If you are a weekly reader, skip to the values. If you are new, please take a moment to read below.
Weekly salary cap games are a great addition to the NFL season. For those of you who have never tried it, the rules are fairly simple. Every player is assigned a monetary amount based on personal statistics and national hype. The trick is to combine the best lineup of players to score the highest total of the entry pool. This game is legal in the U.S. because it is considered a game of skill.
During the season, you will not see very many quarterback values. The NFL is a quarterback-driven league where quarterbacks are the stars and the most consistent producers. Pick the elite quarterback with the matchup you like the best. For the purposes of “elite” I include Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, and Matt Ryan. It is important to note a couple of names might be fluid and will provide some value in itself.
Defenses are easy to pick. Find the best defense playing a rookie or backup quarterback. You need turnovers and going against Joe Flacco or Jay Cutler might produce a couple points, but there is no need to leave points on the table. The same goes for kickers. Find a decent team against a tough matchup. Defenses and kickers are not the 2 spots you want to roll the dice on.
All that to say that, for now, the values are best found at running back and wide receiver. It is important to note that most salary cap games score receptions as 0.5 (1/2PPR). Here are some players that could be a great value for salary cap games to start the season:
Running Back
Steven Ridley
Ridley looked good last week, compiling 125 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown. Add 2 catches for 27 yards and Ridley spotted you 22.2 points, which is exactly what you need from any player, especially a value player. Ridley is still a great value play on FanDuel, not so much on DraftStreet as they are faster to react to changes in player trends.
On those 21 carries, Ridley missed 5 tackles and earned a +2.0 PFF passing grade. He had a nice 3.9 yards after contact and 5 runs of more than 15 yards. His breakaway percentage is a whopping 64%, good for second among running backs. At $5,900 Ridley is a great value on FanDuel. Over on DraftStreet you will have to plan to feature Ridley, who will cost $13,203.
Shane Vareen (foot) is starting to practice, but as long as Ridley doesn’t fumble he will be the guy.
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