Joey Ricotta| November 10th, 2019
Alright, it’s time again to cook up some winning lineups after some solid picks last week. Hopefully, you were able to construct a nice winning lineup based on some of the plays mentioned in last week’s article. However, you aren’t here to reminisce about last week.
The goal of the cash game article is to outline some of the safer plays, while also, providing options that will help you create the most optimal builds. The whole point of it all is to make some money. Sometimes we won’t, but putting ourselves in the best position to do so is the most important part. That goes without saying, but can sometimes get overshadowed by the results on a week to week basis.
All people want to know is how many points a guy scored, and not necessarily the route in which they got there. DFS is not only a science but a math equation. Let’s dive in, put the pieces together, and try to solve it. Here are my favorite Cash Game Plays for Week 10.
Disclaimer: As always, there will be a lock emoji next to a few of my favorite plays. All of the guys mentioned are viable for cash games, but the ones with a lock emoji are going to be fixtures in my main lineup.
Quarterback
Lamar Jackson ($7,300 DK, $8,600 FD)
Jackson’s rushing ability on top of his arm elevates his floor and upside to unequaled territories. Remember Week One when Jackson threw for 324 yards and five TDs, while only rushing three times? Well, that game has since been proven to be an outlier. We now know that he’s capable of throwing. However, from Week Two on, he’s averaged nearly 14 carries per game (13.71). And he hasn’t thrown for 300 yards in any game since Week One.
None of those stats are to show that he’s a bad play this week. He’s rushed for over 100 yards three different times this season, and at least one rushing touchdown each of the last three games. The last time he faced the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson threw for 236 yards and scampered for 152 yards and a TD. The outing was good enough for 33.6 DK points. The only thing giving me pause or cause for concern, Jackson’s battling an illness. He was a full participant in practice on Friday.
Ryan Tannehill ($5,100 DK, $7,200 FD)
The cheap option quarterbacks are usually more my style. Tannehill’s quietly been consistent since taking over for Marcus Mariota. In three starts, he’s thrown for over 300 yards twice and averaged 23.5 DraftKings points. Honestly, I think the Kansas City Chiefs played it safe with Patrick Mahomes‘ injury. I don’t expect him to be that far off or rusty. If the Chiefs put up points the way we know they can, Tannehill will be playing from behind for much of the game. He’ll have no choice but to air it out. I like him more on DraftKings than FanDuel. At his price on FanDuel, I’d just rather pay a little bit more money for Kyler Murray at $7,700 or Jameis Winston at $7,900.
Other Options: Drew Brees, Jameis Winston, Kyler Murray
Value: None
Running Back
Christian McCaffrey ($10,500 DK and FD)
The most obvious play of the week, but we still need to outline him. Realistically, we can and should play McCaffrey every week to some extent. If you haven’t been using him, you haven’t been winning. The weather in Green Bay is expected to be on the chillier side of things. All the more reason to love run CMC this week. Kyle Allen is only averaging 6.8 yards per attempt, and I have a funny feeling this isn’t the week he’ll try to bomb it out or take deep shots downfield. According to pro-football-reference, the Packers are allowing the fifth-most DK points per game to running backs (29.6). McCaffrey’s price is high, but there’s no need to overthink it. Lock him in.
Marlon Mack ($7,000 DK, $7,400 FD)
Mack daddy doesn’t get a substantial amount of work in the passing game that can be relied on. However, he does get the bulk of the carries and is in position for a good game Sunday. The Miami Dolphins are allowing a whopping 150.8 rushing yards per game (second-most in the NFL). After logging limited practices all week, Jacoby Brissett has been ruled out. With Brian Hoyer under center, it’s very likely the Colts will rely heavily on Mack to shoulder the load.
David Montgomery ($5,300 DK, $6,400 FD)
Montgomery has been excellent the last couple of weeks. This is what many in the fantasy community expected, watching the way he played in college and the way coach Matt Nagy raved about him after the draft. Well, it turns out, all Monty needed were opportunities. The guy has a knack for breaking tackles and getting more yardage than expected per touch.
Finally, Nagy is realizing how badly the Bears need to utilize their prized draft choice, while Mitchell Trubisky continues to decline seemingly every week. Monty has a great matchup against the Detroit Lions who are giving up the most DK points per game to running backs this season. The Lions’ defensive line is really banged up as well, with Da’Shawn Hand already ruled out and a few others questionable to play. The Bears also cut running back Mike Davis this week, so, that’s one less running back to worry about stealing reps.
Ronald Jones ($4,300 DK, $6,300 FD)
FINALLY. After a season and a half of waiting, Coach Bruce Arians announced RoJo would be the Bucs starting running back. The 2018 second-round draft pick made his first career start last week and carried the ball 18 times for 67 yards and a touchdown. This week, he gets a matchup versus the Arizona Cardinals who rank 19th in DVOA against the run. Trusting Jones isn’t an easy thing to do, but his price allows you to pay up for someone like McCaffrey. Jones saw a season-high 55% of snaps and should only see more going forward.
