It’s been a fun ride, but we’re down to the final regular season week of DFS. Week 17 can be tricky with some teams falling out of contention and playoff-bound squads resting some of their regulars.
Read MoreNFL Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations for Week 7 – Running Backs
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
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The running back position isn’t very deep for Week 7 because not only are four teams on a bye, but Saquon Barkley, David Johnson, and Kareem Hunt also won’t be available for the main Sunday afternoon slate in DFS because they play in primetime games. Let’s dig into the position to see where you can gain the edge for your entry. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
CASH CONTEST OPTIONS
Todd Gurley vs. San Francisco 49ers
Stadium – Levi’s Stadium
FanDuel = $10,200
DraftKings = $9,800
Gurley dominated the Broncos last week, rushing 28 times for 208 yards and two touchdowns. After posting 13 rushing touchdowns in 2017, he already has nine through the first six weeks. He’s also been heavily involved in the passing game, receiving at least five targets in five of six games and posting two receiving scores.
It’s pick-your-poison when it comes to trying to defend against the Rams. Quarterback Jared Goff has shown significant improvement and they have a trio of excellent wide receivers, although Cooper Kupp likely won’t play in Week 7 due to a knee injury. Gurley is often put in great positions to score touchdowns and has one of the highest floors at any position in DFS, as a result. Don’t expect the 49ers to be able to slow him down.
Ezekiel Elliott vs. Washington Redskins
Stadium – FedEx Field
FanDuel = $8,400
DraftKings = $8,100
The Cowboys pulled off a surprising 40-7 drubbing of the Jaguars on Sunday. Elliott played a key role in their victory, rushing 24 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. That marked the third time in the last four weeks that Elliot has rushed for at least 100 yards. He also converted his only target into an 11-yard score.
Outside of Week 6, the Cowboys offense hasn’t been very good this season. Elliott has been limited to four total touchdowns, as a result, but he’s been heavily involved with 117 carries and 23 receptions on 30 targets. His involvement in the passing game has provided a significant boost to his value after he had just 26 receptions on 38 targets across 10 games last year. The Redskins defense isn’t exactly a favorable matchup, but Elliott gets enough volume in the offense to still be worth considering in cash tournaments.
Christian McCaffrey vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium – Lincoln Financial Field
FanDuel = $8,000
DraftKings = $7,700
The Redskins stymied McCaffrey last week, holding him to 20 yards on eight carries. The Panthers were playing catchup after being down 14-0 after the first quarter, which was a big reason why McCaffrey had so few carries. Luckily, he’s a significant part of their passing game and finished the contest with seven catches on eight targets for 46 yards.
It was encouraging to see McCaffrey get so many targets even with tight end Greg Olsen returning from injury. Although McCaffrey did have an outlier performance where he rushed for 184 yards on 28 carries in Week 3, the majority of his value comes from his pass-catching abilities. The Eagles have been stout against the run, but they are tied for the fourth-most receptions allowed to opposing running backs (41).
GPP TOURNAMENT OPTIONS
Tarik Cohen vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – Soldier Field
FanDuel = $6,600
DraftKings = $5,100
Cohen got off to a quiet start this year but had his breakout game Week 4 when he not only rushed for 53 yards on 13 carries, but he also caught seven of eight targets for 121 yards and a touchdown. His speed and ability to catch passes out of the backfield makes him a tough cover for opposing defenses. The Bears had a bye for Week 5, but Cohen was productive again last week against the Dolphins, catching seven of nine targets for 90 yards and another touchdown.
Cohen does have to split backfield duties with Jordan Howard, but Howard has seen his percentage of snaps decrease each of the last three games, bottoming out at 51% in Week 6 compared to 49% for Cohen. If the Bears defense has trouble slowing down the Patriots, Cohen would likely be more involved in a high-scoring game as he’s a far superior pass catcher. He’s a bit risky, but there is plenty of upside here if the game flow falls in his favor.
Carlos Hyde vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
FanDuel = $6,500
DraftKings = $4,700
The Browns had their doors blown off by the Chargers last week as they were down 21-6 at the half and ultimately lost 38-14. As a result of the early lopsided score, Hyde finished with a season-low 14 carries for 34 yards. He also failed to receive a target for the first time this season, although he’s never logged more than three targets in any contest this season.
Maybe the most concerning part of Hyde’s poor performance was that he averaged just 2.4 yards-per-carry. That marked the third game this season where he has averaged less than three yards-per-carry. On the plus side, he has already scored five touchdowns. The Bucs haven’t given up a ton of rushing yards, but opposing offenses have only rushed the ball against them 112 times, fourth-fewest attempts in the NFL. They give up a lot of yards through the air, so it wouldn’t be surprising if Hyde at least finds himself in a favorable position to reach the end zone in this contest.
Kenyan Drake vs. Detroit Lions
Stadium – Hard Rock Stadium
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $4,900
Drake is involved in a frustrating timeshare for fantasy purposes with the ageless Frank Gore. Drake hasn’t logged more than 14 carries in any game this season, as a result. His best performance came in Week 5, but that was mostly attributed to his seven catches on 11 targets for 69 yards and a touchdown. The passing game is one area that he has been able to separate himself from Gore, receiving 31 targets compared to Gore’s five.
Don’t expect things to shift any in terms of his workload this week, but that doesn’t mean Drake can’t provide value. The Lions have allowed three running backs to rush for over 100 yards in a game this season and have allowed the third-most rushing yard per game (145.8), overall. His upside isn’t off the charts due to Gore’s presence, but Drake is still someone to consider in tournament play.
Peyton Barber vs. Cleveland Browns
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
FanDuel = $6,100
DraftKings = $3,800
The Bucs running game has been horrendous. Entering Week 6, Barber had rushed for 33 yards or fewer in three straight games and rookie Ronald Jones is still very much a work in progress. Barber finally showed signs of life in Jameis Winston’s return as the starting quarterback Sunday, rushing 13 times for 82 yards and catching all four of his targets for an additional 24 yards.
Barber still has a long way to go before you can feel very comfortable rolling with him in your lineup. However, it was encouraging to see him get 13 carries coming out of the bye week compared to only one for Jones. Barber appears to have a hold on the lead back job, for the time being, and gets a favorable matchup Week 7 against a Browns team that is tied for the sixth-most yards-per-carry allowed (4.7) and has allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per game (1382.).
PLAYERS TO AVOID
Mark Ingram vs. Baltimore Ravens
Stadium – M&T Bank Stadium
FanDuel = $7,400
DraftKings = $5,900
Alvin Kamara was a man possessed during Ingram’s four-game suspension. That didn’t matter for Ingram’s first game back, though, as he received 16 carries compared to just six for Kamara. Kamara was only on the field for 47% of the team’s offensive plays after being on the field for at least 71% of them in each of the previous four weeks. Some of that had to do with the Saints getting up big in that game, while some of it also might have been the Saints seeing an opportunity to give Kamara a little rest. Expect him to be much more involved Sunday. This isn’t a great matchup for the Saints’ running backs, either, with the Ravens allowing the third-fewest rushing yards per game (82.8).
Alex Collins vs. New Orleans Saints
Stadium – M&T Bank Stadium
FanDuel = $6,400
DraftKings = $4,800
After averaging 4.6 yards-per-carry during his breakout campaign last year, Collins is only averaging 3.6 yards-per-carry this season. He did come away with two touchdowns last week, but Javorius Allen has been their preferred goal-line back. Allen has also been on the field for 47% of the team’s offensive plays this season compared to 43% for Collins. The Saints have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (71.4), leaving Collins with very little upside.
Draftkings NFL Cash and GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13
Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 13
Week 13 is upon us and brings one of the toughest Draftkings slate of this season. There are four quarterback changes this week. Jay Cutler and Jameis Winston are returning from injury, while Jimmy Garoppolo and Geno Smith are getting their first starts of the season. This is a widely spread out slate, which means I expect ownership to be spread out across the positions.
