FFL's Week 7 DFS Lineup
Week 7 of the 2018 season is upon us and with that comes Fantasy Football Live’s fifth DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports) lineup! Each week we’ll release an optimal DFS team (PPR Scoring) for Sunday’s games, giving anyone having a poor fantasy season a chance at redemption. Our Week 7 lineup below was created on DraftKings with a $50,000 budget.
QB: Kirk Cousins
Matchup: @ New York Jets
Price: $6,400
Analysis: With multiple solid DFS quarterbacks that have bad matchups (Brady @ Bears, Luck vs Bills, Brees @ Ravens) are unavailable in this format (Ryan vs Giants, Mahomes vs Bengals), or on bye (Big Ben, Aaron Rodgers) the smart move here is to go with a known quantity against an average defense and that leads us to Kirk Cousins vs the New York Jets. $6,400 is expensive for a QB, but Cousins has had multiple stud performances this year and he goes up against a team that gave up over 30 points last week. More encouraging is the fact that the Jets put up over 40, suggesting that this game has the potential to be a high scoring one. With Dalvin Cook still out, the Vikings will continue to lead on their passing game, which should lead to a productive day for Cousins.
RB: Ezekiel Elliott
Matchup: @ Washington Redskins
Price: $8,100
Analysis: Despite running behind a much weaker offensive line than in previous years, Ezekiel Elliott is showing us that he can still be insanely productive. Averaging a healthy 5.0 yards per carry, Elliott is primed to have another good week against the Washington Redskins, a team that he’s scored on 5 times in their past 3 matchups while averaging over 100 yards. The Cowboys are going to come into this game looking to run the ball, and they’ll rely on Elliott to do so.
RB: Kerryon Johnson
Matchup: @ Miami Dolphins
Price: $4,500
Analysis: Kerryon Johnson is clearly the best rusher in Detroit. He was the first player to rush for over 100 yards for the team since Reggie Bush did it in 2013, and he is only getting better in his rookie season. The problem though is that the Lions have been using LeGarrette Blount in the backfield as well, despite the fact that he’s been awful so far this season. Blount’s higher than expected usage was likely due to the Lions wanting Johnson to earn his carries, and he most certainly has. Coming off a bye week, it’s likely that the Lions have adjusted their mindset to get the rookie more carries based on his production in limited action so far. Against one of the worst run defenses in Miami, Johnson has a real chance to go off, which is a gamble worth taking at $4,500.
WR: Adam Thielen
Matchup: @ New York Jets
Price: $8,600
Analysis: I have yet to include Adam Thielen in a DFS lineup, and each week I haven’t it’s been a mistake. Thielen’s numbers so far this year are absolutely nuts, and he should continue to have success against a Jets team that has been weak in covering slot receivers. Even if Cousins doesn’t have a good game like expected, Thielen will still get his targets and receptions, making him an easy pick, despite the large price tag.
WR: Alshon Jeffery
Matchup: vs Carolina Panthers
Price: $6,300
Analysis: Outside of a tough matchup against Xavier Rhodes, Alshon Jeffery has been a top fantasy WR since coming back from injury. In his other two games he’s put up over 27 points, and while that ceiling might be a lofty expectation, he should still have a good performance against a weak Carolina secondary. Since returning to the field, Jeffery has failed to receive less than 8 targets, and he’s still one of the best red zone receivers in the game. Any game that includes a matchup between Carson Wentz and Cam Newton can be a shootout, and if it is, expect Jeffery to have a big day.
WR: Chester Rogers
Matchup: vs Buffalo Bills
Price: $4,700
Analysis: The Bills have one of the best pass defenses in the league right now, but it’s hard to avoid Chester Rogers at this price-point based on the amount of looks he’s been getting. In each of the last 3 games Rogers has seen over 10 targets, and he should continue to get a large target share with Jack Doyle and Ryan Grant out for this game. Rogers is a great value in PPR formats like this one, and if he gets a touchdown he will well outperform his price.
TE: David Njoku
Matchup: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Price: $4,200
Analysis: Despite the poor matchup last week, I trusted the target share Njoku was getting and it paid off with a 7 catch, 55 yard, 1 TD performance on 12 targets. His price jumped a bit, from $3,800 last week to $4,200, but unlike last week his matchup is a great one, against a porous Tampa Bay Defense. Up to this point, Njoku has been Mayfield’s 1st option as a tight end, which is not true for many tight ends in this league. Still cheaper than TEs like Jordan Reed, Greg Olsen, and Trey Burton, I am very content on sticking with Njoku for the second straight week.
FLEX: Taylor Gabriel
Matchup: vs New England Patriots
Price: $4,700
Analysis: If the Bears want to keep up with the Patriots in this game, they will need to pass the ball. That likely game script is why I like Taylor Gabriel’s potential as a DFS pick, and it doesn’t hurt that Allen Robinson may not suit up in this one. Even with Robinson healthy, Gabriel has been the more productive of the two so far this season. With two straight 100 yard games, expect Gabriel to have similar success against a weak Patriots’ pass defense.
D/ST: Detroit Lions
Matchup: @ Miami Dolphins
Price: $2,400
Analysis: With little money left to spare for a defense, the Lions look like an appealing pick. Despite last week’s performance, I think everyone can agree that Brock Osweiler is not a starter-caliber QB in the NFL. Against a good pass defense in Detroit, the Dolphins are not equipped to put up 30+ points like they did last week. Miami’s rushers may put up yards since the Lions have a bad run defense, but ultimately the final score will come down to whether Brock Osweiler can convert on third downs to extend drives, and my bet is that he doesn’t.