Account
Daily Fantasy Football Week 10: Strategy Advice for DraftKings, FanDuel Lineups
November 9, 2018
Sometimes, the best daily-fantasy lineup construction approach is to roster a few top stars and reach down for some value on the lower end of the salary spectrum.
That school of thought worked last Sunday if you picked the right players.
Some stars (e.g. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and New Orleans Saints wideout Michael Thomas) exploded in their matchups, and you likely finished in the green if you matched them with players such as Carolina Panthers wideout Curtis Samuel, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Adam Humphries and Cleveland Browns running back Duke Johnson Jr.
Samuel and Humphries were each on fewer than one percent of DraftKings Millionaire Maker lineups, while Johnson found a spot on just 1.8 percent of rosters.
Those who picked them gained leverage on the field and vaulted up the leaderboards. On that thought, we'll try to find some more deep value plays for Week 10 below. The caveat here is no suggestion can have a salary of more than $5,000 on FanDuel or over $4,000 on DraftKings.
Deep-Value Play Suggestions
Buffalo Bills TE Jason Croom (at New York Jets): $4,000 FD, $2,500 DK
New York Jets RB Elijah McGuire (vs. Buffalo Bills): $4,900 FD, $3,400 DK
Kansas City Chiefs WR Chris Conley (vs. Arizona Cardinals): $4,500 FD, $3,200 DK
Cleveland Browns WR Antonio Callaway (vs. Atlanta Falcons): $4,900 FD, $4,000 DK
Arizona Cardinals TE Ricky Seals-Jones (at Kansas City Chiefs): $5,000 FD, $3,000 DK
Los Angeles Chargers TE Antonio Gates (at Oakland Raiders): $4,500 FD, $2,600 DK
Buffalo Bills TE Jason Croom (at New York Jets): $4,000 FD, $2,500 DK
If you're looking to punt at tight end, consider the Buffalo Bills' Jason Croom, whose DraftKings and FanDuel salaries are the bare minimum on both sites.
Croom hasn't produced much this season (13 catches, 131 yards, one touchdown), but he's coming off season highs in receptions (three), yards (36) and targets (five) versus the Chicago Bears last Sunday.
He and Logan Thomas shared tight end duties after starter Charles Clay left due to a hamstring injury. He is "week to week," per head coach Sean McDermott and won't play against the New York Jets in Week 10.
More players may flock toward Thomas given that he had seven catches (on eight targets) for 40 yards. However, Thomas and Croom had a near 50-50 share of snaps, so it wouldn't be that surprising to see the target pendulum swing more towards Croom on Sunday.
Croom may also be on fewer than one percent of tournament lineups. If he has a good game, that will provide some people with a massive edge on the field, which is huge in large-field competitions like the FanDuel Sunday Million or DraftKings Millionare Maker
Croom also provides some extra roster flexibility due to his low salary, which may enable you to select some top options like Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley.
New York Jets RB Elijah McGuire (vs. Buffalo Bills): $4,900 FD, $3,400 DK
After missing his team's first eight games with a broken foot, Jets running back Elijah McGuire returned last Sunday and gained 60 yards from scrimmage while also catching three passes. He's fully entrenched as the team's second running back behind starter Isaiah Crowell with Bilal Powell on injured reserve with a neck injury.
While McGuire doesn't look like he's about to touch the ball 20 times, his low salary on both sites and pass-catching ability make him an intriguing option.
Furthermore, McGuire may benefit from veteran quarterback Josh McCown getting the nod on Sunday. McCown is taking over for rookie Sam Darnold, who has a foot strain and has been ruled out as the starter, per head coach Todd Bowles.
Football analyst Warren Sharp explained why the move could work out for the second-year running back:
Despite accruing just 105 touches, McGuire caught 17 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown last season. He showed his mettle catching passes in college as well, snagging 130 receptions for 1,394 yards and 10 touchdowns in four years at Louisiana.
McGuire could provide excellent value on DraftKings, which features full point-per-reception scoring. If Crowell can't get much going between the tackles and the Bills' sometimes stingy pass defense slows Gang Green, McGuire could be the beneficiary of some checkdowns to keep the chains moving.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Chris Conley (vs. Arizona Cardinals): $4,500 FD, $3,200 DK
This recommendation is contingent on the status of Chiefs wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who suffered a foot injury and missed practice Wednesday and Thursday.
If Watkins can't go, Chris Conley will slide into the No. 2 receiver slot opposite Tyreek Hill. Conley hasn't produced much this season (14 catches, 127 yards, two touchdowns), but he'll undoubtedly receive an increase in playing time if Watkins is sidelined.
Conley could benefit from the Chiefs' projected offensive success on Sunday. Per OddsShark, the team's implied team total is 33 points. If Kansas City approaches five touchdowns as the spread implies, we could see him get involved.
Although Conley has to compete for looks with three superstars in Hill, running back Kareem Hunt and tight end Travis Kelce, you don't need much production to pay off Conley's near-minimum salary. If he manages four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, for example, you're getting 15 DraftKings points for a player just $200 over the wideout minimum salary of $3,000, which is tremendous value.
The Cardinals do have shutdown cornerback Patrick Peterson, who is one of the best in the game. However, the Arizona defense has been so-so against the pass as a whole (18th in passing yards allowed per attempt), so Conley could be an intriguing play.