Vegas:
Since Vegas lines have become such a huge part of the DFS community and are where most DFS players start their research, I decided to write up a portion outlining the big Vegas numbers. All Vegas totals will be taken from Fantasy Labs Vegas page on Wednesday.
This week there are no games with an over under above 50. There are four games bunched together with a total of over 47. Pats @ Bills 48.5, Panthers @ Saints 48, Eagles @ Seahawks 47.5, and Vikings @ Falcons 47. Aside from those four games, there are another four games with respectable totals between 44 and 46 points.
The teams with the highest implied total are the Patriots (28.5), Chargers (28.25), Saints (26), Rams (26), Raiders (25.75), Titans (25.25), Jags (25.5), and Falcons (25). There are a few games at risk of being a blowout and the Chargers headline the list as a two-touchdown favorite at home against the winless Browns. The Jags are the second largest favorite (-10) at home against the Colts. The Raiders (-9.5), Patriots (-8.5), Titans (-7), and the Rams (-7) are also a touchdown favorite. It’s worth targeting running backs at home as big favorites this week.
I encourage you to check out Vegas Insiders page on Sunday morning to see if there are any drastic changes to these game totals. Of course, Lineup Labs subs have access to this information in the player pool. Let’s dive into the slate.
Quarterbacks
Philip Rivers (DK $7,000) – As I mentioned at the top of this article, ownership is going to be widely spread out, especially at the quarterback position. Of all the quarterbacks on the DK main slate, Rivers may be the most popular for cash games. He’s a two-touchdown favorite with a team implied to score the second-most points on the slate against a Browns team that rank 28th in aFPA. Rivers is coming off back to back good games, in which he met his salary expectation, but that was back when his salary was below $6,000. Now he’s seen a price jump of $2,100 and is a risk for a negative game script. On the bright side, the Chargers play distribution is 59% pass to 41% run, so there’s a good possibility if the Chargers do score 28 points, Rivers will be in a position to rack up all those points. It’s always worth noting when teams are two-touchdown favorites that If they get up to a big league, they could lean heavily on the running game to kill the clock.
Jameis Winston (DK $5,600) – I will be watching Winston’s ownership very closely up until lock time. Winston returned to practice on Wednesday and was announced as the starter. That news suddenly led to move the Bucs to a 1 ½ point favorite on the road against the Packers. The Packers rank 30th in aFPA and were just ripped apart by the Steelers and Big Ben who projects very similar to Winston. The Bucs have a relatively low team total of 22, but they have had no running game all season long, which has led to the second most distribution of pass plays with a 62% – 37% mark. Winston was up and down earlier in the season, but that was mostly due to his price averaging over the $6,000 mark. Now he’s the lowest he’s been all season with a $5,600 price tag and in a good matchup. The one limitation to follow is the question of how healthy he truly is. I’m ranking Winston as my favorite points/dollar play at QB.
Blaine Gabbert (DK $4,700) – There’s enough value plays this week at quarterback to give you an option of not paying up for QB. Blaine Gabbert might be someone worthy of your considerations given his performances in his last two starts. In two starts this season, Gabbert has completed 61% of his passes and thrown for 498 yards with 5 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. That’s been more productive than expected given his mid 4K price range. What’s been most impressive about Gabbert’s stats is that he did it against good defenses (Jags and Texans), so while the Rams defense is probably not a matchup you want to pick on, Gabbert has been put to the test already this season. What I like most that is in Gabbert’s favor is that he’s a touchdown underdog. The Rams can put up points with the best of them so it wouldn’t surprise me if they jump to an early two-touchdown lead. That leads to a positive game script for Gabbert and more garbage time fantasy points. At $4,700 he only needs 16 points to reach value. He’s exceeded that mark in both of his starts so far.
Cash:
J. Winston, M. Mariota, T. Brady, C. Newton,
GPP:
(above), P. Rivers, J. Goff, D. Carr
Running Backs
Todd Gurley (DK $8,200) – Whenever Gurley does not figure to be the highest owned running back, I always want to consider him at least. Gurley is one of the running backs that has a high floor and higher ceiling, and he’s 4th in the league in touches. This week his team has an implied total of 26 points and are a touchdown favorite on the road. While the on the road aspect is not ideal, Gurley does not have home, and road splits so you can still safely project his volume. The Cardinals are rank worse against the pass (16th aFPA) versus against the run (6th aFPA), but Gurley sees enough volume to be still viable. Gurley has received 18 targets the past three weeks and has converted 13 of those into catches for 141 yards. Gurley is my favorite running back of the top tier given his floor and ceiling combination over Alvin Kamara.
Leonard Fournette (DK $7,800) – My next favorite back after Gurley is Fournette. Fournette is a massive 10 point favorite at home against the Colts who rank 30th in aFPA. Fournette is similar to Gurley where he sees the bulk of the team’s rushing touches and doesn’t have share snaps like the duo in New Orleans. The last time Fournette was a home favorite he failed to meet salary expectations, but this game script figures to be heavily in favor of Fournette. I also like that Fournette has seen more than 3 targets out of the backfield since returning from injury. I’m close to hitting the lock button on Fournette.
Jordan Howard (DK $6,500) – In the midrange there are a few running backs with favorable matchups starting with Howard and Carlos Hyde (DK $5,900). Both are receiving over 60% of the running back snaps and have accounted for over 60% of the team’s rushing yards. Howard comes into this matchup as a 3 point home favorite against the 49ers defense which ranks dead last in aFPA to running backs this season. Last week the game script significantly affected Howard’s production, but this game figures to be better for Howard.
Marshawn Lynch (DK $4,800) – I haven’t played Lynch all season, but if I will, it will be this week. Lynch is a huge home favorite (-9) and is facing the Giants who have already given up on the season and rank 27th in aFPA to RBs. The Raiders receiving staff is greatly depleted with Amari Cooper unlikely to play due to a concussion and Michael Crabtree unlikely to play due to suspension. That could lead to the Raiders running the ball more than their 61% – 39% distribution on the season.
Cash:
T. Gurley, L. Fournette, J. Howard, C. McCaffrey, M. Gordon, J. Williams (if active)
GPP:
(All of above), L. McCoy, Saints RBs, A. Peterson, D. Booker,
Wide Receivers
DeSean Jackson (DK $4,700) & Mike Evans (DK $7,100) – The top receivers of the week for me are both receivers from the Bucs. As I mentioned in the QB section, I love Winston returning this week, and this also correlates to both of his receivers. The Packers have been absolutely torched by opposing wide receivers and rank 31st in aFPA, averaging nearly 29 points per game. Mike Evans is a lock for double-digit targets, and Jackson has shown that he has a higher floor this season and is no longer just a deep threat. Oh, and did you see what Antonio Brown did last week? All in on the BUCS offense!
Cooper Kupp (DK $6,400) – Kupp stepped up last week for the Rams after an injury to Robert Woods left an opening as the second receiver in the Rams offense. Kupp received 11 targets, the most he’s received all season, and turned that into 8 catches and 116 yards. He runs the majority of his routes in the slot and will likely avoid Patrick Peterson with him likely to shadow Sammy Watkins. The best way to attack the Cardinals secondary is in the slot of by targeting anyone not being covered by Peterson. So Kupp should be popular in the mid 6K range.
Davante Adams (DK $6,400) – My preferred pivot off Kupp is Davante Adams. Adams has emerged as the Packers primary receiver since Brett Hundley took over for Aaron Rodgers. Adams leads the team in targets since week 6 with 52 and is averaging over 8 targets per game. He’s been priced very cheap this season and is now at his highest price of the season, so that’s not exactly ideal, but he sees a lot of volume, and the Bucs are last in the league in aFPA to wide receivers. He’s a nice way to get exposure to the Packers offense.
Cordarrelle Patterson (DK $3,400) & Seth Roberts (DK $3,700) – As I mentioned in the Lynch write up, the Raiders will be without their top two receivers creating an opening for both Roberts and Patterson. These receivers are in a good matchup against the Giants who rank 25th in aFPA and just put Janoris Jenkins on IR. On the season these two haven’t been target as much with only 65 targets between for receivers. Roberts has 38 targets, while Patterson has 27. Patterson leads Roberts in targets per snap (9.4% to 7.6%). Last season, Roberts was a target monster in the red zone, but that has changed with the addition of Jared Cook this offseason. Both are worth consideration for GPPs. I think I like Patterson more than Roberts just for the upside that he has to break a slant for a 50 yard gain, but it’s really a coin flip.
