DFS Strategy Week 11: 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
Dak Prescott, Cowboys ($5,200): Prescott has had a disappointing season, but over the past two weeks his play has picked up, and that, not coincidentally, has intersected with the arrival of WR Amari Cooper. With Cooper in the mix, Prescott once again has a pass-catcher whom he can lean on, who can in turn open things up for fellow receiver Michael Gallup and clear the box for Ezekiel Elliott. Improved play from Prescott + a matchup vs. the 29th-ranked pass defense per FootballOutsiders.com, make the $5,200 a total bargain. Once you add in Prescott’s rushing ability in a four-point passing TD format, and he looks like one of the biggest possible steals in Week 11.
Marcus Mariota, Titans ($5,500): The Colts’ defense isn’t very good, but it is also not the train wreck we’ve seen in previous seasons. That’s why Mariota, coming off a solid week in which his team throttled the Patriots, is at a bargain price. Mariota’s underwhelming campaign so far has turned people off from using him, but Week 11 represents a blowup opportunity. The Colts’ run defense has shifted the perception of this unit, but per FootballOutsiders.com Indianapolis still has the NFL’s fifth-worst pass defense. Mariota might not be lighting things up in 2018, but he can still do serious damage in a good matchup, and he also is a threat to gain big yardage on the ground on any given Sunday. Prescott is my favorite, but Mariota actually has a higher ceiling.
Matthew Stafford, Lions ($5,400): Stafford looked more like himself in his second week sans Golden Tate, throwing for 274 yards and two scores against a tough Bears defense last week. Carolina’s defense is significantly softer than Chicago’s, and even though Marvin Jones is banged up, nothing will stop Stafford from getting his attempts up. Carolina’s offense has been great under Norv Turner, meaning Detroit is going to be following another pass-happy game script to keep pace. Stafford’s upside is lower than the first two options here, but his floor is a lot higher.
Running Backs
Tarik Cohen, Bears ($5,200): Cohen has been a bit of a roller coaster this year, but when he’s rolling he delivers RB1 production. That will likely be the case this week in an important showdown with the Vikings, a Top 5 run defense in the NFL, because Cohen’s primary function is to make plays in the passing game out of the backfield. The Vikings rank just 30th against RBs through the air, creating a perfect opportunity for Chicago to lean on Cohen and limit chances for QB Mitch Trubisky to be sacked or picked on by Minnesota’s tough defense.
Lamar Miller, Texans ($4,600): The Redskins are 6-3, but it’s largely due to luck and smoke and mirrors. Their success in the standings has masked a thoroughly average team, and a very poor run defense. The ‘Skins rank just 28th in the NFL against the run, and the Texans will present a major problem for them with QB Deshaun Watson opening up lanes for Miller. Miller isn’t a sexy pick, but prior to last week had posted back-to-back 100-yard games with a touchdown in each tilt. He struggled mightily vs. Denver, but Washington’s soft front will be a strong remedy for him. He’s a perfect high-floor RB2.
Alex Collins, Ravens ($4,400): Workload has been an issue for Alex Collins, as has fumbling, but he’s still found the end zone in back-to-back weeks, and he’s still getting double-digit carry counts, even if it’s closer to 10 than 20. That means he’s still dangerous this week vs. a brutal Bengals defense that is third-worst in football and just got their defensive coordinator fired. I can’t say I’m bullish on his yardage this week – though with enough totes 100 yards is in play – but I do expect him to score at least one touchdown. Ty Montgomery hasn’t proven that he’s going to eat away significantly at Collins’ role; it’s much more likely that Montgomery was brought in to erase Buck Allen’s relevance.
Wide Receivers
Amari Cooper, Cowboys ($5,400): Cooper isn’t struggling for targets despite being new to the Cowboys’ offense, making him an excellent option to stack this week with Prescott against the Falcons’ Swiss cheese secondary. Cooper is immensely talented, and finally free from Oakland’s problems. He has posted good WR2 numbers in both his games with Dallas, and now gets to feast on one of the best possible matchups. Don’t waste a WR1 opportunity at a WR2 price.
Devin Funchess, Panthers ($5,100): Funchess has been a bum for the last two weeks, failing to top 50 yards in either game, but I’m willing to roll the dice once again with the juiciest possible matchup on the slate. Funchess gets to tear apart the Lions, who are dead last in the NFL vs. No 1 receivers. Carolina has highlighted several different players in the passing game at various times this year, but Funchess is the most consistently targeted, and he’s a big body who thrives in the red zone. Expect him to find the end zone this week at least once.
Anthony Miller, Bears ($4,200): Miller doesn’t have an obviously positive matchup this week, as evidenced by how cheaply he can be had, but the Vikings surprisingly are fourth-worst in the NFL against No. 2 receivers. Miller has clearly surpassed Taylor Gabriel in the Chicago offense and taken hold of the No. 2 role behind Allen Robinson; he will also stand to benefit from Robinson being shut down by Minnesota’s strong secondary.
Tight Ends
Greg Olsen, Panthers ($5,000): Olsen is Carolina’s top pass-catcher, even though Funchess is the No. 1 receiver. Detroit is a little better against TEs (30th) than No. 1 receivers (32nd), but not good enough that I’d shy away from starting Olsen. Third-leg Greg scored in three consecutive games before having a rough outing last Thursday vs. the Steelers, and he’ll likely return to the end zone in this game. I’m encouraged by his six targets in back-to-back games; even if he doesn’t score a TD, he’s guaranteed a target share that few tight ends enjoy.
Jordan Reed, Reskins ($3,800): Reed’s long list of injuries finally seems to have taken a toll on his ability on the field, as he’s trudged through a disappointing 2018 campaign. If there’s any life left, we’ll see it this week. The only team worse than the Texans against opposing tight ends this year is the Raiders, and they barely qualify as an NFL defense. Alex Smith has been a turd in the fantasy punch bowl all year, so I don’t expect Reed’s yardage to be an explosion, but I am expecting him to score you a TD or two.
Gerald Everett, Rams ($2,600): I’ll usually throw in a high-risk, super cheap tight end, and this week it’s Everett. He has some playmaking ability which has flashed at various times this season, and the loss of Cooper Kupp to a torn ACL leaves routes to be run underneath and over the middle. Brandin Cooks is smallish to be running those routes and he’s had a concussion already in 2018, while Robert Woods is best utilized down the field for chunk plays. Some might assign those numbers to Josh Reynolds, but I can see Everett picking up some of Kupp’s production, especially against a Chiefs D that ranks only 22nd vs. opposing TEs.