Daily Fantasy Football Best Bargains Week 13 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
Mitch Trubisky, Bears ($5,400): Trubisky is a very risky play, but he carries high reward, especially in this matchup with the Lions. For as bad as he looked vs. Green Bay at times, he finished with 242 yards and three touchdowns, while carrying rushing upside that wasn’t utilized in the effort. We could see Trubisky get more done on the ground against the Lions, who have a weak run defense, or we could see him throw close to 50 times again if Matthew Stafford starts out hot. Or, we could see Trubisky be disastrous – that’s built into the price.
Baker Mayfield, Browns ($5,300): Mayfield has quietly become a less hilarious version of Trubisky, but he showed last week that he can be fantasy relevant against soft matchups, as long as he’s not playing in hideous weather. The Browns do their best to keep Mayfield from losing them the game; he’s hit 30 pass attempts just three times in 11 games. But against the Jaguars, he was efficient, throwing for 258 yards and two scores. That’s achievable in this matchup vs. the Titans, who enter the game with the NFL’s sixth-worst pass DVOA. Alternatively, the Titans could explode early, and force Mayfield to throw a bunch against a soft secondary.
Running Backs
Damien Harris, Patriots ($5,200): The Pats have dialed back Harris’ usage lately after he topped out with 22 carries against Baltimore, but that should change this week. The Chargers have the second-worst DVOA against the run in football, and due to New England’s uncharacteristically bad defense, they’re likely to want to control the clock. That means a lot of Harris on the ground, who could eclipse 20 attempts with Rex Burkhead on the shelf. I expect solid yardage from Harris in this game, and his TD luck will determine whether he’s a smash play, or merely a good one. Above all else though, he’s very safe at a cheap price.
Frank Gore, Jets ($4,400): Gore is in a similar spot as Harris, but without the ceiling. The Raiders have the NFL’s third-worst rush DVOA, and the Jets don’t have much of an offense besides feeding their old dog. Gore has received double-digit attempts in six straight weeks, and carried the ball 15 or more times in back-to-back games. Gore’s explosiveness is gone, but that kind of volume in a Top 3 matchup is almost a must-play.
Nyheim Hines, Colts ($5,300): Hines is the home run bargain of the week, but he’s also at high risk of a strikeout. Hines actually saw some volume last week on the ground, but only turned 10 attempts into 29 yards. He saved the day by catching eight passes for 66 yards, which is his primary function anyway. He has a semi-reliable floor due to his receiving, and the matchup vs. Houston is tasty. Jonathan Taylor’s return will probably limit Hines’ rushing workload, but Hines can take one of his few carries, or a swing pass from Philip Rivers, to the house at any moment.
Wide Receivers
Nelson Agholor, Raiders ($5,200): The Raiders are coming off their worst game of the year, and facing the softest pass defense in football. That means I am firing up their No. 1 receiver without hesitation, and that is Nelson Agholor. He’s had a nose for the end zone in 2020, and he’s established himself as a primary target the last two weeks, drawing 15 targets in his last two games. The Jets are allowing almost 100 yards per game to WR1s, so make sure Agholor is at least your WR3.
Sterling Shepard, Giants ($5,300): Giants pass-catchers won’t be in high demand with Colt McCoy under center, but the matchup is too good to not at least consider having a piece of the Big Blue passing game. Seattle has been atrocious all season against the pass, and McCoy is at least a professional backup. I’d be less enthused about a deep threat like Darius Slayton, but Shepard has largely been a high-volume receiver in 2020, taking in short and medium targets. That’s where McCoy will live, and I can see Shepard providing value in a full-PPR format.
Denzel Mims, Jets ($4,100): Staying in the Meadowlands, Mims has been a rare bright spot for the Jets. Since making his debut, he has seen seven or more targets in four of five games, and that’s with Joe Flacco and Sam Darnold at QB. He has topped 60 yards in three straight, and now faces the Raiders, who allow 77.8 yards per game to opposing WR1s. Mims has flashed deep threat potential, and he’s due a house call with this kind of volume. I think he gets it in this game, which might be higher scoring than many expect.
Tight Ends
T.J. Hockenson, Lions ($5,000): TEs this year are such dart throws, that unless you are spending on Travis Kelce, you must look at the matchup. Hockenson has been one of the more reliable options this season – though he’s not without his warts – and he’ll face a Bears D allowing 8.1 points per game to the position. Hockenson has a low floor, but he’s been targeted seven or more times in four of his last five games. Combine that with the plus matchup, and he makes sense.
Jonnu Smith, Titans ($4,100): Jonnu Smith is scary no doubt, and his target share of late is gross. Smith hasn’t posted more than four receptions in a game since Week 5, but before last week’s doughnut, he had scored in three consecutive games. Smith is touchdown dependent, but he’s definitely someone Ryan Tannehill looks for in the red zone as teams gear up for Derrick Henry. You’ll sweat all day with him, but the Browns allow the most points in football to opposing TEs, so bank on Smith scoring at least once.