Tag Archives: Monday Night Football

Daily Fantasy Football Value Picks For Monday Night Football

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One more game remains for daily fantasy football enthusiasts in week two, with the Chicago Bears hosting the Philadelphia Eagles on the biggest stage in Monday Night Football. There is a lot to take in for this one, as rookie passer and #2 overall pick Carson Wentz makes just his second start ever and numerous fantasy gamers look to hold onto their leads to close out the week.

There is even more DFS goodness at stake here when you consider the MNF/TNF slate, which includes Thursday’s contest between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots. That game is a suggested fade due to Jimmy Garoppolo (shoulder) being out, but the Texans could still be in play and there is a lot to like about tonight’s Eagles vs. Bears battle.

For all fantasy insight, let’s pick apart this slate by pointing out the best values at each position:

Quarterbacks: Jay Cutler – Bears ($5.7k) and Carson Wentz – Eagles ($5.5k)

Brock Osweiler could be OK in week three, but for the most part the Patriots defense has done a solid job against quarterbacks. He’s also the most expensive passer on the slate and he’s not exactly a guy you must pay up for.

We aren’t entertaining the idea of diving for Brissett, either, as he’s not a whole lot cheaper than more attractive options in Wentz and Cutler. That being said, he would be super contrarian on this slate.

You need the top quarterback on the slate to run away with the money here, however, and that’s probably going to be Cutler. Cutler is a very strong performer in prime time games, as he’s specifically 8-2 on Monday Night Football since joining the Bears. He’s also at home and has a solid cast of weapons around him. Philly also did not defend well in 2015 and their elite defensive effort in week one came against RG3 and the Browns. Color us unimpressed.

Wentz can run and looked good in week one, but Cutler might actually be a tad more contrarian. People have been hating on the Bears all summer, yet they actually showed up to fight in Houston in week one. The Bears are a mildly underrated stack on this slate and that’s the direction we’re headed.

Running Backs: Ryan Mathews – Eagles ($5.8k), Jeremy Langford – Bears ($4.6k) and LeGarrette Blount – Patriots ($4.4k)

Lamar Miller leads the way here, but he’s super talented and expensive, so just about everyone will be on him. It’s probably wise to just use two running backs out of this slate, so the key will be figuring out either who to pair with Miller or which two backs you’re choosing (and then fading Lamar). We don’t love the latter idea, however.

All three of these guys have awesome roles, but from a talent perspective, Mathews might be the most explosive. Considering Lamar Miller had a fine yardage day against the Bears in week one, he’ll probably be fine and should score. Langford isn’t very explosive, but the Eagles also can be run on and he is going to get a lot of touches. His price is also tough to beat, so it’s going to be difficult to fade him.

Blount has been solid and awesome the last two weeks and he remains a very nice price. The issue is he does not catch the ball and he probably needs a score to work out. He probably can do that because the Pats have to run and will use him near the goal-line, but his matchup and the obviousness of his role do not bode well.

Because of that, we suggest fading Blount and pairing Miller with one other back. Our pick would be Langford, as he’s cheaper than Mathews and has just as solid of a role.

Wide Receivers: Will Fuller – Texans ($4.8k), Danny Amendola – Patriots ($3.7k), Nelson Agholor – Eagles ($3.5k) and Eddie Royal – Bears ($3.5k)

No one needs to be told that the likes of Alshon Jeffery, DeAndre Hopkins, Jordan Matthews and Julian Edelman are the top plays. If you’re looking to differentiate or just need a cheap Flex play, however, this is the group you want to consider.

Fuller has been awesome through two weeks and it’s pretty arguable the Pats will be uber focused on stopping both Lamar Miller and Nuk. It’s very possible he crushes his value for the third week in a row.

Any Patriots receivers are in play just because they could be playing from behind and they’re all pretty cheap, just keep in mind Houston’s defense is quite strong and we have no idea what Jacoby Brissett brings to the table.

