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 8 Recap
We can’t say that we really even want to recap week 8, as it was not a profitable venture for the BetCrushers. We nailed a few players, but our Star of the Week, wide receiver Courtland Sutton didn’t produce, which ultimately doomed us. Had Sutton performed to what we had expected, we probably would have been fine. However, one weak link when you’re playing against the field can be the nail in the coffin, and it certainly was for us. The other big blow that we had was using the Bengals defense, as we were certainly not anticipating Mike White and the Jets to put up the effort that they did against Cincinnati. As we look at the recap below, it actually doesn’t look terrible on paper, so we can feel good that we were really on the right track. At the end of the day, money talks though, and the few crucial misses were not able to be overcome.
Who Made Us Look Brilliant?
- Josh Allen – 249 Yards Passing, 55 Yards Rushing, 3 Total TDs
- Matthew Stafford – 305 Yards Passing, 3 Total TDs
- Damien Harris – 80 Yards Rushing, 1 Total TD
- Austin Ekeler – 64 Yards Rushing, 60 Yards Receiving, 1 Total TD
- Deebo Samuel – 171 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
- Elijah Mitchell – 137 Yards Rushing, 1 Total TD
- Carson Wentz – 237 Yards Passing, 11 Yards Rushing, 3 Total TDs
- Chris Godwin – 140 Yards Receiving, 1 Total TD
Who Made Us Look Foolish?
- James Robinson – 22 Yards Rushing, 11 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
- Gerald Everett – 7 Yards Receiving, -7 Yards Rushing, 0 Total TD
- Tyler Higbee – 25 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
- D’Andre Swift – 27 Yards Rushing, 23 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
- Kyle Pitts – 13 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
- Robby Anderson – 14 Yards Receiving, 0 Total TD
NFL Week 9 Preview
Last week we discussed the weekly dilemma of whether or not you should play Derrick Henry based on his performance compared to his hefty price tag. His unfortunate injury has removed that question mark, so we’re back to the more traditional decision that needs to be made in week nine: To spend on a quarterback, or not to spend on a quarterback? The top five signal-callers could all have monster games this week, however there are some potential big scorers at the position that come at a much cheaper price point. We’re also at the point of the season where production definitely outweighs name appeal as there are some folks putting up big numbers who aren’t your typical focus. Conversely, it’s time to give up on some of the flashier players who just aren’t getting it done. *Cough cough, Odell Beckham, Jr. cough*. Even when their salaries have dipped, it’s still time to move on from many of these former stars. We’ll be playing a couple of lineups with the top QBs, as there are some nice sleeper options at the other positions. However, we’ll also be playing a couple of lineups with the less expensive quarterbacks, so we can load up with some nice running back and wide receiver matchups at the top of the chart. Best of luck this Sunday!
STAR OF THE WEEK:
There is no denying that the Ravens Marquise Brown has been an impact player ever since his rookie season. His explosive speed and chemistry with Lamar Jackson have led to some big games in his young career, and helped give Baltimore a credible threat at wide receiver. Brown still has the ability to take over a game and blow the top off of a defense, but it’s his improved route running and hands that have turned him into a pretty steady contributor this year. Even with an improved group of receivers around him, and the always lurking Mark Andrews at tight end, you can count on shifty playmaker to get several targets week in and week out. Don’t let the mental roadblock of “he only catches a deep ball here or there” keep you from getting him on your team this week against the Vikings. He may not catch double digit balls, which would be great in PPR, but he can definitely fill up a stat sheet. As we look at his matchup, it’s first important to note that Brown has been one of those players that has performed better at home, versus on the road during his time in the league. The Ravens are at home Sunday, and it’s possible that Brown will see plenty of single coverage throughout the game. Minnesota will be using it’s athletic linebackers to contain Lamar Jackson and the running game, and Harrison Smith should be spending some extra time in the box as well on early downs. Allowing over 4.6 yards per carry, Mike Zimmer and the Vikes will really have no choice but to focus on the run, and hope their secondary can hold up against the pass. That should set things up for some nice play action, or even some broken plays where Brown can get behind the defense. At just the fifteenth most expensive wideout on Sunday at a salary of $6,000, if you find a way to get him on your team, good things should follow.
PLAYERS WE’RE TARGETING:
Quarterbacks:
Josh Allen – $8,200 vs. Jaguars
Lamar Jackson – $7,300 vs. Vikings
Running Backs:
Alvin Kamara – $8,200 vs. Falcons
Dalvin Cook – $7,700 vs. Ravens
Wide Receivers:
Deebo Samuel – $7,800 vs. Cardinals
Ja’Marr Chase – $7,600 vs. Browns
Tight Ends:
Travis Kelce – $7,000 vs. Packers
Mike Gesicki – $4,900 vs. Texans
Defense / Special Teams:
New Orleans Saints – $3,700 vs. Falcons
Quarterbacks:
Dak Prescott – $6,900 vs. Broncos
Joe Burrow – $6,800 vs. Browns
Running Backs:
Nick Chubb – $6,700 vs. Bengals
Myles Gaskin – $5,800 vs. Texans
Wide Receivers:
Courtland Sutton – $5,900 vs. Cowboys
Amari Cooper – $5,700 vs. Broncos
Tight Ends:
Dallas Goedert – $4,500 vs. Chargers
C.J. Uzomah – $3,900 vs. Browns
Defense / Special Teams:
Miami Dolphins – $3,100 vs. Texans
Quarterbacks:
Tua Tagavailoa – $5,800 vs. Texans
Daniel Jones – $5,600 vs. Raiders
Running Backs:
Chase Edmonds – $5,300 vs. 49ers
Boston Scott – $5,200 vs. Chargers
Wide Receivers:
Hunter Renfrow – $4,800 vs. Giants
Tim Patrick – $4,700 vs. Cowboys
Tight Ends:
Jared Cook – $3,300 vs. Eagles
David Njoku – $3,000 vs. Bengals
Defense / Special Teams:
Cleveland Browns – $2,500 vs. Bengals
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!
