Draft Kings Week 14: 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
Eli Manning, Giants ($5,500): Manning is inconsistent, but this is a game the Giants need if they want to win the NFC East. Coming off a dud last week, Manning should be able to consistently find Odell Beckham against a Cowboys defense that has been solid, but unspectacular. Rostering Eli not only provides high upside, it gives you some stake in the primetime action.
Carson Wentz, Eagles ($5,100): Wentz is another talented QB coming off a stinker last week. Don’t shy away from him, however, with an excellent matchup at home against the Redskins in a must-win. The Redskins’ defense is weak vs. the pass – 20th per Football Outsiders – and Went will likely have his best receiver, Jordan Matthews, back. He’s only $100 more than a standard backup; Wentz is much better than that.
Bryce Petty, Jets ($5,000): I’m nothing if not consistent. When I see a starting QB cost as much as a backup, it’s hard for me to not construct at least one roster featuring said QB. So, here we are. I think it’s very likely that Bryce Petty STINKS, but he’s starting and he’s against a pathetic 49ers defense. If he’s smart and just peppers Brandon Marshall with targets he should do well.
Running Backs
Lamar Miller, Texans ($5,400): Miller has a dream matchup this week against the Colts, while he’s priced as an RB2. Miller hasn’t lived up to his preseason hype, but he hasn’t been awful either. Give him a good matchup, and I’m expecting at least 70 yards and a touchdown, especially when the Texans’ offense is so limited.
Isaiah Crowell, Browns ($3,900): Crowell’s gone ice cold in terms of his rushing compared to how he began the year, but he’s managed to save his stats most of the time with passing game contributions. This week, Crowell should be able to do a little bit of both in a home matchup vs. the Bengals and their 20th-ranked run defense. Crowell’s 16 carries last week are a sign they’re recommitting to him being the focal point.
Charles Sims, Buccaneers ($4,000): Charles Sims is back! The Bucs’ productive third-down back will be activated this week in a cushy matchup vs. the Saints and their 26th-ranked pass defense. The Saints are also the third-worst defense in the NFL against running backs through the air, meaning Sims can do work even if his action is extremely limited.
Wide Receivers
Adam Thielen, Vikings ($4,700): Thielen has become a target hound over the last two weeks, seeing 20 passes come his way over the last two weeks. Thielen has caught 75 percent of his targets in that span, and scored twice in the two weeks prior. Simply put, he’s got no name value, but he’s been highly productive. That, plus Jacksonville ranking just 25th against No. 2 receivers, makes Thielen a very enticing play.
Taylor Gabriel, Falcons ($4,300): Gabriel is just waiting to explode every week, and he should’ve had a third consecutive week with a touchdown when a touchdown was called back vs. the Chiefs. This week the Falcons have the Rams, who are a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde act defensively. As long as Gabriel sees enough targets – and he’s had at least five in each of his last four games – the potential is there for enormous output.
Robby Anderson, Jets($3,000): Anderson is cheap AF and rightly so; he’s done very little in 2016. With Petty under center now, however, Anderson’s stock has jumped if the second half of Monday night was any indication. Anderson saw 12 targets, a season high, and may have a little connection with Petty. If you want to be extremely reckless, you might want to stack these two for a total of $8,000, leaving you with a ton of excess budget to use elsewhere.
Tight Ends
C.J. Fiedorowicz, Texans ($3,900): Fiedorowicz is an insane bargain this week. He’s Houston’s second-most targeted pass catcher, and he’s matched up with the Colts secondary, the worst unit in the NFL at defending tight ends.
Jason Witten, Cowboys ($3.100): Witten has fallen off the face of the Earth lately, seeing zero targets last week, but the matchup dictates he’s a nice play. The Giants have defended tight ends poorly this season, and Witten has a history of tearing Big Blue up on primetime.
Julius Thomas, Jaguars ($2,800): Keep an eye on his injury status, but if healthy Thomas is a sneaky play most Draft Kings players won’t consider. He’s cheap as hell, and even though the Vikings have a tough defense, they only rank 21st vs. tight ends.