DraftKings Bargains: Week Ten
The farther we get into the season the tighter the salaries get on DraftKings, making it harder to field lineups. This creates more strategies and raises the difficulty level. We also have to contend with bye weeks taking away options from the player pool. With less to choose from and with most of the top players being more expensive compared to previous weeks, it’s even more important that we find values from the bargain bin to construct our lineups.
Let’s take a look at cheap options for week ten:
QUARTERBACK
Ryan Tannehill, TEN ($5,100)
Tannehill isn’t the most exciting option on this week’s slate of games. Eventually, the other shoe is going to drop and we are going to see the same old Tannehill from years prior. Until then, we will enjoy palatable production from a serviceable quarterback.
The Titans are six-point underdogs against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The over/under is 48 points. This game could break and become a shootout, but the Titans will try to slow it down with their run game, preventing the Chiefs from pushing the pace with their explosive offense.
If the Chiefs establish a lead early in the game, the Titans will need to shift gears and rely on Tannehill’s arm. The added passing volume will boost his overall fantasy production. There’s a chance he could finish the week as a QB1. Regardless, his low price tag provides enough salary relief to allow you to wedge multiple stud players into your lineup.
Other options: Ryan Finley $4,800, Matt Ryan $6,100, Kyler Murray $6,500
RUNNING BACK
Ronald Jones, TB ($4,300)
The Buccaneers are 4.5 point favorites against the Cardinals this week. Vegas has the over/under at 52 points, one of the highest-scoring games of the week. Considering both defenses are struggling, this contest could provide multiple impact players for fantasy.
The Cardinals are currently allowing 126.89 rushing yards per game. Their defense is giving up 6.10 yards per play. Arizona notoriously has one of the worst overall defenses in the league. Everyone is expecting the Buccaneers to attack their weak secondary, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try to get things done on the ground. If anything, the threat of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin consistently burning the defense could open the run game.
Jones led the Buccaneers backfield with 20 touches last week while Peyton Barber only received four touches. RoJo is going to start and receive a large share of the workload, which could result in a solid line in the box score playing against a soft defense. The Buccaneers should see multiple trips to the red zone, increasing Jones’ opportunity to score a touchdown or two.
There aren’t many backs in the $4,000 price range that have the potential to see 15 or more touches which is definitely in the realm of possibilities for Jones. Even though the offense thrives on the passing game, there is still enough juice to squeeze out of the run game to make Jones productive. I wouldn’t be surprised if he exceeds expectations and breaks the slate as an RB1 this week.
Other options: Devin Singletary $5,000, David Montgomery $5,300, Derrick Henry $6,400
WIDE RECEIVER
Josh Reynolds, LAR ($3,800)
Brandin Cooks won’t be able to play this week. He is recovering from a concussion suffered in week eight against the Bengals. When Cooks was out of the game, Reynolds saw eight targets and 138 air yards. His workload in the passing game tends to increase whenever Cooks or Robert Woods is out of the lineup. We should see him receive a large enough target share to make him fantasy relevant this week.
The Rams will be traveling to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers. They are 3.5 point favorites and Vegas has the over/under at 44 points. The projected point total for this game isn’t incredibly high, but Reynolds has the chance to outperform his salary due to seeing more targets than usual, making him a cheap buy on DraftKings.
He is $800 away from the bare minimum salary. Not only does he have a good chance of producing this week but his low price tag will allow you to spend more at other positions without completely punting on your final wide receiver spot.
When on the field, Reynolds is utilized as one of the team’s deep threats by seeing 29.41 percent of his targets going for 20 yards or more. His 6-foot-3 frame makes him tough to cover in the end zone. With the added workload this week, he could provide a spark on the backend of your lineup.
Even if he doesn’t blow up, he can still hold value as a low-end WR2 this week. By being able to use him as a bridge to add a higher-priced player like Christian McCaffrey onto your roster, he is allowing you to maximize value at other positions.
I don’t recommend over exposing yourself to him, but he is a player that you should definitely think about sprinkling in a few lineups. Since he’s a salary relief option, you don’t have to stack him with Jared Goff or anyone else from the Rams’ offense.
Other options: AJ Brown $4,300, Tyler Boyd $4,700, Christian Kirk $5,200
TIGHT END
Mike Gesicki, MIA ($3,100)
Gesicki is another player who should see an increase in usage this week. His teammate, Preston Williams, was sent to the IR which leaves a massive void in the team’s passing game. Since week six, Gesicki is third in the league among tight ends with 227 air yards and he has seen 20 targets during that timespan.
The Dolphins will be 11.5 point underdogs against the Colts. The over/under is 44 points. Opposing tight ends are receiving a 25.69 percent target share against the Colts’ defense, leading to a 22.99 percent share of all receiving yards allowed. Gesicki should see extra opportunities with Williams out of the lineup, and there’s a chance that he could create separation against the Colts defense.
The tight end position as a whole has been very volatile this season. There are only a handful of tight ends that we can trust on a week-to-week basis. Gesicki’s cheap price tag takes away some of the risk associated with the position and allows us to funnel some of our funds at other positions. It’s easier to predict usage for running backs and wide receivers than tight ends, making it a smarter play to overspend at those positions then leveraging a large portion of our bankrolls on tight ends.
Gesicki isn’t a lock. There’s a good chance that he doesn’t deliver this week. He is a player that you should add to a few lineups as a GPP contrarian option. His ownership rate should be low enough to leverage the field if he does blow up the box score on Sunday.
Other options: OJ Howard $3,300, Jonnu Smith $3,500, Gerald Everett $4,500
