Draft Kings Week 9: 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

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers ($5,600): This is the perfect time to play Kapernick, who has done impressive things in his first two starts of 2016 on the ground. He’s run for 66 and 84 yards in his last two tilts, and this week he’s at home vs. the Saints, one of the worst defenses in the NFL against the run AND the pass. Look for Kaepernick to score his first rushing TD of the season, and throw for around 200-250 yards with a passing TD or two.

Trevor Siemian, Broncos ($5,100): Once again, Siemian is a player surrounded by excellent talent who is priced like a backup. Oakland ranks 25th against the pass, so the matchup is in Siemian’s favor, but you aren’t quite buying him yet right? Let me fix that right up. He’s thrown one interception in his last five games, completed better than 60 percent of his passes five times, and shown he can explode against a bad defense; see Siemian’s 312-yard, four-touchdown eruption vs. the Bengals. He might be a little pedestrian at times, but he’s never awful, and he is $100 away from legitimate backups who won’t play.

Sam Bradford, Vikings ($5,000): I get it, he’s not good. But he is the cheapest starting QB in Draft Kings this week, and he’s up against the actual worst pass defense in the NFL. Yeah Bradford sucks, but WR Stefon Diggs doesn’t, and neither does TE Kyle Rudolph. I’ll be very surprised if Bradford doesn’t put up at least two passing TDs.

Running Backs

Theo Riddick, Lions ($4,900): Hey guys, it’s time to stop pretending Riddick is a receiving-only RB. He is the Lions’ main guy in the backfield, seeing 10 or 11 rushes in each of the last five games. In each of those games he’s seen at least five targets in the passing game, and as many as 11. He is a high-usage RB in an explosive offense; and don’t shy away from the matchup with the Vikings, because they rank 23rd in the league vs. RBs through the air.

Latavius Murray, Raiders ($4,000): The Denver matchup looks awful at first, but dig a bit deeper and you’ll see the Broncos really bare their teeth at opposing quarterbacks. They can harass a passer and absolutely wreck a passing game, but running against them is possible. They’re ranked 14th vs. the run – not great, far from terrible – and Murray is entrenched as Oakland’s lead back. He has a decent chance at a touchdown, and he’s priced as a very low-end FLEX type.

T.J. Yeldon, Jaguars ($3,600): I understand if you’re just anti-Jacksonville until they show a pulse, but Yeldon remains the leader in the clubhouse for carries. With Blake Bortles sputtering, Yeldon should be in line for a nice workload, and some passing game targets to boot, against Kansas City’s 23rd-ranked rushing defense. It’ll be annoying if he loses a TD to Chris Ivory, but go with the volume. Throwing Yeldon in the mix lets you go wild for a stud WR.

Wide Receivers

Michael Thomas, Saints ($5,500): Thomas may be just a rookie, but he has graduated to becoming the Saints’ top receiver. He’s second on the team in targets to Brandin Cooks, but he’s been more consistent on a weekly basis. This week he is up against the 49ers, a team that’s worse against the run than the pass, but is dreadful vs. No. 1 receivers. Like dead-last bad. Fire up Thomas comfortably as a WR2, or even a WR1 if you are doubling up on stud RBs.

Tavon Austin, Rams ($4,200): This is high-risk because the Rams have one of the worst QB situations possibly in NFL history, but Austin’s usage is nuts. He’s had double-digit targets in two of the Rams’ last three games, and also registered seven carries in that span. The Panthers are one of the most pathetic pass defenses in football, so on that front it makes sense. Bear this in mind though; Austin caught 11 passes for 57 yards last week, so don’t be surprised if all his targets are on two-yard passes. It’s also worth noting Austin can turn those into long touchdowns in the blink of an eye.

Kenny Stills, Dolphins ($3,900): If you witnessed what Marquise Goodwin and Sammie Coates have been able to do vs. the Jets’ porous secondary, then you should feel pretty optimistic about what Kenny Stills may do. The Jets just can’t handle speedy deep threats in 2016, and that’s the entirety of Stills’ role with the Dolphins. Most weeks he does nothing – note his price – but in this matchup, at home, he’s dangerous.

Tight Ends

Jason Witten, Cowboys ($3,700): We all know what Witten brings by now. This week he has the Browns, so he’ll be heavily targeted. Think six to eight catches, 80-90 yards, and maybe a score. That’s plenty of bang for the buck.

Richard Rodgers, Packers ($2,700): I know, I know I’ve burned you recommending Rodgers before. The Packers straight up don’t use their TEs much, so I won’t pretend like this isn’t super risky. But the Colts are literally THE WORST team in the NFL vs. tight ends. They even let Travis Kelce go off, and he does next to nothing every week. Try him one more time, and if he fails, I promise I won’t keep pushing him on you.

Vance McDonald, 49ers ($2,600): Are you looking for one of the most unorthodox stacks of all time? How about a Kaepernick-McDonald pairing for $5,600 total vs. one of the league’s worst defenses? This is extremely high risk, but imagine the payoff if they hit. Savings like these allow you to roster the likes of Julio Jones and Ezekiel Elliott. McDonald is extremely difficult to trust, but has a high ceiling.