NFL DFS Yahoo Week 8

Week 8 usually symbolizes the halfway point of the fantasy football season. In daily fantasy sports (DFS), that designation is not as important since every week offers a new opportunity. With several potentially high-scoring games on the main Sunday slate, there should be significant chances to win big in DFS, and that includes Yahoo’s fantasy football format.

Note: The Thursday and Monday night games are not included in the main Yahoo slate. Neither is the Sunday morning game in London.

 

Scoring settings

1 point for 25 passing yards                     1 point for 10 rushing/receiving yards

0.5 points for a reception

4 points for passing touchdown                6 points for rushing/receiving/return touchdowns

-1 point for an interception                       -2 points for a fumble lost

 

Lineup requirements

1 QB       2RB        3WR       1TE         1Flex(R/W/T)     1 DEF                     $200 budget

 

Home and Dome

There are a few elements that I analyze in order to find the most desired matchups. There is what I call Home and Dome, teams that are playing at home with an indoor stadium. Wind can be a factor that can negatively impact passing offenses and as October rolls along, we may even see some snow. Here are the four teams that play Home and Dome in week 8:

Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers

Detroit Lions vs Seattle Seahawks

Houston Texans vs Miami Dolphins (Thursday Night)

Minnesota Vikings vs New Orleans Saints

While I will not be looking exclusively at these Home and Dome matchups, it is something I consider strongly in my selections.

 

Quarterbacks

Kirk Cousins MIN, $33 vs NO

With the Saints and the Vikings, we should be in for another late Sunday Shootout. Access to the Sunday Night Game is one of my favorite aspects of playing DFS on Yahoo. Yes, their main slate does include the contest under the lights. Lately, the scoreboards have been lit up in prime time and I expect this week to be no exception. New Orleans travels to take on Minnesota for an indoor affair. Being a dome game, both teams should feel comfortable throwing the football and may need to in order to keep up with the other. The Vegas lines reflect that, as this game has an implied total of 51.5 points for both teams combined.

Drew Brees is a fine option, however, I prefer Kirk Cousins for $3 less. For starters, he is at home. Also, it appears that Dalvin Cook will miss yet another game, potentially forcing the Vikings to pass more than they would have otherwise. I would have to pay down significantly in order to find a QB that I value more than Cousins.

C.J. Beathard SF, $24 @ ARI

That aforementioned QB is C.J. Beathard. The Week 1 backup QB has had his ups and downs this season. His best game in fantasy football came against the Cardinals. A total of 22.68 fantasy points is pretty good, especially when considering that Beathard threw 2 INTs in that contest. That is a helpful fact because Beathard has turned the ball over in each of his starts this year. The price and matchup are what we are looking for in a bargain QB, in order to afford high-end players at other positions. Beathard represents both aspects very well.

 

Running Backs

Todd Gurley LAR, $40 vs GB

This pick is not overly original, but Todd Gurley is worthy of being on this list pretty much every week. With Cooper Kupp‘s absence, I expected the Rams offense to operate in a less efficient fashion. It affected the passing game as Jared Goff has put up 8.44 and 16.48 fantasy points the last two weeks. That equals Gurley’s fantasy production (28.6) from week 7 alone. He has 14TDs so far in 2018, and we are not even halfway through the season yet. Gurley is showing no signs of slowing down. In a game where the Rams have an implied total of 32.75 points, I would be shocked if Gurley failed to reach the end zone yet again.

Kareem Hunt KC, $37 vs DEN

Kareem Hunt began the season slowly but has since heated up. His three best fantasy performances have come in the last 4 weeks. What kick-started that stretch was the 25 fantasy points, in 0.5 PPR (point per reception) settings, that he scored in Denver. I doubt that performance was a fluke as the Broncos have allowed the 6th most fantasy points to RBs. If Gurley is a player that you want to turn away from, then Hunt is a must-start in your DFS lineups. It may be difficult, but if you can manage to get both in your lineups, you may reap the rewards on Sunday.

