Every week during the NFL season, I’ll be sharing my FanDuel cash game (50/50’s, Double Ups and Head to Head) line up. Cash games are a great way to build up your bankroll without as much risk as Guaranteed Prize Pool (GPP) tournaments.
For those unfamiliar with cash games, roster construction differs in some ways than GPPs. In GPPs, our line up needs to finish in the top 15% or so to simply cash, so we’re looking for those boom or bust players to roster with our studs, to stay under the salary cap. In cash games, we merely have to finish in the top 45-50% with a score of about 120, which usually gets us there, so we look to replace those boom or bust layers with much safer players, who may lack the high ceiling to help win a GPP who can be reasonably expected to return 2X value (if a player’s salary is $6,000, then we’d need him to score 12 fantasy points).
The blocks I like to check for my QB include a good match up with a bottom 10 pass defense, a high Vegas implied total and for him to be on the team that is the slight favorite. Â Ideally, we want a mobile QB, as those rushing yards provide a nice floor. Finally, check the weather reports for strong winds or torrential rains.
QB Philip Rivers ($8,000) Over his last three games, Rivers has thrown for seven TDs and over 900 yards. Meanwhile the Browns are ranked 27th DVOA against the pass and are getting worse, due to several injuries on the defense. The Browns have allowed 22 passing TDs on the season.
At the RB position, I’m looking for most of the same blocks to check.  I’m also looking for a three down back, but they’re becoming rare and are usually expensive, so I often settle for a two down back (but not a committee RB) who also handles short yardage duties.
RB Todd Gurley ($8,800) Gurley is expensive, but his volume has been off the charts this season and as we know, touches lead to points. Over the course of the season, Gurley has 204 carries along with 59 targets in the passing game. With the Rams installed as seven point favorites, he has game flow in his favor as well.
RB Jordan Howard ($7,500) It’s become fairly simple in regards with using Howard this season. In games the Bears are leading, Howard gets the lion’s share of the work and when they’re trailing, he does not. The Bears are three-point home favorites against the 49ers, who rank 22nd against the run.
For WRs, I’m looking for the same things I’m looking for in my QB, but I’m looking for them to be slight underdogs. I also look for a receiver who’s the QBs #1 target. Targets lead to points, so the best way to ensure your receivers return value is to ensure they get plenty of opportunities. I also avoid rookies until they prove themselves. Coaches are conservative and a rookie has to earn the coach’s trust to make it onto the field and then earn the QB’s trust to start getting targets.
WR Robby Anderson ($7,200) You normally don’t think about Jets receivers being safe cash game targets, but Anderson has been remarkably consistent with 33 targets and six TDs in his last five games. He’ll match up against a Chiefs defense ranked 20th against the pass and 28th against #1 WRs.
WR Demaryius Thomas ($6,700) Thomas hasn’t had fewer than eight targets in his last five games and gets Trevor Siemian back at QB. Siemian isn’t exactly Tom Brady, but he’s better than the garbage the Broncos have been rolling out recently. He’ll face a Dolphins defense ranked 31st against the pass and 29th against opposing #1 WRs.
WR Davante Adams ($6,500) Adams is simply priced too cheap, given his recent production and his rapport with QB Brett Hundley. With Hundley playing, Adams has seen 51 targets over his last six games and will square off against a Tampa defense that allowed Julio Jones to go for a 12/253/2 line and are ranked 30th against the pass on the season.
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Statistics show that TEs on teams favored at home, with a Vegas implied total of 22 or more points have the best chance to return the highest value.
TE Jared Cook ($5,500) In a strange pricing dynamic, Cook is the 13th most expensive TE on FanDuel but is the 5th most expensive on DraftKings. He’s simply too cheap here considering Michael Crabtree is suspended, Amari Cooper is injured and the Giants have allowed the most fantasy points in the NFL against the TE position.
Kickers are a crapshoot, but these four blocks will help tremendously: high Vegas total, favored to win (he’ll be more likely to kick 4th quarter FGs if the team is winning rather than be sitting on the bench, watching his team go for it on 4th down), playing at home and playing in a dome.
K Phil Dawson ($4,500) Dawson checks most of the blocks and he’s cheap.
Defenses aren’t that difficult. They score their point primarily with sacks, turnovers and defensive TDs. Therefore, I target teams with bad QBs and look for defenses with a strong pass rush and/or secondary. Bad QBs throw more interceptions and hold the ball longer, leading to more sacks.
DEF LA Chargers ($5,300) The Cleveland Browns, as a team, have thrown a league worst 20 INTs (the next closest team has 15.) The Chargers are ranked 6th DVOA against the pass.
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