DFS Strategy Week 9: Best Bargains at Each Position on Draft Kings

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, Buccaneers ($5,500): Fitzmagic is back! The Bucs offense was beyond fantasy friendly through the first three weeks of the year with Fitzpatrick slinging the ball for 400+ yards in three straight games, while chucking 11 touchdowns in that span. Now he’s back, and he won’t be looking over his shoulder as he’s replaced Jameis Winston. The Panthers are a surprisingly soft matchup, ranking 20th vs. the pass per FootballOutsiders.com. 20th isn’t the worst, but it’s exciting when you have Fitz the gunslinger surrounded by dangerous pass-catchers.

Alex Smith, Redskins ($5,000): Smith burned me a bit last week, but he gets one more chance to prove his worth with a home game against the NFL’s fourth-worst pass defense. Smith has never been one to pile up yards, but he won’t hurt himself with turnovers, and he could easily put up three touchdowns. Also, while he hasn’t run much in 2018, he is always a threat to put up numbers on the ground, which is a big deal in Draft Kings’ four-point passing touchdown format.

Nick Mullens, 49ers ($4,300): Keep an eye on the inactives this week, because Mullens might very well get a start against the Oakland Raiders. I refuse to pretend I know anything about Mullens; these are his college stats. He’s never thrown an NFL regular season pass, but he is probably going to be a starting QB for a week, and he’d be facing a truly abysmal pass defense.

Running Backs

Jalen Richard, Raiders ($5,000): Richard is the big winner from the injury to Marshawn Lynch, and he benefitted further from Oakland trading Amari Cooper. Richard has seen eight targets in back-to-back games, and this week faces the 49ers, who are a zombie-like team racing the Raiders to the bottom of the standings. Oakland’s wide receivers are a collection of aging players and castoffs from elsewhere. It’s possible Richard is their best pass-catcher right now.

Latavius Murray, Vikings ($5,100): Murray is going to feast this week on the Lions’ weak run defense. Murray has put up four touchdowns in the last three games, scoring at least once each time. That will repeat itself as Detroit ranks 30th against the run, and the backfield will be all Murray’s for at least one more week.

Nick Chubb, Browns ($4,500): Chubb is clearly the lead dog for the Browns, carrying the rock 18 times in back-to-back games. He’s averaged four yards per carry on those 36 totes, and this week he gets to face the NFL’s worst-ranked run defense, the Kansas City Chiefs. The danger here is the Chiefs pounce on Cleveland early and force the Browns into a one-dimensional, pass-happy game script. Chubb’s been targeted five times since gaining the lead role, so only time will tell if they trust him in the passing game.

Wide Receivers

Marvin Jones, Lions ($5,300): Detroit’s crowded WR corps gained clarity this week, as they dealt Golden Tate to the Eagles for a third round pick. Jones is now clearly the Lions’ No. 2 receiver, and the Vikings happen to rank just 26th against such pass-catchers. That matchup, plus Jones’ big play ability, make him an enticing play in Week 9.

Tre’Quan Smith, Saints ($4,200): Smith only has one monster game to date, a three-catch, 111-yard, two-touchdown performance, but he’s due for more now that he’s the No. 2 receiver. The Saints are home this week, and they’re facing a Rams defense that sorely misses CB Aqib Talib. The defense is vulnerable, and the Rams’ offense forces teams into shootouts. They are sure to focus on stopping Michael Thomas, giving Smith tons of chances for big yardage down the field.

Courtland Sutton, Broncos ($3,900): Few players benefitted as much from the trade deadline as Sutton, who went from a physically impressive big play threat to a clear-cut No. 2 receiver. Demaryius Thomas and his seven weekly targets are gone, with Sutton standing to soak up most of them. He’s a huge receiver, so expect him to get lots of red zone looks. He’s also going to be the beneficiary of the attention commanded by WR1 Emmanuel Sanders. He’ll also face the Texans, who rank first in the NFL vs. the run, but 30th vs. No. 2 WRs. That’s a glorious stat when you are eyeing a sub-$4,000 player averaging 19.1 yards per catch.

Tight Ends

Greg Olsen, Panthers ($4,700): Olsen, while healthy, is guaranteed a solid (for tight ends) share of targets. While Carolina’s passing game isn’t high-volume thanks to the elite rushing of QB Cam Newton and Christian McCaffery, Olsen has caught touchdown passes in back-to-back weeks. With a golden matchup vs. the Buccaneers this week, I absolutely love him in Week 9.

O.J. Howard, Buccaneers ($4,300): Staying in that game, Howard is probably the best value of the Bucs’ numerous receiving choices. Howard has scored three times this year, and serves as a gigantic target in the red zone. He’s a good bet for at least four targets most weeks, and unlike most tight ends he can actually stretch the field. Remember, Carolina gives up production in the passing game, and they’re particularly bad (28th) against TEs.

Kyle Rudolph, Vikings ($3,600): Rudolph, a touchdown-dependent TE, hasn’t found the painted area in five weeks. It’s depressed his price big time, which is absolutely fantastic for us. Rudolph has a fine matchup against the Lions, who are second-worst in football against the tight end. Don’t be surprised if Kirk Cousins finds his tight end multiple times this week.