Agholor and Royal feel like the best value plays at wide receiver. Both scored in week one and have decent secondary roles. Their matchups also don’t look that tough on paper. The explosive Kevin White could also blow up under the bright lights, but he’s rather raw and may need to work a bit to gain Cutler’s trust.

Tight Ends: Martellus Bennett – Patriots ($4.7k), Zach Miller ($3k) and Brent Celek – Eagles ($2.6k)

Bennett’s value probably depends on the status of Rob Gronkowski ($6.8k), who hasn’t played yet in 2016. The Gronk still isn’t 100%, but if he suddenly is a full go he might deserve some consideration. Then again, with Jacoby Brissett under center for the Pats, neither of these guys look safe this week.

That means you’re saving at tight end tonight, with Miller and Celek as the leading candidates. Cutler loved going to Miller last year, so he certainly is in play, but keep in mind that Philly did blank Gary Barnidge in week one. Chicago, meanwhile, hasn’t been tested by a tight end yet this year and we know the Eagles love using the position. With Zach Ertz (ribs) out for at least week two, Celek should start and be far more active than usual. He’s certainly no lock to pay off, but at this price he’s the play.

Team Defenses: All in Play

None of the defenses are over $3.3k and you can make a strong argument for any of them. Philadelphia put up 11 fantasy points against the Browns in week one and everyone knows Jay Cutler can turn the ball over, the Texans are always solid and get a rookie quarterback, Chicago is at home against a rookie passer tonight and the Patriots are at home against a Texans offense that still hasn’t blown the hinges off.

They all have arguments, but Houston feels like the play. Chicago’s defense just isn’t very talented, so they probably aren’t the way to go even though they’re the cheapest unit, while New England and Philly are both about as expensive as Houston. Whitney Mercilus has been an absolute monster and we know what J.J. Watt can do. If Houston can simply stuff LeGarrette Blount early on, they should rack up some sacks and maybe even a turnover or two, along with allowing 20 points or fewer.

16 Sleepers to Consider For Monday Night’s Daily Fantasy Football Slate

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If you didn’t cash out in daily fantasy football in week one, your chances aren’t all gone. You can still make up for a bad Sunday with a Monday Night Football double-header, which offers up the potential for thousands to be made if you pick the perfect lineup at DFS sites like DraftKings.

It’s no secret who the top options are and in a slate with just two games (four teams) there are bound to be countless similar DFS lineups unless you find a way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack. Everyone will be using most of the studs like Todd Gurley, Antonio Brown and one of Kirk Cousins or Ben Roethlisberger, but to win big you may need to switch things up and roster (or fade) players you normally wouldn’t.

For Monday specifically, we’ve picked out some interesting daily fantasy football sleepers you’ll want to think about before finalizing your roster:

Quarterbacks: Case Keenum (Rams) and Blaine Gabbert (49ers)

Everyone will be all over Ben Roethlisberger and Kirk Cousins, so one strategy may be to hope that game is randomly low-scoring and they both are awful. Then you can pivot to Keenum or Gabbert and hope it’s somehow the exact opposite in the 49ers/Rams game.

Logic does not support that, but week one wasn’t high on logic in a lot of spots. You never know, the Niners could focus solely on shutting down Todd Gurley and Keenum could rip them up through the air. Or maybe the Rams stuff Hyde and go up early and Gabbert throws all night and ends with 300 yards and 2-3 scores.

The beauty could also simply be in the value, as both of these guys are over $2k less than Cousins and Big Ben, so if they’re even remotely close to them in terms of production, you’re saving cash at quarterback and spending on explosive skill position players. Again, it’s a tough sell, but to win a GPP it may be what is necessary.

Running Backs: Chris Thompson, Rob Kelley (Redskins), Shaun Draughn (49ers) and Fitzgerald Toussaint (Steelers)

Again, we all know the elites here: Todd Gurley and DeAngelo Williams. A lot of people will even use Matt Jones and Carlos Hyde (if they’re healthy enough to play). If those guys randomly are out or limited, though, it’s really going to open things up for guys like Thompson, Kelley and maybe even Draughn. Those guys could randomly produce regardless, but the starter ahead of them going down or being limited would be huge.