Higher Tier Receivers Worth Playing(Above 7K):
K. Allen, B. Cooks, A. Thielen, D. Hopkins, M. Evans
Mid Tier ($5,000 – $7,000):
D. Funches, T. Hill, D. Adams, C. Kupp, R. Anderson, L. Fitzgerald, M. Sanu, D. Thomas, M. Lee
Value (Sub $5,000):
E. Sanders, D. Jackson, Z. Jones, D. Westbrook, J. Gordon, S. Roberts, C. Patterson, R. Cobb, D. Inman
Tight End
Jared Cook (DK $5,400) – Cook will likely be the most popular tight end on the slate with the Raiders wide receivers out. He’s much safer than Patterson and Roberts as Carr has targeted him at least 5 times in all but one game this season. It also turns out that he’s in a great matchup against the Giants who rank 32nd in the league against tight ends. Cook is a safe way to get exposure to the Raiders offense without hurting the floor of your lineup.
Hunter Henry (DK $4,700) – I love me some Hunter Henry this week. Tight end is a position where I don’t like to overthink it and often just follow the flowchart. Who’s playing the Browns? Who’s their leading tight end? Play that tight end. That is Henry this week. Henry has entirely taken over the tight end job over Gates and played 76% of snaps last week, bringing his snap percentage to 65% on the season. He’s also out targeting Gates 44-30 and has 10 targets in the last two weeks. The only thing keeping me from locking in Henry is that I like Cook quite a bit this week.
Cash:
J. Cook, H. Henry, T, Kelce, B. Watson, D. Walker
GPP:
(All above), R. Gronkowski, J. Thomas (#RevengeGame)
Defense
Denver Broncos ($3,000) – The Broncos are road favorites against the Dolphins who are implied to score 19 points and are getting turnover prone Jay Cutler back. The Broncos have been really disappointing this season, but they have seen their price decrease to $3,000 for the first time since they played the Patriots. The Dolphins are nowhere near the Patriots, and the Broncos should feast.
Cash:
LAR, DEN, TEN
GPP:
(All above) LAC, TB, MIA, BALT
Draftkings NFL Cash & GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 10
Draftkings NFL & Cash GPP Lineup Daily Fantasy Football Week 10
Week 10 of the NFL features four teams on bye, and three of the four are teams that we generally like to use players from their offense. The Ravens, Chiefs, Raiders, and Eagles are on bye. Teams that are also not on the Draftkings main slate are the Seahawks, Cardinals, Patriots, Broncos, Dolphins, and Panthers. The slate features three teams that are more than 10 point favorites in the Lions (-13), Rams (-11.5), and the Steelers (-10.5).
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Quarterbacks:
There are four teams implied to score more than 25 points this week, which is generally the mark we like to target for QBs. The Rams lead the league in scoring and lead the slate with a 28.5 implied total. The Lions are second with a similar projection at 28.25. The Steelers and Falcons are both implied to score about 27 points. These QBs should lead the pack in ownership this week a the QB position.
Matthew Stafford (DK $6,800) – Stafford is the third highest priced QB on the main slate and faces the Browns who allowed the league’s worst aFPA (Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed) (20.4) to quarterbacks, per 4for4. Stafford is coming off of a 25 point performance against a bad Packers secondary. Stafford has thrown for over 300 yards in his last three games and has reached value in each of those starts. Stafford is still relatively priced down due to the fact he played on Monday night and is at $6,800. The Lions are implied to score the second highest points on the slate, and because of their running back committee, Stafford typically accounts for all the team’s points. Stafford is a safe cash play and is also viable in GPP’s.
Ben Roethlisberger (DK $6,600) – For $200 less, you can end up with Big Ben who is in a great spot this week. He goes up against a Colts defense that has been vulnerable to opposing quarterbacks when their team was implied to score more than 24 points. The Colts rank 25th in the league in aFPA, per 4for4 and Roethlisberger, is coming off of a bye. My concern here with Ben as a cash play is that the Steelers are on the road. Ben historically struggles on the road and quite frankly hasn’t been good this season for DFS. Ben has only hit value once this season but comes in with the most upside of all the quarterbacks. I’d use Ben as a GPP play only and find the extra $200 to get up to Stafford.
Value Play
Marcus Mariota (DK, $5,800) – An exciting value play is Marcus Mariota. I always like playing Mariota for his rushing upside, and now that he has his Chris Davis back he has more weapons at his disposal. Mariota goes up against a Bengals defense that ranks in the middle of the pack in aFPA. He’s failed to meet value five of his last six games, but the bright side is that you get him at a $600 discount. At $5,800 he only needs 17 points to hit value, and we’ve seen Mariota hit that earlier this season with Davis on the field. Mariota is a sneaky value GPP play that can help you fit in stud running backs.
Cash game plays:
M. Stafford, D. Prescott, T. Taylor, M. Ryan
Gpp plays:
(all of the above) B. Roethlisberger, M. Mariota, E. Manning
Running Backs:
This is a FANTASTIC week to pay up for running backs! Le’Veon Bell is the top-priced back at $9,800 on the road. Elliott and Gurley follow with an $8,800 and $8,700 price tag, respectfully. And then we have a slight drop off in price with Fournette ($8,400) and McCoy ($8,300). If I’m ranking these, I’d go Elliott, Gurley, Bell, McCoy, Fournette.
Ezekiel Elliott (DK $8,800) – Elliott again avoided suspension for yet another week. While that’s great for DFS, it’s a huge headache for season long. Fortunately, this write up is for DFS and Zeke is in another great spot. Zeke failed to reach value last week against the Chiefs, but outside of last week, he’s been a monster the two weeks before that. Zeke has 88 touches the past three weeks and has six touchdowns to show for the volume. This week he’s going up against the Falcons who allow the 6th most points to opposing running backs in PPR formats. They just let Christian McCaffrey score 20.4 PPR. That’s why I like Elliott; the Falcons are among the worst defenses in the league to give up points to pass-catching running backs. However, for Elliott, there is a concern being that he only has five targets and two catches in the last three games. I like Elliott more for GPP’s, but Gurley is by far the safer cash game play. I just have a feeling that the game flow could benefit Zeke getting around 35 touches.
Todd Gurley (DK $8,700) – If you like to go for trends then, Gurley is the obvious play over Zeke. Gurley checks all the boxes you’d want for a running back. He’s at home, favored by 11.5 points, and his team is implied to score the most points on the slate. Gurley has seen 12 targets out of the backfield and has caught seven passes for 97 yards. If there’s any concern here is that Gurley’s matchup is tough on paper. The Texans have allowed the least PPR fantasy points to running backs this season (15.7). The Texans rank second behind the Vikings in allowing opposing running backs to reach value with a -5.7 +/- rating per Fantasy Labs. The matchup is tough, but the Rams could get up early and feed Gurley so I can see him getting 25-30 targets.
Jordan Howard (DK $6,100) – Jordan Howard has received a lot of volume in the last four weeks. Howard has received 99 carries and has gained 410 yards in that four-week span. He’s getting a lot of work for a back at 6k and should eclipse 25+ touches. The issue with Howard is that he’s not very active on the receiving end. But in this case, I’m okay with giving up that receiving equity to gain the rushing attempts against a Packers defense that has given up the 10th most rushing TDs. Howard is a nice cash game play as a home favorite.
Carlos Hyde (DK $6,300) – Sticking around the same price range, Carlos Hyde has also been getting an uptick in touches since their rookie quarterback took over. Last week Hyde went for 4x value when he had a team-high 11 targets and caught nine balls for 84 yards to go along with his 12 carries. The 49ers pass blocking is terrible, and they rank in the top 10 in run blocking. In a game that should remain close, the 49ers could lean on Hyde over Bethard’s arm against the Giants who rank 21st in aFPA to running backs.
