The NFL heads into Week 8. The League will take a break from the International Games this week as we get a nearly full Main Slate of games Sunday. The back-to-back Monday Night Football games take a break as the sports world celebrates the “Sports Equinox” on Monday. The NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB all have games Monday night, so there was no need to add another football game. It should be a fun week of football and a good week to win our DFS Contests.
Here are my picks for the NFL Week 8….
DRAFTKINGS NFL CASH CONTEST
QUARTERBACK: BO NIX will be my Cash Contest QB this week. The Cowboys have given up an average of 25.5 DK Points to the QB Position this year. Russell Wilson scored 31.3 Points, Justin Fields scored 25.9 Points and Marcus Mariota scored 22.6 Points. Denver has an implied total of 27 Points this week. Nix should easily be one of the highest scoring QBs in Week 8.
RUNNINGBACKS: JONATHAN TAYLOR has been the best player in Fantasy Football this year. He is averaging 26.9 DK Points per Contest and 30.8 DK Points over his last three games. I doubt that the Titans 27th ranked run defense is going to slow down Taylor this week. Taylor has a good chance to be the highest-scoring player on the slate in Week 8… The best match-up at the RB Position this week is BIJAN ROBINSON vs. the Dolphins Defense. The Dolphins have given up the third-most DK Points to the RB Position and the most over the last three weeks. Robinson has averaged 26.2 DK Points vs. much better defenses. I would not be surprised if Robinson blows up the slate with a 35+ DK Points game vs. the fish…. I mean mammals. J
WIDE RECEIVERS: Paying up at the RB Position means I need to save some salary at the WR Position. I will do it by going back to Mr. Reliable… CHRIS OLAVE. He has been in my Cash Contest lineup every week this year and so far he has not let me down. Olave has the second-most targets (71) and the sixth-most receptions (44) this year. He will be busy again in Week 8. Olave should score 15 DK Points Sunday, just like he has average in every game this year… ZAY FLOWERS has a great matchup this week vs. the Bears. The slippery WR should get open in the Bears secondary. The Bears have allowed a WR to score two TDs against them three times this year. All three have been slot WRs. The Ravens should get back on track this week after coming off their bye… I am going to take a chance with TEZ JOHNSON Sunday. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are out, so Johnson should be one of the top targets for Baker Mayfield vs. the Saints. Johnson has averaged 13 DK Points over his last three games. He should score close to 15 DK Points again Sunday.
TIGHT END: MASON TAYLOR has been the No. 1 WR option for the Jets since Garrett Wilson left the lineup. Taylor has the best matchup this week at the TE Position. The Bengals have given up the most points to the TE Position and it is not even close. Taylor should be busy and score well for your Cash Contest lineup. (If Mason Taylor is out, pivot to Cade Otton).
FLEX POSITION: I typically do not play a TE in the Flex Position in my Cash Contest lineup, but I wanted to pay up at the RB Position and DALLAS GOEDERT has a good chance to score well Sunday. He just scored 29 DK Points vs. the Giants two weeks ago. That was with A.J. Brown competing with him for targets. What is Goedert going to do without Brown in the lineup? I think he has a good chance to score nearly 20 DK Points again Sunday.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS: We all know that the BROWNS DEFENSE/ST is one of the best in the NFL, but few people play them in DFS because of the matchups. The Browns Defense can sack any QB in the NFL. I am not afraid of the Patriots Offense. I expect the Browns to shut down the Pats running game and then go after Drake Maye.
DRAFTKINGS NFL TOURNAMENT CONTEST
TOURNAMENT STACK: I really liked what I saw from the Bengals Offense last week so I am going to stack JOE FLACCO + TEE HIGGINS and run the stack back with MASON TAYLOR. Flacco said that Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins are the best WRs he has ever worked with. Flacco said, “I am not going to make this too complicated. I am just going to throw the ball to those two WRs and let them make plays.” I like Chase more than Higgins this week since Sauce Gardner is out, but both WRs should go off Sunday. Taylor has been the No. 1 receiver in the Jet’s Offense since Garrett Wilson has been out. The Bengals rank dead last in covering the TE, so Taylor should have a good game Sunday, if he plays. (If Taylor is out, I will pivot to Cade Otton)
RUNNINGBACKS: I expect most of the ownership in DFS Contest this week will go to Christian McCaffrey and BiJan Robinson. I will pivot to JAMES COOK. Bills Coach Sean McDermott said the team will use the bye week to get back to what has worked in the past. Cook averaged 25 DK Points in the first four games of the season and the Bills started the season 4-0. It is obvious that giving the ball to Cook is their path to victory. He should score just as many DFS Points as the highly priced RBs on this slate… The Buccaneers have many injuries at the WR Position. They could run the ball a lot with RACHAARD WHITE Sunday. The matchup vs. the Saints is just too good to pass up with White at only $6,400.
WIDE RECEIVERS: The Eagles will be without A.J. Brown Sunday, so it is time to fire up DEVONTA SMITH. “The Slim Reaper” scored 36.3 DK Points last week vs. the Vikings. Can he do it this week against the Giants? New York has given up the fourth-most DK Points to the WR Position this year, so I think he can… I expect the Cowboys vs. Broncos game to be one of the highest-scoring games on the slate. I will get a piece of the Broncos Offense with TROY FRANKLIN. He had 10 targets last week vs. the Giants. Franklin will easily return value if he gets double-digit targets Sunday. The Cowboys are going to force the Broncos to throw it a lot, so Franklin should be busy again.
RB + DEFENSE ST STACK: I will take a chance with the BIJAN ROBINSON + FALCONS DEFENSE/ST stack this week. The Dolphins run defense is absolutely horrible and their offense is not scoring many points as well. Robinson has a great chance to score 25+ DK Points Sunday and the Falcons Defense/ST has a great chance to be the highest scoring Defense on the slate too.
DRAFTKINGS SNF SHOWDOWN PICKS
* Make sure Havrisik is kicking for the Packers Sunday Night. If McManus is healthy, use him.
DRAFTKINGS MNF SHOWDOWN
Good luck this week!
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