Devising the perfect Daily Fantasy Sports strategy for the NFL can be a challenge, which is why I'm here to assist.
On DraftKings, it's important to remember you're playing full-point PPR with bonuses if a player surpasses 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards or 100 receiving yards.
Here is my optimal lineup for Sunday's $3.5 million Fantasy Football Millionaire contest, but can be utilized as a foundation in other games and platforms.
All prices listed are courtesy of DraftKings with a $50,000 budget.
These lineups have netted $190, so I'm in the black $30 through nine weeks.
— QB: Justin Fields, Bears ($6,500)
Fields is actually fantasy's overall QB1 since Week 5 with only Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen besting him in fantasy points per game over that span. His salary jumped over a thousand dollars this week and he's still priced too low.
— RB: Saquon Barkley, Giants ($8,600)
I'm building every lineup this week around Barkley. The Texans defense have allowed a league-worst 1,235 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns while also getting torched for 187.9 total yards per game by running backs.
— RB: Josh Jacobs, Raiders ($7,600)
Las Vegas just placed pass-catchers Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow on injured reserve so Josh McDaniels might want to lean on his bell-cow ball carrier. The Colts run defense is probably the only thing working these days in Indy, but volume is king and Jacobs is averaging almost 22 touches since Week 2. Plus, Indianapolis has allowed the seventh-most receptions (51) and the sixth-most receiving yards per game (44.0) to running backs.
— WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions ($6,900)
Rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon has been torched covering the slot this season and this week he'll face off against the Sun God. This is a smash spot for St. Brown and he's an obvious "bring back" with my Bears stack.
— WR: Kadarius Toney, Chiefs ($5,000)
Mecole Hardman's absence (abdomen injury) should lead to a bigger second-game role for the dynamic Toney. He only played nine snaps against the Titans, running six routes and still received two targets (a robust 33.3% target rate). For perspective, Cooper Kupp has a 31.8% target rate this season.
— WR: Chase Claypool, Bears ($4,800)
Claypool's usage was impressive in his Chicago debut — six targets on only 16 routes and a carry — after he had less than a week to learn the playbook. The Lions have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.
— TE: Greg Dulcich, Broncos ($3,400)
Dulcich has 17 targets his last three games — only Jerry Jeudy with 25 has more for Denver — and is tied for fifth in fantasy points per game for tight ends in PPR formats since Week 6.
The Titans have allowed the NFL's fourth-most receiving yards (559) and the third-most receiving yards per game (69.5) to tight ends. They're also tied for the sixth-most receptions (45) allowed to tight ends this year.
— FLEX: Donovan Peoples-Jones, Browns ($4,300)
Cleveland's likely to face a negative game script against a poor pass defense. Peoples-Jones has at least four receptions and 50 yards in five straight games — four of those games he has at least 71 yards.
— DST: Pittsburgh Steelers ($2,800)
The Saints will be without two of their best offensive linemen (Erik McCoy and Andrus Peat) with game-wrecker T.J. Watt returning from a pec injury that's kept him sidelined since Week 1.