Bilal Powell (DK $4,000) – Forte missed practice on Wednesday. If Forte is out, Powell will see an uptick in snaps and targets. He’s your ideal back in a PPR format so if Forte’s limited he’s worth a shot.
Cash:
E. Elliott, T. Gurley, L. Fournette, J. Howard, O. Darkwa
Gpp:
(all of above) L. Bell, L. McCoy, L. Fournette, M. Gordon, C. McCaffery, M. Ingram, T. Rawls
Wide Receiver:
Julio Jones (DK, $8,000) – Seriously, what is up with Julio this year? I knew the Falcons offense would regress without Kyle Shanahan, but I did not expect Julio to only have one touchdown through week 10. Last week was Julio’s best game in terms of yardage. He saw double-digit targets (12) for only the 3rd time this season and caught half of his targets for 118 yards. The Cowboys rank 24th in the league in aFPA allowed to wide receivers so if Julio is going to get going you’d expect it to come in a home game that could go back and forth. This game has the highest over/under on the slate so it also has the potential to shoot out.
Golden Tate (DK $6,800) & Marvin Jones Jr. (DK $6,200) – If we expect Stafford to be the highest owned quarterback on the slate, it’s not a bad idea to bring it back with his two primary receivers. We saw Jones go off against the Packers on Monday night and his price does not reflect it, jumping up only $700. Jones actually leads the team in targets the past 3 games with 44 and Tate is second with 32. Tate is more of the slot receiver that racks up PPR points, while Jones is emerging as the bigger red zone threat. Both are in play here against a Browns defense that doesn’t scare me.
Robert Woods (DK $5,000) – Can I catch lightning in a bottle two weeks in a row? I’m not sure. But the Rams receivers are in a decent spot against the Texans who rank 29th in the league in aFPA to wide receivers. Over the past three games, Woods has taken over the target share for the Rams passing offense. Woods leads the wide receivers with 27 targets, followed by Cooper Kupp with 26 and over-rated Sammy Watkins has 16 in the past three weeks. There isn’t much separation, but Woods has returned value his last four games. The problem is that I will likely get my exposure to this high team total with Gurley and Woods is $1,300 more expensive than the past four games.
Value Receivers (I like these value receivers quite a bit)
Adam Humphries (DK $3,100) – He’s the T.Y. Hilton of this week. Nearly the stone minimum with an increase of snap count and a potential increase in targets with Mike Evans suspended for this game. I’m not sure if he’ll be popular, yet but he’s a clear value play to punt at this position. I’m hesitant because Ryan Fitzpatrick will be throwing him the ball and their team total is very low at 20 points.
Corey Davis (DK $4,000) – I’m a fan of Corey Davis for the talent he has. He had a very promising first week of the season, receiving ten targets and catching more than half of those but his progression was slowed down by injury. Last week he returned and played 75% of the snaps. He received five targets and caught two passes. I expect Davis to be on the field more and if you’re playing Mariota, why not stack him with Davis for some salary relief.
Marqise Lee (DK $4,100) – Lee has been the biggest beneficiary once Allen Robinson went down. Since week 2, Lee leads the team in targets with 54 and is averaging over seven targets per game. This week he faces the Chargers who are 17th in aFPA to wide receivers.
Cash:
A. Brown, J. Julio, G. Tate/M. Jones, A. Thielen, A. Humphries, M. Lee
Gpp:
D. Hopkins, D. Bryant, S. Diggs, J. Kearse, R. Woods, J. Smith-Schuster, S. Shepard
Tight End:
Eric Ebron (DK $3,100) – Again, back to the Lions passing attack. But this is just following my general rule of thumb. Which team is playing the Browns? Which tight end is starting for them? Play that tight end. Ebron has only scored once this season, but the Browns have given up 6 to tight ends this season.
Garrett Celek (DK $2,500) – Starting tight end George Kittle has already been ruled out for this game, pushing Celek into the starting lineup. In 3 games since starting for the 49ers, Cj Beathard has targeted his tight ends 18 times. The Giants are second to last behind the Browns for most aFPA to tight ends.
Cash:
E. Engram, C. Brate, E. Ebron, G. Celek
Gpp:
V. Davis, D. Walker, H. Henry,
Defense:
Defenses are the most volatile picks in a DFS lineup; I often recommend going with whatever is best for your roster construction. This week there are three teams as big favorites and are viable plays. The Browns, Packers, Colts, Texans, Bengals, Chargers, 49ers, and Bucs are all implied to score less than 20 points. Targeting any one of their opponents should be fine for a defense to play.
Cash:
Tennessee, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit
Gpp:
Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, New York Giants
Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick’Em Breakdown – Week 9
*Chris Durell*
Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick’Em Breakdown – Week 9
For a limited time use code “NLA5017” to receive the rest of the NFL season for 50% off!
Tier 1
I will start with wide receiver Julio Jones in the first tier. Although the Falcons rank in the top half of the league in DVOA pass offense(15th) and passing yards per game(251.1), it has been a disappointing fantasy season for Julio who has just one touchdown and has also only seen double-digit targets twice this season. Now he gets one of his toughest matchups of the season vs. a Panthers team that ranks 7th in DVOA vs. the pass and 8th in DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts. he would be my separation play in this tier but would only consider if you are multi-entering. Both running backs enter this week as favorites but I prefer Todd Gurley on the road for a couple reasons starting with the fact Fournette is coming off an ankle injury. Both the Giants(120.7) and Bengals(111.9) have sub-par rush defenses but looking at DVOA ranks vs. the rush, Gurley has the edge as the Giants rank 24th while the Bengals rank 10th. The final straw is the targets as DraftKings is a full PPR site and Gurley is receiving 5.4 targets per week while Fournette is averaging just 2.9 per week.
Tier 2
Now, this is where it gets really interesting. First of all, we have the most unsustainable form I have ever seen with Will Fuller as he has just 13 receptions this season and seven of them have gone for touchdowns. That is about as crazy as it sounds but he does have one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league, DeShaun Watson, with absolutely full trust in his skill. He also gets an elite matchup vs. the Colts who have allowed the second-most passing yards per game(290.4), rank 30th in DVOA vs. the pass, and 27th in DraftKings points per game to wideouts. Fade at your own risk! Then we have another wideout in Mike Evans who has been a target monster since entering the league and ranks 4th this season with 9.4 per game but gets a tough matchup vs. a much-improved Saints defense that ranks 4th in DVOA vs. the pass and 16th in DraftKings points allowed to wideouts. It would also be a huge downgrade for Evans should his quarterback, Jameis Winston, miss week 9 as he is dealing with a shoulder injury. Stay tuned. On the other side of the ball is our third choice with Saints running back, Mark Ingram who is in a plus situation as the Saints are currently seven-point home favorites. The Bucs sit mid-pack allowing 111.7 yards per game on the ground, rank 20th in DVOA vs. the run and 23rd in DraftKings points allowed to running backs. Then combine that with the fact Ingram has been red-hot since the departure of Adrian Peterson as he has received 65 carries and rushed for 294 yards(4.5 yards per carry) in the last three games.
Tier 3
Only four options in the third tier but some tough decisions to make as all four get near elite matchups vs. teams ranking in the bottom third in DraftKings points allowed to their respective positions. Mark Ingram was discussed in the previous tier and I prefer him over Kamara who has received 10 carries just once this season and is more of a third-down back who gets work when the Saints are down. That should not be the case this week as they are huge 13 point home favorites to the Bucs who could be without their star quarterback. Speaking of questionable players, Lamar Miller is questionable in week 9 with a knee injury and was limited in Wednesday’s practice. If he plays, he is likely to be the highest owned in this tier anyway coming off a fantastic week where he scored twice. I spoke about Zach Ertz last and how I was fading him in the toughest matchup of the season for him was dead wrong. He continued to be Carson Wentz’ top target in the red and he also leads the league with six red-zone touchdowns, having caught eight of his 10 targets inside the 20-yard-line. This week he faces a Broncos defense who has had a ton of trouble with tight ends ranking 30th in DraftKings points allowed to the position. He is my top pick in this tier.