Of those three, Thompson is the best play, seeing as he’s Washington’s main passing down back, no matter what. If the Redskins fall behind, he could be a huge play tonight.

Toussaint may be the best pivot of all, as D-Will is set for a monster role in Pittsburgh but obviously will need a breather here and there. If that comes near the goal-line or in a passing situation, Toussaint could be a surprise DFS hero.

Wide Receivers: Eli Rogers, Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey (Steelers), Kenny Britt, Brian Quick (Rams) and Jamison Crowder (Redskins)

It’s Antonio Brown or bust tonight, quite literally. DeSean Jackson and a few other big names are worth cursory glances, but the only guy most people care about is Brown and then how you fill in your other two receiver spots could end up being a pretty huge deal.

You can do one of two things:

  • Use Brown and he goes nuts and your other receivers also do well
  • Fade Brown and hope he sucks and just use three decent WRs

Both are somewhat feasible, but either way, going against the grain with those other two receivers may be smart – largely because the options after Brown are awful, and also obviously because this slate is so small.

Because of that, all the scrubs you see above are in play. Rogers, Coates and DHB all have more upside than everyone else simply because they seem to have a good matchup and their offense is awesome. Individually, they are all terrible plays, but it’s a good bet one of those three Steelers receivers goes nuts. Markus Wheaton is out, after all.

That being said, don’t sleep on Britt and Quick. Tavon Austin is the big name WR in Los Angeles, but he’s pretty erratic and often does absolutely nothing. Britt has scoring upside as a big-bodied receiver and Quick can make big plays down the field.

For the Redskins, Crowder might be worth a glance if you’re not into paying for D-Jax or Pierre Garcon, only to watch them sack you to the moon and back. His role isn’t very clear, but he could surprise.

Tight Ends: Lance Kendricks (Rams), Vance McDonald (49ers) and Vernon Davis (Redskins)

Kendricks and McDonald do not promote much confidence or DFS upside, but let’s face it, pretty much everyone is going for Jordan Reed tonight. If they don’t, and still maybe even if they do, they might also think they’re cute by going for Steelers tight end, Jesse James.

Obviously those two are far and away the top tight end choices, but what if the Steelers focus on shutting Reed down (or maybe he gets hurt) and James just doesn’t do much? Perhaps a new, enhanced role is all cheap options like McDonald or Kendricks could need. They seem to be entrenched in defensive battles, anyways, so it’s logical to think safety net tight ends could be targeted a bit in the second game of the night.

Then there is Vernon Davis, who seems to have fallen off a cliff but remains the #2 tight end in Washington. He is probably the worst dart ever, but on paper he’s still a good athlete and the Steelers probably won’t be looking at him as a threat. That could make him the perfect weapon in week one and he costs virtually nothing.

Team Defense: Washington Redskins

The Rams are easily the top unit on tonight’s slate (and also the most expensive). The Niners aren’t very good, but they have a good matchup at home, while the Steelers stink against the pass and are on the road against a good offense but stop the run and get sacks.

Needless to say, there is an argument for and against all of those three team defenses, so swinging for the fences with the Redskins (the cheapest defense on tonight’s daily fantasy football slate) might not be that crazy. For one, Washington can be pretty good when their aggressive blitzing works. It doesn’t hurt that the Steelers are without two key offensive weapons in Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant and that new stud corner Josh Norman might do a decent job on Antonio Brown.

If that’s all to be true, the ‘Skins tend to be quite good at home and could pressure Big Ben into some sacks and/or bad decisions. The good news is they don’t even need to rock your world or completely stifle the Steelers. They just need to be passable and good enough to the point where they’re not leaps and bounds worse than the other three available defenses. None of this says that will be the case, but there is some logic supporting it’s plausibility and if you want to win big, going super contrarian in numerous spots is a good idea.