Daily fantasy football continues to climb in popularity as jackpots have risen consistently and more fans are joining sites every week. Our weekly article showcases players to target at three general levels of value: The big dollar talent (Heavy Hitters), the average-priced contributors (Average Athletes), and the guys very questionable players at the bottom of the cost charts (Sneaky Sleepers). Our selected players are based on DraftKings values as that is our daily fantasy site of choice, but the values should translate fairly well to any other sites you may use. We don’t share specific lineups or optimized computer rankings, but we will give you some great candidates for you to consider. We set this breakdown up that way because while winning is great, a big part of the fun draw of daily fantasy is mixing and matching your lineups to see how you can maximize your team. That and the fact that we are trying to win the same way that you are, and quite frankly, we don’t want our readers to all have the same exact lineups.

NFL Week 9 Recap

Just as week nine was very strange as a whole for the NFL, so were our DFS picks and teams. We’ll start by admitting we did not cash in as our potpourri of players just didn’t perform the way they needed to. When you peel back the layers, it’s not as though we had a lot of players that were busts, they just didn’t explode. With the exception of Lamar Jackson, our quarterback selections weren’t that great, and that’s generally going to put you behind the 8 ball every single time. On a positive note, our Star of the Week had a really good game. Marquise Brown graded out great for the week as he was a catch magnet, and exceeded the 100 yard mark. In DFS terms, he was more a “B” grade as he wasn’t able to punch anything into the end zone. Looking back, there weren’t a lot of regrets with the matchups, things just didn’t work out, which can happen. Let’s chalk it up to a bizarre Sunday across the league.

Who Made Us Look Brilliant?

• Lamar Jackson – 249 Yards Passing, 55 Yards Rushing, 3 Total TDs
• Nick Chubb – 137 Yards Rushing, 37 Yards Receiving, 2 Total TDs
• Tim Patrick – 85 Yards Receiving, 1 Total TD
• Alvin Kamara – 50 Yards Rushing, 54 Yards Receiving, 1 Total TD
  

Who Made Us Look Foolish?

• Courtland Sutton – 9 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
• Amari Cooper – 37 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD

NFL Week 10 Preview

Just below you’ll read about a bargain quarterback that you can feel good about to lead your teams on Sunday. If you aren’t a believer in him, you’ve got a couple of really, really nice options with the upper echelon players at the position. Tom Brady off of a bye, Justin Herbert against a wounded Vikings defense, Aaron Rodgers at home after what he’s been through? And don’t forget about a potential bounce-back performance from Josh Allen or Dak Prescott. Chances are we’re going to see several good performances from the position, so deciding what running backs and receivers you want to use will probably determine whether or not victory is tasted. One last thought for the week: Defense continues to be a bit of an enigma, so no matter what you’re normal process is there, wait to slot in anyone, and hope for the best.

STAR OF THE WEEK:

Throughout his career Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has really rode the rollercoaster in terms of his reputation around the NFL. He’s been an MVP and top five quarterback, and he’s been an afterthought who’s taken a lot of criticism depending on the season and the day. One thing that cannot be argued is he has been an elite fantasy quarterback for a large chunk of his career. He entered this season with some question marks, not having Julio Jones for the first time in years. With the absence of Calvin Ridley he’s now operating with Russell Gage as his number one target. Despite that, Ryan is finding ways to play well and win football games. He’s got a really interesting matchup this week with the Dallas Cowboys on the road. The Cowboys are coming off an abysmal offensive performance, which is something they’ll be eager to clean up against a not amazing Atlanta defense. And speaking of a not amazing defense, that accurately describes the Dallas defense as well. When you line up both of those, this game script should have a lotta throws for Matty Ice. Credit Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone with really finding creative ways to get the passing game going in Atlanta. With a salary at just $6,000, Matt Ryan is a great option to build your lineup around in week number ten.

PLAYERS WE’RE TARGETING:

Quarterbacks:

Tom Brady – $7,600 vs. Washington Football Team
Justin Herbert – $7,300 vs. Vikings

Running Backs:

Dalvin Cook – $8,000 vs. Chargers
Najee Harris – $7,900 vs. Lions

Wide Receivers:

Chris Godwin – $7,100 vs. Washington Football Team
Mike Evans – $6,900 vs. Washington Football Team

Tight Ends:

Kyle Pitts – $5,800 vs. Cowboys
Dalton Schultz – $5,000 vs. Falcons

Defense / Special Teams:

Arizona Cardinals – $3,700 vs. Panthers

Quarterbacks:

Dak Prescott – $6,900 vs. Falcons
Carson Wentz – $5,900 vs. Jaguars

Running Backs:

Cordarelle Patterson – $6,600 vs. Cowboys
Melvin Gordon – $5,300 vs. Eagles

Wide Receivers:

Mike Williams – $6,600 vs. Vikings
Julio Jones – $5,400 vs. Saints

Tight Ends:

Noah Fant – $4,300 vs. Eagles
Pat Freiermuth – $3,900 vs. Lions

Defense / Special Teams:

Dallas Cowboys – $3,000 vs. Falcons

Quarterbacks:

Teddy Bridgewater – $5,500 vs. Eagles
Trevor Lawrence – $5,300 vs. Colts

Running Backs:

Javonte Williams – $5,000 vs. Eagles
Devin Singletary – $4,700 vs. Jets

Wide Receivers:

Jakobi Meyers – $4,800 vs. Browns
Tre’Quan Smith – $4,300 vs. Titans

Tight Ends:

Tyler Conklin – $3,400 vs. Chargers
Jared Cook – $3,200 vs. Vikings

Defense / Special Teams:

Minnesota Vikings – $2,300 vs. Chargers

If you play Daily Fantasy Football we love talking sports and we’d love to hear your take and who you like each week, find us on Twitter @TheBetCrushers and let us know. Good luck and enjoy the weekend!