Tier 4
Now we jump into the quarterbacks and it won’t be easy as three of them(Wentz, Mariota, Ryan) face defenses ranked inside the Top 10 of DraftKings points allowed to the position and all but Cam Newton face defenses ranked inside the Top 15 in DVOA vs. the pass. Looking at each quarterback’s last four starts, only Jameis Winston has multiple 300+ yard passing games but has only tallied four touchdowns in those games and like I mentioned earlier, is questionable to play this week with a shoulder injury. The other high-risk option in this tier is Marcus Mariota who has 830 passing yards in his last four games with just three touchdown passes but is coming out of a bye week and is reported to be 100% after dealing with a hamstring injury for some time now. I am not at all interested in using him in a tough matchup vs. the Ravens who rank 2nd in DVOA vs. the pass and 2nd in DraftKings points allowed to quarterbacks. Like last week, I will turn to MVP candidate, Carson Wentz, who has been extremely consistent with 1,005 yards passing and 13 touchdowns over his last four games. He gets a tough matchup vs. a Broncos defense who hasn’t allowed a 300-yard passer all season but that should only help with his ownership in the tier.
Tier 5
For starters, we can eliminate Trevor Siemian off the list as head coach, Vance Joseph, announced it would be Brock Osweiler under center this week for the Broncos. Andy Dalton will be starting this week but he is also a scratch off my list as he faces the league’s #1 defense when looking at passing yards allowed per game(161.7), DVOA vs. the pass, and DraftKings points allowed to the quarterback. The next option that gets crossed off for me is Blake Bortles despite coming off his best start of the year. He just doesn’t have the targets with Allen Robinson on the shelf and also doesn’t have to force the ball downfield often with an elite defense and one fo the rookie of the year candidates in Leonard Fournette at running back. That leaves two sophomore quarterbacks who are both on the road this week with decent matchups as the Giants(27th) and Texans(29th) both rank near the bottom of the league in DraftKings points per game allowed to the quarterback. Of those two options, I prefer Jared Goff as the Rams rank 10th in DVOA vs. the pass while the Colts sit way down in 30th. While Brissett has the best overall target in T.Y. Hilton, Goff has the better collective group with Robert Woods, Sammy Watkins, Todd Gurley, and Cooper Kupp at his disposal. I wouldn’t fault you for playing either this week, but I will be leaning on Goff and the Rams.
Tier 6
Like the previous tier, we can eliminate players and it starts with Kelvin Benjamin who was traded to the Bills and per DraftKings, will not accrue fantasy points this week. Another situation we will have to monitor as the week goes on is the status of Devonta Freeman who suffered a shoulder injury and was limited in Wednesday’s practice. Even if he plays, I will be avoiding as he gets a tough matchup vs. a Panthers defense that ranks Top 5 in rushing yards allowed(81.6 per game) and fourth in DraftKings points allowed to running backs. Wide receiver A.J. Green leads all players in this tier with 17.7 DK points per game but gets a very tough matchup this week vs. an elite Jaguars defense at home and will likely be shadowed all day by Jalen Ramsay who currently ranks #3 when looking at PFF’s cornerback rankings. My favorite play in this tier is Christian McCaffrey who is already getting elite targets(8.3 per game) and with Benjamin shipped out of town, could see even more volume moving forward.
Tier 7
Another tough tier this week as DeSean Jackson may be without his quarterback and also faces a tough Saints defense that ranks 4th in DVOA vs. the pass. The same tough matchups exist for Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, and Mohamed Sanu who face defenses (Rams & Panthers) who rank Top 10 in DVOA vs. the pass. For me, I will be turning to Tedd Ginn Jr. of the Saints who gets a near elite matchup vs. the Bucs who rank 31st in DVOA vs. the pass and dead last in DraftKings points allowed to wideouts. The consistency hasn’t been there but Ginn is a home run threat and may not even have to face slot corner, Brent Grimes, who is questionable. The Vegas total(50.5) is one of the highest of the week and I am willing to take a risk here.
Tier 8
I will lead off with the tight ends in this tier as they both have shown consistency and upside. Cameron Brate is only seeing 58% of the snaps for the Bucs this season but continues to be utilized heavily when in the game as he has five straight games with 60 or more yards and has already scored four touchdowns. He gets a tough matchup this week against the Saints who rank Top 5 in both DVOA vs. the pass and DraftKings points allowed to tight ends. At the position, I prefer Jack Doyle who is coming off a 100-yard game and his second touchdown of the season but it’s the volume I like more than anything. He is second to T.Y. Hilton on the team with 6.9 targets per week. The two other plays I will be targeting in this final tier will be Panthers wideout Devin Funchess who has now become the #1 wideout in Carolina with the trade of Kelvin Benjamin at the trade deadline. The matchup is a toss up for me as the Falcons rank 12th when looking at DraftKings points given up but then rank 25th when looking at DVOA vs. the pass. Funchess isn’t going to break any long runs after the catch but should see 10+ targets and be a key in the redzone for Cam Newton. The final play I like in this tier is rookie Joe Mixon who somewhat broke out last week after 91 receiving yards and saw his biggest snap count share of the season at 63% vs. Jeremy Hill who seen is lowest at 13%. He also gets an elite matchup vs. the Jaguars who despite being a top defense against the pass, have been awful against the run and rank 32nd in rush yards per game allowed(138.6) and 32nd in DVOA vs. the run.
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!
Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick’Em Breakdown – Week 8
*Chris Durell*
Daily Fantasy DraftKings Pick’Em Breakdown – Week 8
For a limited time use code “NLA5017” to receive the rest of the NFL season for 50% off!
Tier 1
There are only three players in the first tier again this week but the decision is much tougher. Both LeSean McCoy and Julio Jones are coming off a week in which they reached the endzone for the first time in 2017 while A.J. Green had a down week in a divisional matchup vs. the Steelers. This week they all get near elite matchups and it starts with LeSean McCoy who faces a Raiders team that ranks 20th in DVOA vs. the rush, and 18th in DraftKings points per game vs. the running back position(113.9 yards per game). The Bills are at home where they have yet to lose a game this season and open as slight favorites(-2.5) and with the lack of receiving options, will rely heavily on McCoy. He is my top choice in this tier. If you are looking to go with a wideout here, I prefer Julio who gets a slightly better matchup vs. a Jets team that ranks 23rd in DVOA vs. pass and 27th in DraftKings points per game to the position. What scares me most about A.J. Green this week is that the Bengals are currently double-digit favorites which could take the game script away from Green as they could focus more on getting the run game going this week.
Tier 2
Looking at the running backs in the second tier, there is a case to be made for and against both of them. Melvin Gordon gets the much better matchup facing a Patriots team that ranks 26th in DVOA vs. the rush and 29th in DraftKings points allowed to running backs but Chargers are currently 7.5 point dogs which doesn’t bode well for Gordon’s projected carries. The good news is that he ranks 6th among running backs with 6.1 targets to game. For Ingram who has the lesser of the matchups vs. the Bears who rank 16th in DVOA vs. the rush and 14th in DraftKings points per game allowed, he does have the projected game script in his favor as the Saints sits as large nine-point favorites. He also sits in the Top 10 with 5.1 targets per game and has been much more effective since the departure of Adrian Peterson with back to back 100-yard rushing games. With all that said, I lean Ingram in this spot, even over Mike Evans who has been a beast with touchdowns in three of his last four games. The issue with Evans is the matchup vs. the Panthers who rank Top 10 in DraftKings points allowed to wideout this season and have allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game through the air(180.7).
