Draft Kings Week 7: 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

Tyrod Taylor, Bills ($5,100): I have no idea who Tyrod is going to throw to this week, but the Bills need to air it out against the second-worst pass defense in the NFL. Taylor is a solid QB, and this week he costs just $100 more than Kevin Hogan, the Browns backup. That’s insane, regardless of how depleted his receiving corps is. Maybe Taylor chucks it to RB LeSean McCoy 15 times? Tampa’s secondary is such Swiss cheese that Tyrod will have success, and he’s still one of the elite running QBs in the NFL. Don’t forget—rushing TDs equal six points in DraftKings, so Taylor is already a value at all times based on that.

Josh McCown, Jets ($5,200): I didn’t expect to lead off Week 7 with two AFC East QBs, but McCown has been shockingly competent. He’s thrown two touchdowns in back-to-back games, and really he should’ve had three last week vs. the Patriots. He also racked up 354 passing yards last week, proving he can light it up if the matchup is favorable. This week, he’s up against the Dolphins; Miami hasn’t been New England bad, but they’re bad. Miami has proven to be a stout run defense, but a leaky sieve against the pass (28th per FootballOutsiders.com). Hold your nose and use him if you’re looking to cheap out at QB.

Blake Bortles, Jaguars ($4,700): The days of Bortles putting up monster numbers are long gone with Leonard Fournette dominating touches, but with the right matchup Bortles can still be playable in this format. He’ll be up against the Colts’ 27th-ranked pass defense, and his four-touchdown outburst vs. the Ravens in London proved he can still have big games. You’ll never feel comfortable using Bortles, but QBs are often the surest bets for values when you reach down in the dumpster.

Running Backs

Mike Gillislee, Patriots ($4,500): Gillislee fumbled last week and ceded a one-yard touchdown to Dion Lewis, which is the basis for this low price tag. Gillislee is risky this week, but he has a lot of upside. Despite the fumble, Gillislee still finished the game with 10 carries and averaged 4.4 yards per rush. He has a juicy matchup with Atlanta’s 29th-ranked run defense, and when things go right he can score multiple touchdowns. I don’t expect Lewis to continue cutting into goal line carries for Gillislee, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him return to the end zone. If you are fully buying in on Lewis stealing Gillislee’s role, he’s only $200 more; either way, you’ll want to own a piece of the New England running game against the Falcons. Personally, I’ll take the $200 discount.

Marlon Mack, Colts ($4,100): Mack is not the Colts’ starting running back, but he is their most explosive. With Robert Turbin’s season over, Mack is going to be locked into at least 10 or so carries at a minimum. Even if he only sees 10 touches, he should be able to parlay that into useful production against Jacksonville’s pathetic run defense. The Jags own the top-rated D against the pass, but they are second-worst against the run. Yes, Frank Gore could be the one who scores the touchdowns, but there’s no guarantee that is the case. I’d rather have Mack’s ability than Gore’s 3.4 yards per carry. And by the way, they both have two rushing TDs.

Orleans Darkwa, Giants ($3,700): Darkwa aggressively claimed the Giants’ starting RB role on Monday Night Football, torching Denver’s top-ranked run defense for nearly 130 yards on the ground. With no relevant, healthy wide receivers available the G-Men are shifting to the ground game, and if Darkwa can obliterate a sturdy run D like Denver’s, he should be able to find success against Seattle’s 26th-ranked unit. Rookie Wayne Gallman is a threat to Darkwa’s workload, but the veteran has earned the lion’s share.

Wide Receivers

Jermaine Kearse, Jets ($4,700): Whether you consider Kearse the Jets’ No. 1 receiver or No. 2, Miami ranks 30th in the league against both. McCown and Kearse make for a sneaky good stack this week, and they won’t cost much. His targets have started to dwindle just a tad, but he does have three touchdowns on the season and won’t have many better situations than Week 7 moving forward.

Allen Hurns, Jaguars ($4,100): Hurns has been losing targets and putting up duds the last two weeks. He’s also checked in with fewer than 50 receiving yards in four straight games and scored once over that span. I say all this to highlight to you that this is a gamble. I can’t guarantee that Hurns is going to pan out. However, I do like him and I do think he is the Jaguars’ best receiver. This week he has a cushy matchup with the Colts, and the Colts rank 28th vs. No. 2 receivers. If we operate under the assumption that Marqise Lee is Jacksonville’s WR1, Hurns seems like a nice play. If you’re feeling frisky, you might try to stack him with Bortles. I recommend trying that in a low-stakes pool.

De’Anthony Thomas, Chiefs ($3,000): This is a deep sleeper player, but with Chris Conley out there is no clear WR2 in the Chiefs’ offense. Granted, Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce are soaking up most of the touches in this offense, with Tyreek Hill scooping up the rest, but Thomas is very reminiscent of Hill just one year ago. He’s scored in back-to-back weeks, and saw four targets last week, a season-high. There’s potential for him to throw up a week-ruining doughnut, or he could explode for a TD or two. If you are feeling extremely froggy, Thomas might provide an exhilarating moment.

Tight Ends

Kyle Rudolph, Vikings ($3,800): Rudolph has seen nine targets in back-to-back games, which is fantastic news for this Week 7 must-own. Rudolph is up against the Ravens, the defense ranked dead-last vs. opposing TEs. I touted Zach Miller last week and he scored; Rudolph is a better player and will probably score twice. Go draft Kyle Rudolph.

Jason Witten, Cowboys ($4,500): Witten returned to form in Week 5 after seeing a drastic reduction in targets the previous two games, and hauled in eight passes for 61 yards. After the bye week, Witten returns to face the Redskins, who have been just marginally better than the Ravens against TEs (28th). Aside from Dez Bryant, Witten is far and away the best target for Dak Prescott in the passing game, and he’s due for a touchdown. If you don’t feel comfortable using Rudolph because of Minnesota’s QB situation, then lean on old, reliable Witten.

Jordan Reed, Redskins ($4,800): This is a bargain because Reed’s talent is second only to Rob Gronkowski. He’s clearly playing hurt, and he hasn’t had any explosions in 2017; that could change with a great matchup against Dallas. I touted Witten, but the reverse applies as well. Dallas is worse than Washington against tight ends, so even a hobbled Reed can potentially strike for a TD or two. His physical condition, plus his higher price tag is what has him down here, but Reed is a fine play.