DraftKings NFL Week 8 Positional Breakdown

This truly is the most wonderful time of the year, as all of my favorite sports are now going at the same time. The NFL season is in full swing, and we should have enough to build off of when constructing our lineups. Moving forward, I am only going to cover games featured on the main Sunday slate at DraftKings, so we can cut down on plays that aren’t going to end up in most lineups.

QUARTERBACKS

HIGH OWNERSHIP: After a nice game last Thursday, I think we’ll like see Aaron Rodgers ($7500) come in with pretty high ownership. I think it’s a good spot for him as well. As a result of playing the Saints, Russell Wilson ($7200) will see a pretty high ownership. I’m fine with staying away though. Ryan Fitzpatrick ($6200) is priced nicely and going against the Browns, but he has been very, very bad this year. My top play at the position this week is going to be Jameis Winston ($5700). The Raiders are really bad at defense, and he should have every opportunity to put up some points this weekend.

LOW OWNERSHIP: Tom Brady ($7600) will see his ownership drop because this is going to be a tough matchup, but this is Tom Brady we are talking about. Andrew Luck ($6800) could end up being lower owned because of several options in his range or lower that are in very strong matchups. Drew Brees ($6900) is highly underpriced because it’s the Seahawks, but I think he should still be a good option, though I would only go that route in tournaments. Carson Palmer ($6000) has been really bad thus far this year, but you’d have to imagine eventually he’ll do something right. Finally, I think that Tyrod Taylor ($5200) at just $200 above minimum price could be a nice tournament flier against New England.

HOW I’M USING THEM IN CASH GAMES: Winston/Luck/Rodgers

HOW I’M USING THEM IN TOURNAMENTS: Winston/Brees/Luck

RUNNING BACKS

HIGH OWNERSHIP – At this point, I am expecting David Johnson ($7700) to be a top 3 owned back every week and with good reason. Christine Michael ($7300) is shockingly the number two priced back on the slate, but it makes sense for this matchup against the Saints. Spencer Ware ($6800) is finally at the price where I think people will start to drop off, but it won’t be this week against a bad Colts defense. After a big week last week, I’m expecting Matt Forte ($6400) to carry high ownership against the Browns. Jacquizz Rodgers ($5800) will again be a highly owned back, probably with or without Doug Martin. Both LeGarrette Blount ($5300) and James White ($4800) will be highly owned as they’ve both been producing well. Finally, in a great matchup against the Buccaneers, Latavius Murray ($4500) should see high ownership at his price.

LOW OWNERSHIP – I’m very curious to see what happens with Ezekiel Elliott ($7200) this week. He wasn’t very highly owned against the Packers, and he gets another perceived tough matchup against the Eagles. At the very least, I think he’ll be lower owned than he should be. Devonta Freeman ($6500) could end up being the only back in Atlanta, so even against a “tough” Packers defense, Freeman should be a good bet to get as much work and production as he could handle. Against a tough Denver defense, Melvin Gordon ($5700) will be low owned, especially since everyone realizing that he is totally touchdown dependent. Frank Gore ($4700) is always an under-owned options who I could see having a pretty nice game this week. I think one of my favorite plays of the week, but only in tournaments, will be Isaiah Crowell ($3700). This is a game the Browns actually might not be out of, and I think we could see him exceed value in this one.

HOW I’M USING THEM IN CASH GAMES: Ware/Rodgers/Johnson/Freeman/Murray

HOW I’M USING THEM IN TOURNAMENTS: Elliott/Crowell/Ware/Rodgers/Freeman

WIDE RECEIVERS

HIGH OWNERSHIP – The past few weeks, it has alternated between the high dollar plays and low dollar plays being chalk, and hitting. This week, the top 4 options on the board of Julio Jones ($9600), Mike Evans ($8100), T.Y. Hilton ($7900) and Brandon Marshall ($7800) should all be very, very highly owned. Because the Panthers have just been brutal defensively, don’t be shocked to see high ownership on Larry Fitzgerald ($7500). Against the Saints, Doug Baldwin ($6900) should be extremely highly owned. Ty Montgomery ($5300) could very well end up as the highest owned player period, and that will make you question life in itself. Golden Tate ($5100) and Michael Thomas ($5000) are in similar situations: tough matchup, but everything is trending in the right direction.