Tier 3
Naturally, Tom Brady will see a lot of ownership in a pick’em format and it makes sense as the Pats have the #2 passing offense with 300 yards per game. The issue for me in Week 8 is the matchup vs. the Chargers who rank 8th in DVOA vs. the pass, have allowed the fifth-fewest yards per game through the air(185.4), and rank 6th in DraftKings points allowed to the QB position. The other seasoned veteran, Drew Brees, also gets a tough matchup vs. a Bears team that ranks 10th in DVOA vs. the pass and 6th in DraftKings points allowed to the position. Cam Newton has been struggling big time following his back to back 300+ yard games with just one touchdown in his last two games while not breaking the 250-yard mark. Matt Ryan also falls in the struggling quarterback column as he has not broken the 300-yard mark since week one and has just seven touchdowns all season. He would be my low-owned contrarian play in this range as he is starting to target Julio Jones more and faces a Jets team that ranks 23rd in DVOA vs. the pass and ranks 20th in passing yards per game allowed(231.3). My favorite play in this tier is young Carson Wentz who has helped the Eagles to the top overall record in the league. He has been dominant over the last three weeks with 794 yards passing and 11 touchdowns while averaging 28.6 DraftKings points per game. He also gets an elite home matchup vs. a 49ers team that ranks 29th in DVOA vs. the pass and 31st in DraftKings points allowed to the quarterback.
Tier 4
I suspect in this tier a lot of people will be chasing points with Derek Carr and Jameis Winston who are both coming off monster games. I am not buying into it as Winston faces a very stout Panthers defense that has limited opposing quarterbacks to the fourth lowest passing yards per game(180.7) and ninth fewest DraftKings points per game. Carr also gets a tough matchup going on the road to Buffalo to face a Bills team that ranks 11th in DVOA vs. the pass and 11th in DraftKings points per game allowed to the position. The Raiders wideouts also have some tough matchups as they will face E.J. Gaines and Tre’Davious White who rank 34th and 4th when looking at PFF’s cornerback rankings. I do like Andy Dalton as a low-owned option in this range but like I mentioned with A.J. Green, I think the game script gets the Bengals away from the pass as they sit as double-digit home favorites. My favorite play in this range is Philip Rivers who shouldn’t have an issue with game script facing a New England team that leads the league with 410 yards per game and sit as 7.5 point favorites at home. I have a feeling the Chargers will be chasing most of the game and that means volume for Rivers and his receiving core. While the Pats defense looked better last week, they still rank 28th in DVOA vs. the pass and dead last in DraftKings points per game allowed to quarterbacks.
Tier 5
Tier 5 gives us two elite tight ends with monster upside but the issue is they both get very tough matchups vs. teams that rank inside the Top 5 when looking at Draftkings points per game allowed to the position. I just finished telling you how Rivers was my top QB in the fourth tier so I naturally like the upside that Keenan Allen provides as his top target. I also doubt he will be the highest owned player in this tier either as he has struggled this season with just one touchdown(week 1) but sits Top 5 in targets and could easily breakout vs. a Pats team that ranks 30th in DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts. Of the two running backs, I prefer Jordan Howard who continues to see the volume and gets a plus matchup vs. the Saints who are giving up 114 rush yards and 26.9 DraftKings points per game.
Tier 6
In Tier 6 we have five wideouts and Christian McCaffrey who has been used almost primarily like a wideout for the Panthers. His average of 8.4 targets per week not only leads all running backs in 2017 but would also rank him 13th if he were a wide receiver. He has not received double-digit carries in a game since week one but could possibly get a little more volume this week as Jonathan Stewart is dealing with a toe injury. If that is the case, he gets a nice matchup this week vs. the Bucs who have allowed 113.7 rushing yards per game and rank 23rd overall when looking at DraftKings points per game allowed to running backs. His teammate Kelvin Benjamin is my favorite target in this tier as he gets a nice matchup vs. a weak Bucs secondary that has allowed the third most passing yards per game(294.8) and rank dead last in DraftKings points per game to wideouts. I like the upside that the New England offense presents with Tom Brady under center but will be avoiding the situation this week as the Chargers outside cornerbacks ranks #9 and #11 out of 112 cornerbacks when looking at Pro Football Focus and rank 5th overall in passing yards allowed per game(185.4).
Tier 7
Combining opportunity and matchup in this tier, I turn to Pierre Garcon who leads all players(in the tier) with nine targets per game and gets a matchup vs. an Eagles secondary that ranks 28th in DraftKings points per game allowed to wideouts. The game script is also right for the picking as the 49ers are 13 point underdogs and should be forced to throw the ball a ton. I mentioned Kelvin Benjamin in the last tier and if you are not using him there, I would consider using Devin Funchess in this tier as the Bucs secondary, as I already mentioned, is bad. Both of their outside corners(Brent Grimes & Robert McLain) rank outside the Top 65 in PFF’s rankings. Nelson Agholor is also a nice high upside play in this tier. The floor is low as he only sees an average of five targets per week but he knows how to gain yards after the catch and reach the endzone and has done so in three straight weeks.
Tier 8
With the news on Wednesday that Michael Thomas is dealing with a knee injury, I like the upside that Tedd Ginn Jr. provides. He is coming off a monster week where he went off for 141 yards and has scored twice in his last four games. Even with Michael Thomas in the game, teams have been blanketing coverage his direction forcing Drew Brees to go other directions and Ginn has been the benefactor. In a similar situation, I also like Mohamed Sanu of the Falcons as the Jets are likely to shadow Julio Jones with Morriss Claiborne which could open up extra targets for Sanu who is coming off a decent week where he caught six of his 10 targets for 65 yards. The final play I would consider in this range is tight end Hunter Henry who has all but taken over for future Hall of Famer, Antonio Gates. He has seen 80%+ snaps in back to back weeks while has seen just 57% and a season-low 31% last week. In those two weeks, Henry has caught nine of 12 targets for 163 yards and scored a touchdown in the two weeks prior to that. He gets a nice matchup this week vs. the Pats who rank 26th in DraftKings points allowed to the position.
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!
Daily Fantasy Football: NFL DFS Week 1 Cash and GPP Picks
Quarterbacks:
Quarterback is the most underpriced position in both Draftkings and Fanduel. The main reason why the quarterback position is wildly underpriced is that there isn’t a large gap between the top scoring QB opposed to the 12th scoring QB. It also has to due in large part with the fact that their scoring is weighted lower than other positions. QB’s receive 4 points per touchdown and 1 point for every 25 yards gained. If you play on Draftkings they give a bonus for quarterbacks that throw over 300 yards. That may alter your decision making because it makes quarterbacks more reliant on touchdowns in FanDuel than in Draftkings. Now that we broke down the scoring discrepancies, let’s take a look at a few quarterbacks you should be targeting for both cash and gpp games.
Cash:
Marcus Mariota (DK $6,700, FD $7,700)
Mariota comes into week 1 as the consensus chalk quarterback. The 6th highest priced QB on DK and 7th highest priced QB on FD, Mariota won’t be heavily owned because of his bargain price. Instead, Mariota will likely be the highest owned QB in cash games because of his favorable Vegas totals. The Titans come into week one as a 3.5 point favorite against the Raiders in a game that features the highest over/under 50.5. This high over/under gives the Titans an implied total of 26.5 points, good enough for second on this slate only behind the Steelers. Quarterbacks with similar Vegas totals have gone on to perform well in the past. Mariota has had the best red zone touchdown efficiency rating since joining the league in 2015. When you add up all that and include that the Raiders had one of the worst secondaries in the league last season, you can see why Mariota is expected to be the highest owned quarterback.
GPP:
Russell Wilson (DK $ 6,900, FD $8,000)
After a let down 2016 season, Wilson finds himself looking to hit the refresh button. His fantasy production last season took a dip because he only rushed for 259 yards on the season with one rushing touchdown. It’s been heavily reported that Wilson changed his workout routine over the offseason and is looking to recapture his 2015 form this season. Well, week 1 is a nice opportunity for Wilson to put his new offseason regime to the test against the Packers. The Packers allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game last season and did hardly anything to improve their secondary in the offseason. This game opened up with an over/under just under 50 but has since increased to 51, giving this game the highest over/under on the slate. The Seahawks are on road underdogs, and that generally isn’t a recipe for success, but the Packers secondary is bad enough for you to consider taking a flier on Wilson in tournaments.
