NFL Sunday is upon us, and a ripe 11-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
Tom Brady ($5,900) at PIT — This is Brady’s third week in a row under $6,000, and remember that he began the season all the way up at $7,200. I expected his salary to rise after scoring nearly 30 DKFP at Miami, but now we get to take advantage against Pittsburgh. This game should be a shootout, and Brady historically performs in this spot.
Lamar Jackson ($5,900) vs. TB — Jackson’s scored at least 17.5 DKFP in all four of his starts, and a matchup against Tampa shouldn’t change this trend. the Bucs ranks just 24th against the QB position this season, and are terrible defending the run. Look for Jackson to break some runs loose.
Dak Prescott ($5,500) at IND — The Cowboys are red-hot, and this is a spot I think they can regress against the Colts. Adding Amari Cooper ($7,500) has changed Dallas’ entire offense, so after throwing three touchdowns, Dan remains just far too cheap.
RUNNING BACK
Saquon Barkley ($9,400) vs. TEN — Barkley is 100% matchup proof, so you can feel free to roster him against a tough Tennessee defense. Still having just one game under 20 DKFP in his entire rookie season, lock Barkley into your cash lineups.
Ezekiel Elliott ($9,000) at IND — The only reason not to roster Barley is if you’re going for Zeke. Since Week 10, Elliott’s scored between 25-40 DKFP in each of his games. Like Barkley, you can just lock him in as one of your anchors. You know 25-plus touches are coming his way.
David Johnson ($7,100) at ATL — No team in the NFL allows more DKFP to the RB position, and a big reason is because of how many passes the Falcons funnel to opposing RBs. Johnson caught 8-of-10 targets last week, and is a focal point of Arizona’s offense no matter the score.
Joe Mixon ($6,100) vs. OAK — Mixon should be one of the top plays of the week. Then Bengals rank 31st in rushing yards allowed per game, and Mixon’s gone for 82-plus yards in three straight. Expect this to be one of the most popular plays on the slate.
Jaylen Samuels ($5,200) vs. NE — With James Conner not expected to play, Samuel will be Pittsburgh’s lead back once again. He hasn’t offered much on the ground — only rushing for 33 yards on 13 carries since taking over for Conner. Where he does factor in is as a pass-catcher, snagging all 10 of his targets for 84 yards and a score.
Tevin Coleman ($4,200) vs. ARI — Coleman has a great matchup against Arizona here, who ranks just 23rd against RB. Coleman hasn’t been a great play in recent weeks, failing to exceed value since Week 9. But now we get him at his cheapest salary of the season in a matchup at home favored by over a touchdown. This is the spot where you capitalize on Coleman.
WIDE RECEIVER
Antonio Brown ($8,500) vs. NE — Brown averages 24.2 DKFP at home versus just 18.7 on the road, and a matchup against the Patriots is a favorable spot. Brown has only been cheaper than this twice this season.
Julio Jones ($8,400) vs. ARI — Julio’s scored over 20 DKFP in six of his last seven outings. A matchup against the Ravens derailed him, but 33.6 DKFP last week was a solid bounce-back. A home game against a bad team should be another spot he can surpass 20 DKFP.
T.Y. Hilton ($6,800) vs. DAL — Hilton’s on a quiet tear over the last four weeks, averaging 27.4 DKFP and 11 targets. Dallas has been rolling at home, but now faces a tough road game against a consistent WR.
Sterling Shepard ($4,400) vs. TEN — Nothing fancy here — no OBJ means a plus role for Shepard. While he didn’t impress all that much last week, he did catch a touchdown. Tennessee is surprisingly bad defending WR for a defense that ranks as highly as they do.
TIGHT END
Rob Gronkowski ($5,800) at PIT — Gronk finally looked himself in Miami last week, going for a season-best 8-107-1 (27.7 DKFP). He’s burned the Steelers repetitively in the past, so look for him to carry some momentum into this game.
Jared Cook ($5,600) at CIN — Cook has been a dominant target for Oakland with extremely limited WR options. Over the past two games he’s hauled in 14-of-18 targets for 216 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals are an even more favorable matchup for the TE position than he’s faced during his hot streak.
C.J. Uzomah ($3,600) vs. OAK — On the other end of the same matchup, the Raiders rank dead last in the NFL against TE. Uzomah won’t go off for a huge game, but you can get a discount on consistent production here.
D/ST
Washington ($2,400) — The Jags scored just nine points last week, and it easily could have been zero. I think a solid Washington defense can limit the Jags at home, and they come at a huge discount.