David Johnson ARI, $24 vs SF

It finally happened. Mike McCoy was fired from his position as the Cardinals offensive coordinator. Arguably his biggest failure was the lack of versatile use of David Johnson. Watching a running back known for his receiving ability run the ball up the middle on 3rd-and-5 was quite painful, especially considering how poor the Arizona offensive line is. There is no guarantee that McCoy’s absence will change things in Arizona, but it could not get any worse for Johnson. Evidently, Yahoo is not taking this coordinator change into consideration as Johnson’s price is at a season-low $24. The matchup is pretty great as the 49ers have allowed the 10th most 0.5 PPR fantasy points to RBs in 2018. Johnson actually had his best fantasy performance of the season in San Francisco. Now, with a different offensive coordinator, this is the week to play Johnson. He may never be this cheap again.

 

Wide Receivers

Adam Thielen MIN, $39 vs NO

Much like Todd Gurley, Adam Thielen is the most expensive player at his position. There is good reason for that as he has averaged 20.8 fantasy points per game in Yahoo formats. Thielen is riding a 4-game TD streak to go along with his 7 straight 100-yard games. While that pace may seem unsustainable, I believe that he will keep both streaks alive for one more week. The matchup is prime as the Saints have given up the most 0.5 PPR fantasy points to WRs. Furthermore, being a Home and Dome game helps justify Thielen’s price. Stefon Diggs is also a good option for those looking to save a little money. Ultimately, Thielen has been too productive to keep him out of DFS lineups.

Davante Adams GB, $34 @ LAR

There are so many unknowns surrounding the Packers. Will Randall Cobb play? Will Geronimo Allison? If they do, what will happen to Marquez Valdes-Scantling? How does Jimmy Graham fit into all of this? One thing that is for certain is that Davante Adams will be the top receiver for Green Bay. He has seen at least 8 targets in every game this season and has scored a TD in all but one game. As part of the largest implied total for a game this week (56.5 points) Adams is an interesting cross-position stack to go along with Gurley. Assuming the Rams put up a lot of points, the Packers will have no choice but to air it out. Aaron Rodgers will probably look Adams’ way often and Los Angeles does not have a defensive back that can stop the talented receiver.

Tyreek Hill KC, $31 vs DEN

If Kareem Hunt’s $37 price tag is too expensive for you, a great pivot in that game is Tyreek Hill. This is in spite of the fact that Hill had his 2nd lowest fantasy point total of 2018 against the Broncos. That was the first game this season where we saw the Chiefs offense struggle to dominate a team. After playing other difficult matchups, such as the Jaguars, I believe that Kansas City worked out some kinks and is ready to dominate Denver this time around.

JuJu Smith-Schuster PIT, $29 vs CLE

I cannot fault anyone of wanting to play Antonio Brown, especially since he is not actually the most expensive WR. Personally, I prefer to pay down slightly and grab JuJu Smith-Schuster. Last time the Steelers played the Browns, the game occurred in a torrential downpour. That made it very difficult to move the football through the air. Still, Smith-Schuster managed 14.4 fantasy points in Yahoo’s format. Imagine what he could do in better weather against a Cleveland defense giving up the 9th most 0.5 PPR fantasy points to WRs.

 

Tight Ends

Kyle Rudolph MIN / Ben Watson NO $13, NO at MIN

With so many elite options at RB and WR, I felt it was best to look exclusively at bargain picks for TE. Unless you are paying up to get Travis Kelce, most options at the position are TD or bust. To that extent, I am looking at the games with the highest implied points totals. That leads me once again to the Saints-Vikings match. Both starting TEs are $13, making either incredibly viable this week. I listed both because it is really splitting hairs to choose between the two players. Kyle Rudolph has more targets on the season (36 to 28), while Ben Watson has one more red zone target (6 to 5). Those numbers favor Watson as the Vikings have not yet had their bye week. However, Rudolph has more fantasy points per game (7.7 to 6.8) but technically the matchup is worse. In 0.5 PPR formats, Minnesota has given up the 7th most fantasy points to TEs, while New Orleans has given up the 2nd fewest so far in 2018. Both players are great choices and I would not pay any more than $13 at TE in week 8.

