NFL Lineup Walkthrough - Week 8
Notorious gives a detailed walkthrough of how he built his main cash-game lineup on DraftKings for NFL Week 8. He’ll offer his entire lineup and explain the thought process behind each pick.
Week 8 NFL DraftKings Lineup
Do you ever get the feeling that there is nothing that could possibly stand in the way of your lineup having a big week? That’s how confident I feel heading into Week 8. I love every player at every position in my lineup and I have higher hopes this week than I have all season. Of course, anything can happen in the NFL, but I’m feeling good as the morning games are kicking off. That said, check back with me in the NFL First Look on Monday night to see if my tune has changed.
Aaron Rodgers – I was having a hard time choosing between Rodgers and Brees this week. In the end, I went with Rodgers because the Saints have a worse pass rush and a worse secondary. Rodgers has been on an incredible tear over the last month of play and should have a floor of 300 yards and a couple of TDs. I definitely wanted to pay up at QB with all of the value at the other positions.
Le’Veon Bell – While Matt Forte and DeMarco Murray are the top RBs in terms of having a high floor, Bell isn’t far behind and he’s $2000 cheaper than both. Bell has topped 100 yards from scrimmage in every game this season and has another soft matchup against the Colts, who are graded as the 24th-ranked rush defense according to ProFootballFocus (PFF).
Jerick McKinnon – After coach Mike Zimmer vowed to get Matt Asiata more touches, McKinnon saw 21 to Asiata’s 7 last week. McKinnon is clearly the more talented back of the two and many are expecting him to see upwards of 20 touches again this week. You have to love the matchup against the Buccaneers, who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season.
Jordy Nelson – At $7,800, Nelson was an easy pick this week. There was a lot of value at the RB position, which allowed me to spend up on my QB and on my WRs. The Saints have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing WRs this season and are graded as the third-worst secondary in the league (PFF). Nelson should be in for another 100-yard outing and will hopefully find the end zone at least once.
Dez Bryant – Taking a receiver on a team that is favored by double-digits does concern me a little, as the Cowboys may get up big and then decide to run out the clock, but the combination of Bryant’s salary and matchup was too good to pass up. Bryant is a huge red-zone threat and has seen double-digit targets per game this season.
Julian Edelman – Among all active receivers this week, Edelman is ranked eighth in targets per game at 9.3. Now take a look at where he is priced. Edelman is the 27th-most expensive WR on the board. That’s a huge difference that I will exploit any day of the week. Look for Edelman to bounce back against the Bears after a couple of subpar fantasy performances in a row.
Zach Ertz – The Cardinals were bad at defending the TE position last year and the Cardinals are bad at defending the TE position this year. Ertz has the upside of a stud TE, but he’s priced close to minimum salary.
Ben Tate – There have been reports that the offensive coordinator isn’t sold on Tate as a feature back, but the touches say otherwise. Even though Alex Mack is a huge absence from the offensive line, the Browns are still one of the better run-blocking teams in the league. I’m expecting around 20 touches and a very productive outing from Tate against the hapless Raiders.
Browns D/ST – The Raiders offense doesn’t show up on the road. The Browns are cheap and fit my lineup perfectly.