Draft Kings Strategy Week 8: 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
Sam Darnold, Jets ($5,500): Get your “seeing ghosts” jokes out now…… done? So despite the nightmare fuel that was Monday night’s performance vs. the spellbinding Patriots defense, Darnold has some good matchups on the horizon. This is one of them, especially with CB Jalen Ramsey out of the picture. Without Ramsey shadowing Robby Anderson, there will be big play potential. There’s some risk that Jacksonville’s pass rushers will look better than they have this year because the Jets’ offensive line is made of paper, but if Darnold gets reasonable protection he should have a floor of 250 yards and two touchdowns with upside for more.
Mitchell Trubisky, Bears ($4,900): Doubling down on QBs who looked absolutely atrocious in Week 7, Trubisky has an opportunity to rebound against the Chargers, who have flailed in 2019 without S Derwin James. The Chargers boast one of the NFL’s worst pass defenses per Football Outsiders, and we’ve seen Trubisky go nuclear in favorable matchups. This home game could be one of those three or four-touchdown explosions for him, and he also carries excellent rushing upside.
Running Backs
Tevin Coleman, 49ers ($5,000): Coleman certainly has the conch in San Francisco’s backfield, seeing his carries increase from 16 to 18 to 20 last week. While the yardage has fallen short of dominant, he did scored in Weeks 5 and 6, and promises to visit the end zone regularly with that kind of volume. Carolina offers a very soft run defense, so Coleman is easily one of the best plays of the week at $5,000. Even in a committee, the 49ers are so hellbent on running behind their dope offensive line that he is a tremendous value.
Sony Michel, Patriots ($5,200): Michel rushed for three touchdowns against the Jets on Monday night, and while much attention is (rightfully) paid to his problems breaking and evading tackles, his workload doesn’t waver. Michel is a lock every week for 15-20 carries, and the game script never changes because the Patriots’ defense doesn’t let anyone score. Further, with Josh Gordon hurt and Rob Gronkowski retired, Tom Brady doesn’t have trusty red zone targets. That’s why Michel is leaned on so heavily near the goal line, and has scored six touchdowns. Cleveland has a weak run defense, and their sputtering offense should cause them to fall behind quickly. Another perfect day for Michel to score.
LeSean McCoy, Chiefs ($5,000): McCoy unofficially supplanted Damien Williams for leadership of the Kansas City backfield last week, and with that mantle should be heavily leaned on in the near future with QB Pat Mahomes injured. McCoy is no longer the Top 5 Shady McCoy of old, but he has averaged an impressive 5.4 yards per carry in 2019, and shouldn’t see stacked boxes because teams must still respect KC’s receiving corps .Darrel Williams worries me a little, but that nervousness is priced in. The Chiefs are going to run a bunch, and McCoy is going to see the bulk of that work.
Wide Receivers
Robby Anderson, Jets ($4,900): Anderson was invisible against New England, but that wasn’t unexpected. Anderson’s highs are just as extreme as his lows, so this upcoming matchup against NOT Jalen Ramsey, coming off a complete dud, should be fruitful. If you decided to go bargain shopping at QB with Darnold, consider pairing him with his main deep threat. The Cowboys secondary will tell you how lethal that combo can be.
Kenny Stills, Texans ($4,700): Stills has a tasty matchup with the Raiders this week, who struggle badly to defend No. 2 receivers. Normally this is the kind of primetime explosion opportunity for Will Fuller, but his hamstring detonated in Week 7, leaving Stills – a similar player – to take his place. Stills has always been a frustrating, unpredictable play but with Deshaun Watson at the helm, I’m going to trust the role and the soft matchup.
A.J. Brown, Titans ($4,100): I absolutely love A.J. Brown’s talent, and he set a career high for targets (8) last week, his first with Ryan Tannehill. Let’s be clear here, Tannehill is no great shakes. In fact, I think he stinks. But he’s a better option for pass-catchers than Marcus Mariota was, and Brown is such a freak that he probably only needs an average QB to succeed. The Buccaneers have been one of the worst pass defenses in football this year, so Brown has very high-end WR2 upside at an extremely friendly price tag.
Tight Ends
Evan Engram, Giants ($5,300): Engram had a nightmarish game against the Cardinals, a team upon whom he should’ve feasted so much he would be sated for the winter. I am undeterred. That dud simply served to drop his price tag below $5,500, and so he’s right back on this list as he gets a date with the Lions defense. Fire up Engram with confidence.
Gerald Everett, Rams ($4,300): Everett has been coming on strong in recent weeks, even though a dud in Week 6 threw some off his scent. Everett has seen eight or more targets in three of his last four, scored twice, and piled up 136 yards in the game where he didn’t find the end zone. This week, he’ll feast on the Bengals, one of the NFL’s worst defenses, which entered Week 7 as the fifth-worst unit against TEs. It’s strange, but in an offense with Todd Gurley and three Pro Bowl-caliber receivers, Everett has become reliable.