DraftKings Bargains: Week Eight

Bruce Matson Posted On October 27, 2018

Talent, workload, price and the matchups are the main things we need to look at when addressing which player we want to put in our DraftKings lineups on Sundays. If the player can match two or more of those categories, then we need to strongly consider getting that player into our lineups.

Price is the main deciding factor because it’s hard to justify spending on a player if their salary is too high. The salary can also dictate our exposure to certain players because if their salary is lower than it should be then we will want to input that player in as many lineups as possible to free up cap space. By deciding which players are considered bargains each week, we can build strategies for how we want for build our lineups.

QUARTERBACK

Matthew Stafford, DET ($5,600)

Stafford isn’t exactly providing you with QB1 numbers this year, but he has been fairly consistent. Last week against the Dolphins, he passed for 217 yards and two touchdowns. It wasn’t a highly productive outing, but it wasn’t a doozy either. This week, he will be playing against the Seattle Seahawks. In his last three games against them, he has averaged 253 passing yards and 1.7 touchdowns. Currently, the Seahawks are allowing on average 13.2 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and 35.7 points per game to wide receivers. Stafford is eyeing a very promising matchup this week which could yield QB1 results.

It’s hard to complain about his price tag this week when he’s one of the cheaper reliable plays. There are only eight starting quarterbacks who are currently cheaper than him. The fact that his salary will allow you to spend more at other positions is another reason why you should think long and hard about Stafford. His price tag combined with his stability makes him a solid option in cash games. He may not finish the week as the top scoring quarterback, but we know his production won’t bottom out on us either.

Vegas has the over/under set at 49.5 points and they also have the Lions favored by three points. In other words, they are predicting this game to be moderately high scoring which will benefit the Lions’ passing attack. Like Vegas, I also believe this is going to be a tight game and I highly doubt either team will be able to run away with this one.

Other options: Jared Goff $6,000, Alex Smith $5,000, C.J. Beathard $4,900

RUNNING BACK

Nick Chubb, CLE ($4,700)

By default, after the Carlos Hyde trade, Chubb will begin shouldering the load for Cleveland’s run game. Last week, he rushed for 80 yards and one touchdown against the Buccaneers. He will be playing in another favorable matchup this week against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that is allowing an average of 97.8 yards per game on the ground. That’s not one of the highest totals in the league, but the defense also allows a lot of yards through the air and has been through a few shootouts where other teams had to abandon the run game.

This is more than likely going to be the last time you will be able to buy Chubb at a sub $5,000 price point. He’s a phenomenal talent and his potential is eventually going to shine through. The only downside to Chubb right now is that he’s not heavily used in the passing game. However, he’s more than capable of blowing up on any given week. I like him better for cash games because I feel like he’s going to be considered “cheap chalk” amongst the field, causing his ownership rate to rise higher than what it needs to be. For the price, you will be able to get some production while being able to pay more at other positions, making him a safe bet for cash games.

You have to show some interest when Vegas has the over/under set at 51 points. They are letting us know that this game has to potential of becoming a shootout. The Browns are eight-point underdogs and they are still coached by Hue Jackson which means there’s a chance they could get blown out in this game which could cause the game script to go against the run. Even if this happens, Chubb’s salary allows you to pay for more promising options at other positions. With all things considered, he’s an incredible value play this week.

Other options: Adrian Peterson $4,900, Jordan Howard $4,800, Jalen Richard $4,200

WIDE RECEIVER

Sammy Watkins, WR KC ($4,600)

I don’t care what format I’m playing: whether it’s DFS, dynasty or redraft, I want a piece of the Kansas City offense. Every week they are going to be in a shootout where it’s a laser light show of scoring. In the last three weeks, Watkins has been second in line for targets with a 17% target share. He’s also catching 63.16% of the passes thrown his way. He’s due to see the end zone considering he hasn’t scored a touchdown since week three.

At $4,600, Watkins will be a trendy play in both cash and tournament games. He’s very affordable and we know his target volume raises his floor while the sheer firepower of the Chiefs’ offense uncaps his ceiling. Patrick Mahomes is starting to target him more downfield. He has seen 159 air yards and a 14.5 aDOT in his last two games. With that being said, Watkins is due to blow up.

Vegas has the over/under set at 55.5 points and they have the Chiefs favored to beat the Broncos by ten points. All I know is that the Chiefs are going to move the football at will like they have in every game this year. I’m not going to bet against their offense until I see something different. Give me the cheap Chief.

Other options: Kenny Golladay $5,700, Christian Kirk $4,500, Chester Rogers $4,200

TIGHT END

C.J. Uzomah, TE CIN ($3,500)

From week to week, there’s a lot of volatility from the tight end position. To combat variance at certain positions it’s wise to pay down and go with the cheaper options. Uzomah is one of the cheapest tight ends on DraftKings this week. He also has a very favorable matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has seen a 12% target share in the last two weeks. His workload is eventually going to equate to fantasy points and with a prime matchup, there’s a good chance he could deliver TE1 production this week.

The over/under for this game is set at 54 points and the Bengals are favored to win by 4.5 points. This game is definitely not going to be a defensive battle and we should see both teams putting up a fair amount of points on the scoreboard. This should lead to added opportunities for Uzomah to produce in the box score.

Other options: Jordan Reed $4,500, Ricky Seals-Jones $3,000, Chris Herndon $2,800

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Bruce Matson

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

I'm a financial counselor for a hospital in South Central Ohio. I graduated from Muskingum University with a bachelor's in business while minoring in Economics and Accounting. I won my first fantasy football title with Jake Plummer as my quarterback.