FanDuel Bargains: Week Eight
Editor’s Note: We’re going to be bringing you an unprecedented amount of content this year during the season, mostly dynasty related. However, seeing the explosion of DFS games, we’ll also be ramping up our Daily coverage, similar to last season. Even if you don’t play in DFS games, these articles can help you in making lineup decisions or judge current value of your dynasty assets.
Of all the weeks on the NFL schedule, week one is perhaps the best for FanDuel players. Not only does it finally give all of us what we’ve been craving for the last seven months, but due to prices being set so long ago, it presents the best opportunity for bargain hunters to find good deals.
Over the next 17 weeks (and into the post-season), I’ll be highlighting some of the best bargains on the best daily site in the industry, FanDuel.
Keep in mind that these suggestions are made for GPP (Guaranteed Prize Pool) tournaments with more than 50 participants where players are looking for bargains to fill out their lineups after already inserting their “studs” for the week. Many of them are risky plays and shouldn’t necessarily be considered in head-to-head or 50/50 games. Rankings courtesy of ESPN.
Quarterback
Carson Palmer, QB ARI ($7,300)
Carson Palmer had one of his better passing days of the season. He threw for over 340 yards and did not throw an interception. Unfortunately, he also did not throw a touchdown pass. Seattle’s defense came to life and shut down anything the Cardinals tried to do offensively. However, if Palmer can continue to play at this clip, he should be hard to stop this week and progressing forward.
The Cardinals will take on what the Carolina Panthers call a defense. Are they missing Josh Norman? It wouldn’t be the only thing they are missing. They are not tackling and not covering. They are third in points allowed to the quarterback and 28th in DVOA. Look for Palmer to take his game to another level as the Panthers are a shell of themselves since last season’s Super Bowl.
The Panthers are favorites (3.0) at home with an over/under of 47.5
Consider:
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB NYJ ($7,300)
Ryan Fitzpatrick was demoted and Geno Smith was named the starter last week. It didn’t take too long before Smith was injured and Fitzpatrick replaced him. This season the magic has been gone for good or’ Fitzie, but he responded well when he stepped on the field and led the struggling New York Jets to victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
He still has the arm to score some good FanDuel points, and should be considered as we get closer to the $7,000 price tag. This week, he is worth the money as the Jets take on the Cleveland Browns. The only thing consistent that Cleveland has done this year is give up points to the quarterback. Every team that has faced the Browns have scored at least 18 FanDuel points and Fitzpatrick should be no different.
The Jets are favorites (2.0) at home and the over/under is 44
Check:
Alex Smith, QB KCC ($6,800)
Alex Smith was very solid against one of the worst defenses in football (New Orleans Saints). He did what she was supposed to by completing 17 of 24 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns, and added seven rushing yards on four carries in the 27-21 win over the Saints. Its not the yards that are exciting it’s the touchdowns and the price tag.
In his first touchdown, Smith hit running back Spencer Ware on a dump-off that turned into a 46-yard touchdown, and threw a pinpoint deep ball to Tyreek Hill from 38 yards out for his second passing score. This week he faces another weak defense in the Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts rank 28th overall and 25th against the pass. They allow 18 points per game against the opposing quarterback ranking them 24th in the NFL. This game should be a close one and deliver some fireworks. Smith is averaging 15 FanDuel points per week, so against the Colts that should climb to the 18 point mark. I see a very similar type day as he had against the Saints.
The Chiefs are favorites (3.0) at home and the over/under is 50.
Running Back
Devonta Freeman, RB ATL ($6,900)
Devonta Freeman is dealing with an injury but should be good-to-go against the Green Bay Packers. The Packers rush defense is a blockade and they only allow 3.1 yards per carry on average. The interesting take away about Green Bay’s defense is that they have only faced teams that are cream puffs at the running back position (Jacksonville, Minnesota, Detroit, New York Giants) only Dallas with running back Ezekiel Elliot ran on them. Elliot put up 157 yards and Freeman can do the same.
Last week, Freeman rushed 15 times for 58 yards and caught five of six targets for 42 yards. Tevin Coleman got the touchdown, but he will be out for this weeks’ matchup because of a hamstring injury. If last season was any indication how Freeman can perform when he is the main ball carrier it should be a fruitful day. The Falcons are a high scoring team and can move the ball with ease, this should continue against the tough Packers defense.
Most people will gravitate toward Christine Michael or Spencer Ware, so this could be a sneaky play. Freeman is averaging 13.8 FanDuel points per week, look for that to get around 18 in Atlanta. The matchup is the highest over/under game of the week.
The Falcons are favorites (3.0) at home and the over/under is 52.
Devontae Booker, RB DEN ($5,600)
It’s time for the rookie to shine. C.J. Anderson is down with an injury and will need surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. He will be out anywhere between eight and 12 weeks. Anderson being out for that period means he won’t be available for the rest of the fantasy season and it will belong to Booker and him only. Now see that price tag? Unfortunately, the price tag, Anderson’s injury, and the fact that the Broncos take on the Chargers could lead to an avalanche of ownership.
