FFL's Week 4 DFS Lineup
Week 4 of the 2018 season is upon us and with that comes Fantasy Football Live’s fourth DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) lineup! Each week we’ll release an optimal DFS team for Sunday’s games, giving anyone having a poor fantasy season a chance at redemption. Our Week 4 lineup below was created on DraftKings with a $50,000 budget.
QB: Drew Brees
Matchup: @ New York Giants
Price: $6,600
Analysis: Although a bit pricier than I prefer to spend on a quarterback, Drew Brees is not only a safe option but one with huge upside. He’s currently completing over 80% of his passes and is ranked the 3rd best quarterback in fantasy. Put that with the fact that the Giants Defense is particularly good at stopping the run, and it becomes apparent that the Saints will likely prefer to fall back onto old habits and let Brees win the game for them. The Giants Defense is also without starting corner Eli Apple and star pass rusher Olivier Vernon, which should help Brees continue to carve out defenses like he has been so far. If Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley can put up points against a so far disappointing Saints Defense, this game could turn into a shootout like the tilt vs the Atlanta Falcons last week.
RB: Melvin Gordon
Matchup: vs San Francisco 49ers
Price: $8,300
Analysis: Melvin Gordon is another player with an expensive price tag, but for good reason. Gordon’s matchup against the Jimmy G-less 49ers is one of the best matchups any RB has had yet this season in terms of game script. Led by C.J. Beathard, the 49ers shouldn’t put up a lot of points, while the Chargers should shred the weak 49ers Defense. This game should be a blowout, and Gordon should reap the benefits of plenty of rushing attempts thanks to the big lead.
RB: Tevin Coleman
Matchup: vs Cincinnati Bengals
Price: $5,900
Analysis: Tevin Coleman is coming off a poor game last week, but he goes up against a defense in Cincinnati that just allowed Christian McCaffrey get over 180 yards on the ground. Coleman is a talented back who has the capability of putting up similar numbers, and he should see plenty of the field with Devonta Freeman still out. Led by Matt Ryan, the Falcons have one of the most potent offenses at the moment, which should have a positive impact on Coleman’s fantasy production. The running game against the Saints last week fell out of favor due to Brees’ nonstop attack on the Falcons Defense, so expect Coleman to see a lot more touches against a not-so-good Bengals team.
WR: A.J. Green
Matchup: @ Atlanta Falcons
Price: $7,500
Analysis: Speaking of the Bengals, A.J. Green is one of the receivers I am highest on this week. The Bengals Offense has looked surprisingly good up to this point, and expect them to do well this week against a Falcons team decimated by injuries to their defense. The Falcons will likely put up plenty of points, and whether the Bengals are able to keep up or not, they will have to pass the ball in order to stay competitive. Green should see plenty of targets in this game, which should help him have a top finish in fantasy production.
WR: Kenny Stills
Matchup: @ New England Patriots
Price: $5,800
Analysis: I still find it weird putting a Dolphins receiver into my DFS lineup, but so far Kenny Stills has had a good fantasy year. This is in part thanks to Ryan Tannehill’s good start to the season, and his level of play should continue against a weak Patriots Defense. It’s hard to imagine the Patriots losing 3 games in a row, but the Dolphins should at least make it a good game. They are 2-3 against the Pats in their last 5 games so they do play up to their level at times. Stills is a deep threat that can take a bomb to the house at any time, and if the Dolphins abandon their run game like they did last week, there should be a lot of opportunities for Stills to score a touchdown, especially if the Pats Offense can find their normal rhythm they’ve been lacking in recent weeks.
WR: Sterling Shepard
Matchup: vs New Orleans Saints
Price: $4,900
Analysis: Sterling Shepard has yet to have a big game this year, but all the pieces are coming together for him this week. Evan Engram, Shepard’s main competition for targets over the middle of the field, is out this week due to injury, which should give Shepard a lot more looks from Eli Manning. It’s also worth noting that Marshon Lattimore will likely be matched up on OBJ this week, and as seen last week, the Saints secondary is pretty weak outside of Lattimore (if you haven’t heard of Calvin Ridley’s game last week you’re probably living under a rock). The Drew Brees led Saints Offense will also undoubtedly put up points, which will create a need for Manning to throw early and often in order to match Brees blow for blow. Without Engram, Shepard is the clear #2 target in the receiving game, and he should see plenty of looks, especially with OBJ lining up across from Lattimore.
TE: Eric Ebron
Matchup: vs Houston Texans
Price: $3,600
Analysis: Ebron disappointed plenty of fantasy owners last week after receiving the start due to Jack Doyle’s injury, and failing to put up good numbers. It was maybe a bit unfair though to ask Ebron to go off against a great defense in the Philadelphia Eagles after scoring in the previous two weeks. Ebron is still a great redzone threat, who should have more success against a 0-3 Texans team that has had issues against the pass (and particularly tight ends) so far this season. Look for Andrew Luck and the Colts to have a bounce back game this week, and don’t be surprised if Ebron finds the endzone for the 3rd time in 4 weeks against the Texans.
FLEX: Sony Michel
Matchup: vs Miami Dolphins
Price: $4,500
Analysis: Sony Michel is set to take the lion’s share of carries in the Patriots’ backfield now that Rex Burkhead is on IR, and his increased role in the offense should yield good results against the Dolphins. The Dolphins have allowed the 9th most points to running backs so far this season, even though the teams they’ve faced don’t have an all too impressive crop of backs (Titans, Jets, Raiders). At $4,500, you don’t need Michel to do much to make him worth his value, and the fact that he is now the lead rusher for a high powered offense, against a team that has allowed plenty of fantasy points to RBs, should be enough to warrant putting in your lineup.
D/ST: Detroit Lions
Matchup: @ Dallas Cowboys
Price: $2,500
Analysis: The Detroit Lions’ Defense at $2,500 is a great deal that rounds out a promising DFS lineup. The Cowboys offense is not what it has been in years past, as they’ve had trouble getting anything to work outside of Ezekiel Elliott. Dak Prescott has been under constant pressure so far this season, and he has yet to pass for over 200 yards or 2 touchdowns in any game this season. Averaging under 14 points this season, the Cowboys haven’t figured out how to produce consistent offense, meaning the Lions should be in for a good fantasy week.