as I like Robbie Ray, however. I know the Dodgers are great, but they’re worse against lefties and Ray is nothing short of elite. On the season, he’s struck out over 12 batters per 9 innings, while giving up just a .272 combined wOBA. Oh ya, that’s with most of his games in Chase Field. Ray should have a solid game against the Dodgers and he has a strikeout floor higher than anyone else. It goes without being said, but there is obviously risk. We’re talking about the Dodgers here.

Hitters

Even though we like both pitchers, we have to see what bats we want to take advantage of. Against lefties, the Diamondbacks are VERY good. Paul Goldschmidt and J.D. Martinez have both held .400+ wOBA’ against lefties since the start of the year. A.J. Pollock is also extremely lethal with speed and power that can make a huge difference. I don’t have any interest in the lefties, as the Dodgers bullpen is elite against them and so is Hill. On the Dodgers side, it’s more of the same. Justin Turner is one of the best hitters in the league against lefties and you can play him if you’re not on Robbie Ray. Austin Barnes is another lefty-specialist that will likely garner a solid spot in the order and be under 10% owned. Like I keep saying, this is the playoffs and any of these teams can get it going. For me, it’ll be Ray, the Cubs, and a solid mix of everyone else. Good luck!!!