Here are my DraftKings value plays for Week 10. They are listed in descending price order, not a ranking of who to play out of each group. YOU ultimately make the decision on these players and whether to put them in your lineup. These are not necessarily must plays (some are in my opinion) but players you can squeeze for extra value to save money on the rest of your roster. Be sure to check out the Fantasy Knuckleheads Podcast that airs live every Tuesday at 10pm (Value plays) and Thursday at 10pm (Lineups).
Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger $7500:
Ben has been on a roll lately if you haven’t noticed. Going up against the disaster my Jets call a secondary, there’s very little not to like about this.
Matt Stafford $7100:
Huge caveat on this one: ONLY IF CALVIN PLAYS. Stafford is a top-5 quarterback with Megatron in the lineup. Miami’s defense has been very good against air attacks this year so expectations should be tempered, but Stafford will force feed Calvin if he’s healthy.
Russell Wilson $7100:
Wilson is perhaps one of the most impossible to predict quarterbacks from a fantasy perspective in the league. In games the Seahawks look bad, Wilson has fantastic days. On days when the Seahawks look dominant, he struggles because he doesn’t need to do much. Very risky at this point because he has brought his floor down so much, but obvious upside. I personally wouldn’t play him in anything but tournaments.
Cam Newton $6600:
Apart from Eli Manning’s woeful game in Week 7, the Eagles have given up at least two passing touchdowns to every quarterback they have faced this year. When Ryan Fitzpatrick can throw two touchdowns and then be announced as the guy who will now hold the clipboard on game days, you know you have some issues. Cam to Kelvin. All. Night. Long.
Matt Ryan $6300:
Last time Ryan faced the Bucs, he threw for 286 yards and three scores…in three quarters. Imagine the kind of numbers he could put up if the Bucs put up any sort of a fight. Tampa Bay is miserable this year and they are especially dismal against the pass. Coming out of the bye, Ryan will show up this week.
Mark Sanchez $5400:
Chip Kelly’s offense. Is Mark Sanchez a good quarterback? He can have his moments (trust me, I saw everything he did in a Jets uniform), but in reality he’s not all that special. Lucky for Officer Butt Fumble, this offense could make JaMarcus Russell, Tim Couch and Ryan Leaf look like Pro Bowlers. At this price, in this offense, there’s no reason not to roll the dice and make the rest of your lineup monsterous.
Running backs
Jamaal Charles $6400:
This price is almost as outrageous as LeSean’s price has been lately. Matchup is tough, but a top-5 running back in the NFL for high-end RB2 pricing just doesn’t make any sense.
LeSean McCoy $5600:
Speaking of LeSean, you gotta be kidding me DraftKings. We get it, he hasn’t scored any touchdowns recently and didn’t start the year well. But Shady has ran for over 100 yards twice in the last three games and the only time he failed to do so was against the best rush defense in the league. Now he gets the dismal Panthers defense (I really never thought I’d say that coming into the year) and is an easy lock for 100+ yards while adding catches and the outside chance of the endzone.
Bobby Rainey/Charles Sims $4400/$3600:
Personally, I think Sims is the far superior talent, but he may be eased into this offense. I’d stay away from both this week, but feel free to try and figure out who’s going to get the ball if you want to take advantage of the matchup against Atlanta’s dismal rush defense. My brain is already exploding after ten seconds of thinking about it.
Wide Receiver
Julio Jones $6600:
The last time Julio went up against this secondary, he caught 9 of 11 targets for 161 yards and two scores. Tell me who’s going to cover him and I’ll consider not putting him in every single one of my lineups this week, but even then I’ll probably keep him in there.
Dez Bryant $6400:
I would only recommend this if Romo plays. Glorious matchup, but could drop a dud if Weeden is under center.
Martavis Bryant $5500:
Since being activated three weeks ago, Bryant has been on a tear and is a big reason Big Ben has been on such a roll. Bryant’s ability to stretch the defense has opened up more passing lanes for Ben to throw to Antonio Brown, thus opening up the entire offense. As the best redzone threat at receiver, Bryant is as good a bet as any to get in the endzone week after week.
Percy Harvin $5300:
The only number you need to know for Harvin is 13. That is how many targets Harvin saw last week against the Chiefs. The Jets are making it a point to force the ball into Harvin’s hands and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue.
Andre Holmes $4400:
The Broncos are going to put up points and if Carr and the Raiders hope to keep pace or even get on the scoreboard, they will have to dial up Holmes’ number frequently.
Brandin Cooks $4300:
In all three of the Saints’ home games this year, Cooks has caught no less than six balls from Brees. PPR stud for bargain pricing.
Kelvin Benjamin $4200:
Thank you DraftKings for free money once again. Hopkins just lit up this secondary to the tune of six catches for 115 and a score with Fitzpatrick throwing him the ball. Benjamin will have Cam Newton force feeding him the ball all night while they play from behind.
Michael Floyd $4100:
I wish I could say that there’s no reason not to play him this week, but he’s just been so inconsistent even with Palmer back under center. When he is on, he looks like a top-15 receiver in all of football. But that floor is abysmal. Matchup could make him worth a risk though…
Paul Richardson $3000
Richardson is my default punt play going forward because of his freakish speed and athletic profile. The Seahawks are struggling to get a consistent rhythm and I think incorporating Richardson more would be extremely beneficial for Wilson and the rest of this offense.
Tight Ends
Julius Thomas $4900
The last time Peyton lost this year, he responded by throwing for 479 yards and four scores and two of those went to Julius. Wanna bet he gets in the endzone this week? Yeah, me too.
Larry Donnell $4400
Mychal Rivera scored twice against the Seahawks last week. Yeah. With the continued absence of Bobby Wagner, the only surefire way to succeed through the air against the Seahawks is by way of the tight end. Though Odell Beckham Jr. has gained Eli’s trust more and more each game, the Seahawks corners will limit his opportunities to get open. Donnell will be the one that finds space as Eli’s security blanket.
Mychal Rivera $3800
Coming off a two touchdown performance, Rivera’s role has increased tremendously in the past two weeks as he gains the trust of Carr and the Oakland coaching staff. I expect this trend to continue against a Denver defense that allows the 5th most points to the tight end.
Zach Ertz $3000
This addition to the list is solely based on price. From a pure talent perspective, Ertz should be priced above $5000, but the usage has been inconsistent at best. Hopefully things change with Sanchez under center and Ertz can finally get his season back on track.