Fan Duel Strategy Week 12: 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 FanDuel that will let you splurge elsewhere. And remember, scoring is IMPORTANT. Here is FanDuel’s scoring system.
The bargains are listed in the order I like them.
Quarterbacks
Chase Daniel, Bears ($6,000): Daniel is starting this week, has Allen Robinson at his disposal, and a matchup with the Giants, who rank 28th against the pass this season. Those are the reasons I’d be willing to play him, not because I feel he is a good quarterback. He simply has a good matchup, good enough weapons and enough opportunity to provide value.
Dwayne Haskins, Redskins ($6,700): Haskins is horribly inaccurate at this stage of his development, and is in a fairly brutal offense. Still, he managed to eke out 214 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Jets, and has another lovely matchup with the Lions’ Swiss cheese secondary. Like Daniel, Haskins should be able to do work if he targets his stud receiver Terry McLaurin a ton. I don’t see a Top 12 finish for him, and Daniel, for the price tag, is the better buy, but Haskins could be in the top half of the league this week which is decent value.
Running Backs
Tevin Coleman, 49ers ($6,300): Coleman’s production has nosedived since he unleashed a three-touchdown rampage on the Panthers in Week 8, largely because San Francisco has a strong offensive line and multiple capable RBs. Still, Coleman gets enough work that a strong start can lead to him taking control for a week and having a monster game. A home game against Green Bay offers him that opportunity. The Packers sure have a strong pass rush, but they rank just 28th vs. the run per Football Outsiders, so an early long run or two should put Coleman in line for an RB1 performance.
Sony Michel, Patriots ($6,300): I’m borrowing a bunch from my Draft Kings article, but this week there’s a lot of overlap. Michel is a situational play, and this week is a situation where I’d play him. Dallas isn’t a horrible run defense, but they are prone to allowing blowup games, and New England has begun to lean heavily on their run game of late. Michel remains the primary choice to handle early down work, and in the right game script he can see upward of 20 carries. Michel’s value is in his volume, and stranglehold on goal line work. Dallas has allowed multiple rushing touchdowns in three games this year, and allowed 100+ rushing yards seven times. Roll the dice.
Phillip Lindsay, Broncos ($6,300): Buffalo has been prone to giving up huge games to RBs, and Lindsay’s talent is so much greater than Royce Freeman’s that a few big plays early should give Denver incentive to ride him. Lindsay’s usage around the goal line is maddening, but his ability to strike from further out will come into play against the Bills.
Wide Receivers
Terry McLaurin, Redskins ($5,800): Haskins was absolutely awful vs. the Jets, and McLaurin still managed to put up an okay fantasy performance of three catches and 69 yards. And he had a long reception called back for an unrelated penalty. This guy is going to be a safe play in any plus matchup, and potentially a WR1 if Haskins can put it on him in the right spot. At $5,800, it’s rare you get WR1 upside. Against Detroit, don’t pass this up, especially if you decide to use Haskins and give yourself a cheap stack.
James Washington, Steelers ($6,100): Washington carries risk, both because he hasn’t established consistency, and he’s catching balls from Mason Rudolph. However, the matchup is as plus as it gets (Bengals), and Juju Smith-Schuster and Diontae Johnson are both likely out with concussions. Washington is going to be the clear No. 1 receiver this week, and Cincinnati now ranks dead last against No. 1 receivers.
Taylor Gabriel, Bears ($5,600): Gabriel is a high-risk gut call, but hear me out. Mitchell Trubisky’s absence can only be a good thing for Chicago pass-catchers, and Gabriel does have the ability to blow up. He saw 14 targets just last week, caught a touchdown the week before vs. Detroit, and lit up the Redskins in Week 3 for 75 yards and three touchdowns. This week, the Bears play the Giants, one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. If the Giants dedicate their sub-optimal resources to slowing down Allen Robinson (wise), then Gabriel is likely to feast on one-on-one coverage against weaker Giants DBs.
Tight Ends
Zach Ertz, Eagles ($6,100): Ertz is back. After a few subpar weeks, Ertz has been targeted 11 times in back-to-back games, catching nine passes in both, and posting 94 yards or more in both games. Philadelphia’s receiving corps is banged up, so Ertz should be in for another high-volume game, and the Seahawks rank just 23rd vs. TEs. I love this matchup, and Ertz is my No. 1 TE overall for the week.
Evan Engram, Giants ($6,400): Engram has a lovely matchup too with the Bears, who rank 28th against TEs. Engram is currently iffy for playing this week, so you’ll have to monitor that, but with Sterling Shepard returning to action, Engram won’t be a focal point if he does suit up. Ertz is a cheaper and safer play, but Engram has equal upside.
Dallas Goedert, Eagles ($5,200): Goedert, Ertz’s teammate, has been a thorn in Ertz owners’ sides. While Ertz is clearly going to be more heavily targeted, Goedert stands about an equal chance of scoring a touchdown against the Seahawks. If you are willing to gamble a bit more, Goedert will save you $900 and still give you a strong chance for a TD at TE. Just don’t expect anything more than five catches or 50 yards.