Last week, Devontae Booker rushed 17 times for 83 yards and a touchdown and added a reception for four yards. The Chargers may appear as a soft defense, but that doesn’t mean they are soft against the run. In fact, they are one of the tougher teams against the rush. San Diego allows 90 yards per game (eighth in the NFL). They do give up a ton of points to running backs in the fantasy game however (25th). The Chargers allow 21 points per game and this is a level that Booker can achieve.
The defense also is third for the most touchdowns allowed (8), and lead the league in allowing running backs catching passes out of the backfield (61) and Booker has good hands. He has nine receptions on 13 targets.
The Broncos are favorites (4.0) at home and the over/under is 43.5.
Consider:
Ty Montgomery, RB GBY ($6,400)
FanDuel made Ty Montgomery, the former wide receiver that is still a wide receiver in many leagues, a running back that is a running back in many other leagues. When both Eddie Lacy and James Starks went down and out with an injury the Packers turned to the second-year receiver to do damage. Montgomery has responded as a threat to confuse the defense in both the run and the pass and has made Aaron Rodgers job a lot easier. Montgomery has caught ten passes in each of his last two games and carried the ball nine times for 60-yards last week against the Bears.
Even though Knile Davis may have a grasp of the offense, I don’t expect to see much of him. I believe that the Packers are going to continue to roll with this scheme until defenses can break down and stop it. I tell you it won’t be the Atlanta Falcons this week. Montgomery should give them fits all day in both the run and pass.
The Falcons are favorites (3.0) at home and the over/under is 52.
Others:
Jacquizz Rodgers, RB TBY ($6,600)
Ryan Mathews, RB PHI ($5,500)
Wide Receiver
Michael Thomas WR, NOS ($5,700)
Last week Michael Thomas had another solid outing. He caught ten passes on 13 targets for 130-yards but didn’t get into the end zone. The first time in three games he didn’t cross the goal line. Look for Thomas to play the slot against the Seattle Seahawks and should avoid Richard Sherman.
I usually avoid the Seahawks altogether but, I do like Drew Brees and Michael Thomas has turned into the receiver most did not think he could ever be. For example, when looking at Thomas you will see that he has one less target, 49 fewer yards and is just one touchdown behind Brandin Cooks. The best part of this is Cooks is going to cost an owner $1,500 more.
Seattle has allowed ten receivers to garner ten FanDuel points this season, and this could be a number Thomas can reach and eclipse.
The Seahawks are favorites (2.5) on the road and the over/under is 48.
Jordan Matthews, WR PHI ($6,000)
Jordan Matthews has been traditionally good against the Cowboys. He has had a touchdown and 50+ yards in the three games he has matched up against them when he has been targeted two or more times. Count on that this week.
The Cowboys have been soft against the pass this season as they rank 21st overall and 18th in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers (21.3). Matthews has been awful this year and if it weren’t for his 20 FanDuel points against Cleveland in week one, his ten point average would be nearly two and a half fewer points (7.8). He hasn’t caught a touchdown since week three and I think he is due.
The Cowboys are favorites (5.0) at home and the over/under is 43.
Donte Moncrief, WR IND ($5,400)
The Indianapolis Colts are happy to see their other big-play maker wide receiver return from injury. The playing time he will get is still up in the air as he hasn’t played since week two. The good news is that Donte Moncrief will see action against one of the weaker defensive backs in Phillip Gains, who scores a 43.7 from Pro Football Focus. When Moncrief is open expect for him to get the ball, and against Gains that should often be enough to warrant the shallow price of $5,400.
The Chiefs are favorites (3.0) at home and the over/under is 50.
Others:
Golden Tate, WR DET ($6,300)
Quincy Enunwa, WR NYJ ($6,100)
Tight Ends
Jack Doyle, TE IND ($4,700)
Andrew Luck looked everywhere for Jack Doyle against the Tennessee Titans, and found him ten times completing nine of those for 79 yards and one touchdown. Dwayne Allen is still out with an ankle sprain so continue to expect Luck to deliver the ball to Doyle, especially down at the goal line. He played 93 percent of the snaps, and there is no reason why that should decline. There are two negatives in this situation. First, Donte Moncrief returns, so expect Doyle’s targets to decrease a bit. Second, the Chiefs are stingy against the tight end this season. However, they have not faced a team that features the position as the Colts do. For the most part, teams have stayed away from using the tight end, but the Colts won’t.
The Chiefs are favorites (3.0) at home and the over/under is 50.
Others:
CJ Fiedorowicz. TE HOU ($4,900)
Kyle Rudolph, TE MIN ($5,100)
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Three - October 1, 2017
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Three - September 24, 2017
- FanDuel Bargains: Week Two - September 17, 2017
