One of my favorite activities to take part in at bars, other than drinking, of course, is playing darts. With the current state of everything, maybe your dartboard is set up in your man cave at home. At any rate, throwing darts takes precision aim. If you hit the bullseye or triple-20, you’re sitting pretty.
The same concept applies when it comes to taking down large-field tournaments, otherwise known as GPPs. Sometimes you have to get a little weird and go off the radar. You don’t have to get all of these guys in your lineup, but one or two could be incredibly beneficial, and it could also fail miserably. But if you’re playing in a tournament like the Milly Maker on DraftKings, you’re going to need to get creative and use at least one low-owned player, and most of the time, two. Without further ado, let’s get to some Dart Throws that might help us take home (or bring up from the basement) a ton of money.
Quarterback
Dart Throw
Ryan Tannehill ($6,300 DK, $7,300 FD)
I don’t know if it’s fair to call Ryan Tannehill a “Dart Throw,” but after the entire Tennesse Titans’ offense stalled out in Week 1, he’s certainly a less popular option. The Arizona Cardinals dominated the line of scrimmage and sacked Tannehill six times while forcing two fumbles and one interception. Last year, Tannehill posted 26 or more DK points six times. With the addition of Julio Jones, I don’t expect this offense to be worse than last year. They still have the YAC monster A.J. Brown and the King, Derrick Henry. The Titans are six-point underdogs on the road, and this game between them and the Seattle Seahawks has the second-highest points total on the slate. Russell Wilson stacks will have ownership, but Tannehill won’t have much.
Pivot
Tom Brady ($6,900 DK $8,200 FD)
The most highly-rostered game on the board will be the Los Angeles Chargers vs. the Dallas Cowboys. Behind the Titans/Seahawks game, the Tampa Bay Bucs and Atlanta Falcons have the third-highest points total. However, Tom Brady projects somewhere between the third and fifth-highest rostered quarterback. The Falcons had a world of trouble against Jalen Hurts in Week 1, allowing 6.5 yards per play and 434 yards of total offense. Brady just had a field day against the Dallas Cowboys to kick off the season on Thursday Night Football. I don’t expect much different today against another poor defense that allowed the most passing yards in the NFL last year.
Chalk: Justin Herbert, Dak Prescott
Other Options: Kirk Cousins, Kyler Murray, Matt Ryan
Running Back
Dart Throw
Kenyan Drake ($4,900 DK, $5,500 FD)
Kemyan Drake’s role in Week 1 was to be Jon Gruden’s receiving back. He caught all five of his targets for 59 yards. However, with Josh Jacobs already ruled out for this game, Drake should also have an increased role in the running game. Pittsburgh’s defensive line can wreak havoc, anchored by T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward. I’m projecting a few more passes thrown his way as Derek Carr will need to quickly get rid of the ball. Maybe Drake falls into the endzone, and he shouldn’t carry more than a 10 percent roster rate.
Pivot
Jonathan Taylor ($7,200 DK and FD)
Jonathan Taylor is priced below the big studs like Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, and Dalvin Cook, but above value plays like Najee Harris and Chris Carson. In Week 1, the Los Angeles Rams struggled to keep David Montgomery in check, allowing him to scamper for over 100 yards and one touchdown on 6.8 yards per carry. Taylor’s passing game usage was significant in Week 1, and he caught six of seven passes for 60 yards while also getting 17 handoffs. Without T.Y. Hilton, we can expect this to become a more regular thing. Taylor is projected for single-digit ownership, and I love him as a pivot because his points projection makes him suboptimal, but he has a massive ceiling.
Chalk: Najee Harris, Chris Carson, Alvin Kamara, Austin Ekeler
Other Options: Nick Chubb, David Montgomery, Dalvin Cook, Derrick Henry, Mike Davis
Wide Receiver
There are many good wide receiver options, and you could talk me into several different players this week. My best advice is to make sure you stack at least one or two with your quarterback of choice and run it back with a player or two on the opposing team.
Dart Throw
Cedrick Wilson ($3,100 DK, $4,900 FD)
Cedrick Wilson could wind up getting some ownership as DFS players are getting sharper and sharper each year. However, he will still be the lowest owned wide receiver of the Cowboys’ wideouts. Wilson should see opportunities when the Cowboys run three-wide receiver sets, stepping in for the injured Michael Gallup. In a potentially high-scoring affair at almost bare minimum salary, he’s absolutely in play.
Pivot
Justin Jefferson ($7,400 DK, $7,300 FD)
I also like Adam Thielen, but I believe Justin Jefferson will have the better matchup. After Jefferson caught five passes for 71 yards on nine targets last week, it’s safe to say last season wasn’t a fluke. The young star is blossoming and had 35 percent of the team’s air yards in Week 1, a team-high. Garnering single-digit ownership in a potential shootout against Kyler Murray’s Arizona Cardinals, sign me up.
Chalk: Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Mike Williams, Cooper Kupp, Chris Godwin,
Other Pivots: Calvin Ridley, Antonio Brown, Mike Evans, A.J. Brown, Julio Jones, D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett
Other Dart Throws: Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, Rondale Moore, Marquez Callaway
Tight End
Pivot
Kyle Pitts ($5,200 DK,$5,500 FD)
Many people got burned by Kyle Pitts and his high-roster rate last week, and there could be some recency bias here. Usually, with a player who fails to reach value the week before, his salary doesn’t increase by $800. You can bet your bottom he’ll be under-owned today. He was targeted as many times as Calvin Ridley last week, and he should get at least the same number today. Run him out there in your Tampa Bay stacks as a great correlation move.
Dart Throw
Adam Trautman ($3,000 DK, $4,500 FD)
Ah, yes, before preseason started and Adam Trautman suffered an ankle injury, he was a season-long fantasy football darling. However, since he’s returned to action (and didn’t miss a regular-season game), he hasn’t been touted much. In Week 1, Jameis Winston looked his way six times for a team-high 30 percent target share. Let’s take advantage of his price, and his sub-five percent projected roster rate.
Chalk: Noah Fant, Tyler Higbee, Jared Cook
Other Pivots: George Kittle, Darren Waller, Rob Gronkowski
Other Dart Throws: Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett
Defense/Special Teams
Spend down. Don’t overthink it. Mix it up if you wish, but there’s no reason to pay top dollar for a defense. Given pricing and matchup, the New York Jets ($2,200) are my top option on the board.
Good luck, and let’s win some cash! Follow me on Twitter @Theriot326 for any questions and other nonsense.
Check us out on our socials:
Twitter: @PTSTNews and @TalkPrimeTime
Facebook Page: Prime Time Sports Talk
Join our Facebook Group: Prime Time Sports Talk
Instagram: @ptsportstalk
Follow Joey Ricotta on Twitter @theriot326
Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
