Draft Kings Strategy Week 3: 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
Jameis Winston, Buccaneers ($5,400): Winston has been as volatile as ever despite being under the tutelage of Bruce Arians now, so the season-long league breakout I’ve been predicting may have been a pipe dream. For one week, however, I’m willing to roll with him as he gets a home game against the Giants, who look like they’re already done with the 2019 season. So far it’s been ugly for Jameis, who chucked three picks in Week 1 against a surprisingly good 49ers defense, and then was mediocre on the road at Carolina. Sometimes guys just need a nice cupcake matchup to get them right, and that’s exactly what the Giants are. Winston will have time to throw against the Giants’ toothless pass rush, and he’ll be able to utilize his imposing receivers vs. their weak secondary. We’re looking at 275+ yards and multiple touchdowns, plus lots of players will be shying away from him after his putrid start.
Matthew Stafford, Lions ($5,500): So you prefer to go with guys who have actually played well so far this season? I get it, and Stafford is your pick in Week 3. Stafford lit up the Cardinals in Week 1, and efficiently tossed two touchdown passes on 30 attempts in Week 2. He’ll be on the road here, but the Eagles have looked vulnerable to the pass so far this season, and their offensive potency may force Stafford’s attempts to creep back into the mid-to-high 40s. I’ll happily ride with him throwing to Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and T.J. Hockenson against a soft secondary.
Running Backs
Carlos Hyde, Texans ($4,500): Hyde is here to stay folks. Duke Johnson is a better playmaker, but he’s not built for a full workload. The Texans will continue to use him in the passing game, and sparingly as a rusher, but the bulk of early down and goal line work will fall to Hyde. He’s rushed for 83 and 90 yards, respectively, in his first two weeks in Houston and last week he hit the 20-carry mark that can make any RB valuable in fantasy. Expect him to keep churning this week vs. the Chargers, who were carved up for 204 rushing yards in Week 1 by the Colts.
Frank Gore, Bills ($4,400): This week, the value seems to be in unexciting RBs in line for big workloads. Frank Gore is no one’s idea of explosive anymore, but rookie Devin Singletary is likely to miss Week 3, and in his stead last week Gore put up 68 yards and a touchdown on a healthy 19 carries. With no Singletary at all, Gore should easily crack 20 rushing attempts; at $4,400 that is just too good of a bargain to ignore. Matchups matter too, and he will be getting this workload vs. a crumbling Bengals team that just coughed up 41 points to the 49ers.
Wide Receivers
Calvin Ridley, Falcons ($5,300): Ridley is having a second-year breakout despite being a rookie breakout. Through two weeks, Ridley has amassed 169 yards and two touchdowns, continuing a trend of being Matt Ryan’s TD buddy. The Colts defense isn’t the sieve it once was, but Ridley is reaching a point where he’s matchup proof. Soon we will be considering him as a low-end WR1, and $5,300 price tags will be a fond memory.
Marvin Jones Jr., Lions ($5,000): I love to throw in bargain stacks (QB/WR tandems), and this one is perfect. Stafford is healthy, and Kenny Golladay just had a monster game. As a result, I expect Philly to pay a ton of attention to Golladay, leaving Marvin Jones Jr. a chance to thrive. Jones isn’t hurting for targets this season, and he’s a clear No. 2 receiving option in this offense, if not a 1A. He has just a good a chance at long grabs and touchdowns as Golladay, and he’s significantly cheaper. So against a soft group of DBs, he makes for the perfect kind of upside WR3.
Randall Cobb, Cowboys ($4,600): Cobb proved he’s not dead in Week 1 when he torched the Giants for 69 yards and a touchdown, and while he was less successful in Week 2, he did receive six targets from Dak Prescott. That number’s only going to go up with Michael Gallup out, and he may even have a greater opportunity for big plays. Beyond that, the Dolphins are a joke of a team in 2019, decimating themselves week after week in an effort to land the No. 1 pick. Trading CB Minkah Fitzpatrick means it’s open season for all Cowboys, and Cobb is simply the cheapest option.
Tight Ends
Evan Engram, Giants ($5,200): Engram was damn near useless for more than three and a half quarters of football last week, and still finished with six catches for 48 yards. Even with the switch to Daniel Jones at QB, the Giants flat out don’t have anyone to throw to besides Saquon Barkley while Sterling Shepard is out. Even if Shepard returns, Engram is in line for 8-15 targets per week because they have so few playmakers. On volume alone, Engram is a monster. And if Jones is good, Engram will be on par with Zach Ertz and George Kittle.
Mark Andrews, Ravens ($4,600): Andrews had major hype entering the season, and so far he’s exceeded it. He’s topped 100 yards in back-to-back games, and scored a touchdown in each, and will now face the Chiefs’ abysmal defense. The Chiefs couldn’t stop a nosebleed, and their offense should force Baltimore to pass a whole lot. If you’re scared of Daniel Jones destroying the safety of Engram, Andrews is fairly safe as well.