DFS Position Coaches: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
Top Tier
New England Patriots – Bit of a homer pick? Sure, I can see why most would think that. But this defense is clicking. They’ve won five straight games and over that span, they’ve posted double-digit points on DraftKings in that span. They’re the most expensive team on DraftKings and FanDuel but they seem worth every penny. They’re forcing turnovers and getting pressure on the opposing quarterback. Additionally, they’ve allowed a total of 13 points over their last three games and just 622 total yards of offense in that span. The Titans come to town and they’re a little beat up. The backfield is depleted, and the pass catchers are hurting as well. I haven’t been paying up in too many of my Cash contests this season, but if you are, the Patriots have a good floor.
Mid-Tier
Carolina Panthers – I thought about going with the Philadelphia Eagles, but they’re a little too dependent on a D/ST touchdown for my liking. So I’ll settle for the Carolina Panthers who visit the Dolphins this week. I’ve maintained that this is a talented defense all season long and I’ll die on this hill. They’re young and have made necessary moves to improve the secondary. The price tag jumped up a little bit, but they’re still very much in play for GPP’s. Vegas isn’t expecting a ton of scoring in this game and the Panthers are slight favorites. Given the options in the Top and Value Tiers, I’d say the Panthers are better suited for GPP’s this week. They can collect multiple sacks and turnovers while keeping the Dolphins in check.
Indianapolis Colts – Truthfully, there are only three D/ST’s I’m looking at for the main slate as of this writing (Tuesday night) and the Colts are kind of a fourth team I’m on the fence with. So while they may surprise you as an entry here, check back this weekend for updates and additional teams. I know the matchup isn’t ideal, but the Bucs have played uncharacteristically at times. The Colts started the year with a brutal schedule but this defense has started to come into form. Over their last six games, they’ve forced 16 turnovers and 13 sacks. They’ve still allowed some points and yards to opposing offenses, but overall the Colts have been returning DFS value. The best part is that they’ll come with low ownership given the matchup and mid-range price tag. I’d like it if they were maybe a little cheaper but I like the leverage here.
Value Tier
Houston Texans – I am more than fine utilizing the Texans on DraftKings. Hey, even I had to go outside my comfort zone last week and play them in my Cash lineup and they did very well. In no way can you play them on FanDuel. Just because they’re playing the Jets doesn’t warrant the second-highest price tag. But we’ve seen the Texans vastly exceed value on DraftKings lately and with a prime matchup against the Jets, who won’t have Michael Carter. It’s quite possible the Texans are the most popular D/ST this week on DK. They don’t need to do very much against a bad offense to return 2X or even 3X value.
Fade
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – I don’t hate the price tag on FanDuel, but truthfully if you’re paying up for a D/ST it should be New England. Other than that I’m exploring value options and the pricing on DK is so friendly this week that I don’t see why you’d spend up for the Bucs. They shut down the Giants on Monday night, but is that really such an impressive feat nowadays? The Bucs are getting better, but the Colts just ran all over the Bills this past week and Jonathan Taylor is hungry for the rushing title. It just doesn’t feel like the juice is worth the squeeze regarding Tampa Bay this week especially when the over/under in this game is sitting at 51.5 points and the Bucs are only favored by three points.
Considering this is being published late Tuesday evening, I will likely add some updates on Saturday for Sunday’s main slate.