By The Commish, Cole Hoopingarner
Last week I wrote this column and changed the title from How to Lose Money Playing Daily Fantasy to How to WIN Money Playing Daily Fantasy, and for good reason. If you simply copied my lineup from last week, you would have likely won money like me – I quadrupled my money on FanDuel. And, I turned a 22 point deficit versus Richey into a 22 point lead after two weeks. A nice little 44 point swing.
So let’s get to it, and check my lineup for what I think will win some money this week!
QB
Matt Ryan (FD $8700/DK $7200) – A west coast team ranked 24th in pass defense travels to the east coast for a game in a dome against a top 3 overall offense. Matt Ryan should explode here. I’m stacking him with Julio Jones but I don’t think you have to do that to have great production this week.
Andy Dalton (FD $8100/DK $6000) – Andy Dalton faces the Browns and their 26th ranked pass defense that just got obliterated by Marcus Mariota. Dalton’s value on DraftKings is absolutely insane – 12 quarterbacks cost more than him!
Philip Rivers (FD $7800/DK $6500) – There’s a huge chance this game becomes a shootout and obviously that means Philip Rivers has a chance to shine. Despite all the injuries, Rivers still has many capable targets to throw to and he’s going to have to if the Chargers want to win.
RB
Le’Veon Bell (FD $8600/DK $8000) – Even with no touchdowns on the season, Bell is averaging 20 points per game on FanDuel scoring. That’s ridiculous. He’s one of the select few players in daily fantasy who is matchup proof and worth his price every single week. The Patriots represent a steep challenge but Bell is on another planet. Start him again!
Melvin Gordon (FD $8000/DK $6400) – The one weakness teams facing the Falcons have exploited is Atlanta’s run defense. The Falcons rank 27th against the run. If the Chargers want to keep their own defense off the field they’ll need to mix in a heavy dose of the former first round pick. I see a potentially big week from Gordon.
Spencer Ware (FD $7000/DK $5800) – Andy Reid told the world that Jamaal Charles is still not 100% and last week’s usage seems to back that statement up. Start Ware against one of the league’s worst defenses.
WR
Julio Jones (FD $9200/DK $9200) – He’s expensive but worth it, especially if you stack him with Ryan. That combination could produce huge numbers this week.
Jamison Crowder (FD $6200/DK $4300) – The emergence of a solid running game combined with Cousins and Reed’s connection may scare you, but Crowder is still a special athlete who, if given space, is a threat to score on every play. The Lions’ secondary isn’t anything to write home about and I see another touchdown in Crowder’s future this weekend.
Mike Wallace (FD $6900/DK $5800) – Steve Smith Sr. is still hurting and the Jets’ secondary is shockingly horrible this year. Wallace should have quite a few opportunities to turn on the after-burners and have a huge day.
TE
Delanie Walker (FD $6500/DK $4900) – Apologies for advising you to start Walker last week. Trust me, he burned me in a few of my leagues, I know how you feel. This week the Titans face another underwhelming defense. I think it’s safe to deploy Walker and bank on a decent comeback game.
Antonio Gates (FD $5500/DK $2900) – He’s cheaper than Hunter Henry and won’t have to block. Give me the veteran over the rookie this week.
D/ST
If there’s a week to spend high on a defense, it’s this one. Denver (FD $5000/DK $3800) faces its old QB and the Vikings (FD $4900/DK $3700) play a rookie.
Josh finally got some confidence and decided he wanted to join in the fun, so it’s a three-way dance this week! Below are our lineups:
Commishie
QB – Matt Ryan $8700
RB – Le’Veon Bell $8600
RB – James White $6100
WR – Julio Jones $9200
WR – Jarvis Landry $7000
WR – Jamison Crowder $6200
TE – Cameron Brate $5200
K – Jason Myers $4500
D/ST – Patriots $4400
Josh
QB – Andy Dalton $8100
RB – DeMarco Murray $8700
RB – Spencer Ware $7000
WR – AJ Green $8500
WR – Michael Thomas $5700
WR – Emmanuel Sanders $6700
TE – Hunter Henry $5800
K – Mike Nugent$4600
D/ST – Vikings $4900
Richey
QB – Philip Rivers $7800
RB – Jacquizz Rodgers $5600
RB – Devonta Freeman $7500
WR – Allen Robinson $8400
WR – Mike Evans $8000
WR – AJ Green $8500
TE – Jack Doyle $4700
K – Josh Lambo $4600
D/ST – Ravens $4800