DraftKings Bargain Bin: Week 12
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, who would therefore be expected to receive an increase in usage.
QUARTERBACKS
Josh McCown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, $6,600 – Forgive me, but I’m a sucker for the revenge narrative when it comes to McCown. The former Bear gets a shot at his old teammates in what looks like a tasty matchup. Chicago has given up the second-most DraftKings points to quarterbacks according to the RotoGrinders Defense vs Position rankings. Second narrative alert – This is a a man that broke down crying by his locker room after a loss to the Falcons in Week 10. Josh might not be the most talented quarterback, but he’s really cheap, and if nothing else, you know he’ll give his best effort (meanwhile some would argue the QB on the other side of the field, Jay Cutler, while much more talented, just don’t care). Most recently McCown had a rebound, multi-TD game vs Washington and I’m expecting the same come Sunday. One word of caution: the weather forecast calls for rain and wind gusts up to 30 MPH. If this is the case, expectations would have to be tempered.
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers, $6,500 – Fair warning: I’ve been a little more bullish Kaep than most, but I’m sorry, he just shouldn’t be the 16th most expensive quarterback on this week’s slate. That is just too cheap when considering his upside, which, I know, has been sparse this year. I’m a sucker for running signal callers and Washington has yielded the 4th most DraftKings points to QBs this year according to the RotoGrinders Defense vs Position rankings. More specifically, the Redskins are ranked 31st (out of 32 teams) in pass coverage according to Pro Football Focus. Add it all up, and I think persistence, and not giving up on Colin, will pay off this week.
RUNNING BACKS
LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles, $6,200 – He just hasn’t been the guy we were expecting coming into the season, as McCoy was on a short list of elite running backs. That said, I just can’t ignore the price/opponent combination this week. The Titans are giving up the second-most rushing yards per game and Shady, while not registering elite fantasy numbers, is getting plenty of chances. LeSean has been given the rock no less than 24 times in five of his last six games, which should lead to enough opportunities to (finally) yield some fantasy goodness.
Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns, $3,800 – The Cleveland backfield is a little less crowded these days with the surprising release of Ben Tate. Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West are left standing and the former appears to have the inside track to be on the positive side of any potential timeshare. The fact that the coaches stuck by him last week after his fumble suggests Isaiah has earned their trust. The Georgia native is in a nice spot to show off to his friends and family (who will watch him for as a pro for the first time), as the Atlanta defense isn’t exactly stout. Most attractive here is the price, as at just over $800 above the minimum, Crowell shouldn’t have too much trouble paying it off.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Josh Gordon, Cleveland Browns, $6,300 – I feel like there will be plenty of “I’m going to wait and see first” people out there when it comes to the newly-instated Gordon. I don’t plan on being one of them. Its easy to forget that while there may be some risk/rust, and even the idea of a “pitch count” being entertained, Josh was an elite WR last year. By elite I mean that he led the league in receiving yards (by almost 150 yards) despite only playing 14 games, however he’s not nearly priced as such. As for the matchup, its an ideal landing spot. The Falcons field a porous secondary, and in a time of year where many games have potential weather issues, a game indoors and on the turf is quite welcoming. Expect Gordon to flash come Sunday.
a id=“keenan-allen” data-role=“modal” rel=“nofollow” href=”/players/keenan-allen-16569”>Keenan Allen, San Diego, $4,900 – Allen has been frustrating this year when you consider his expectations coming into the season. Despite having 87 balls thrown his way, he’s only found the end zone once all season. This is especially baffling for a guy that scored eight times last season. This is not for a lack of trying, as quarterback Phillip Rivers has tossed a whopping 45 passes throw his way in his past four games. I’m expecting Phillip to continue his persistence and keep feeding Keenan the ball. Take advantage of his more than reasonable price, since this could be his breakout week versus a poor St. Louis secondary.
TIGHT END
Larry Donnell, New York Giants, $3,900 – The Dallas Cowboys have given up the second-most DraftKings points among all NFL teams, according to the RotoGrinders Defense vs Position rankings. Of course Larry’s first game vs Dallas, where he hauled in seven catches for 90 yards, is factored into that equation. We’d be more than thrilled if Donnell can somehow duplicate that performance (minus the two fumbles). I try and do my best to pay up for one of the elite tight end studs, but at this price Larry should be able to pay off his salary while leaving you with the funds to splurge on someone pricey at another position.
DEFENSE
Seattle Seahawks, $3,200 – I’m a sucker for a good underdog story, but I’m just not buying the journeyman quarterback (Drew Stanton) filling in for a fallen starter (Carson Palmer) and leading an overachieving team to a 9-1 record. It’s a cute little story and all, but I’m just not buying it. I get that the Seattle defense hasn’t been as vaunted as its been in the past, but it’s still plenty competent. Especially at home. Vegas is not expecting many points to be scored in this contest, as they have posted an over/under of just 42, while making the Seahawks a touchdown favorite. One last little nugget: as of this writing there is an 80% chance of rain which can make turnovers a little more prevalent.