Week 8 DraftKings Main Slate – Optimal Lineup Plays
My highest lineup total from my Week 7 entries put up 158.36 points. Not great, but did make the pay line. Jordan Love and Geno Smith did not get it done at the QB position last week. All of my highest point totals came in my lineups where I put Mahomes in. Kenneth Walker did not put up a performance worthy of his price tag in a plus matchup and game script. Cooper Kupp was a major flop as Puka Nacua had the big game in Week 7.
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I also bailed on Zach Evans after seeing reports about Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman seeing the bulk of the work. Darrell Henderson wasn’t even on DraftKings in Week 7 as I tried to insert him in my lineup. Outside of Jerome Ford, our Week 7 RB plays didn’t pan out. In addition to Kupp, Adams, Cooper and Watson were all misses as well. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had his first career TD, Rashee Rice and Romeo Doubs found the end zone, and Zay Flowers had double-digit points. Lower-priced TE was not the way to go, as Kelce and Andrews smashed the position in Week 7.
Overall, I would say it was not the results we were looking for with stacking the Packers and building around Kenneth Walker. Week 8 has some great values to be had, and it looks like a week where we are going to pay up for a QB and possibly even Kelce. The theme for this week is to stack top QBs with their top pass catcher.
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes $8400 (@ DEN) – Patrick Mahomes gets another matchup with the bottom-of-the-barrel Broncos defense. The TNF game a few weeks ago was a little wonky, and I’m just going to chalk it up to a Thursday night stinker. I really like stacking Mahomes/Kelce against this defense.
Jalen Hurts $8200 (@ WAS) – I promise I’m not just putting Jalen Hurts here because like four of my season-long teams are facing him this week. Although, that is usually a sign someone is going to go off. But like the Mahomes-Kelce stack, I also love a Hurts-AJB stack this week too. The Commanders are ranked 30th against QBs, so Hurts should still find success on the road.
CJ Stroud $6300 (@ CAR) – If I do not pay up for Mahomes, Hurts, or Lamar, I will be using CJ Stroud in most of my lineups. CJ Stroud is coming off his bye week and now gets the Carolina Panthers. I believe CJ Stroud is going to have something to prove this game, as he feels he should have been the No. 1 pick over Bryce Young. There are rumors that he was told by the Panthers he was going to be the pick. Extra motivation + bye week = START.
*If Brock Purdy is out, Sam Darnold $4300 (vs. CIN) – If Brock Purdy is out, I’m going to put a lineup together with Darnold in it. Darnold has shown flashes with the Jets and Panthers of being a fantasy-relevant option without ever having skill players around him like what he has in San Francisco. This would be more of a GPP/tournament lineup play where I can stack skill players.
Running Back
Alvin Kamara $7300 (@ IND) – Alvin Kamara has looked more like the Kamara of old than the ’22 version we saw last year. He has also seen the receiving role he had with Brees return with Derek Carr. Kamara has 35 receptions in four games this season. Now he gets a great matchup with the 27th-ranked defense vs. opposing RBs.
Travis Etienne $7200 (@ PIT) – If Darrell Henderson could come off the couch and find success running against the Steelers, then a red-hot Travis Etienne should have no issues this week. Royce Freeman averaged 5.5 YPC last week against the Steelers too. Travis Etienne has been an RB1 in five of seven games this year and has finished top four at the position the last three weeks. Let’s ride this wave.
Breece Hall $5900 (@ NYG) – Breece Hall being under $6k here is insane. The Jets took the chains off before the bye week, and he looked great. The bye week has hopefully given his surgically repaired knee some extra time, and he should be ready to handle another large workload vs. the Giants. The Giants are not going to run away with this game so Breece Hall will never be game-scripted out of carries here. Getting a locked and loaded RB1 for under $6k is a must-start, in my opinion.
Gud Edwards $5500 (@ ARI) – Gus Edwards did what not many other backs have been able to do this year: successfully run on the Detroit defense. Take away the 80-yard reception, as he isn’t likely to achieve that feat again. He still had a 14/64/1 rushing line. Now, he gets the Cardinals, who are ranked 29th vs. opposing RBs.
Contrarian/GPP Play: Dameon Pierce $5300 (@ CAR) – Before the bye week, we saw Devin Singletary close the gap and receive one less carry than Pierce. He also had 2.2 YPC higher than Pierce in Week 6. However, this matchup has been kind to RBs all season long. If there was ever a “get right” spot for Dameon Pierce, this would be it. If Houston has any interest in getting him going this season, this is the game to do it. At this price, Pierce is a great tournament play, as others may be wary of Singletary.
Wide Receiver
Contrarian/GPP Play: Cooper Kupp $9000 (@ DAL) – Cooper Kupp laid an egg in Week 7, and there is no way around it. Puka Nacua stole the show. Now, Dallas isn’t a great matchup on paper, but they can be had in the slot. Kupp won’t have two duds in a row. His ownership should be low. Good tournament play.
AJ Brown $8000 (@ WAS) – AJ Brown eviscerated Emmanuel Forbes a few weeks ago and gets the Commanders again in Week 8. He has had at least 125 yards receiving in five straight and has been a target monster while averaging almost 10 targets per game. Brown is the WR I want to build my other WRs around in Week 8.
Christian Kirk $5900 (@ PIT) – Christian Kirk has been putting up the numbers we expected Calvin Ridley to put up this season. Week 1 was all Ridley, and everyone panicked on Kirk. Kirk has been consistent since Week 1. Now, he gets the Steelers, who are 30th vs. opposing WRs.
Nico Collins $5500 (@ CAR) – Nico Collins has been a little feast or famine so far this year. He gets a Week 8 matchup against the Carolina Panthers and their secondary. I expect Collins to help Stroud in showing the Panthers what they passed on. Good value here.
Josh Downs $4800 (vs. NO) – Josh Downs has Gardner Minshew’s attention. Downs has had at least five receptions in three straight games. The Saints are middle of the pack against WRs, but Christian Kirk did have some success from the slot last week.
Zay Flowers $5600 (@ ARI) – Obligatory Zay Flowers in this column if he is priced under $6k.
Low Price GPP/Tournament Dart Throws: Kendrick Bourne $4700 (@ MIA), Zay Jones $4000 (@ PIT), Demario Douglas $3300 (@ MIA), Jalin Hyatt $3100 (vs. NYJ)
Tight End
Travis Kelce $8400 (@ DEN) – Kelce may have high ownership coming off his monster Week 7 performance, but the matchup here is worthy. The Broncos are ranked dead last against TEs, as if Kelce needed a matchup upgrade. I’ll pony up for Kelce this week.
Darren Waller $5200 (vs. NYJ) – Darren Waller finally put up the numbers we thought he was going to be putting up all year. It only took seven weeks and Tyrod Taylor in at QB for it to happen. Tyrod Taylor has heavily targeted Waller, and I expect that to continue. The Jets are ranked 31st against opposing TEs. If Taylor is the QB again this week, I will use Waller.
Dallas Goedert $4600 (@ WAS) – Dallas Goedert posted a 5/77/1 line on SNF against the Dolphins. A lot of this production came on the first drive before giving way to the AJ Brown show. The matchup here is good, and if you’re stacking Hurts, Goedert is a good option.
Jonnu Smith $3500 (@ TEN) – Jonnu Smith had his first game with less than five targets this season in Week 7. However, Week 8 is the big Arthur Smith/Jonnu Smith revenge game against the Titans. The Titans just traded Kevin Byard to the Eagles and were already a pass-funnel defense. At this price, Jonnu should be serviceable.
D/ST
Falcons $2900 (@ TEN) – The Falcons defense has quietly played well this season. In Week 8, they get Will Levis making his NFL debut. At this price range, I’ll take a QB making his NFL debut.
Vikings $2500 (@ GB) – Jordan Love has not been able to move the football lately. The Vikings defense played solid against the 49ers. The Vikings’ defense should be able to force a few mistakes by Love and provide value for this price.
Bengals $2200 (@ SF) – If you are strapped for cash, take a shot on the Bengals defense. The Bengals are coming off their bye and the 49ers have struggled the past two weeks. There is a chance Purdy misses this game, and Sam Darnold starts. Darnold has been prone to making mistakes when he does play. Either way, at this price, you should be able to make up the points elsewhere.
If you can afford them: Ravens $4200 (@ ARI), Jets $4000 (@ NYG), Chiefs $3900 (@ DEN), Browns $3000 (@ SEA)
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For more from TJ and his Razzball content, find him on Twitter @T_Redding28 for lineup updates and additional plays based on weekend updates/injuries.