LOW OWNERSHIP – I’m definitely expecting to see very low ownership on Amari Cooper ($7600) this week, as everyone around him is in a much better position, and didn’t disappear last week. Well, except for Brandon Marshall. Jordy Nelson ($7200) has been a giant disappointment over the last two weeks, which makes this week an excellent time to buy low. Kelvin Benjamin ($7200) is always a threat to put up a big game, and despite the bad matchup, will likely end up in a ton of my tournament lineups. Will Julian Edelman ($6300) ever put things together? This week could finally be the week, as the targets are there, but the production hasn’t been. I’m hoping that everyone looks the other way on Terrelle Pryor Sr. ($6100) after a down week, because this looks like a situation he should be able to dominate. I think many will jump on the Brandon Marshall bandwagon this week, but Quincy Enunwa ($4800) showed he could hold his own and comes at quite the discount this week.

HOW I’M USING THEM IN CASH GAMES: Julio/Evans/Hilton/Montgomery/Enunwa

HOW I’M USING THEM IN TOURNAMENTS: Benjamin/Nelson/Pryor/Cooper/Montgomery

TIGHT ENDS

HIGH OWNERSHIP – If any position has me intrigued this week, it is the tight end position. Both Rob Gronkowski ($7000) and Greg Olsen ($6500) will carry high ownership, but both are in brutal matchups. That leaves Jimmy Graham ($6100) as the highest quality tight end in a good matchup. I think he’s a good play. I’m writing this as of Wednesday, and there have been no further updates, so I’m expecting Jack Doyle ($3500) to get all the run he can handle in this matchup. Finally, I’ll continue the high ownership of tight ends facing the Lions and toss C.J. Fiedorowicz ($2800) out there because the price is way too cheap and Osweiler loves him.

LOW OWNERSHIP – There’s no doubt that Martellus Bennett ($4000) will remain with low ownership because of the fact that his production is going to be totally unpredictable. However, he did just have three touchdowns in a game three weeks ago, so he has to at least be considered. Travis Kelce ($4900) always feels like he is going to take a step ahead but then never does. I’ll expect low ownership here. Gary Barnidge ($3300) is actually a very interesting option this week, and I think he will be low owned.

HOW I’M USING THEM IN CASH GAMES: Doyle/Graham/Barnidge

HOW I’M USING THEM IN TOURNAMENTS: Gronkowski/Olsen/Graham

DEFENSES

HIGH OWNERSHIP – As usual, fantasy players will flock to playing a defense against the Cleveland Browns, only to return 7 points on their investment AND have to pay up for it. With that said, you can bet the New York Jets ($3400) will be highly owned. I would also expect the Kansas City Chiefs ($2800) will have high ownership against the Colts and their lack of offensive line. I think you may be surprised to see the Detroit Lions ($2500) with higher ownership, as Osweiler has just been so bad in the last few weeks.

LOW OWNERSHIP – No one likes using the Cleveland Browns ($2500) but they could surprise this week as the Jets have given up the most points to defenses this year. If LeSean McCoy is out, I think there is merit to using the New England Patriots ($3300). Finally, I think there is some merit to using the Houston Texans ($3100) and their excellent pass defense, because if they can slow Stafford down, the running game just isn’t there to replace the lack of passing production.

HOW I’M USING THEM IN CASH GAMES: Broncos/Browns/Texans

HOW I’M USING THEM IN TOURNAMENTS: Patriots/Browns/Chiefs

I hope you enjoyed this article, and I will be back next week. I hope to see you on the leaderboards!

Nicholas Volinchak is a correspondent at FF Nation. To read more from Nicholas, follow him @researchandwin . You can find more of Nicholas’ football work at Research Fantasy .