Daily Fantasy Football Best Bargains Week 9 Values on Draft Kings
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
Drew Lock, Broncos ($5,200): Lock is typically an unreliable option, but he did flash last week against the Chargers’ collapsing defense in the second half last Sunday. There is big dud potential here, but his receiving weapons are solid, and his matchup against the Falcons’ 29th-ranked pass defense are appealing enough to make him a value play. Last week was really Lock’s first game against a bad pass defense and he notched 248 yards and three scores, so his ceiling is competitive.
Kyle Allen, Washington ($5,300): Allen is an underwhelming player, but if you play matchups, he has a good one vs. the Giants. Big Blue ranks 28th vs. the pass this year, and Allen has the benefit of coming off a bye week in which they likely schemed ways to get WR Terry McLaurin the ball despite likely being shadowed by CB James Bradberry. Allen doesn’t rack up much yardage, but he’s tossed two TDs in his last two games, and put up 280 yards in his last tilt with the Giants.
Running Backs
Damien Harris, Patriots ($5,300): The Patriots’ backfield is always tricky to trust, but these days they need to lean on the run thanks to Cam Newton’s aerial shortcomings, and a total dearth of receiving talent. James White is not a traditional runner, and Rex Burkhead is merely a change of pace player. White is pesky when the game script calls for a lot of passing, but the Jets can’t score a lick. Harris is in line for 20+ carries, and he’s topped 100 yards both time she’s seen more than 15 attempts. He’s in line for a huge game, especially if Newton doesn’t vulture his touchdown opportunities.
Justin Jackson, Chargers ($4,900): Jackson is clearly proving he’s the best back on the team while Austin Ekeler is out, and he saw the most touches of their three backs even though he saw fewer than 50% of snaps. Jackson totaled 142 yards last week against a fairly stout Denver defense, so a blowup game could be in the cards vs. Vegas’ 31st-ranked run D. Jackson is also the back to own if the Raiders boat race the Chargers early and force a pass-happy game script; Jackson has seen five or more targets in three straight games, and has a 78.9% catch rate on the season. This week, expect him to find the end zone.
Le’Veon Bell, Chiefs ($5,100): Playing Bell requires a leap of faith that his playing time will rise. If so, he could be in line for a big game and a TD or two, because the Panthers have the NFL’s 26th-ranked run defense, and must be geared up for Patrick Mahomes coming off a five-TD effort last week. It’s alarming that Bell only mustered seven yards on six carries vs. the Jets, but this is a game where you want a piece of the KC ground game, and Bell is cheaper than Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
Wide Receivers
Antonio Brown, Buccaneers ($5,500): It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Antonio Brown, but in his lone game with New England last year he caught four passes for 56 yards and a touchdown, and, crucially, drew eight targets. He’s reunited with Tom Brady, who loves him, and he’s entering an offense that is probably missing star WR Chris Godwin again. After watching near-misses to Scotty Miller all night on Monday, Brown is going to walk in and do damage. Making things more appealing, the Saints also have the NFL’s worst DVOA vs. WR2s (38.2%). Yes, there’s risk here, but his ceiling is so high it’s not visible in the earthly realm.
Diontae Johnson, Steelers ($5,000): Speaking of upside, Johnson is a monster at this price if he can stay on the damn field. In games where Johnson isn’t limping off the field, he’s drawn double-digit targets, been around 80-100 yards, and is scoring TDs. He’s a great player, and he has a matchup vs. a bunch of zombies (Dallas). The only reason he is at this price is health risk; if not for his penchant for leaving games early, Johnson would be a WR1.
Marvin Jones Jr., Lions ($5,100): It’s been a bad season for Jones, but with Kenny Golladay set to miss some time, he will be the WR1 this week against the Vikings, who currently allow 86.7 yards and 9.5 points per game to the position. Detroit’s defense is likely going to be gashed by Dalvin Cook on the ground, and they can be pierced from above as well, which could lead to a pass-heavy game script for Matthew Stafford. In that scenario, it’ll be a target-heavy afternoon for Jones, who scored twice last week vs. a tough Colts D.
Tight Ends
Rob Gronkowski, Buccaneers ($4,900): Gronkowski has been shockingly good of late, scoring a touchdown in each of his last three games, drawing eight targets twice in three weeks, and providing a steady floor of 40 yards while nearly getting to 80 in Week 6. This week the Bucs will have to throw the ball, since New Orleans boasts the fourth-best run defense in the NFL. They also rank 29th in points per game allowed to the TE position (8.2). Look for Gronk to keep the good times rolling.
Noah Fant, Broncos ($4,600): Fant isn’t having a breakout season exactly, but he’s one of the most targeted TEs in the NFL (ninth, with six games played), and he is one of the few TEs who can break off long plays with the ball in his hands. Gronkowski offers more safety for now, but Fant offers the opportunity for a cheap stack with Drew Lock in a beautiful matchup. Atlanta allows 8.7 points per game to TEs, so picking either of these two this week should be a fun time.