DraftKings Bargain Bin: Week 9
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
Colin Kaepernick $7,000 vs St. Louis
Colin posted his best game of the year vs the Rams back in Week Six. In that game he shredded St. Louis by racking up 343 yards and three scores. With that in mind, its hard not to see him as a value with being relegated the 10th most expensive quarterback on the board. If there is one concern with Colin its that the inept Rams might have an issue keeping this a game, thus forcing San Francisco to grind the game out on the game. That said, the 49ers will have to get that lead somehow and I’m banking on multiple Kaepernick touchdowns to be the cause of a SF lead.
Carson Palmer – $6,800 at Dallas Cowboys
The quarterback position is fairly depleted this week. Drew Brees has already played, while it appears that elite arms like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Andrew Luck don’t have the most ideal of matchups. Not that those those studs aren’t in play, but it might be a good strategy to save a bucks at the quarterback position this week. As for Carson, he’s now throw for multiple touchdowns for three straight weeks, and while the Cowboys have been much better than expected, I’m not completely scared off by them. The Cowboys offense (basically playing keep away) has been part of the reason for the defense’s success, but if Tony Romo can’t play (or if he’s severely limited) they will have their issues sustaining long, time consuming, drives, thus leading to Palmer having sufficient time to rack up enough fantasy points to satisfy his reasonable price point.
Running Backs
LeSean McCoy – $5,200 at Houston Astros
I’m a sucker for a discount. While LeSean isn’t exactly priced down to Goodwill prices, this discount is worth noting. McCoy has been an overall disappointment this season, but part of that can be attributed to his O-line that has been banged up. They are getting healthier, the Texans are not a defense to dodge, and remember, LeSean is a touches hoarder as he has had the ball in his hands a whopping 76 times in the last three weeks. The lack of touchdowns would partially explain his sale price, but with the rock in his hands that much, they are bound to come.
Jeremy Hill – $4,000 vs Jacksonville Jaguars
The secret is out that Cincinnati lead-back Giovani Bernard will out this week. This means that Hill will go from limited touches, to the featured back. The prospect of going from seven or so touches to 20ish, at this discounted price, is nothing short of salivating. I never like to say must play I feel like that is an overused term, but that said, Jeremy is about as close to a must play as there is.
Wide Receivers
Julan Edelman – $4,100 vs Denver Broncos
Historically Julian is considered to be somewhat of a PPR (point per reception) monster, but that just hasn’t been the case of late. That could have something to do with the improvement of Rob Gronkowski’s health, or it could just be the nature of the Patriots. Once you think you have them figured out, and know who is getting what, they throw you a curveball. Now thats not the best endorsement or something I want to rely on necessarily, but there is one thing that makes me think Julian gets a bump in his involvement. As of this writing wind is projected to be blowing 20-25 mph, with gusts as high as 43. This makes me thing that Edelman will be used in a quick, short passing game, and receive multiple wide receiver screens.
Michael Floyd – $3,800 at Dallas Cowboys
Short-term bias is a buzzword you hear in DFS circles quite often. Well, its safe to say that after last weeks O’fer put up by Floyd, who happened to be heavily rostered, will receive his fair share of backlash. Taking a closer look at the game Michael certainly had his chances to thrive (dropping a TD), but it just wasn’t meant to be. It certainly didn’t help that he dinged his leg as well. That said, this price is just way too cheap when considering Floyd’s skillset. As for the matchup, sure, the Cowboys have exceeded all expectations, but I’m not ready to go out of my way and avoid them just yet.
Tight Ends
Julius Thomas – $5,600 vs New England Patriots
It seems odd to call the second most expensive tight end on the board a value play, but a closer look shows that Thomas has never been cheaper all season long. Few players are as touchdown dependent as Julius and a two week drought is the presumed cause of this. Prior to this hiccup he had scored in every game totaling nine in six contests. The Patriots can be had by the tight end position as they have been chewed up to the tune of two TDs and 278 yards over the last three weeks.
Jason Witten – $3,200 vs Arizona Cardinals
Yea, I know, insert your Jason Witten is as slow as _____ jokes here. I’m certainly not here to defend his speed, or lack there of, but if you are looking to save salary at the tight end position, I believe that he is worth your attention. Going back to last year, the Cardinals have had their issues covering the TE. Also, if Tony Romo is unable to go, Jason should play the role of security blanket for backup QB Brandon Weeden.
Defenses
Seattle Seahawks – $3,300 vs Oakland Raiders
I know this article is for value plays, but I’m not messing around, or getting too cute at the defense position this week. There are enough chalk plays that I can rotate between that I don’t need to throw a random dart just to be different. The Seahawks are a ridiculous 14 point favorite against the deplorable Oakland Raiders. Sacks, turnovers, and all sorts of fantasy goodness are in play. The difference in price from the cheapest defense to the most expensive ones just isn’t enough for me to consider spending down. It also appears that there is a 40% chance of rain, which only makes this defensive unit that much more tempting.