Getting ready to set your DFS lineups for Sunday’s main slate? I’ve put together a few players I like at each price point to plug and play.
If you’re looking to stack, I am really attracted to a Jacksonville Jaguars stack vs. the Chiefs in what is expected to be the highest game total of the week at SI Sportsbook. You can spend down for Trevor Lawrence and Christian Kirk and get a mid-tier price for Travis Etienne and then plug in a spend-up Travis Kelce at tight end. Or, you could play the other side of this matchup. Patrick Mahomes can be your spend-up alongside Kelce, and then you can save salary with Zay Jones and Etienne. Even if you don’t stack this game, there are players that should make good value pieces in your other lineups.
I am also looking a lot at the Chicago Bears-Cleveland Browns matchup. There should be decent value in that game, including at the QB position.
Without further ado, let’s get to it!
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NFL DFS Top-Tier Plays
Quarterback
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
Mahomes leads the league with 21 passing touchdowns and 2,605 passing yards and he’s facing a Jaguars team that has allowed the seventh-most passing yards to opposing QBs. This game has the highest total of the week at SISB (50.5). Enough said.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley, Giants
Barkley gets the Texans this week, and the Giants will use him to mow down the Texans’ soft run defense that has allowed an average of 154 rushing yards and 34.8 DFS points per game to opposing running backs. Barkley is averaging 98 rushing yards per game this year.
Wide Receiver
DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals
Hopkins is back and he’s a stud. Nuk is averaging 8.7 catches and 99 yards per game since his return in Week 7. In that span, he’s also commanded a 30% target share and a league-leading 45.7% air yard share. This week he faces a Rams team that allows the second-best catch rate (68.5%) to opposing wideouts.
Tight End
Travis Kelce, Chiefs
If you’re using Mahomes, you may want to stack him with Kelce, even though the matchup doesn’t look good on paper. Kelce’s 69 targets lead all NFL tight ends, and his 265 routes run are second only to Zach Ertz. Mahomes has a lot of weapons, but Kelce is his favorite, leading all Chiefs pass-catchers in targets (77), yards (659) and touchdowns (7).
NFL DFS Mid-Tier Plays
Quarterback
Justin Fields, Bears
Fields is a beast. Last week he broke more than a few DFS slates, and this week he could do it again vs. a Detroit Lions defense that has allowed the third-most DFS points to opposing QBs this year. Fields has thrown five TDs across the past two contests while also rushing for 238 yards and two rushing TDs. Detroit has allowed 13 rushing TDs this year.
Running Back
Travis Etienne, Jaguars
Pretty soon, we will have to pay more for Etienne, but until that time I am going to continue to ride this mid-tier value. Etienne has rushed for no fewer than 114 yards since taking over this backfield in Week 7. He’s the bell cow now, and it’s working. The Chiefs have allowed a league-leading 63 catches and 55 receiving yards to opposing RBs this season, and Etienne can also be a threat in the receiving game.
Wide Receiver
Chris Olave, Saints
Olave’s matchup with PIttsburgh should be a good one, as Pittsburgh has allowed a league-leading 213 receiving yards per game to opposing wideouts. With no Michael Thomas, Olave is the clear WR1, commanding a team-high 72 targets across only eight games played, putting him on track for 1,200-plus yards this season.
Tight End
Tyler Higbee, Rams
Higbee has a good matchup this week vs. the Cardinals, who have allowed a league-leading 66 catches, 694 yards and seven receiving touchdowns to TEs this year. Higbee has been the second-most targeted player this season for the Rams with 57 targets, behind only Cooper Kupp.
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NFL DFS Bargain-Tier Plays
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
Lawrence is playing in the game with the highest game total of the Week at SISB. Check one. Lawrence has finished as a Top-12 DFS quarterback in three of his last four games. Check two. Lawrence is facing a Chiefs team that has allowed the eighth-most points to opposing QBs this year, including 270 passing yards per game and a league-leading 17 total passing touchdowns. Check three. Lawrence could be the steal of the week.
Running Back
Khalil Herbert, Bears
Herbert is averaging 11 attempts and 65 rushing yards per game, and this week it’s a cake matchup with the Lions, who have allowed 11 rushing touchdowns to opposing running backs this season.
Jeff Wilson Jr., 49ers
Wilson had the same amount of carries as Raheem Mostert last week but he was far more efficient, logging 51 yards on the ground while also recording three catches for another 21 yards. This week’s matchup sets up nicely vs. a Browns run defense that has 12 total touchdowns (10 rushing, two receiving) to opposing RBs this year.
Wide Receiver
Christian Kirk, Jaguars
Let’s complete this Jacksonville stack. The Chiefs have allowed 10 TDs to wideouts this year (tied for fourth-most) while also allowing 104 catches and a 64% catch rate. Kirk has seen no fewer than seven targets in each of the past three contests, and last week he finished as the WR9. If there are going to be a lot of points in this game, Kirk will likely be contributing, as the Jaguars are expected to be playing from behind.
Zay Jones is the pivot if you’d like to spend down even more. Jones has seen 18 targets across the past three weeks, and he’s a good dart throw at his bargain salary.
Tight End
Greg Dulcich, Broncos
Dulcich looks to be a new favorite target for Russell Wilson in what should be an excellent matchup for the Broncos. The Titans are the 10th-best matchup for TEs, but more importantly, Dulcich has seen 17 targets in only three games played this year, and he finished as the TE8 or better twice.
