DraftKings Bargain Bin: Week 8
The purpose of this column is to feature players that are underpriced on DraftKings. In addition I will be isolating players to target due to injury, and therefore are expected to receive an increase in usage.
QUARTERBACKS
Ryan Tannehill – $6,700 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Ever since the idea of Ryan getting benched was floated around, he’s responded with solid performances. He’s chalked up at least 20 DraftKings points, but this isn’t reflected in his price. Oh, and lets not bury the lead here. The Dolphins get to take on the inept Jacksonville Jaguars who, while not being horrific of late, still aren’t a particularly talented group. Additionally, the converted WR is always a threat to run as well, which is a perk just in case you are still on the fence.
Nick Foles – $6,300 at Arizona Cardinals
So many DFS eyes will be on the Green Bay vs New Orleans matchup when considering what quarterback to roster (and for good reason). That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if this PHI-AZ game turns into a bit of a shootout and Vegas agrees. Foles has not been great of late, but the price is just way too cheap to ignore what a volume passer he is. I like to roster guys coming off a bye week (who presumably worked out some kinks) and this Cardinals secondary has been more vulnerable than its reputation suggests. Pairing Foles with teammate Jeremy Maclin for tournaments could be a winning strategy as both are heavily discounted this week.
RUNNING BACKS
Ben Tate – $4,600 vs Oakland Raiders
After disappointing his backers last week in what appeared to be a prime matchup (vs the Jaguars), I suspect many will completely ignore Tate this week. That would be a mistake. Game glow disrupted his chances to really be a workhorse, but he racked up a total of 48 touches in the two prior games. Its somewhat troublesome that Tate is all but immune to catching the football, but at this price and matchup, such a hiccup can be overlooked.
Travaris Cadet – $3,000 vs Green Bay Packers
You are going to want some shares of the Green Bay-New Orleans game as it has a whopping 55 over/under. Sure, Cadet isn’t the first guy that jumps out to you when considering who to roster, but he is minimum salary. He’s a running back who doesn’t exactly carry the ball. Not the most encouraging fact I know, but Cadet has really become a thing in the Saints passing game. He has scored double digits points in the last three games by turning turning 20 targets into 15 receptions. His success should continue vs the Packers as fellow running backs Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson will be out in addition to Jimmy Graham likely being limited.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Eric Decker – $4,600 vs Buffalo Bills
Decker’s numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, but it must be put into context. Decker hasn’t been completely healthy as he’s been dealing with a hamstring injury. This suggests that he comes with some risk, but the benefit here is his price tag. The asking price has dropped to a point where he makes for an intriguing option. Despite the lingering hammy, Decker has scored in two of his last three games and is always a legitimate red-zone threat. With the Bills ability to stop the run, the Jets best chance to move the ball should be through the air. The addition of Percy Harvin shouldn’t have a huge impact on Decker, and it might actually work to his benefit as the opposing defense will have someone else to focus their attention.
Julian Edelman – $4,600 vs Chicago Bears
Its hard not to like Edelman in a full point per reception format. While he’s not a beast in the red zone, Edelman gets so many looks/touches that he offers a very safe floor. How many looks exactly? He has seen no less than seven (and up to 13) all season long while hauling in a minimum of four catches. Again, he’s not sexy, but Edelman is a cheap, safe play that is suitable for your cash games.
TIGHT ENDS
Zach Ertz – $3,200 at Arizona Cardinals
To be perfectly clear, I’m going to do me best to get Rob Gronkowski in as many of my lineups as possible. That said, if you are looking to save a few bucks, Ertz is your man. Picking on the Cardinals with a tight end has been a DFS staple dating back to last year. While they aren’t dead last as they’ve previously been, Arizona checks in at #26 when it comes to defending the TE according to the RotoGrinders Defense vs Position tool.
Scott Chandler – $3,100 at New York Jets
If Zach Ertz is somehow too chalky for you and you really want to go off the reservation, I don’t mind giving Scott Chandler a look. He’s a huge target with nice hands in a game where he may be leaned on more heavily than normal. The Bills lost their top RBs last week (Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller). Compound this with the fact that the Jets defense is best at stopping the run and vulnerable to the pass and it makes me think Chandler will be more involved in the Buffalo game plan. New York has yielded seven touchdowns to tight ends so far this year and I wouldn’t be shocked if Chandler gets in for number eight.
DEFENSE
Cleveland Browns – $2,700 vs Oakland Raiders
Maybe some recency bias will keep the Browns ownership down. They did just give up the first victory to the Jaguars after all, so thats not exactly the greatest sales pitch for this week. In fact they’ve been pretty mediocre as a defensive fantasy unit in general. That said, there is a decent chance this changes this week as they get to take on the pedestrian Oakland Raiders and you get to roster them rather cheaply.