Chris Herndon NYJ, $10 @ CHI

I certainly do not mind paying even less at a position that only requires one starter. Chris Herndon has established himself as a reliable target over the last couple of weeks. With all of the injuries to the Jets receivers, his services have been needed. Quincy Enunwa has been ruled out and Robby Anderson doubtful to play, therefore Sam Darnold will have to throw the ball to somebody. While the Bears are middle of the road when it comes to allowing fantasy points to TEs, Herndon offers upside that is difficult to come by at the minimum $10 price tag.

 

Flex RB

Tarik Cohen CHI, $17 vs NYJ

Tarik Cohen is currently on a 3-game TD streak. In that span, he led the Bears in targets in each game with at least 8 per week. That type of consistent passing-game involvement makes Cohen a viable RB to play even though he has only received double-digit carries once this season. Chicago is tied for the 10th largest implied total this week at 25.75 points. If the Bears meet their Vegas projection, I expect Cohen will once again be heavily involved.

Jalen Richard OAK, $13 vs IND

With the announcement that Marshawn Lynch will be out for about a month, several Raiders RBs should see an increase in usage. The obvious candidate to step into Lynch’s early-down and goal-line role is Doug Martin. That could make him a viable play in weeks where Oakland is leading, however, I do not believe that week 8 will be one of those instances. The Colts have averaged over 30 points per game over the last 4 weeks and against the porous Raiders defense, I do not expect that to be any different. These types of games certainly favor Jalen Richard and his pass-catching abilities. Only the Falcons have allowed more receptions to RBs than Indianapolis, adding to his value. Richard is a perfect option for those who like to play low-cost players in the Flex spot.

Flex WR

Kenny Golladay DET, $20 vs SEA

Kenny Golladay has emerged as a true competitor to challenge Golden Tate for the title of Lions #1 WR. Last week, Golladay hit a road bump against the Dolphins. Being covered by Xavien Howard, Golladay only managed 2 receptions for 37 yards. Last week aside, Golladay has at least 74 receiving yards or a TD in every other game this season. There are several other #1 WRs in that price range such as Doug Baldwin, John Brown and Jarvis Landry. Of the three, Landry has the best matchup going up against the Steelers. Golladay however, takes on the Seahawks who do not have a defensive back that can keep up with him 1-on-1. Tate’s presence on the field will probably prevent Seattle from directing heavy coverage toward Golladay. Furthermore, the Lions have the 7th highest Vegas projected total with 26.25 points. This is also a Home and Dome game for Detroit. With all of those elements in place, I believe that Golladay can take advantage and put up a great fantasy point total.

TreQuan Smith NO, $14 @ MIN

As I have mentioned before, I want a piece of this Saints-Vikings matchup. One of the least expensive yet viable options in that game is TreQuan Smith. In the 2 weeks since Ted Ginn was placed on IR (injured reserve), Smith has seen at least 2/3 of the Saints offensive snaps. He appears to have quickly established himself as the #2 WR in New Orleans. At only $14, Yahoo has not yet reacted to his increased role with an appropriate price raise. Take advantage and play him for this suspected shootout.

 

Defense

Kansas City Chiefs $13 vs DEN

When picking fantasy defenses, I primarily like to target bad offenses. The problem this week is that they are all playing each other, or are not available as part of the main Sunday slate. Unless you want to pay up $20 and play the Bears against the Jets or the Cardinals against the 49ers, there are not that many great options among defenses. For this week, I advise paying as close to the minimum as possible. The team that I am selecting are the Chiefs. Even though the Broncos are coming off of an offensive explosion last Thursday Night, they are still prone to turning the ball over. Case Keenum has thrown an INT in every game this season and I would be surprised if he did not continue that streak. Scoring off of turnovers is the best way for a fantasy defense to pay off in DFS. Therefore, I am looking for matchups where turnovers are almost guaranteed.

San Francisco 49ers $11 @ ARI

I have already mentioned how hopeful I am that David Johnson and the Cardinals offense can produce on a more consistent basis. There is, however, a chance that the change in offensive coordinator does little to turn the unit around. If that is the case, then the 49ers defense would be quite the bargain. For those who need an extra $2 for other positions, going from the Chiefs defense to San Francisco’s unit may be worth the price.

 

Thank you for reading. I wish you all the best of luck in your week 8 DFS endeavors. For any comments or questions, I can be found on Twitter @nyama_ks. Also, be sure to check all of the great DFS content on Going for 2.

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