Other Options: Le’Veon Bell (check injury status), Jaylen Samuels
Value: Devin Singletary
Wide Receiver
Michael Thomas ($8,300 DK, $8,700 FD)
Drew Brees is back and it’s business as usual for the New Orleans Saints. While Brees was out, Teddy Bridgewater filled in nicely, allowing Thomas to pop off as he normally does. Having Brees back, things only get better for the number one targeted receiver on the entire slate. Such a great position this week, facing the Atlanta Falcons’ futile defense. Thomas has received double-digit targets each of the last four games, and no fewer than seven in any game this season. Presenting an insanely unique high floor/high ceiling situation. I love him in all formats, regardless of ownership. If you can afford him, play him.
Davante Adams ($6,900, $7,800 FD)
I fully expect people to look at this name and scoff due to his lack of production this year. That’s fine. Yes, Adams has been underwhelming this season, mainly because of his injury issues. Allow me to put you at ease a bit. Adams played last week and caught a team-high seven passes. Now, he’s one week healthier. And how often is Davante Adams below $7,000 on DK? He’s missed four games this season, but if you’re looking for a narrative, Adams has yet to catch a touchdown pass all year. No matter how big of a game you think he’s going to have this week, I guarantee you Aaron Rodgers looks his way.
Christian Kirk ($5,200 DK, $5,700 FD)
Gaining a ton of steam as the week has gone on, Kirk will undoubtedly be popular. Fading him in tournaments might not be the worst strategy. However, when it comes to cash games, I don’t think getting away from using him is necessary. The reasons he will be popular outweigh the risk. As it’s well known at this point in the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the best defense against the run in terms of DVOA, and are extremely bad against the pass. Kirk helps get exposure to the Cardinals’ side of the high over/under game.
Tyler Boyd ($4,700 DK,$5,700 FD)
Boyd is sixth in the league in targets behind some pretty big name receivers. None of which are even near this cheap of a price tag. With A.J. Green officially ruled out, Boyd remains the number one option in Cincinnati. I actually would’ve liked Boyd, even more, had Green suited up, but he’s still a high floor type of play, in my opinion. The Ravens are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing slot receivers. Ryan Finley completed 73.4% of passes in the preseason, and while the regular season is against far superior competition, Finley’s aDOT (average depth of target) was pretty low at 6.5. I think that’s something we can expect from a quarterback making his NFL debut. If he decides to throw quick and short, Boyd should be the primary target.
Other Options: D.J. Moore, Golden Tate, Chris Godwin
Value: Curtis Samuel, A.J. Brown
Tight End
Jack Doyle ($3,600 DK, $5,200 FD)
Doyle isn’t a sexy play by any means, but a lot of sharp DFS players were on him last week. I thought my Noah Fant pivot was in trouble when he caught an early TD. He fizzled out a little bit after that, but he still put up double-digit fantasy points. Doyle is a decent option again because he should remain a top target in the Colts’ passing attack with T.Y. Hilton out again.
Mike Gesicki ($3,100 DK, $5,300 FD)
The big talented 6-foot-6 Tight End out of Penn State has been highly thought of to make his mark at different points of his career. Is this the week? Last week, Gesicki caught all six of his targets for 95 yards receiving. Preston Williams had a decent game before exiting with a season-ending knee injury. While Devante Parker could be a decent option, he’s more of a one-trick pony, usually streaking downfield for a home run. Gesicki could once again see a lot of targets and be the safer blanket underneath.
Always an Option: Travis Kelce (Not my preferred roster construction this week)
Value: Rhett Ellison
Defense/Special Teams
Cleveland Browns ($2,500 DK, $3,500 FD)
This is a good spot for the Browns, taking on the Buffalo Bills at home. Josh Allen can be great at times. He has the big-play ability but can also yield a lot of turnovers. The Bills also have one of the lowest Vegas implied team totals on the slate.
Pittsburgh Steelers ($2,600 DK, $4,100 FD)
Is this the Steel Curtain of the 1970s? Not quite, but the Steelers defense has been getting it done. Week after week they’ve been producing double-digit fantasy points on DraftKings. They have scored at least 11 DK points in each of the last six games. The Steelers rank fourth in the NFL in sack percentage (9.45%), tied for third with 3.6 sacks per game, and second in takeaways with 2.8 per game. The Rams are a good offense, but Goff can struggle under pressure. He’s also worse on the road than at home.
Other Options: Indianapolis Colts (vs MIA), Chicago Bears (vs DET), Baltimore Ravens (@ CIN)
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