If you’re getting ready to set your DFS lineups, here are some players to consider at every salary level.
The highest game total of the week at SI Sportsbook is for the Bills-Chiefs game on Sunday. This game should be a shootout–or at least we hope it is–so players from that game will be the heavy chalk. I like using pieces from that game in both cash and GPP contests this week, but don’t forget about the Buccaneers-Steelers and the Cardinals-Seahawks–two games that also present a lot of value.
O.K., without further ado, let’s get to it!
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NFL DFS Top-Tier Plays
Quarterback
Josh Allen is here again because is there anything more tantalizing than another shootout between Allen and Patrick Mahomes? Mahomes is also worth the spend up, but Allen’s rushing ability plus a Chiefs secondary that has surrendered the seventh-most DFS points per game to quarterbacks makes Allen my top pick of the week. If you paired him with a mid-tier Gabe Davis last Sunday, you likely cashed. I wouldn’t be afraid to try that again this weekend in the game with the highest implied points total of the week at SISB.
Running Back
Leonard Fournette finally had the big DFS week we were all hoping for, and though he may be losing some rushing opportunity to Rachaad White, his 10 catches for 83 receiving yards and a score are icing on the cake vs. a Steelers defense that has been ineffective vs. the run game.
Wide Receiver
Stefon Diggs’s 532 targeted air yards rank fifth in the NFL and his 101.6 receiving yards rank fourth. This is the highest game total of the week, and the Chiefs are allowing an average of 40.5 DFS points per game to opposing receivers.
Tight End
Travis Kelce had a four-touchdown game last week vs. the Raiders. He’s Mahomes’s favorite target, and he will be looking for him early and often, even vs. a tough Bills defense.
NFL DFS Mid-Tier Plays
Quarterback
Geno Smith gets the Arizona Cardinals, who rank eighth in DFS points allowed to quarterbacks this year. Smith currently leads the league in passer rating and completion rate, and he just destroyed a tough New Orleans defense, putting up 32 points with the Seahawks proving this probably isn’t a fluke.
Running Back
Rhamondre Stevenson is the next man up in New England as Damien Harris is going to miss some time. Stevenson looked excellent last week, accumulating 175 all-purpose yards vs. the Lions. Bailey Zappe is the new inexperienced rookie QB, and the Patriots should continue to lean on the run game vs. a Browns team that has already allowed eight touchdowns, 624 rushing yards and an 84.6% catch rate to running backs this year.
Wide Receiver
Gabe Davis looks like he’s fully healthy again as he exploded last week for 171 and two long touchdowns vs. Pittsburgh. Who can forget Davis’s performance in last year’s playoff game vs. Kansas City, when he found the end zone four times? He’s less pricey than Diggs, and he could easily go off again this Sunday.
Chris Godwin is another receiver to consider at this bargain price. The Steelers have surrendered a league-leading 1,106 yards and nine TDs to opposing wideouts this year, and Godwin is the spend down if you don’t want to spend up for Mike Evans.
Tight End
Zach Ertz continues to dominate the red-zone targets for Arizona with a whopping 42.3% share. He is second only to Marquise Brown in targets and receiving yards, and this week he faces a Seattle defense that has allowed a league-leading seven touchdowns–for an average of more than one per game–to the TE position.
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NFL DFS Bargain-Tier Plays
Quarterback
Daniel Jones beat Aaron Rodgers last week. It’s crazy, but true. Not only does Jones have a nice rushing upside, he looked better in the passing game on Sunday, and this week he gets a Ravens secondary that has allowed the most DFS points to the QB position this year. It’s contrarian, but it could work out in a big GPP.
Running Back
Eno Benjamin is going to be involved for the Cardinals on Tuesday, and the matchup is juicy. The Seahawks have allowed an average of 31 DFS points per game to running backs, including 7.03 yards per target and an 87% catch rate. If James Conner is unable to go, Benjamin is a must-start bargain play. Even if Conner is healthy, there is plenty of opportunity for Benjamin to return value.
Wide Receiver
D.J. Moore is a contrarian play, and I just can’t believe he has fallen this far. I am hopeful P.J. Walker and a new coach will actually be an improvement, and there’s really nothing to lose at this price. Moore is the most talented wideout on the squad, and they should be smart enough to feature him vs. a Rams secondary that has been torched all season long. Los Angeles has allowed the fourth most receiving yards to opposing wideouts with the second-highest catch rate (73.1%).
Tight End
