DFS DRAWING BOARD - NFL Week 8 - Wide Receivers
We are just hours away from Week 8 of the NFL season and things are heating up. We have a number of high total games for all our fantasy fantasies(?). And if you haven't heard already, like half of the Jaguars defense was arrested in London tonight, just hours before their matchup overseas against the Eagles. So that should be interesting. But we still have to figure out our top WRs for the weekend, so lets focus up pick our favorites. If you haven't already, please check out my QB and RB articles, which were posted earlier today.
Last week our WR picks were just flat out awful. Yes, we hit on some of the more obvious plays like Thielen, Landry, Funchess and Evans while others like Woods and Crabtree did alright but overall we had some major disappointments. Kearse didn't even have a catch, while Snead failed miserably along with Goodwin. Each week we are going to need to find value at WR, so we need to avoid the total busts. The good news is that there are very few value WRs to pick from this week. The bad news is that there are very few value WRs to pick from this week. So it will be intersesting. I've done the homework, so lets get after it.
Each week we take a step back to review the upcoming weeks matchups and crunch the numbers to develop a series of position specific articles related to top daily fantasy sports plays. Whether you are playing on FanDuel, DrafKings, or even configuring your season long NFL lineups, these articles should serve as a reference tool and helpful guide to choosing the best players. I've shortened these articles to give you only the necessities and bottom-line reasoning as to my top choices. This is a no bullshi*t article and by that I mean the players and plays I suggest are those that I will be using in my personal lineups. Nothing is excluded. We intend to win. The goal is to make great lineups, win money, and share our success stories. If you are new to my blog or daily fantasy sports in general, I encourage you to check out my DFS Introduction post which provides some general context on what DFS is and how to play. Spoiler alert, if you like playing fantasy sports and winning money, DFS is the platform for you. Also, if you haven’t already, feel free to follow my referral links and sign up for Fanduel and Draftkings. Each provides its own set of bonuses for new users.
With that being said, here are my top plays at the wide receiver position for Week 8. Enjoy, upvote, and comment on your weekly outlook.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Antonio Brow - Pittsburgh Steelers
$8,500 / vs. CLE / PIT - 8
Antonio Brown destroys Cleveland. Thats just a fact. Week 1 against the Browns, Antonio Brown had 16 targets, caught 9 of them, and posted 93 yards receiving with a TD. Week 1 in 2017, same situation, Brown had 11 targets, caught all 11 of them, and posted a ridiculous 182 receiving yards. If you keep dating back you will see the same results, double digit catches, games of 187 yards, games of 137 yards, double scores games, and on and on. The dude just eats against Cleveland. Big Ben is one of my favorite QBs for the weekend, so naturally Brown fits perfectly in that stack. I really don't need to explain any more. He is elite, has an incredible history against the Browns, and the Steelers are projected to score a ton of points. If you can afford him, play Brown.
Devante Adams - Green Bay Packers
$7,900 / at LAR / GB + 8
There are still people out there doubting whether Devante Adams is an elite receiver, which to me is ridiculous. Yes, he has Aaron Rodgers throwing to him but the dude is the focal point of defenses each and every week but still finds way to find space, get open, and make incredible catches. This week is quite a difficult matchup on the road vs. the Rams, however, I expect this game to be a pure shootout. For one, the games total is sitting at 56.5, the highest on the slate. Points will be scored and for Green Bay, its primarily through the air. Adams has double digit targets in all but 2 games this year, ensuring that he will get a massive amount of opportunity. Over the past 3 games, he has averaged 14 targets and 9 receptions, totaling no less than 100 yards in each game. It doesn't really matter who you are playing, with that type of opportunity and consistency, you can't pass a player up. The risk, of course, is the road matchup vs. the Rams top defense. However, Green Bay will have to throw a ton to remain in this game and if Rodgers over the course of this season has taught us anything, its that Green Bay will be in it until the end. If you believe, fire up Adams this weekend.
Jarvis Landry - Cleveland Browns
$7,200 / at PIT / CLE + 8
Landry finally saw his opportunities pay off in a big way last week vs. Tampa Bay where he posted a 10 catch, 97 yard, 1 TD performance. We touted him last week and in weeks prior due to his target share and opportunities and will continue to ride that train this weekend in Pittsburgh. Cleveland is a pretty decent underdog so they should have to throw a lot again to keep up. That being said, I have little doubt Landry has any fewer than 10 targets again. The matchup is also pretty great against a Pittsburgh secondary that has been known to give up huge totals in the passing game. Although they are coming off a bye which typically worries me, there are very few receivers priced in Landry's tier that have the same opportunity. Pittsburgh is giving up the 3rd most yards to WRs this season on a per game average and the 5th most per game average DK points to receivers. There aren't many value receivers available this weekend, so why play around with the unknown. Stick with the guys that have plenty of opportunity and matchups. Landry is one of those guys.
Jordy Nelson - Oakland Raiders
$4,700 / vs. IND / OAK + 3
I have to try to find one value WR for you guys this weekend and let me tell you, its pretty difficult. If I am spending down, I will be considering Jordy Nelson. As many of you already know, Oakland is in the middle of a clearance sale and just shipped away Amari Cooper. Although Cooper hasn't been playing well as of late, his target share and opportunities have to go somewhere, right? I think the biggest beneficiary to Cooper's departure is Jordy Nelson. His price hasn't really fluctuated too much this season and in this range he has posted 3 solid weeks this season that paid off. His targets have never exceeded 8 in any single game but my hunch is that he could see double digit targets without Cooper. Oakland is an underdog and should be trailing for most of the game. Indy has a pretty middle of the road defense, so that shouldn't scare anyone. As long as Carr can play at some sort of professional level, I think Nelson could pay off as a solid value in Week 8.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Tyler Boyd - $6,700 - Bengals
- Price is starting to climb to a point he needs some serious points to pay off. If he was in the low $6,000 I would have included him above in my write-ups. Tampa's defense is atrocious vs. the pass, so the matchup is prime. If choosing between AJ Green and Boyd I am paying a down for Boyd. Outside of price, only concern is that the Bengals haven't looked great over the last couple of weeks.
JuJu Smith-Schuster - $7,400 - Steelers
- I think Big Ben and Pittsburgh take care of business this weekend against Cleveland. Ben has a strong history at home vs. the Browns which means his receivers should benefit big time. James Conner is getting a ton of love this weekend, so the receivers like JuJu offer a nice pivot. JuJu has been getting a nice target share all weekend and should be able to continue that vs. an average at best Cleveland D.
Taylor Gabriel - $5,100 - Bears
- This play is completely weather dependent. As of now, the weather is not looking great with wind and rain. However, should it clear up, the Jets secondary is very weak and Gabriel offers a very nice lower priced play.
Martavis Bryant - $3,700 - Raiders
- Another guy that could benefit from the departure of Amari Cooper. Priced almost bare minimum and coaching staff has been talking him. Has big play ability and only needs 1 big catch to really pay off.
That wraps up Week 8 at the WR position. Its tough sledding out there right now with not much value opening up. My suggestion, stick to the known, avoid the unknown crazy plays. Guys like Brown, Landry, and Adams offer consistency and big time ceilings. As always, good luck out there and lets win some money!
Sourced: USA Today / Green Bay Packers / CBS Sports