If your NFL DFS team performed as poorly as the Bengals offense did during the 1:00 slate last week don’t worry, we got you covered. The 4:00 slate of games is a great opportunity to bounce back in and play with some of the players you may have passed up for that player who didn’t work out in the earlier games. Or maybe you just cannot get enough fantasy football. Either way you roll, more power to you and let’s make some smart moves.
*Disclaimer: These picks have been constructed with the mindset of building a single lineup. When building large field/multi-entry tournaments, if the player sees the field you’ll want to have a piece of him somewhere, “busts” included.*
NFL DFS 4:00 EST Slate
QUARTERBACK
Matt Stafford – LA Rams (DK $5600/ FD $6600)
After an impressive week 1 victory over a good Seahawks defense, Matt Stafford is still surprisingly cheap. He has a tough matchup against San Francisco but I think that might ultimately lead to more volume for Stafford. It could be ugly but if Stafford can find the end zone a few times, his expected volume could pay off.
RUNNING BACK
Saquon Barkley – NY Giants (DK $8000/ FD $8800)
He won’t come cheap but he comes with a ton of value for DFS. The Giants got away from the run early in Dallas despite having success running the ball on their opening drive. Some of that had to do with the Giants playing catch-up with Dallas taking a quick lead but that shouldn’t be the case against a tanking Arizona bunch. Expect Saquon to get a ton of work this week in what feels like a must-win for Big Blue.
WIDE RECEIVER
Brandon Aiyuk – SF 49ers (DK $5800/ FD $7500)
Aiyuk is someone I was big on all offseason and last week we saw a glimpse of what could finally be Aiyuk’s long-awaited breakout season. He’s always had the talent, it’s just been a matter of the volume remaining consistent. I expect it to happen again this week but even if the end production doesn’t match last week, Aiyuk is still an incredibly affordable option.
TIGHT END
Daniel Bellinger – NY Giants (DK $2800/ FD $4800)
This is a super cheap play on DK and while you’re banking on a TD for it to pay off I think there’s a better than expected chance of that with Bellinger than other backup TEs. Bellinger out-snapped Waller in Week 1 and as many expected was on the field with him plenty throughout the game. Bellinger will primarily be a blocking TE but he has receiving abilities and the Giants like finding sneaky ways to scheme him open in the redzone since most teams overlook him.
DEFENSE
Dallas Cowboys (DK $4000/ FD $4500)
Did you see their Week 1 victory over the Giants? Did you see what happened to Aaron Rodgers on Monday Night? If so this is the obvious pick. If not, just trust me on this one and plug in the Cowboys.
STUD
SM- Christian McCaffrey -SF 49ers (DK $8900/ FD $9500)
I’m going back to the well with Christian McCaffrey. He was handed the ball 22 times in Week 1. Twenty-two. In an offense loaded with talent when Purdy was dealing, CMC still got a ton of volume. If you can work him into your budget he’s a must-play.
VALUE PLAY
Tutu Atwell, WR – LA Rams (DK $4700/ FD $5500)
With Puka Nacua becoming a household name in fantasy leagues, a lot of people are glossing over Tutu Atwell. Atwell was REALLY impressive in week one, hauling in six catches on eight targets for 119 yards. He also played one more snap than Nacua did in week 1. If Nacua can’t go or saving $200 on DK and $300 in FD is the difference between a stud and someone else, absolutely take Atwell’s value.
BUST
CeeDee Lamb, WR – DAL Cowboys (DK $7700/ FD $7600)
Again I’m playing the matchup game and I’m avoiding the Jets defense, Sauce Gardner in particular. Lamb is the most expensive WR on DK and FD despite the brutal matchup. Dallas has enough talent on offense to look elsewhere with Lamb matchup up against one of the NFL’s young stars and so do you in fantasy.
Also check out our Week 2 Rankings for your season-long leagues: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty