We’re at the halfway point of the season, and by now, any new daily fantasy football players should have a grasp of value in DraftKing leagues.
By now, players’ values have become very clear, but there are still some injuries and some benchings to work through, so eDraft is here to help you identify the best lineups for this week.
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Quarterback: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys (WAS) - $7,400
Romo has Dez Bryant to throw to, against Washington, who is allowing the most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, per our fantasy against rankings (paid subscription required). Drew Brees, who is $700 more than Romo, has thrown more interceptions than Romo and has a tougher matchup against the Green Bay Packers. I expect the Cowboys to destroy the Redskins on Monday Night Football, and Romo’s fantasy production will equal, if not surpass, Brees’.
Running Back: Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins (JAX) - $6,000
This week, I snagged two running backs inside the top 10 in scoring this season. Miller was the first of that group, for $200 less than Shane Vereen. Miller has scored double-digit fantasy points in each of the past four games and has scored four touchdowns in that span. He’s also involved in the receiving game, catching at least two passes in every game this season. Miller also has the luxury of taking on the Jaguars, who had a solid game up front against the Cleveland Browns, but they still have allowed the sixth most points to running backs.
Running Back: Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens (CIN) - $5,100
Forsett has scored seven more points this season in standard leagues than Miller, and the gap would be even larger in point-per reception formats (which is what DraftKings operates in), yet he’s cheaper than Miller. Forsett is clearly the No. 1 running back in Baltimore now, carrying the ball 23 times last weekend against the Atlanta Falcons, and for good reason. 41.2 percent of all of Forsett’s plays this season have gone for longer than 15 yards, which is the fourth highest percentage among all running backs who have played at least 25 percent of their team’s snaps, per Pro Football Focus.
Wide Receiver: Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers (NO) - $7,800
Every daily fantasy team needs an anchor receiver who will produce no matter what. It’s one thing to take a risk on a WR3 and hope for 70 yards and a touchdown, but Nelson is going to give you that no matter what, and probably even more. Nelson trails Antonio Brown by just two points as the top fantasy receiver. He has three 100-yard games, and has caught a touchdown in four straight games. That streak will continue against the Saints, who have allowed nine touchdowns to receivers in six games.
Wide Receiver: Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills (NYJ) - $5,700
Watkins had his coming out party last weekend, catching the game-winning touchdown against the Vikings, and his success will carry over against an awful Jets defense. He has four games with four or more receptions, including nine against the Vikings and eight against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. Kyle Orton certainly isn’t amazing, but he has been effective enough to feed Watkins the ball, and Orton knows now that it’s a mistake to not get Watkins the ball at least four times a game.
Wide Receiver: T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts (PIT) - $6,800
Quietly, Hilton has had a better fantasy season than the two Chicago receivers and DeSean Jackson. Hilton has eclipsed 100 yards in three of his past four games, and has had at least five receptions in every game this season (reminder again that DraftKings awards a point-per reception). Hilton is the same price this week as Jackson, and after saving a ton of money at running back, it’s certainly worth it to spend some extra cap space on Nelson and Hilton, who could both go over 20 points in any given week.
Tight End: Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins (DAL) - $4,000
Colt McCoy’s career has been all about the short, easy throws. That’s great news for Reed, who can live over the middle of the field as a safety net for McCoy. In his two games back from injury, Reed has taught a total of 14 passes, and has a great chance to score his first touchdown against the Cowboys, who are allowing the most points to opposing tight ends this season. Reed is as sure as they come at this streaky position for this price.
Flex: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (MIN) - $4,500
Is Evans touchdown dependent? Yes. But he has a great chance to score one again this week against a Vikings team that is tied for allowing the fifth most touchdowns to wide receivers. Tampa Bay’s running game has been stagnant, but Mike Glennon has played well enough that Evans and Vincent Jackson have maintained fantasy relevance. Evans has at least four receptions in every game he’s played this season as well, and should be fully healthy coming off a bye week. I didn’t have much money to work with at the flex spot after spending money at receiver, but Evans is more involved in the offense than other players in this price range.
Defense: Cleveland Browns (OAK) - $2,700
Don’t let the Denard Robinson game scare you off from using them this week against Oakland. The Browns run defense is terrible, but the Raiders are the league’s worst rushing team, and the majority of the load has fallen onto Derek Carr’s shoulders. Carr’s had two games with zero touchdowns, and has five touchdowns in six games. Despite a big day on the ground for Jacksonville against Cleveland on Sunday, the Browns also intercepted Blake Bortles three times and sacked him twice for eight fantasy points on the day. That’s an achievable mark for the Browns again this week against the Raiders.