This article first appeared on RotoBaller.com
[sc name=”Author Tom Vecchio”]
RotoBallers, welcome to Week 8 of the daily fantasy football season. In this column, you will find my recommended DraftKings DFS Lineup Picks to target for Week 8 of the NFL season.
The goal is to identify players to start on DraftKings this week based on various factors including the opponent, the player’s opportunity, analysis of the game’s matchups, and the DraftKings price.
Let’s find some DFS lineup sleepers, and win on DraftKings. Good luck in Week 8!
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Quarterbacks – DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Starts
Andy Dalton – CIN vs IND (DK $5,700)
Dalton certainly hasn’t been great this season, but he has a very strong match up in front of him tonight. The Bengals are up against the Colts who have the 20th DVOA against the pass, which is super favorable, and makes Dalton one of the chalk options this week. Dalton has 16 or more DraftKings points in three of his last four games, which makes him a solid cash option for this week. He isn’t that expensive, and will allow you some salary flexibility. Pairing him with A.J. Green is always a fantastic option, he is the second most expensive wide receiver on the board. The Colts have a very banged up secondary, and this has the potential to be the best game of the season for Dalton. The Bengals are a 10 point home favorite and have an implied team total of 25 points, so expect some passing touchdowns from Dalton.
Russell Wilson – SEA vs HOU (DK $6,500)
Wilson has put up 29 or more DraftKings points in three of his last four games. Yes, nearly three 30 point games, and he isn’t in the top five most expensive quarterbacks. Despite the Houston defense having the 7th DVOA against the pass, don’t be afraid of them. They are dealing with injuries, and with the way the Seahawks are playing, they are looking like a top option on the slate. The Seahawks have been passing the ball more and more with a lack of solid running back. This puts Wilson in a favorable spot, and should be airing the ball out in a game that has an over-under of 45.5 points.
Running Backs – DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Starts
Mark Ingram – NO vs CHI (DK $7,400)
Despite the Saints being known as a team who airs the ball out a lot, they having been running it more and more as the season goes on. In the last two weeks, Ingram has seen 22 and 25 rushing attempts, for 105 yards or more in each game. He has also found the end zone three times over the past two weeks, and is looking like a cash game lock this week. With only nine games on the DraftKings main slate, options are a bit thin this week, and Ingram isn’t too expensive yet, and we know the volume will be there for him. Has also seen five or more targets in the passing game in three straight weeks, and the full point PPR on DraftKings is huge, and will help him crush value.
Christian McCaffrey – CAR @ TB (DK $6,200)
McCaffrey makes a good GPP or flex option this, and his match up couldn’t be better. The Panthers are coming off a rough loss, but are in a spot to rebound, as they are up against their divisional opponent, Tampa Bay, who has the 32nd DVOA overall. Yes, the Bucs are dead last in the league, and the Panthers have a chance to right the ship. McCaffrey has seen 36 targets over the past four weeks, and is becoming one of their go to options on offense. He isn’t much of a factor in their running game, but with a full PPR on DraftKings, his targets per game is something that cannot be passed on. The Panthers also have the 21st DVOA when it comes to running backs in the passing game. This all leaves McCaffrey in a spot to rack up some huge points.
Wide Receivers – DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Starts
Keenan Allen – LAC @ NE (DK $7,300)
Even though the Patriots put up a good showing on Sunday night, their defense still isn’t that good. They shouldn’t be feared, and stacking against them is always a good option. Allen is coming off of two bad games, where he had only eight receptions for under 100 yards, and no touchdowns. The Chargers are traveling across the country, which isn’t great for West coast teams, but with the Pats defense being so bad, Allen is in a good spot. Allen is a PPR machine, and should see plenty of targets, since the Patriots have the 30th DVOA against WR1. Rivers is going to air the ball out no matter the scenario of the game, which means big upside for Allen.
JuJu Smith-Schuster – PIT @ DET (DK$ 4,000)
When he isn’t riding his bike around the city, Smith-Schuster is lining up out wide for the Steelers. Now that Martavis Bryant has been demoted to the practice squad, Smith-Schuster should see more routes run, and more targets in the passing game. If Darius Slay is shadowing Antonio Brown, JuJu will have a bit more space to get the ball. He has two touchdowns in his last four games, and makes more a GPP play compared to cash. He hasn’t shown to have a ton of targets, which is what you want for cash games, so stick with him as a tournament play. Yes, he should see an increased amount of targets, now being the second wide receiver, but that still has to be proved.
Tight Ends – DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Starts
Travis Kelce – KC vs DEN (DK $6,800)
Kelce is always one of the higher priced tight ends, and it’s with good reason. He has 13 or more DraftKings points in three of his last four games, and has high touchdown equity in the Chiefs offense. Kelce has seven or more targets in three of his last four games, and makes a nice pivot off of Zach Ertz, who should be very popular this week. Kelce and the Chiefs have an implied team total of 25 points, and they mostly likely won’t all come from the running game vs Denver. Speaking of the Denver defense, they have the 29th DVOA against tight ends this season, and that is the spot you want to attack them.
Defense – DraftKings Daily Fantasy Football Lineup Start
Philadelphia Eagles vs San Francisco 49ers (DK $3,800)
The Eagles have the most expensive defense on the main slate, and third highest for the whole week. The Eagles may not have the best defense from a statistical stand point, but they are getting better, and they are up against the 49ers. Simply put, you can stream any defense who is playing the 49ers, as they really aren’t a threat on offense, and with a rookie quarterback now starting, their turnover potential is high. Viable in any format, you just have to find the salary to get up to them.
