Fan Duel Strategy Week 10: 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

Sam Darnold, Jets ($7,200): Darnold is absolutely difficult to trust right now, but his matchup is inarguably favorable. Darnold’s regression has been brutal, but he’s at his worst under pressure. The Giants’ secondary is horrific, and the front seven doesn’t provide any relief because they don’t harass opposing QBs. Now the Jets’ awful offensive line may give the Giants a boost, but Darnold does have good receivers at his disposal. Football Outsiders has the Giants ranked 27th against the pass, so I do believe he’s worth trotting out there at this price. Just try real hard to remember he put up 338 yards and two touchdowns on the Cowboys in Week 6.

Brian Hoyer, Colts ($7,100): Hoyer may not play, as it’s dependent on Jacoby Brissett’s recovery from an MCL sprain. If Indianapolis is wise, however, they’ll elect to rest their starter and let the very capably Hoyer dissect Miami’s historically hideous defense. Don’t let the passable job they did on the Jets fool you; the Jets are in utter disarray. Miami’s weighted defensive DVOA is at 30%, a truly abysmal figure. Hoyer ain’t flashy, but there’s a strong chance he throws for multiple touchdowns if he gets the start.

Running Backs

Austin Ekeler, Chargers ($6,300): Melvin Gordon has finally come on, so there will be a rush to use him this week against Oakland’s subpar defense. But surprise! Oakland is actually middle of the road, bordering on decent vs. the run. They are, however, ranked dead last vs. RBs in the passing game which is Ekeler’s specialty. Ekeler won’t see the volume that helped make him a Top 5 RB in Gordon’s absence, but he still sees plenty to make him valuable. All Ekeler needs is around 12 touches to do damage to the Raiders.

Kalen Ballage, Dolphins ($4,600): Ballage has yet to prove he’s a good running back in the NFL. However, for fantasy purposes, that’s irrelevant. The truth is that with Kenyan Drake gone and Mark Walton suspended, Ballage is about get 20+ touches against a Colts defense that ranks 27th in the NFL against the run. Usage trumps talent every time, and we’re not sure yet that Ballage lacks in the talent department. He absolutely has big play capability, and if he can show some receiving chops he will vastly outperform this backup price tag.

Wide Receivers

Jamison Crowder, Jets ($6,500): Crowder makes for a strong stack with Darnold this week. While Robby Anderson is a more explosive play, Crowder has the best possible matchup for slot receivers when he takes the field vs. the Giants. Big Blue ranks dead last against slot receivers, where Crowder operates almost exclusively. It’s been an up-and-down campaign for him, but he’s had some monster weeks in terms of receptions with Darnold, and he showed he can get in the end zone vs. Miami. Love this play here, and for the next few weeks moving forward.

Golden Tate, Giants ($6,300): Tate is once again a target hound like he had been in Detroit. With Sterling Shepard out indefinitely with a concussion, and a total lack of talent at the position beyond him (TE Evan Engram and RB Saquon Barkley are the next best pass-catchers), Tate has seen double-digit targets twice since returning from suspension. He has not been thrown to fewer than six times in any game this year, and had put up 80 or more yards in three straight games before Monday night. This week’s game vs. the Jets offers a much softer matchup than Dallas did, so Tate should be a very high-floor WR2.

Adam Humphries, Titans ($5,300): This week will be tough for the Titans, with Patrick Mahomes potentially returning for the Chiefs and threatening to boat race them early and force a pass-heavy game script. While Corey Davis and A.J. Brown might be the appealing names in this scenario, Humphries is likely your best bet for production. Davis and Brown both have high upside, but their production from week to week is volatile. You’re better off playing the matchup; Kansas City ranks 24th against slot receivers, and inside the Top 10 vs. No. 1s and No. 2s.  It’s been a down year for Humphries, but he hasn’t found the end zone once this year, so he’s definitely due. He’s reminiscent of Cole Beasley a few weeks ago, who has gone on to score in three straight games.

Tight Ends

O.J. Howard, Buccaneers ($5,000): Howard has been atrocious in 2019, one of the biggest busts by far at any position. I fully understand anyone who is hesitant to rely on him. But he’s healthy, according to Bruce Arians, and he has a phenomenal matchup with the Cardinals. If there’s any hope of him having a good game in 2019, this is the week. He’s such a talented player that if he does get fed this week, the upside is TE1. No joke. I’ll put myself out there and recommend him fully for this week, and use him in my own lineups.