Todd Gurley is the best fantasy football player of all time. Every week his price goes up and every week he hits value. The only way to afford him is finding guys at a cheap salary that possess enough upside to make for value plays. Week 9 is the week of the rookie wide receiver in DFS on FanDuel. Many are stepping into solidified roles with consistent target shares in high-scoring games. Looking at the advanced stats, metrics, and analytics player profiles juxtaposed with FanDuel salaries, this is the time to attack DFS tournaments.
Duke Johnson, RB: $5200
John Dorsey finally did what the infamous Lake Erie plunge failed to do: Cleanse the team. Hue Jackson and Todd Haley are gone and former RB coach Freddie Kitchens will step in as OC and game plan against the Chiefs. He is from the Bruce Arians coaching tree and understands how to utilize a running back in the passing game.
Duke Johnson stands to benefit the most from this move, as he had yet to top six touches with Haley calling the plays. Negative game flow will put Johnson on the field against a Chiefs defense that has surrendered 5.31 yards per carry and 56 receptions (third-most) to opposing running backs.
Chris Thompson, RB: $5600
Play pass-catching running backs against Atlanta. That has been the mantra since 2015, and it has held true in 2018. The Falcons give up 10 receptions per game to opposing running backs, offering a nice floor for anyone with a pair of hands. Prior to leaving Week 5 due to injury, Chris Thompson was handling nearly 12 touches per game. If he logs a full practice throughout the week, he’s locked in as a top value-play at $5600.
Tre’Quan Smith, WR: $5100
The Rams-Saints game has a 59.5 point total this weekend, making it one of the best games to target on the DFS main slate. One of the cheapest pieces for either team is Saints WR Tre’Quan Smith, who is just three weeks removed from a 24.6 point game on FanDuel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4A3Qh4TFeM
Smith’s 104.8 (82nd-percentile) Speed Score and 17.4 (83rd-percentile) college YPR proved that he would be the ideal fit for Tedd Ginn’s deep threat role. His speed and college resume make him a perfect value play to mix into some tournament lineups this week.
Courtland Sutton, WR: $5500
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton was the biggest winner at the NFL trade deadline. Demaryius Thomas was shipped to Houston, thrusting Sutton into a full-time role in the Denver offense. Sutton has already seen four end zone targets as a part-time player, which is top-25 among receivers. Now he will absorb a sizable chunk of Thomas’ 19 percent target share making him an immediate value in DFS.
D.J. Moore, WR: $5300
For the first time this season, Panthers rookie WR D.J. Moore played over half of the snaps. He posted five catches for 90 yards on six targets while operating out of the slot. Receivers have torched Bucs slot corner M.J. Stewart, who ranks No. 91 in PlayerProfiler’s Coverage Rating metric. Stewart will struggle with Moore’s size, athleticism, and after the catch ability. He is averaging an absurd 6.7 yards after the catch per target. That is No. 2 among receivers with at least 20 targets.
Jordan Reed, TE: $5600
Despite seeing top-5 volume, Jordan Reed has yet to have a signature breakout game. Much of this has to do with his red zone opportunity. Reed is No. 4 among all tight ends in target share, but just No. 15 in red zone target share. This is despite being the only reliable red zone weapon on the offense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-E4ts-RFE8
Reed gets open with his impressive size-adjusted agility (11.11 Agility Score, 93rd-percentile) and precise route running (1.89 yards of separation when targeted, No.4 among tight ends). Keep banking on volume and ability. The touchdowns will come.
David Njoku, TE: $5200
Hue Jackson and Todd Haley gave the fantasy community one last middle finger on the way out the door with David Njoku’s zero target game last week. While Njoku was limited in practice all week, he still managed to play over 80 percent of snaps in the dud performance. His clunker last week lowered his price he is now an incredible value. Njoku an elite tight end against the Chiefs this weekend.
