NFL Sunday is upon us, and a ripe 13-game slate awaits on DraftKings. I mainly happen to be a cash game player (roughly the top half of their field gets paid out) versus a tournament player (roughly top 20 percent get paid on a scale), so below I’ll provide you with some of the safest players on this slate that are on my radar:
QUARTERBACK
Aaron Rodgers ($6,000) vs. ATL — Rodgers has only surpassed 20 DK points once in his last six games, but this is a perfect bounce-back spot for him. We know Rodgers has one of the highest ceilings at the QB position, and he’ll be looking to prove that after the firing of head coach Mike McCarthy. The Falcons rank just 27th in DK points allowed to QB, while Rodgers salary is down $1,500 from Week 1.
Deshaun Watson ($5,900) vs. IND — Watson’s been pretty tame in recent weeks, but now we get him for under $6,000 for just the third time this season. The matchup against the Colts should work in his favor — Watson scored 35 DK points in Indy back in Week 4. His rushing abilities help raise his floor.
Josh Allen ($5,500) vs. NYJ — Since returning from an elbow injury, Allen’s averaging just 195 yards through the air in two games. Somehow he’s also made for elite QB value, thanks to four touchdowns and a ridiculous rushing line. The rookie QB has rushed 22 times for 234 yards in the past two games.
RUNNING BACK
Christian McCaffery ($9,300) at CLE — CMC has been tremendous in recent weeks, surpassing 32 DK points in four of his last five. He has both a crazy high ceiling and floor, and even with his price skyrocketing, he’s still worth rostering. A bad shoulder for Cam Newton could mean more rushing attempts and short passes for CMC.
Saquon Barkley ($8,900) at WAS — Barkley’s as consistent as it gets, only scoring fewer than 20 DK points once in his rookie campaign. You can lock him in without concern in this matchup, particularly with more potential touches given Odell Beckham Jr.’s injury. I prefer CMC and Zeke, but Barkley has to be mentioned.
Ezekiel Elliott ($8,600) vs. PHI — Elliott’s been on a tear his last four games, and it all started with nearly 40 DK points against the Eagles on Sunday Night Football. Zeke is a lock for 20-plus touches on the ground and has seen almost seven targets per week during this four-game hot stretch. His workload keeps him extremely safe.
Jeff Wilson ($3,800) vs. DEN — Those top-three guys are the studs and now we have three elite values. With Matt Breida out, Wilson projects as the featured back for the Niners against a banged up Denver defense. Wilson totaled 134 yards on 23 touches in Seattle last week. A similar workload could be in line.
Justin Jackson ($3,800) vs. CIN — Jackson came on late in the win over the Steelers to gain 82 yards and score a touchdown on just nine touches. While Austin Ekeler is still in the mix, Jackson could’ve won the lead RB role until Melvin Gordon returns. The Chargers are 15-point favorites at home in this one, and the Bengals are one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. There’s potential for a monster game here.
Jaylen Samuels ($3,700) at OAK — With James Conner ruled out, Samuels will now plug into the Le’Veon Bell role at an extreme discount. This is like Week 1 with James Conner all over again. Oakland is one of the worst run defenses in the league, and Pittsburgh’s favored by double-digits in this one.
WIDE RECEIVER
Davante Adams ($8,400) vs. ATL — I mentioned how much I like Rodgers, and his WR1 slots in perfectly with him. Adams’ consistency is mind blowing, yet to score fewer than 16 DK points in a game this year. You know he won’t burn you, and he brings a high ceiling at home against Atlanta.
DeAndre Hopkins ($7,800) vs. IND — Hopkins had five games with 25-plus DK points through Week 9, but has scored 16 or fewer in three straight games. This is a terrific bounce-back spot for Hopkins, who we get at a discount in a really good matchup. Hopkins topped 35 DK points against the Colts earlier this season.
Courtland Sutton ($4,500) at SF — This is another next man up situation, as Emmanuel Sanders tore his Achilles in practice this week. Sutton was already starting for Denver, so he might not see a huge bump in value, but he’s Denver’s clear cut WR1 at a huge discount.
Sterling Shepard ($4,400) at WAS — And once again, no OBJ means Shepard steps into the Giants’ WR1 role. It’s not the best matchup in Washington, but at this price tag you can’t ignore the value. Shepard versus Sutton is a tough call this week at nearly identical prices
TIGHT END
Travis Kelce ($6,700) vs. BAL — The Chiefs’ offense could be limited against Baltimore, but I think that’ll reflect more on the WR/RB positions. TE is the soft spot in Baltimore’s defense, as they rank about average against the position. Kelce’s been an absolute beast lately, averaging about 38 DK points in his last two outings.
Rob Gronkowski ($4,800) at MIA — Gronk definitely hasn’t been himself lately, so the downside is obvious. But he’s had some big games against Miami in the past, and I’ll just leave you with one fact — this is the cheapest Gronk’s ever been on DraftKings.
D/ST
Giants ($2,500) — The Giants are priced down and have a couple of big games recently. Considering they’ll be facing Mark Sanchez, there’s a lot to like here.