Plays worth considering in Cash & GPP:
Matt Ryan (DK $6,900, FD $8,500) – The Falcons are tied for 1st on the slate for implied team points with 27.5. Matt Ryan is going up against a Bears defense that is significantly improved in the front seven and new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian could look to air it out in their first game to get Falcon’s fans over their 28-3 blown Super Bowl win. However, Ryan does come with some red flags as he is playing on the road and there truly is no way of telling how the offense will function without Kyle Shanahan.
Ben Roethlisberger ($DK 7,300, FD $8,200) – Big Ben comes in with the same implied team total as the Falcons. He’s playing an abysmal Browns team and is an 8.5 point favorite. Ben will have his full assortment of weapons to his use with the return of LeVeon Bell and Martavis Bryant. The concern here is Ben’s home and road splits.
Running Backs
The running back position is almost always dominated by Le’Veon Bell (DK $9,800, FD $9,300) and David Johnson (DK $9,400, FD $9,400). This week is no different. Both are elite plays and expect to be the highest owned backs in this slate. Now the question is if you can play both of them. The answer is yes. There’s certainly enough value in other positions that allow you to make your lineup construction with these two elite backs. But if you have to choose one over the other I like Johnson over Bell because of the simple fact that the game has a closer spread and David Johnson plays for a Cardinal team that has fewer mouths to feed than the Steelers.
Chalk
Todd Gurley (DK $6,000, FD $7,300)
If you’re looking for a chalk alternative from the two safe, elite backs look no further than Todd Gurley. More of a value on Draftkings than Fanduel, Gurley comes into week 1 in an elite spot. The Rams are currently home favorite against the Andrew Luck-less Colts and have seen the Vegas line shift them from 3 point underdogs to 4 point favorites. With a poor offensive line and Jeff Fisher calling the plays last season, Gurley had a letdown year after being selected as the number 1 RB in most season-long drafts last season. This year the Rams have made some moves to improve their offensive line and also brought in Sean McVay to jumpstart their offense. Gurley should have an ample amount of opportunities to get to the 100 yard DK bonus and could even fall into the endzone.
GPP
Carlos Hyde (DK $4,600, FD $6,800)
If you’re looking for a cheap running back in your roster construction, Carlos Hyde is your answer. With Joe William landing on the IR and Tim Hightower being a surprise cut out of the 49ers camp, Hyde only has to share targets with undrafted rookie Matt Breida. Hyde should be a lock for 25 touches with Kyle Shanahan calling the plays now and his price on both sites could help open up salary in other roster spots.
Wide Receivers
Depending on lineup construction, wide receiver could be where you really differentiate yourself from the field. The top 3 studs are all in strong positions. Antonio Brown (DK $ 8,800, FD $9,100), Julio Jones (DK $8,500, FD $9,000), and AJ Green (DK $8,000, FD $ 8,400) are all in spots where we can see them have a big game. But let’s take an audible into some plays that people may be overlooking
Doug Baldwin (DK $6,700, FD $7,500)
I mentioned how the Seahawks passing offense was in a good spot against the Packers. The game flow looks to be in Baldwin’s favor as the Packers had the worst secondary in the league last season, and quite frankly their cornerbacks don’t scare any passing attack. Baldwin will face either Quinten Rollins, Davon House, or Damarious Randall neither was graded higher than top 50 of Pro Football Focus Cornerback Rankings.
Kendall Wright (DK $3,200, FD $5,200)
Kendall Wright looks poised to take advantage of a Bears receiving corp that is extremely depleted after losing Cameron Meredith for the season. Although Wright is not listed as the number two receiver behind Kevin White, Wright will be on the field in three wide receiver sets. That may sound concerning, but during preseason the first-team Bears offense ran three wide receiver sets 14 out of their 15 plays, so Wright is a sneaky cheap option to get some much volume. Wright was signed by the Bears after his previous work with offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. Under Loggains, Wright saw and an average of 8.7 targets per game back in 2013. In a game that the Bears are heavy underdogs against the Falcons, the offense could be throwing the ball more than 40 times opening up cheap targets for Wright to snag.
Amari Cooper (DK $7,200, FD $7,600)
Amari Cooper should be another popular play. Playing in the game with the highest over/under on the slate, Cooper is going to have an ample of opportunities to bring in targets. The Titans last season ranked in the bottom of the league in points per game allowed to wide receiver, and with a duel of Cooper and Crabtree, the Raiders passing game could be in store for a big game.
Larry Fitzgerald (DK $5,900, FD $6,400)
Fitz is a veteran that could be heavily owned in this first few weeks. The one thing about the vet is that he has some drastic splits from the first half of the season and the second. Fitzgerald has averaged 13.9 points in the first 6 games of the season compared to 11.3 games in the second half. The Cardinals passing offense faces the Lions who were 32nd in DVOA.
** Fanduel only ** Terrelle Pryor (FD $6,200) is extremely underpriced in Fanduel. Although his preseason action with Kirk Cousins left a lot to be desired, Pryor should see a massive target amount.
Tight End
Drafting a tight end in DFS is often dependent on the site you play. In Draftkings touchdowns become less important than targets, while on Fanduel touchdowns valued higher than targets/receptions.
Chalk
Draftkings – Zach Ertz (DK $4,300, FD $6,100)
Ertz is the uber chalk on Draftkings. With the Eagles getting rid of Jordan Matthews and Alshon Jeffery expecting to be shadowed by Josh Norman, Ertz becomes the immediate beneficiary of targets from Carson Wentz. Ertz doesn’t have the touchdown upside that others like Jared Cook or Tyler Eifert may have, but his price and volume make him a nice cash play on Draftkings.
Fanduel – Tyler Eifert (DK $4,600, FD $6,100)
Eifert is an example of how site determines what would be the better player. With Green sucking up most of the targets, Eifert is left with minimal targets. Fortunately for Eifert, he scored on over 40% of his targets last season. Although that number is likely to regress, Eifert is at a good price for such a volatile position.
Defense
Los Angeles Rams (DK $3,200, FD $4,600)
The Rams’ defense is in a good spot as a 4 point home favorite against a team that doesn’t have their starting quarterback. The Colts could very much be a train wreck come Sunday, and although the Rams will likely be without their All-Pro Aaron Donald, their defense should be able to handle Scott Tolzien and Frank Gore.
Houston Texans (DK $3,800, FD 5,100)
The Texans are the chalkiest defense with the highest upside. Aside from the fact that they are with the most talented defense in a prime matchup, they get to face Blake Bortles. Bortles looked dreadful this preseason and last year ranked in the bottom-10 in interception rate (3.7%). They are the most expensive defensive option out of the other chalk defense.
Fantasy Football Season Preview: Running Backs 2017
**Mike Barner**
Fantasy Football Season Preview Running Backs 2017
The long journey through the NFL season is rapidly approaching, meaning it’s one of the most exciting times of the year: drafting your fantasy football team. While you need your players to stay healthy and have a little luck go your way, having a strong draft can go a long way to determining the fate of your season.
Lineup Lab is here to help you come away a winner. In the second of our season previews, we’ll break down the running back position. Wide Receivers have been the darlings of fantasy drafts in recent years, but the running back position is making a claim to dominate the first few spots in many drafts this season. Even in leagues where PPR scoring would appear to favor the receivers, running backs who can also catch passes out of the backfield can carry tremendous value.
Whether you want to draft elite running backs early or select a sleeper or two in the later rounds, we’ll examine some players to target and avoid as you navigate your way through your draft.
Old Faces In New Places
Adrian Peterson – New Orleans Saints
Peterson joins the Saints after spending a decade with the Minnesota Vikings. To say he posted some impressive stats with the Vikings is an understatement. He rushed for at least 1,266 yards and scored at least ten rushing touchdowns in each season where he played in at least 14 games. His best season was in 2012 when he had 2,097 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 217 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
Peterson has seen his career take a turn for the worse due to injury as he has played three games or less in two of the last three seasons. He only played three games in 2016, rushing a meager 37 times for 72 yards total while failing to reach the end zone.
