Everyday we will post a Market Check, which is a summary of our research on a different position for the week.
This is not the end of our advice for the week. At the end of the week, we’ll make our picks at each position. Some of the picks will not be discussed in the Market Check.
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BULL MARKET
Players we believe will out-perform their salary for the week. These guys will give you the most bang for your buck when you are building lineups.
MATT FORTE
DraftKings: $7,700 / FanDuel: $8,900
Forte led all backs in usage week 1, with 24 carries and 8 targets. Lining up in multiple spots, including split out as a WR, its clear that Adam Gase’s offense will be run through Forte. The Tulane product is “gamescript proof” because he will either be getting extra carries to ice away a victory or catching multiple balls in an effort to catch up. The Cardinals D also allowed a league high in RB receptions with 8 to Mark Ingram last week. Forte is one of the safest plays of the week, and should be the centerpiece of your roster this week.
CARLOS HYDE
DraftKings: $5,000 / FanDuel: $7,000
Hyde proved to fans of football that he is a special talent, he proved to 49ers coaches that they need to find more ways to get him the ball. The 49ers will face a different game script this week as the Steelers offense will be in front. However, with Reggie Bush out – Hyde will still get his touches, but through the air which bodes well for the DFS PPR scoring. This will also allow him to get the ball in space, where he could easily make the Steelers secondary look silly. Enjoy the discount friends, Hyde’s performance will continue to boost his salary.
CHRIS IVORY
DraftKings: $4,700 / FanDuel: $6,900
There is no RBBC in New York…. at all. Ivory’s usage alone is worth the low salary, not to mention the Jet’s Oline is very good and will open up huge holes, especially against one of the worst run defenses in the league with Indy. Ivory got a whopping 7 redzone rushes and 1 redzone target last week, which is tied for most in the league for redzone work. Lastly, according to rotogrinders daily research Ivory is 2nd in fantasy points per snap at .7 points per snap. Draft him in all lineups!
AMEER ABDULLAH
DraftKings: $4,500 / FanDuel: $6,400
We told you last week, Abdullah will not need a lot of touches to produce. In fact, rotogrinders shows us that he ranked fourth amongst backs for fantasy points per snap with .64. After such an explosive week 1, OC Lombardi will continue to evolve Abdullah’s role, with more work coming as a receiver. And because the Lions have so many weapons, Abdullah will be tough to gameplan for, giving him a good chance of breaking a long play every game.Vikings head coach, Mike Zimmer, is known to take away teams #1 WR. Keeping a safety over top on Sunday, look for Tate and Abdullah to have free running lanes underneath, and to create some big gains on short routes!
DANNY WOODHEAD
DraftKings: $4,000 / FanDuel: $6,200
Woodhead is still being disrespected by FD and DK with his very low salary. That’s just fine with me, because Woodhead will get plenty of work again on Sunday. The Chargers will be trailing, and the Bengals will do a better job of slowing down Allen and Johnson. Therefore, Woodhead will get more receptions out of the backfield. Danny is currently in a 4 way tie for most used back in the redzone. With 6 carries and 2 targets, it’s clear the Chargers trust him near the goaline which makes his meager salary an absolute steal again!
BEAR MARKET
Players we don’t believe will perform up to their salaries. We think you can find better value elsewhere.
DEMARCO MURRAY
DraftKings: $7,000 / FanDuel: $8,300
Lots of reasons to dislike DeMarco after week 1. Atlanta’s weak run defense was able to keep the Eagles “mauling” rush attack at bay. RBBC is very real and will limit DeMarcos carries, goal line attempts (Mathews already vultured one) and he will catch very few balls out of the backfield. The Cowboys are too talented on offense, even without Dez, to let this one get out of hand. Therefore, don’t expect Murray to be pounding away to milk the clock. Sproles and Mathews will be used a lot in this shootout.With Mathews a large threat to goal line TD’s, I’m not ready to gamble on Murray’s high price tag this week.
JONATHAN STEWART
DraftKings: $5,500 / FanDuel: $6,800
We had big expectations for J stew and he completely shit the bed. Not only did he disappoint vs. an injured and poopy Jags D line, he’s also already missing practice for knee soreness. JJ watt and the Texans will live in the backfield and smother whoever carries the rock this week. Keep an eye on Artis-Payne because J stew isn’t going to get it done AGAIN this year.
MELVIN GORDON
DraftKings: $4,800 / FanDuel: $6,500
This one is simple, the rookie RB is not trusted by McCoy yet to be the feature back. Gordon’s fumble in week 1 didn’t help his status. The Chargers have a chub for Woodhead, especially in the RZ and they even used the underrated Brandon Oliver effectively too. Gordon will eventually be a fantasy stud, but until then he is only worth his salary if he breaks a long run. Stay away from him in DFS until he becomes the full time RB.
ALFRED MORRIS
DraftKings: $5,000 / FanDuel: $7,300
The Rams defense is so good that it caused a social media meltdown from Mrs. Beastmode. After only surrendering 74 rushing yards in almost 5 quarters against the Seahawks, the Ram D sets its sights on shutting down Morris. The Redskins will struggle to move the ball and will turn to Matt Jones to create with some catches out of the backfield. The Redskins will have few, if any trips to the redzone and Morris will be held without a TD for the second straight week.
