Daily Fantasy Football Value Plays: Week 7

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning
Oct 10 2013 Chicago IL USA New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning 10 makes a pass against the Chicago Bears during the first quarter at Soldier Field Rob Grabowski USA TODAY Sports

The replaceability of fantasy quarterbacks should be plain not just for savvy daily gamers, but to anyone who watches — again and again — the cheapest signal calling options outscore the elites.

There was tremendous quarterback value to be had last week on Star Fantasy Leagues, where the best Week 6 lineups proudly sported the likes of Mike Glennon, Nick Foles, and Joe Flacco. I highlighted Foles and Flacco in my Week 6 value report, and should’ve pushed Glennon over Chad Henne, who once again proved a daily fantasy disappointment.

Beat C.D. Carter this week and double your Week 7 winnings on Star Fantasy Leagues…

It seemed viable early in the season to pair one of these basement-bargain quarterbacks with an elite guy in Star Fantasy’s two-quarterback format. It worked quite well for me in September. That’s changed, I think, and perhaps for good. You might be amazed by the lineups you can compose when you spend less than 15 percent of your weekly budget on signal callers.

The high-low approach to daily fantasy, as we’ve discussed ad nauseum, is a foundation of tournament success, allowing for necessary weekly variation and — on the best weeks — letting us stack a low-cost quarterback with one (or more) of his high-priced pass catchers.

The high-low approach might never be easier than it is in Week 7. Take full advantage, dear gamer.

Player Salary Projected points DPP
Nick Foles $9,000 21.9 $410
Ryan Tannehill $12,972 19.5 $665
Mike Glennon $9,000 16.2 $555
Eli Manning $13,875 22 $630
Chad Henne $9,000 15.9 $566
  • It’s not often that a defense all but shuts down a top quarterback and still ranks as the most generous unit against signal callers. That’s precisely what happened to the Cowboys, and you’re a committing daily fantasy football crime if you refuse to start Foles against Dallas’s porous secondary. If Foles, who completed 22 of his 27 aimed throws against Tampa’s mediocre secondary, can even come close to replicating that sort of wicked efficiency, he’ll make daily gamers quite a bit of cash in Week 7.
  • The Falcons are allowing 2.2 touchdown tosses a game after Geno Smith picked Atlanta’s coverage to pieces two Monday nights ago. They’re bad folks — really bad, perhaps — and Glennon proved more than serviceable for fantasy purposes last week against an equally woeful Philadelphia secondary. Quarterbacks are scoring 20.5 points per game against Atlanta.
  • Put on your best Eli Face and roll with the Manning brother of whom we do not speak. Manning has been horrendous behind that sham of an offensive line, but he has legit pass-catching weapons and he’s squaring off against a Vikings secondary that has allowed at least 17 fantasy points to quarterbacks in four of their five games.

 

Player Salary Projected points DPP
Brandon Jacobs $5,579 12.3 $453
Danny Woodhead $9,438 12.9 $731
Joseph Randle $3,665 11 $333
Bilal Powell $8,364 10.7 $781
  • Kudos to anyone and everyone who dared use Jacobs last week against the Bears. Probably you paid less per fantasy point than anyone in daily fantasy this year. It’s hard to say whether or not Jacobs will maintain his workhorse role, though his matchup is right, and he’s going to get goal line touches by the barrel full.
  • Randle is just a guy. Luckily, that’s all we need in daily fantasy, especially when Just a Guy is available for a third of the cost of running backs projected to score the same number of points. Philly isn’t bad against the run — contrary to popular and unjustified fantasy opinion — as they’ve held opposing runners to less than 10 fantasy points in half their 2013 contests. Jamaal Charles is the only back to get the best of the Eagles’ front seven so far.
Player Salary Projected points DPP
Jarett Boykin $3,000 9.5 $315
Kennan Allen $6,524 13 $501
Alshon Jeffery $10,786 14.1 $764
Hakeem Nicks $9,093 13.9 $654
Brandon Gibson $5,806 10 $580
  • Fun facts about Chargers’ rookie wideout Keenan Allen: He’s drawn more targets (21) than every receiver in football outside of Justin Blackmon over the past two weeks, he’s third in yardage in that span, and he’s fantasy’s No. 4 receiver since Week 5. A small sample size, I know, but Allen’s prospects are borderline glorious in San Diego’s pass happy offense. Jacksonville’s secondary has allowed 23.8 fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season.
  • Jeffery was a combined eight inches from posting top-5 fantasy numbers once again against the Giants last week. He misplayed a deep pass from Jay Cutler and missed another by a hair. Jeffery is a delectable red zone target for Smokin’ Jay, and against scorchable cover guys, Jeffery could be a preeminent Week 7 value play, even at $10,786.
Player Salary Projected points DPP
Jordan Reed $4,808 8.3 $579
Rob Gronkowski $7,541 11.6 $650
Garrett Graham $4,977 8.3 $599
  • I listed Gronkowski here because he might actually play football this week, facing a Jets’ defense  giving up 11 fantasy points per game to tight ends over their past four contests. Gronk will likely never be this cheap, so take advantage while you can.
  • Reed’s matchup is better than most realize: Chicago’s battered and bruised defense has been fairly terrible against enemy tight ends lately. He’s not trapped in a route running timeshare with Fred Davis anymore. Reed is free, and incredibly affordable this week. I’d say his 8.3 projected points is easily on the conservative side.
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C.D. Carter Fantasy Football Analyst
C.D. Carter is a reporter, author of zombie stories, writer for The Fake Football and XN Sports. Fantasy Sports Writers Association member. His work  has been featured in the New York Times.