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Top FanDuel Football Values for Week 8

Jordan Reed*For those that are weekly readers, simply skip the first few paragraphs of explanation and jump down to the ideal matchups.  Don’t forget that the promo code ‘PFF’ is worth a 100 percent deposit bonus.

 

If you’ve never played weekly salary cap games, you’re missing out on an exciting game to play throughout the NFL season.  The game that we’ll be breaking down in this weekly article is for the website FanDuel.

For those of you that have never played a salary cap game before, I’ll quickly go over the rules so you can understand how these games work.  Each player is given a monetary value based on statistics, matchups and that player’s hype.  You then try to create the ideal lineup using as salary cap, such as $60,000.

The purpose of this weekly article is to point out the best values each week so you can make the most ideal lineup.  A few positions you’ll never see on this article is defenses and kickers.  With these positions you’re just basically looking for the most ideal matchup, whether that’s a rookie quarterback for a defense or a terrible defense for a kicker.

With all this information, let’s now take a look at some of the most ideal matchups over at FanDuel.  We’ll also give you an ideal lineup using these bargain players while also breaking down a handful of huge upside plays for the riskier folks out there.

 

Ideal Matchup at Each Position

Quarterback – Thad Lewis, Buffalo Bills

It’s only been two starts, but Lewis has already proven that he’s a legitimate fantasy starter.  At a cost of only $5,500 this week, he might be the best value play of Week 8.

Lewis has a total of 418 yards and two touchdowns over the past two weeks.  While those aren’t great numbers, Lewis has an ideal matchup this week that screams for him to put up points.  The Bills play the New Orleans Saints in Week 8, so this game could definitely turn into a shootout.

Look for Lewis to put up some great numbers this week.

 

Running Back – Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals

Ellington posted a negative grade last week, but it was against the Seattle Seahawks, one of the best defensive teams in the league.  The two weeks before that were both positive grades for Ellington.

What Ellington has going for him is the fact that he’s getting a good number of snaps each game.  Over the past three games he’s had 30, 32 and 32 snaps.  While it’d be nice to see that number increase, Ellington has shown the ability to make a big impact in those snaps.

Don’t be surprised if Ellington makes a big impact in both the run and pass game against an Atlanta Falcons defense that has struggled at times this year.

 

Wide Receiver – Jeremy Kerley, New York Jets

Anyone who watched the Jets take down the New England Patriots last week was sure to see Kerley’s impressive play.  Kerley finished that game with eight receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown.  He was also targeted nine times by quarterback Geno Smith.

With Stephen Hill still needing time to develop into a true No. 1 receiver, Kerley has become Smith’s favorite receiving target.  The Jets will again need a big week from Kerley if they want to be competitive against the Cincinnati Bengals.

 

Tight End – Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins

This will likely be the last week that Reed is available for such a low cost.  At only $5,400 this week, Reed’s value is simply unbelievable.

Despite only playing in 180 snaps this year, Reed currently grades out as the eighth-best tight end in the league.  However, if last week’s nine receptions, 134 yards and a touchdown were any indication of what Reed is capable of, he’ll quickly rise through the tight end rankings.

The best part about Reed is the fact that he catches nearly everything thrown his way.  He’s been targeted 31 times this season and has 26 receptions.  That’s good for an 83.9 reception percentage on the year.

With a matchup against the high-scoring Denver Broncos this week, look for Reed to have an even better game than he had last week.

 

Ideal $65K Salary Team

Your $65K salary teams are going to be the easiest to fill with high-quality players.  However, in order to maximize your points, you’ll need to sprinkle your roster with some bargain players.

Take a look below at an ideal $65K salary team.

 

QB – Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers ($9,700) – The Packers play the Minnesota Vikings this week, which look like an absolute mess on defense. And while Rodgers is playing with an absolutely decimated receiving corps, he proved last week that it doesn’t matter who he throws the ball to.  The Vikings currently have a -19.0 grade in pass coverage, so look for Rodgers to completely pick apart this defense for a huge week.

RB – Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks ($8,600) – The St. Louis Rams, who Lynch plays this week, currently have the fourth-worst run defense in the league.  Lynch is currently the seventh-best running back in the league with a grade of 6.0.  The Seahawks should feed Lynch the ball early and often and let him take down the Rams all by himself.

RB – Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals ($5,200) – Ellington struggled last week, but he was going up against one of the better defenses in the league in Seattle.  This week Ellington plays the Atlanta Falcons, a significantly worse defense.  With Ellington’s two-way abilities, he should be able to make a big impact this week.

WR – Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys ($8,800) – With the Detroit Lions on the schedule this week, Bryant should have a field day. The Lions gave up 155 yards and a touchdown to A.J. Green last week, and Bryant is just as good if not better.  Look for him to absolutely dominate the Lions this week and finish with one of the top scores for any position.

WR – Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos ($8,200) – With a larger salary you can add a second elite receiver like Thomas.  With a matchup against the porous secondary of the Washington Redskins, Thomas should bounce back nicely from an off game last week.

WR – Jeremy Kerley, New York Jets ($5,300) – The Jets have been quite the surprise this year, and a good chunk of their success is due to the play of quarterback Geno Smith.  Smith needs a top target to have success, and Kerley has been that target in recent weeks.  Don’t be surprised if he puts up great numbers again for the second week in a row.

TE – Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins ($5,400) – It didn’t take long for the rookie tight end to become Robert Griffin III’s top target.  Reed proved last week that he’s a star in the making.  With a likely shootout against the Denver Broncos on the schedule this week, look for Reed to have another monstrous game for Washington.

K – Matt Prater, Denver Broncos ($5,600) – It’s certainly possible that the Redskins and Broncos combine for 100 points this week.  The Broncos should score more points, which is why Prater is your top choice as a kicker this week.

DEF – San Francisco 49ers ($6,500) – The 49ers play the Jacksonville Jaguars in London this week.  This is about the easiest decision to make for your team this week.

 

High Upside Picks

Myles White, WR, Green Bay Packers

Last week it was Jarrett Boykin that was Aaron Rodgers top target.  This week it could very well be White who has a big game offensively for the Packers.

With Randall Cobb and James Jones still sidelined with injuries, the Packers need receivers to step up.  White wasn’t great last week, but he did play in 48 of the 72 offensive snaps Green Bay had.  If he can continue to get on the field, he’ll definitely have a chance to put up some nice numbers.

At a cost of only $4,500, White is the definition of a gamble pick this week.

 

Jeff Cumberland, TE, New York Jets

Cumberland has quietly become a legitimate weapon for the Jets offense.  Before posting a -1.6 grade last week, Cumberland had three consecutive weeks of positive grades.  He was targeted a season-high seven times last week, which definitely has the potential of going up this week.

Cumberland’s cost this week is also $4,500, so he too has a great deal of upside if you’re looking to be a little risky.  It’s always difficult to trust the Jets offense, but Cumberland is a special talent who is worth the risk.

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