Draft Kings Strategy Week 14: 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, Jaguars ($5,400): This week isn’t a big one for bargain QBs, but Minshew could be a nice value against the Chargers’ 22nd-ranked pass defense (per Football Outsiders). Minshew relieved Nick Foles last week and put up 147 yards and a touchdown on 27 attempts. He’s been a roller coaster for fantasy owners, but at times he flirts with low-end QB1 production. Minshew is also more appealing than most in this range because of his ability to make plays with his legs. He’s not a designed running threat a la Josh Allen, but he’s had six games in which he’s run the ball at least four times. Not my favorite play by any means, but a viable one.
Drew Lock, Broncos ($5,100): Trusting rookie QBs is not always fun, but if you just want pure upside on the cheap, Lock’s arm talent is appealing. In his debut he threw the ball 28 times and notched two touchdown passes. He finished with just 134 yards, and the Denver offense is going to lean on the running game rest of season, but Lock has the talent around him to log multi-TD games with efficiency. Courtland Sutton has emerged as a legitimate WR1, and TE Noah Fant is coming on. With a matchup against Houston this week, he can finish inside the Top 15 if he limits turnovers.
Running Backs
Devonta Freeman, Falcons ($5,400): Freeman looks like he’s done as an elite back, but he remains the running back of note for the Falcons rest of season. He’s getting ample enough opportunity to be useful in good matchups, and the Panthers rank dead last against the run this year. Much like Derrius Guice last week – admittedly a more explosive player in 2019 – I’ll happily take Freeman vs. this defense, because those are going to be 15-17 quality opportunities to do damage and/or score touchdowns.
Phillip Lindsay, Broncos ($5,300): I’m becoming a broken record with Lindsay, and he hasn’t really been paying off, but I’m going to continue to use him based on his opportunity and matchups. Houston isn’t a terrible run defense – 15th on Football Outsiders – but they’re not a great one. The Broncos are likely to lean even more heavily than usual on the run with Lock under center, and the Texans are very vulnerable to RBs in the passing game (27th). Lindsay hasn’t been seeing quite as many targets as he should, but even a slight uptick changes his fantasy outlook drastically, and puts him in the low-end RB1 conversation.
Wide Receivers
A.J. Brown, Titans ($5,300): It’s extremely rare to find the upside that A.J. Brown offers at this price, but his floor is unbelievably low. Using Brown is a big-time risk but when he’s on, he’s a WR1. Consider: 94 yards, two touchdowns at Atlanta, 135 yards, one touchdown vs. Jacksonville. On four occasions, Brown has totaled 80 or more yards and he never exceeded four catches in any of them. Brown makes gigantic, chunk plays and this week Oakland is one of the best matchups to utilize Brown’s skill set. Brown has also been on the field for 90% or more of snaps in two of the last three weeks. With that kind of presence, a big game vs. Oakland feels more like destiny than a gamble.
Jamison Crowder, Jets ($5,300): Crowder has been a wet fart for two straight weeks, but he at least saw nine targets last week vs. the Bengals. Normally, that’s a recipe for a WR1, but the Jets really Jets’d it up on Sunday. Luckily, they have another cake matchup with the Dolphins, and it’s a revenge game after they were humiliated earlier this season. As long as Sam Darnold is okay, I expect Crowder to see a healthy target share once again against a subpar secondary and deliver WR2 production as a floor. Crowder lit up the Dolphins for eight receptions, 83 yards and a score in their Week 9 tilt.
Curtis Samuel, Panthers ($4,900): Carolina’s passing offense is really shaky, and the only reliable receiver has been D.J. Moore. With that disclaimer out of the way, Atlanta is currently ranked last in the NFL against No. 2 receivers, and few WRs are a clearer No. 2 in their attack than Curtis Samuel. He’s maintained a pretty consistent target share, so even though Kyle Allen targets are often low-quality, he has found Samuel in the end zone in three of his last five games. There is currently no better matchup for No. 2s, so now’s the time to take advantage.
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry, Chargers ($5,100): Henry’s price has dropped after a horrendous showing vs. Denver, and that’s great for us. This has happened a few times this season with Zach Ertz and Evan Engram, so Henry is close to a must-play. Jacksonville is terrible against TEs (25th), and Henry is a borderline elite player at the position. No-brainer, as he’s seen five or more targets in every game he’s played in except last week.
Jack Doyle, Colts ($4,600): Doyle is a strong fallback if you desperately need to save the $500 on Henry. His target share is much safer with Eric Ebron on IR, and Tampa Bay ranks as one of the four worst defenses against TEs in the NFL. Jacoby Brissett is shaky, and the Colts will run the ball all day if they can, but the Bucs have a shockingly strong run defense. I think Brissett is a sneaky high-volume QB play, and that’s great for Doyle.
Jimmy Graham, Packers ($3,600): Graham is kind of sad at this point, knowing what a dynamic weapon he once was, but he does occasionally still flash. This week’s home matchup with the Redskins is a chance for him to shine again. Washington is second-worst in football against opposing tight ends, and even though Graham will never again see consistent volume, he remains a weapon in the red zone. The floor here is a goose egg, but he has a chance of scoring this week that is significantly higher than most weeks.