When building a DFS lineup you want to ask yourself three questions. Can this player score well? If they do, are they a good price? Will they be a popular play? The last one is less important in a cash game, where there’s no incentive for finishing any higher than the cut-line. These seem basic, but too often lineup building goes off the rails chasing a situation or player that doesn’t meet our three primary needs. Check those boxes for every player you roster. FanDuel pricing used below.
QB
Patrick Mahomes, $8900: QB is the position that ownership is least important. It’s usually spread out in a fairly uniform fashion. You’ll have to pay up for Showtime, but he’s worth it. The KC offense flows through him. It’s the easiest way to get exposure to a game with 56 projected points. Rudy’s new Stackonator has him all over the top 15 as well.
Blake Bortles, $6700: Can he score well? Yes, the Titans are very vulnerable to QB scoring. Is he a good price? The twentieth lowest QB. Will he be popular? Maybe more than usual coming off of a good performance, but people hate playing Bortles. Unless you’re failed Jacksonville DJ that sells fake drugs to college students. Bortles!
RB
Alvin Kamara, $8700: The Optimizer projects him for more points than anyone else this week. That’s because Atlanta was vulnerable to pass-catching backs before losing their starting middle linebacker and safety two weeks ago. CMC showed why this will be a theme all season. Kamara has much better rushing chops than McCaffrey. A big day is in store for AK41.
Matt Breida, $6200:Â The game script is essentially the same for the 49ers this week. Poor defense will draw them into a shootout, leading to more plays than usual. Breida is the playmaker in that backfield. That should earn him continued opportunities. We saw last week what he can do when that happens.
WR
Keelan Cole, $6200:Â Remember what Kenny Stills did to this secondary in week one? A Jacksonville WR is going off this week. My money is on Cole. He’s tied with Dede Westbrook in targets but has far more air yards. Bortles is starting to see him as a safety net. You can see why when he makes catches like this one.
Ted Ginn, $6600: This one is simple. When the Saints play in a game with 49 projected points or higher Ginn catches a TD. This is just my gut feel, since I don’t have a way to actually fact check it. You’ll notice it going forward now, though. He’s their deep threat and gets looks in shootouts.
TE
Jared Cook, $5600:Â I probably shouldn’t be giving this one away for free. It’s a super sneaky play. The Dolphins get gashed by TEs but haven’t this season due to Delanie Walker getting injured week 1 and the Jets ignoring the TE as usual in week 2. Cook is also coming off a slight letdown game. He could go bananas like he did against the Rams here.
Trey Burton, $5700:Â Burton hasn’t produced quite as well as I expected in Chicago so far. That offense has shown positive signs, it just hasn’t hit full stride yet. The Cardinals have been vulnerable to TEs in the past. There’s potential for a nice day here.
DEF
Jacksonville Jaguars, $5000: If Blaine Gabbert starts this should be a bloodbath. Even with a compromised Mariota at the helm, the outlook is grim for the Titans. Sacks on sacks on sacks from Sacksonville.
Chicago Bears, $4300: I can’t seem to find pay-downs at defense I’m comfortable with this week. When that happens, I prefer to take the safety of cushy matchups and spend some salary. It doesn’t get cushier than the Sam Bradford led Cardinals who’ve score 6 (6!) points through two weeks.
