Draft Kings Strategy 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 DraftKings that will let you splurge elsewhere. And remember, scoring is IMPORTANT. Here is DraftKings’ scoring system.
Quarterbacks
Gardner Minshew II, Jaguars ($5,400): Minshew really sucked last week just as his hype had been peaking, so he’ll most likely not be widely owned in DFS this week. That could be a lot of people’s loss, as his matchup is one of the best possible. Minshew has the chance to get right against the Bengals, who entered last week as the worst non-Dolphins pass defense, a.k.a. the worst actual NFL defense. Minshew is probably not a future star QB who can carry a team on his back, but he has fun weapons like D.J. Chark and Dede Westbrook who can help him carve up an awful secondary. That’s Cincinnati.
Ryan Tannehill, Titans ($4,800): Tannehill is here less because I like him, and more because the price is insane for a nice matchup like the Chargers. The Bolts defense has suffered severely from the preseason injury to All-Pro safety Derwin James, and it’s left them vulnerable to land and air assaults. Tennessee runs the ball primarily, so Tannehill’s upside is probably back of the Top 12. However, he has a stud in A.J. Brown to utilize, and Brown could have a blowup game, bringing Tannehill along for the ride. Tannehill also has some rushing upside as icing on the cake.
Running Backs
Josh Jacobs, Raiders ($5,000): Although Green Bay did a nice job bottling up Kerryon Johnson on Monday, they entered that game with a bottom five rushing defense, and will take on a rested Raiders squad that just gashed the Bears. Josh Jacobs is legit, and he’s a rare bell cow who costs less than a high-end RB2. He’s rushed for 79 yards or more in four of five games and rushed for multiple touchdowns twice. That’s in play here, as Oakland attempts to play the ball control game and limit Aaron Rodgers’ ability to slice up the defense.
Joe Mixon, Bengals ($5,000): Cincinnati’s offensive line is so bad, Mixon may end up being the polar opposite of matchup-proof despite his talent. Still, he is extremely talented, and he remains the undisputed leader of the Bengals backfield; as long as they don’t fall behind early, the lion’s share of rushing attempts vs. Jacksonville should be a recipe for fantasy success. At the very least, Mixon is no longer a high cost, so he becomes worth the risk.
Devin Singletary, Bills ($5,400): Singletary is expected back this week after missing three games for the Bills, and he walks right into a matchup with a borderline sub-NFL defense in Miami. His first two games showed glimpses of a potential star; he averaged an absurd 12.7 yards per carry, but only on 10 carries. He could blow up here based on the futile resistance the Dolphins will put up, but he could also cede the bulk of the work to Frank Gore as they ease him back into the season. I love the upside, but there are other bargains that are probably safer. Still, he could be a week-winner with enough work.
Royce Freeman, Broncos ($4,700): Phillip Lindsay is the better running back, but with the soft Chiefs defense as the matchup Freeman is probably the better value of the two. Freeman may be the No. 2, but he has seen double-digit carries in five of six games and has yet to find the end zone, so he’s a solid positive regression candidate. Freeman has also had four games in which he was targeted as a receiver four or more times, so he’s well-rounded and sees decent volume for a sub-$5,000 option. His ceiling is a bit low, but there’s a pretty high floor here that makes him enticing as a FLEX.
Wide Receivers
Brandin Cooks, Rams ($5,400): Cooks is due for an eruption after back-to-back bad weeks, especially with the toothless Falcons waiting. The Rams offense has been messy this year, but a pass defense like Atlanta’s is the perfect remedy. Cooks is the rare receiver in this range who has the capability of being the No. 1 WR overall in any given week. As long as the Rams can keep Jared Goff’s jersey clean, Cooks will go off.
Calvin Ridley, Falcons ($5,300): After a two-week swoon, Ridley has returned to his locked-in, high-upside WR2 role behind Julio Jones. He’s scored in back-to-back weeks, and seen 15 total targets. There’s no reason to think that the Falcons’ passing attempts will come down with their running game sputtering every week, so Ridley will be in line for a nice game against the Rams, who have lost CB Aqib Talib for the season. The Rams entered Week 6 as the sixth-worst defense vs. No. 2 receivers, and Ridley is an overqualified No. 2 receiver. The stars have aligned nicely.
Cole Beasley, Bills ($4,700): Beasley is such a sneaky play here. He’s very low cost because he was disappointing in Week 5, and he has low touchdown upside. On the other hand, Draft Kings is full-PPR, and prior to his dud, he had seen double-digit targets in back-to-back weeks. Beasley is going to be open all day against the Dolphins secondary, and is due to get in the end zone. There won’t be a better opportunity all season than a home game vs. Miami.
Tight Ends
Zach Ertz, Eagles ($5,500): Ertz has been solid, but mildly disappointing in 2019. That’s allowed his price to drop below the other “elite” TEs, even though skill-wise he remains right there with them. This is a perfect time to buy low, because after Ertz tears up a Cowboys defense vulnerable to the position, he’ll be right back in the $6,000+ category and you’ll be hunting for less glossy names again.
Hunter Henry, Chargers ($4,000): If you’re looking for a cheaper option than Ertz, Hunter Henry fits the bill. He returned last week and went bananas (eight receptions, 100 yards, two touchdowns), but I’m not recommending you chase points. Henry is legitimately Philip Rivers’ best red zone target, and the Titans’ strong defense actually has a weakness against the position. This is a perfect mashup of talent and matchup.
Dawson Knox, Bills ($3,300): If you totally front loaded your roster and need to scrape the bottom of the barrel, Knox will have touchdown upside against the Dolphins. Knox carries high risk, but he’s seeing around three to five targets a game. Against Miami, there’s a strong chance some of those are in the end zone, which makes him viable if not desirable.