DraftKings Bargain Bin: Week 7
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.
Too Cheap to Ignore
Quarterback
Colin Kaepernick – $6,500 at Denver Broncos
Salaries on DraftKings are released prior to the Monday Night Football game, so despite Colin’s monster performance, his price remained quite low. Kaep will likely play from behind as the 49ers are underdogs to the Broncos which means that he’ll be asked to keep up with Peyton Manning. This all but assures that you’ll get four quarters of Colin racking up fantasy points with both his arm and his legs. Logic says this is a game that you will want some shares of as Vegas has deemed it the highest over/under of the week. Note: For a complete listing of all the over/unders, check out our Vegas Odds Page. Sure, Peyton is safer, but if you need to save a few bucks at the quarterback position, I have no issues rolling with Kaepernick.
Running Backs
Branden Oliver – $6,300 vs Kansas City Chiefs
DraftKings raised his price, but certainly not enough to scare me away. There are so few legitimate three down backs in the league right now, and that is what Oliver is as long as Donald Brown and Ryan Mathews continue to be out. To say that Branden has been taking advantage of his massive uptick in usage would be an understatement. The versatile back racked up 53 touches while averaging over 31 DraftKings points in his last two games. As for this week, Oliver will take on the Chiefs who have had their issues with stopping the run. Its not fair to expect Branden to keep this pace up, but he’s in a great spot to continue his recent success.
Alfred Morris – $4,700 vs Tennessee Titans
I’m always a little hesitant to play a RB who struggles to catch the ball on a full point per reception (PPR) site like DraftKings, but at a certain point, the price/matchup warrant a look. He’s had some lackluster performances of late (thanks in part to tough matchups and non-conducive game flow), but this week sets up to his advantage. A home game vs. a subpar Tennessee rush defense needs to be exploited and Vegas suggests that Washington will be in a position to grind out a lead on the ground unlike in previous weeks. Of course we’ll need a touchdown to really justify Morris’s roster spot, but all signs point to Morris chalking up his first 100 yard game of the season.
Wide Receivers
Wes Welker – $3,700 vs San Francisco 49ers
Sometimes the hate goes too far; or in this case the price is just too cheap. No, this isn’t the same Welker that piled up a whopping 118 catches in 2012, but I’m not ready to suggest he’s washed up either. Throw out his last game, and Welker earned himself 18 looks in his previous two games which he turned into a respectable 13 receptions. Narrative Alert: His quarterback, Peyton Manning, is just two touchdowns away from tying the all-time record. Compound that with the fact this game will be on in primetime (where Manning historically thrives) and I feel more confident than normal that Manning will throw for at least three TDs. Welker has yet to score this year and isn’t your typical red-zone threat, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended the drought this week.
Justin Hunter – $3,700 at Washington Redskins
At the same price, Welker might have a slightly floor but with his ability to get deep, Hunter comes with a ton of upside. While he is on the field pretty much every snap these days, Justin doesn’t get an ideal amount of looks/catches. That said, he just needs to connect on one big pass to justify his roster spot. Washington is last in the league in pass coverage according to Pro Football Focus, so clearly it’s an ideal matchup for Hunter.
Tight End
Jordan Cameron $4,600 at Jacksonville Jaguars
I just can’t get through one of these articles without picking on Jaguars, now can I? Cameron is a huge target who, after some early season nagging injuries, seems to be rounding into form. As for the Jacksonville defense, they are vulnerable all around and its no different when it comes to covering the tight end. The Jags have given up a total of five touchdowns and more than 70 yards per game to opposing TEs so far this season. I’m expecting Cameron to continue abusing of the Jacksonville secondary.
Next Man Up
RUNNING BACK
Lamar Miller – $5,300 at Chicago Bears
I can’t totally trust Lamar in my cash games because he’s disappointed us in a similar situation before, but the opportunity is there for him to excel. More touches should open up with Knowshon Moreno being lost for the season due to a torn ACL. Miller has been somewhat limited in practice, but all signs point to him playing without restriction come Sunday. There are many running back options in the mid-tier price range, but you have to throw Lamar in the conversation when weighing both price and potential upside.
WIDE RECEIVER
Golden Tate – $5,900 vs New Orleans Saints
Unless something significant changes with the health of Calvin Johnson, it appears he will miss another game this weekend. This would mean that Tate would once again be the de facto #1 receiver for the Lions. Tate comes into the game seeing a ton of looks of as he’s caught 22 of the 31 passes thrown his way in Detroit’s last three games. There is no reason to think his usage won’t continue come Sunday as New Orleans is particularly vulnerable through the air, and Tate is the unquestioned best available Lions WR.
TIGHT END
Larry Donnell – $3,500 at Dallas Cowboys
Lets summarize the first six weeks of Donnell’s season. He came out of no where, averaged more than six receptions per game through the first four games while peaking with a three touchdown performance. And the last two games? Well, he’s been dreadful. In fact, he hauled in exactly one more catch than you did. Disappointing indeed. So why am looking in Donnell’s direction this week? The Giants lost slot WR Victor Cruz, which opens the door for Donnell to garner himself a nice boost to his usage. You’d have to think many have been burned by him of late, so his ownership percentage should be soft, making Donnell an intriguing tournament play.