In this weekly article, we’ll look at the cheaper options that should return good value to your NFL DFS lineups. The bargain threshold varies by site, and position, but generally we’ll aim for our bargain plays to take up about 8-10 percent of your salary cap, except for quarterbacks, which we’ll allow 11-12 percent. A great tool to find bargains is our DFS projection system, which gives a dollar per fantasy point projection for each player. I refer to it often!
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions ($6300 DK, $7300 FD, $31 Yahoo)
He’s not that inexpensive, but I do love him enough to blur the lines a little bit this week. Coming off a BYE usually results in a lower percentage rostered rate, but I think plenty of people will still be high on Stafford and Kenny Golladay this weekend. Stafford has had his two best games of the season since Golladay is back in the fold, and the extra week of rest should have them both healthy and in sync. Stafford has been among the more consistent fantasy QBs this season, so use him for his floor but don’t discount his potential to be a Top 5 options against the Jaguars (fourth-most fantasy points allowed to QBs).
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles ($5600 DK, $7000 FD, $27 Yahoo)
Wentz is one of those players where the eye test can really ruin the numbers. He has been awful to watch, but really not that terrible a value for fantasy. He’s averaging over 21 fantasy points per game in the last three weeks. The interceptions are atrocious. The Eagles are tied with Dallas atop the league with nine turnovers apiece. Those are all Wentz picks. So the fact that he is not destroying lineups with an average of almost two interceptions per game is something. It’s not a great matchup; the Ravens are allowing the fewest points per game and many DFS players will probably pay up and use Ravens D/ST this week, but Wentz is about as cheap as I’m willing to go (maybe Joe Burrow on DraftKings) this week. If he gets DeSean Jackson back, or Alshon Jeffrey, or he and Zach Ertz ever get reacquainted…there’s hope for another 20-plus fantasy point day from Wentz. [[ad:athena]]
Running Back
David Montgomery, Chicago Bears ($5800 DK, $5900 FD, $21 Yahoo)
The obligatory who’s facing Carolina RB post is here. If anyone can ruin this matchup, my money’s on Montgomery, and yet I can’t help myself. He has been terrible in good matchups this season (Atlanta and Detroit, both also on the road). It’s too small a sample to read into, but on the plus side, Montgomery has had 14 targets in the last two games since Nick Foles took over. He scored his first rushing touchdown in Week 5, and for the price, I’m willing to bet he repeats against a defense giving up 1.6 rushing touchdowns per game.
Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins ($5400 DK, $5700 FD, $18 Yahoo)
There is hardly a bad matchup when you’re facing the Jets, but with Ryan Fitzpatrick coming off such a hot game, I feel like the run game might be featured here. Gaskin hasn’t had flashy numbers yet this season, but he’s been steadily used in the passing game, and is averaging about 14 PPR fantasy points per game with little deviation. The Jets rank as the sixth-best RB matchup, coming in even higher than the Panthers with an average 1.8 rushing touchdowns allowed per game.
Also consider: Damien Harris, D’Andre Swift
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Wide Receiver
Laviska Shenault ($5200 DK, $5800 FD, $17 Yahoo) and Keelan Cole ($4900 DK, $5600 FD, $16 Yahoo), Jacksonville Jaguars
It matters if D.J. Chark is out, for Cole at least. Chark didn’t practice Wednesday, but there is still time for him to make it back. I love this game for DFS this week, with one of the highest point totals and narrower spreads. Both teams have defensive weaknesses, and Detroit has been unable to stop opposing wide receivers this season. Shenault is my first choice, and his salary is close enough to Cole’s that it might not be a problem, but if you have the perfect lineup and can only fit Cole (and Chark is out), I’m fine with Cole. They are actually tied for the team lead with 28 targets apiece, though Cole has found the endzone more often than Shenault. I don’t believe the season will end that way, but week to week they’ve both had value.
Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers ($5200 DK, $5500 FD, $22 Yahoo)
If there was ever a time to chase points, this is it, right? Pun fully intended, but I’m not alone in believing Claypool is more than a flash in the pan, only to catch three touchdowns and disappear into oblivion. If forced, I’d say he was Ben Roethlisberger’s new Juju, who was once Ben’s new Antonio Brown. Roethlisberger has a history of prioritizing one guy and Claypool looks like that guy, with 11 targets, eight catches and three scores in Week 5, and now the league’s third-best WR matchup against Cleveland? Yes, I’m buying in.
Also consider: N’Keal Harry, Tim Patrick, Travis Fulgham
Tight End
Irv Smith, Jr., Minnesota ($2500 DK, $4300 FD, $10 Yahoo)
After being a big dynasty deal last year, things have been quiet on the Smith Jr. front. Until this week when whisperings have resurfaced…his snap count and pass routes run were up in Week 5, and he earned five targets to Kyle Rudolph’s two, catching four of them for 64 yards. The Vikings passing volume is woefully low, struggling already to support a talented veteran in Adam Thielen and breakout star Justin Jefferson, but 4-64-1 seems possible for Smith against the Falcons, who recently gave Dalton Schultz 9-81-1, Jimmy Graham 6-60-2 and Robert Tonyan 6-98-3.
Defense
NY Giants or Washington Football Team
Neither of these units are rock-bottom priced, but they do offer a discount from the popular Ravens, Patriots, Colts D/STs. This game has the lowest total of the week, both teams are at the bottom of the league in points scored. Both teams take a lot of sacks (Washington 4.2 per game, Daniel Jones 3.2 per game), and both rank high in turnovers: the Giants have nine, tied for second in the league while Washington has eight, tied for third-most. If it were a showdown slate, I’d have both defenses in my lineup.
