Moving onto Week 8 of the 2023 season, and we are going to give you some DraftKings bargain bin plays for the week. These are plays that are on the ultra-value/ GPP contrarian side. So generally avoid these plays in cash game lineups, but in GPPs- especially big fields go for it!
You can find all of our DFS content here, and be ready for the week.
Joshua Dobbs v NO ($5,500)
Minneapolis, Minnesota…a city with many claims to fame – Snoopy creator Charles M. Shultz was born there in 1922, the Juicy Lucy Cheeseburger was invented in the south of the city some 70 years ago, and of course ‘The City of Lakes’ is the birthplace of the late, great musical genius that was Prince. Now, in 2023, this distinguished city of the Midwest has a King! Arise King Joshua Dobbs, first of his name and protector against all that is evil in fantasy football…especially Arthur Smith. It was a heck of a week for Dobbs – after the Cardinals week 8 defeat at home to Baltimore, Dobbs was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on deadline day for a 6th round pick in next year’s draft. As anticipated, Dobbs, who had barely stepped off the plane at this point, was named as back-up to Jaren Hall for the Vikings trip to the 4-4 Atlanta Falcons. After only 6 passing attempts Hall was injured on a goal-line scramble in the 1st quarter and left the game with a suspected concussion…enter King Dobbs! The former Cardinal turned in his best fantasy performance of the season with 158 passing yards and 2 scores, with a further 66 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown. I don’t expect such a cavalier performance from Dobbs against the Saints, but with a full week of 1st team reps in practise, the new #1 QB in Minnesota will have every chance of putting together a more traditional stat line in his home debut at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Baker Mayfield v TEN ($5,100)
In a game that saw rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud go nuclear and eviscerate the souls of all fantasy managers playing against him in weekly formats (yes, I was one of them), it would be easy to overlook the very serviceable stat line of Baker Mayfield on the other side of the field. Mayfield completed 70% of his passes for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns, once again staying clean in the passing game with no interceptions. The former No.1 pick has found success in recent weeks outside of his wideouts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, with tight end Cade Otton and pass-catching specialist Rachaad White offering Mayfield relief out of the backfield. If Baker can continue to make good reads and make the right decisions on passing downs, he’ll continue to be an excellent cheaper option for your DFS lineups. The Titans are ranked bottom 5 against opposing WRs, expect Baker to air it out a bit more at home but continue to utilise White’s safe hands when under pressure. There’s no reason to doubt Mayfield can’t repeat his line from last week, even if this one doesn’t turn into a shootout.
Taylor Heinicke @AZ ($5,100)
There wasn’t a lot to love in Heinicke’s first start of the season in Atlanta’s defeat at home to Minnesota last weekend, but there also wasn’t a lot to hate. The former Washington Commander took the reins from Desmond Ridder and put up a respectable 268 passing yards for 1 touchdown and 1 interception, adding a further 20 yards on the ground. Heinicke’s 55% completion rate was less than desirable, but as with Joshua Dobbs (who ironically defeated Heinicke in week 9), an extra week running drills with the 1s in Atlanta should only benefit the veteran signal caller moving forward. The Falcons will hope to welcome back lead receiver Drake London this weekend as they travel to Glendale to face off against the toothless Cardinals. Arizona were shut out by the Browns last time out and rank in the bottom half against QBs, RBs and WRs – so in true Arthur Smith fashion, expect TE Kyle Pitts to lead the receiving corps in this one. Heinicke offers a great value at the position in a great matchup.
Keaton Mitchell v CLE ($4,700)
Welcome to the NFL Keaton Mitchell. Doing his best De’Von Achane impression, the undrafted rookie out of East Carolina exploded for 138 yards on 9 carries on his full offensive debut for the Baltimore Ravens in their 37-3 dismantling of the Seattle Seahawks. The performance has already forced Ravens HC John Harbaugh to publicly announce Mitchell will be receiving more snaps in the running game moving forward, forming a committee with Gus Edwards and Justice Hill. Competition for touches will be fierce, especially with Lamar Jackson in the mix – but Mitchell is clearly the most dynamic rusher on the team, and coming up against a stout Cleveland Browns rush defense, the Ravens will need to exploit any opportunity they get to the fullest…Mitchell may be their best shot at doing just that. The upside is clearly there, but so is the floor – temper expectations but at $4700 he could be a home run play for your lineups this week.
Devin Singletary @CIN ($4,700)
What could, nae should have been for Devin Singletary last week against the Bucs. The stage was set perfectly for the former Buffalo Bills rusher, with teammate and lead back Dameon Pierce missing out through injury, Singletary had a clear path to starter snaps and an elite usage level…and in his defense that’s exactly what he got. The 5th year back out of Florida Atlantic saw 75% of offensive snaps and 76.4 of the team’s carries; unfortunately Singletary could only turn these opportunities into 26 yards, rushing at exactly 2 yards per carry. Houston found themselves behind for a vast majority of this game, limiting Singetary’s usage on the ground, as the Texans were forced to pass in an attempt to keep up. In spite of last week’s disappointing output, I am again backing Singletary to return value at the position as he is on track to lead the Texans backfield for the second week running in the absence of Dameon Pierce. The matchup against the Bengals is middle of the pack, but if C.J. Stroud can continue his heroics of last week, Houston may be in a position to run the ball more often.