While he was the undisputed number one back in Minnesota, he doesn’t have a clear path for a significant workload with the Saints. He joins a backfield that already has talented hold over Mark Ingram. Ingram had the best season of his career last year as he had 1,043 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 319 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. The Saints also drafted Alvin Kamara in the third round, adding further talent to their squad.
It’s highly unlikely that Peterson is going to match his significant production years because not only will he be sharing the workload, but he’s not the same physically that he once was. That being said, he could still provide touchdowns as their power back when they get towards the goal line. Best case scenario for him from a fantasy perspective though is probably to finish as a low-end RB2.
Marshawn Lynch – Oakland Raiders
Lynch returns to the NFL after a brief one-year retirement. He had an excellent stretch from 2011 through 2014 with the Seattle Seahawks where he rushed for at least 1,200 yards and scored at least 11 rushing touchdowns in each season. Known for being a power runner, he’s no slouch in the passing game either as he has recorded at least 300 receiving yards three times in his career.
The 2015 season was a struggle for Lynch as he was limited to only seven games due to injury. He only averaged 3.8 yards per carry, his lowest average since 2010. While he decided to retire after that season, he couldn’t resist coming back to play in his hometown for the Raiders this season.
Due to his style of play, the year off may actually benefit Lynch. He also has the benefit of playing behind a very good offensive line. The Raiders finished sixth in the NFL last season with 1,922 rushing yards as a team and tied for sixth in rushing touchdowns with 17. Throw in talented offensive players like quarterback Derek Carr and wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and you get a potentially potent offense.
Lynch will have to share some of the workload with DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard, but he is still going to get the majority of the carries. It would not be surprising if he finishes the season with close to 1,000 rushing yards and double-digit touchdowns.
Overrated Players
Spencer Ware – Kansas City Chiefs
Ware showed plenty of promise in 2015 in limited action as he averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored six rushing touchdowns on only 72 rushing attempts. Jamaal Charles was limited to only three games and 12 carries in 2016, opening the door for Ware to become the feature back in Kansas City.
Ware’s overall 2016 stats are impressive as he recorded 921 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 447 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He finished with averages of 4.3 yards per carry and 13.5 yards per reception.
A closer look at his numbers though show that he did most of his damage in the beginning of the season, then tailed off dramatically. In the first five games of the season, he averaged at least 5.5 yards per carry in four games and had two of his three rushing touchdowns for the season. Over the last eight games he played for the season, he failed to rush for more than 69 yards in any game and finished with an average of 3.8 yards per carry or less in five of the final six games.
While he enters this season as the starting running back, his work load is expected to be threatened by rookie Kareem Hunt, who should at least take away some opportunities in the passing game. Hunt rushed for 1,475 yards and had 403 receiving yards in college last season, showing he can be a dual-threat in the backfield. Ware can still provide valuable fantasy contributions, but don’t expect him to be anything more than a low-end RB2. If you are playing in a PPR format, Hunt’s presence creates an even bigger threat to Ware’s value.
Paul Perkins – New York Giants
Perkins had a solid rookie campaign for the Giants as he rushed for 456 yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. He also contributed to the passing attack with 15 receptions and 162 receiving yards. He is expected to be the starting running back this season after the Giants moved on from Rashad Jennings.
Perkins is a trendy pick to have a breakout campaign this season, but I’m not buying it. He had 127 total touches last season, but failed to reach the end zone even once. The Giants offensive line was terrible last season as the team only averaged 3.5 yards per carry, good for third worst in the NFL. They did nothing to improve the line heading into this season either, so there isn’t much reason to believe they will be any better.
The Giants are a pass heavy team as they will likely throw the ball as much (if not more) this season since they brought in both Brandon Marshall and Evan Engram during the off season. It’s also important to remember that Shane Vereen missed most of last season due to injury. He’s going to play a lot when the Giants are looking to throw the ball and he had 59 receptions on 81 targets when he was last healthy for them in 2015.
While it’s going to be hard for Perkins to not at least record a few touchdowns this season, don’t believe the hype. I would not want him to be one of the starting running backs on my fantasy squad.
Undervalued Players
LeGarrette Blount – Philadelphia Eagles
Blount is coming off of the best season of his career as he had 1,161 rushing yards and a whopping 18 rushing touchdowns for the New England Patriots last year. To put that into perspective, he had a total of 18 rushing touchdowns in his previous three seasons combined.
Blount is now a member of the Eagles and could thrive yet again. Don’t worry about him not being involved in the passing game because of Darren Sproles as Blount has never caught more than 15 passes in a season anyways. Ryan Mathews played the same role last season that Blount will this year. He came away with 8 touchdowns and 661 yards in only 13 games last year.
The Eagles are going to be much improved offensively this season with quarterback Carson Wentz entering his second season and adding receivers Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, meaning Blount could have plenty of red zone opportunities. He’s not going to score 18 touchdowns again, but I don’t think 10 touchdowns and 750 yards is out of the question. That’s a valuable contributor that can be had in the middle rounds of many drafts.
Samaje Perine – Washington Redskins
Perine had an excellent college career with Oklahoma as he rushed for at least 1,060 yards and had at least 12 rushing touchdowns in all three seasons. While those numbers are great, his 6.0 yards per carry average over those three seasons is exceptional.
He joins a Redskins offense that was known as more of a passing unit last season as only five other teams had fewer rushing attempts. Rob Kelley was their most prominent running back, finishing with 704 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns. Although the Redskins didn’t run much, their average of 4.5 yards per carry was good for ninth best in the NFL.
While Kelley is the projected starter this season, don’t be surprised if Perine passes him at some point. Kelley showed flashes last season, but had 37 rushing yards or less in three of his last six games. You have to take some chances and hit on some late-round picks to have a real shot at winning your league. I think Perine is one of those late-round players who could provide a nice return on investment.
A Look At The Fantasy Playoff Schedule
Another key part of your research is to know who has favorable match ups during the fantasy football playoffs, generally weeks 15 and 16 in most leagues. Let’s dive in and see where you can gain that edge.
Favorable Schedules
Jordan Howard – Chicago Bears
Howard has one of the best fantasy playoff schedules as he gets to face the Detroit Lions on the road in Week 15 and the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 16. Although the Lions only allowed eight rushing touchdowns last season, they did allow an average of 4.4 yards per carry. Howard played well against them last year, rushing for 197 yards total in two games. The Browns were terrible against the run last season as only three times had a higher average than their 4.6 yards per carry allowed. They also allowed 18 rushing touchdowns, a total surpassed by only five other teams. Howard is a great fantasy option on the season overall, but he could really cash in during the playoffs.
Jay Ajayi – Miami Dolphins
Ajayi had a breakout season in 2016 and could be in for an even bigger role in the offense this season with Ryan Tannehill out for the year. He gets to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, a team that allowed the fourth most rushing yards and second most rushing touchdowns last season. Week 16 brings a match up with the Chiefs who allowed 121.1 rushing yards per game last season, good for seventh most in the NFL. Expect big things from Ajayi when it matters the most.
Difficult Schedules
Todd Gurley – Los Angeles Rams
Gurley faces an extremely difficult task in Week 15 as he squares off against the Seattle Seahawks on the road. The Seahawks allowed only 3.4 yards per carry last season, which was the best in the NFL. Gurley did not perform well against them last year either as he rushed for only 89 yards against them in two games combined. Week 16 is no cake walk either as he will take on the Tennessee Titans, a team who actually allowed less rushing yards than the Seahawks did.
Carlos Hyde – San Francisco 49ers
Hyde also has the dubious task of facing the Titans as they take on the 49ers in Week 15. Not only did the Titans not allow many rushing yards, but their 10 rushing touchdowns allowed was tied for fifth best in the league. It doesn’t get much easier for Hyde and the 49ers in Week 16 as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who only allowed an average of 3.8 yards per carry last season. Taking into consideration Hyde’s injury history, this fantasy playoff schedule doesn’t do his fantasy value any favors either.