Draft Kings Strategy Week 5: Best Bargains At Each Position
The best way to cash on weekly fantasy football sites is to load up on as many stars with good matchups as possible. Due to budget restraints, however, fantasy players must sacrifice other positions to nab the stars they want.
Here, you'll find the top bargains at each position on Draft Kings that will let you splurge elsewhere. And remember, scoring is IMPORTANT. Here is Draft Kings’ scoring system.
The bargains are listed in the order I like them.
Quarterbacks
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jets ($5,100): You must think I’m nuts. He has 10 interceptions in four weeks, and I’m telling you to fire him up for daily fantasy when he’s on the road at Pittsburgh? Yes. The Steelers’ run defense is very stout, while the pass defense is middling. The Steelers’ DBs are going to have a rough go of it handling Brandon Marshall, and the Jets will be desperate. Plus, he only costs $100 more than backups who won’t even play.
Brian Hoyer, Bears ($5,500): I actually think Hoyer will be a popular play, which knocks him down ever so slightly. You can’t argue against his matchup though. The Colts are 29th in the league vs. the pass, and Hoyer’s top target, Alshon Jeffery, is due for an explosion.
Trevor Siemian/Paxton Lynch, Broncos ($5,200): It’s unclear which Denver QB is starting, but once you know, throw them in a lineup. Atlanta is a hot team right now, but their defense should give you Saints/Colts levels of excitement when you have players going up against it. Siemian may be the new Ryan Fitzpatrick -- a middling player surrounded by great weapons – but if he misses the game, Lynch will have those same weapons at his disposal.
Running Backs
Devonta Freeman, Falcons ($5,000): Don’t be fooled! The Broncos are vulnerable against the run (23rd per FootballOutsiders.com) and Freeman is going to see an increased workload. Tevin Coleman has sickle cell trait, which means he will be either limited or inactive in Denver’s thin air. That all adds up to Freeman getting a lot of carries, and a whole Draft Kings community that will ignore him because of the Broncos defense’s name value.
Jordan Howard, Bears ($4,200): Howard looks better than serviceable, and he has as juicy a matchup as there is vs. the Colts. He can gash Indianapolis on the ground or through the air, and WR Kevin White is out, leaving double-digit touches for the rest of the Bears to snap up. Expect close to half of them to go to Howard.
Latavius Murray, Raiders ($4,100): Murray is losing work to not one, but two other RBs, but he remains Oakland’s choice in the red zone. Murray has scored in three out of four games, and this week he has San Diego’s soft defense to go up against. Expect Murray to notch you another touchdown or two on Sunday.
Wide Receivers
Sterling Shepard, Giants ($5,500): Shepard failed to reach 100 yards or a touchdown for the first time last week. He will quickly get back to those types of numbers against a Packers’ defense that ranks next-to-last in the NFL against No. 2 receivers. Shepard might go HAM, especially if the Packers focus all their attention on stopping/frustrating Odell Beckham Jr.
Robert Woods, Bills ($3,900): The Rams get after the passer pretty well, but they haven’t done a great job on No. 1 receivers. With Sammy Watkins out, that’s exactly what you would call Woods. The spot is also excellent, with the Rams riding high off two straight unexpected wins. The Bills are suddenly playing pretty well, and Tyrod Taylor has a penchant for making long plays. Woods could be in line for a couple.
Sammie Coates, Steelers ($3,600): Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think Antonio Brown will completely eviscerate the Jets secondary. If they get torched, it’s typically No. 2 receivers who are the culprit. Coates is a big, fast No. 2 receiver whom Ben Roethlisberger likes to throw to deep down the field. That may spell doom for the Jets, but joy for Draft Kings players.
Tight Ends
Tyler Eifert, Bengals ($4,200): Dallas ranks second to last against tight ends this year, and they’ve only faced one elite one. Eifert is expected back this week, and it’s not a moment too soon for the offensively challenged Bengals. Eifert will be a sight for Andy Dalton’s sore eyes in the red zone, and I’d be very surprised with anything less than one touchdown.
Zach Ertz, Eagles ($3,500): Ertz is another returning TE, but the position is so weak that these players are good to go right away. Ertz automatically becomes Philadelphia’s No. 2 pass-catcher behind WR Jordan Matthews, and he has a cushy matchup vs. the Lions.
Will Tye, Giants ($2,600): I gotta show love for my fellow Stony Brook Seawolf! Tye is extremely cheap, and while he’s low upside, he’s also high-floor with Larry Donnell dealing with a concussion. The Packers have been mediocre at best against TEs, so Tye is a decent option if you want to load up on WRs or RBs.