Daily Fantasy Football Best Bargains: Week 4 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
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins ($5,400): Fitzpatrick has been good two weeks in a row, and even if the total output vs. Jacksonville was a bit undercooked, it was because of the Jaguars’ non-competitiveness. Fitz was 18-for-20 with two scores in the win. The Seahawks’ offense is red hot, and Miami’s defense is bad, so the game script should be there for Fitz to flirt with 50 pass attempts. Seattle has the NFL’s fourth-worst pass defense according to Football Outsiders through three weeks, so Fitz could deliver a big day on the cheap.
Kirk Cousins, Vikings ($5,600): Cousins does not have as soft a matchup as Fitzpatrick, but he does have a track record of explosive games when he’s given a chance to unleash. The Vikings stand at 0-3, but Cousins has posted two multi-TD games, and had his best game last week when he threw for 259 yards and three scores. Rookie WR Justin Jefferson exploded in the game, and this is looking like a repeat of previous years, where a slow start leads to the Vikings opening up more and letting Cousins utilize talented pass-catchers. Houston isn’t an easy matchup, but it’s not terrifying either. For his upside, I do like this price tag.
Running Backs
Todd Gurley, Falcons ($5,500): Reports of Gurley’s demise were exaggerated. He’s scored in two of his three games with Atlanta, saw 21 carries in Week 2, and gets Green Bay’s 27th-ranked rushing defense. Atlanta might be missing WRs Julio Jones and Russell Gage, and also have one of the NFL’s worst overall defenses, so the smart game plan would involve a heavy dose of Gurley to ensure less time of possession for Aaron Rodgers. Unless Green Bay boat races them early, Gurley should make it three out of four weeks with a touchdown.
Carlos Hyde, Seahawks ($5,300): Hyde is going to handle early down work for Chris Carson, who is nursing a knee sprain, and the matchup vs. Miami is too good not to capitalize on. Miami’s defense can be gashed on the ground and through the air, but if the Dolphins’ offense can’t keep up, all of a sudden Hyde will be looking at a massive workload. It shouldn’t be surprising to see him go off for 100+ yards with a score, especially if Pete Carroll can jump out to a lead and go conservative to keep Russell Wilson out of harm’s way.
Wide Receivers
Robby Anderson, Panthers ($5,400): Anderson has quietly been excellent for fantasy, and that should continue vs. Arizona, who forces opponents to quicken their pace, and also ranks 27th in DVOA vs. No. 2 receivers. Teddy Bridgewater is not known for arm talent, but Anderson is still being targeted fairly deep, averaging more than 11 yards per target. He’s gone over 100 yards twice in three games, and nothing should change with the Cardinals likely to come in hot after a mistake-filled upset loss to Detroit. Carolina will need Anderson’s speed in this one, and he should perform like a locked-in WR2.
Jarvis Landry, Browns ($5,100): Landry is far less flashy, but he is lowkey also averaging 11 yards per target, and hasn’t had a blowup week yet. The Browns clearly are run-first, so Landry’s not quite as great a weekly option as he’s been in years past, but for this week he has a great chance to go off. Dallas’ pass defense is bad – 24th in the NFL – and Cleveland’s defense might not be able to contain the Cowboys’ offense to the extent they can stick to their run-based philosophy. Landry is not the big play guy for this receiving corps; that’s Odell Beckham, who I also like this week. But Landry is a solid bet to lead the team this week in targets and receptions, and he just may find the painted area.
A.J. Green, Bengals ($5,500): It’s go time for Green, whose had three weeks now to shake off any lingering rust from his inactivity the previous two seasons. The Bengals’ defense is one of the NFL’s worst, so they’ll be throwing every week, and Green has seen six or more targets in every game thus far. Jacksonville has the NFL’s worst pass defense so far, and gives up seven points on average to WR1s, so if Green can’t do it this week, just ignore him rest of season until he proves otherwise.
Tight Ends
Logan Thomas, Washington ($3,500): Thomas is weirdly my favorite play of the week. He’s been heavily targeted all year, although it’s masked well by the comically bad QB play of Dwayne Haskins. Still, 24 targets through three games is excellent, and the matchup vs. the Ravens is secretly cushy for TEs. Baltimore shockingly ranks 28th in DVOA against opposing TEs, and gives up nine points per game to the position. Like Green, if Thomas can’t deliver here he won’t be worth firing up again this season.
Hayden Hurst, Falcons ($5,700): Hurst is another option if you just refuse to rely on a pass-catcher in Washington. Hurst has a similarly cushy matchup against the Packers, who rank 27th in DVOA against TEs, although their points allowed per game (4.3) doesn’t line up. That suggests there’s some regression due, and Hurst has shown a knack for finding the end zone despite alarmingly few targets last week (three). Better days are ahead for Hurst, starting Sunday.