SI Fantasy analysts Ben Heisler and Michael Fabiano provide their favorite value-priced options for Week 8 in daily fantasy football on DraftKings, as well as players to use in tournaments that are likely to garner low ownership.
Every week, SI Fantasy analyst Michael Fabiano breaks down his favorite DraftKings values in the NFL to help offset the expensive studs, and SI Fantasy analyst Ben Heisler breaks down several low ownership plays with high upside to help leverage the field.
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Michael Fabiano's Week 8 Top DFS Values on DraftKings
QB: Derek Carr - Las Vegas ($5,500) at Cleveland
Carr faces the Cleveland Browns this week and he's quietly had a terrific fantasy season with 19+ DraftKings points in four of his last five games, and last week, the Browns gave up 406 yards and nearly 33 fantasy points to Joe Burrow.
Keep in mind that weather could be a factor in this game, so definitely something to watch out for.
RB: Le'Veon Bell - Kansas City ($4,600) vs New York (Jets)
Hey guys. You know revenge is a dish best served cold, and Bell faces a New York Jets team with Adam Gase that let him go.
The Jets have been awful this season against the run. I can see a scenario where the Chiefs are up big, and Andy Reid goes to his new running back, whispers in his ear and says, "go get em, my friend.
Enjoy Le'Veon Bell in the ultimate of revenge game narratives.
WR: Brandon Aiyuk - San Francisco ($5,800) vs Seattle
In redraft leagues, I have Aiyuk in the Top 20 of my rankings this week amongst WRs.
Aiyuk is coming off a big game last week with over 17 fantasy points and gets Seattle with Deebo Samuel out. The Seahawks have allowed OVER 60 points per game to opposing wide receivers this year. No other team has given up more than 49 PPG to WRs.
Jimmy Garoppolo will look his way often, and should really pay off dividends.
Additional DraftKings DFS Values
QB: Baker Mayfield - $6,200 (LV @ CLE) | Jimmy Garoppolo - $5,400 (SF @ SEA)
RB: Melvin Gordon - $5,600 (LAC @ DEN) | Zack Moss - $4,400 (NE @ BUF)
WR: Corey Davis - $5,100 (TEN @ CIN) | Rashard Higgins - $4,200 (LV @ CLE)
TE: Hunter Henry - $4,200 (LAC @ DEN) | Harrison Bryant - $3,200 (LA @ CLE)
D/ST: Buffalo - $3,300 vs NE | Tennessee - $3,000 at CIN
Ben Heisler's Week 8 Low Ownership Plays on DraftKings
QB: Jimmy Garoppolo - San Francisco ($5,400) at Seattle
Garoppolo comes in at $5,400 this week coming off a 33-6 win over New England where he put up less than 10 fantasy points, 0 TDs and 2 INTs. Playing him in DFS can feel like the equivalent of a root canal, but it's the Seahawks, so the flowchart is fully in play.
Seattle has given up 300+ passing yards to five different QBs this season, as well as the most receiving yards to opposing WRs in the NFL. QBs are averaging 30.6 DraftKings points/game against the Seahawks, and despite ALL OF THIS, he still may come in with lower ownership than he should because of all the lineups he's collectively burned over the course of the season.
RB: Jonathan Taylor - Indianapolis ($6,600) at Detroit
Taylor has been a picture of mediocrity over the course of the fantasy season, but there are some signs he's likely to bust out sooner rather than later.
The matchup is terrific. The Lions are allowing more than 114 rushing yards/game to opposing running backs, and with the Colts favored by three points on the road, the game script sets up well for him to carry the load throughout the game.
Additionally, his pass game targets are going up. Last week, he caught all four of his targets for 55 yards as they continue to look his way as a receiver in this offense.
Via FantasyLabs, Taylor is actually 6th amongst RBs in yards-per-route-run, so we may see a breakaway play in the passing game in addition to his likely increased volume as a runner.
WR: Henry Ruggs III - Las Vegas ($4,900) at Cleveland
Before weather reports indicated swirling winds in Cleveland this weekend, I think Ruggs may have been a somewhat popular option in what was once an intriguing matchup with shootout potential.
Now, ownership will likely be lowered for Ruggs with the deep ball being less of a factor. I think that's a mistake. Here's why.
Ruggs should now see MORE, not less targets in this game because it forces Derek Carr, Jon Gruden and the rest of the Raiders offense to find creative ways to get him the ball in space. Think screens, end-arounds, whatever it might be to create mis-matches against a Browns defense giving up the SECOND-MOST DraftKings points to wide receivers all season long (50 PPG).
TE: Cole Kmet - Chicago ($2,500) vs New Orleans
All together in the tune of "Meet the Mets." Ready? One, two three!
"Meet Kmet, Meet Kmet. Step right up and Meet Kmet!"
Kmet is a pure punt play at the minimum vs the Saints defense giving up the most points to TEs all season (19.5). Bears Head Coach Matt Nagy has said multiple times this week that they need to get the second-round rookie more snaps in this offense.
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Benny's Sneaky Game Stack for Week 8
New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs
QB: Patrick Mahomes ($8,100) | RB: Le'Veon Bell ($4,600) | TE: Travis Kelce ($6,600)
RUN IT BACK OPTION: WR: Denzel Mims ($3,200)
As Fabs pointed out earlier, there's terrific reason to get on-board with Bell this week, but it's likely to leave the Chiefs at lower ownership levels with DFS players expecting less of a chance for Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce to dominate in a non-competitive game.
Friends... it's still the Jets. They're still nearly 20-point underdogs and the Chiefs are implied to score 34.25 points. Those touchdowns aren't all going to come from Le'Veon Bell, and if they do, Mahomes could very easily THROW them his way!
I love the QB/RB/TE Chiefs stack of Mahomes, Bell and Kelce, and then running it back with a super cheap dart throw in Denzel Mims on the other side. Kansas City got burned a few weeks back in their lone loss of the season to Henry Ruggs III, and Mims is very much in a similar mold. In garbage time, don't be surprised if Mims takes one to the house and shatters his expected points projection.
Other Low Ownership / High Upside Targets
QB: Josh Allen ($7,000) NE @ BUF
RB: James Conner ($6,400) PIT @ BAL
RB: JaMycal Hasty ($5,000) SF @ SEA
WR: Stefon Diggs ($6,800) NE @ BUF
WR: Chase Claypool ($5,200) PIT @ BAL
TE: Mike Gesicki ($4,900) LA @ MIA
TE: Jonnu Smith ($4,100) TEN @ CIN
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