Tyler Allgeier @AZ ($4,700)
I personally believe the word “hate” is used far too flippantly these days. It is a strong, malicious expression reserved only for particular intense instances of emotional aversion. With that, I won’t say fantasy managers hate Arthur Smith, but they certainly loathe, detest, abhor, despise, and straight up just don’t like the man’s play-calling. “Arthur Smith Doesn’t Care About Your Fantasy Team” feels like it would be the #1 selling t-shirt this Christmas, and would certainly be my Secret Santa gift to the Bijan Robertson owners in my weekly leagues. Tyler Allgeier once again out-carried Bijan in the Falcons week 9 loss to Minnesota, and once again got the goal-line work that led to the only rushing score on the day for Atlanta. Allgeier is outpacing his rookie compatriot 116-103 in rushing attempts on the season as well as 3-1 on touchdowns. Atlanta travel to take on a Cardinals defense ranked 2nd to last against the run – I’m anticipating plenty of success for both backs in this one, but at $1300 cheaper than Bijan and higher TD upside, Tyler Allgeier is an absolute lock in my lineups this weekend.
Zach Charbonnet v WAS ($4,200)
Happy “Zach Charbonnet Season” to all who celebrate! Ok, I was maybe a week early with this one last time out…but the logic checks out and I’m trusting the process. Ken Walker once again missed a Wednesday practise to tend to a chest injury before participating in full on Thursday, but the early season workload is starting to take its toll on the main man in Seattle. The Seahawks blowout loss to Baltimore last Sunday was the second straight week in which rookie Charbonnet out-snapped his stable-mate, with neither back managing to eclipse 2.0 yards per carry against the formidable Ravens rush defense. The breakout game is coming, and after facing two of the best defenses in the league, Seattle now gets a much softer matchup against a Commanders team who allowed Rhamondre Stevenson to scramble for 87 yards on only 9 carries last time out.
Odell Beckham Jr. v CLE ($3,800)
Is OBJ back to his brilliant best..no. Is OBJ continuing to emerge as a very serviceable asset for your DFS lineups..absolutely! Beckham led the Ravens wide receivers in both targets and yards in their week 9 thumping of the Seahawks, and was also the only pass-catcher to score a touchdown. Make no mistake, Mark Andrews is still the guy in the Baltimore passing game, and rookie Zay Flowers will continue to be the first look amongst wideouts from Lamar, but OBJ is solidifying his status as the team’s second wide-receiver with a run of solid performances. Week 9 saw Beckham equal his season high in targets and receptions, post his largest yardage total on the year, and score his first touchdown. We know the talent is there with OBJ, and at only $3800 he’s worth a punt play this weekend in the Ravens divisional matchup at home to the Browns.
Josh Reynolds @LAC ($3,800)
Week 9 saw Josh Reynolds get an incredible cardio workout, with the 7th year wideout on the field for a season high 82.6% of snaps, only to receive 1 target, which he hauled in for 13 yards. It has been disappointing for the former Aggie in recent weeks, undoubtedly in part to the return of Jameson Williams from suspension, with Reynolds’s reception count dropping every game since week 5. Every cloud has a silver lining, or in this instance a gold and powder blue lining as the Lions travel to California to take on the Chargers and their very porous secondary. The Bolts give up an average of over 190 yards to opposing WRs each week, and the return of running back David Montgomery may shift the Chargers defensive focus, allowing the Lions pass-catchers some freedom down the field.
KhaDarel Hodge @AZ ($3,400)
Drake London looks set to return for the Atlanta Falcons this weekend, but in his absence 6th year wideout KhaDarel Hodge has posted back-to-back weeks of 75 and 60 yards, both totals coming on just 3 receptions per game. Hodge’s 6 targets last time out were a product of London sitting out through injury, but his production with the opportunities afforded to him may merit a larger inclusion in the passing game moving forward. Were Hodge to continue to see increased looks from Taylor Heinicke, he could factor the be a sneaky budget start this weekend against a very poor Arizona pass defense. Temper expectations, but as an upside dart-throw, you could do a lot worse than Hodge on Sunday.
Cade Otton v TEN ($3,400)
As discussed earlier in this column, Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield is spreading the ball around amongst all of his weapons on the field; with tight end Cate Otton a major benefactor of Mayfield’s diverse approach. Outside of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, the Bucs two main wide receivers, it is Otton who leads the team in targets and is 2nd in total touchdowns behind only Mike Evans. The sophomore out of Washington has seen 21 targets in his last 3 outings turning those opportunities into 15 receptions for 140 yards and 2 scores. Tennessee are a tough matchup against the position, but Baker clearly trusts his 6’5” weapon when under pressure so expect to see plenty more work for Otton moving forward.
Irv Smith Jr. v HOU ($2,700)
If you are looking to spend down at tight end and save some of your salary cap for the McCaffreys, Kamaras or Chases of the world, then may I interest you in a man playing on one of the hottest offenses in football right now? No, it’s not Dalton Kincaid, or even Jake Ferguson…but the Cincinnati Bengals Irv Smith Jr. The Bengals have finally found their rhythm and are on a 4 game win-streak that most recently included back-to-back wins over the San Francisco 49ers and the Buffalo Bills. It would be a stretch to classify Smith as an integral part of the offense, but Tee Higgins has been missing from practise all week and star man Ja’Marr Chase has been tending to a back issue picked up in the win over Buffalo. The match-up is great and there may be more looks coming Irv’s way should any of Joey B’s favourite targets miss out, or are banged up. He’s a high-upside dart throw at $2700.
Houston Texans @CIN ($2,700)
The Houston Texans were just carved open for 265 yards and 2 touchdowns by Baker Mayfield, so I have the preface this pick with a risk warning. The Texans have been one of the more elite units in the league at shutting down opposing WRs this season, allowing the 2nd fewest touchdowns and total fantasy points to the position. With Tee Higgins looking doubtful, and Ja’Marr Chase suffering from a back injury, Joe Burrow may be relying on his tight ends and forgotten man Tyler Boyd for the visit of Houston on Sunday. There’s potential here for the Texans DST, especially if they can keep Joe Mixon in check…but this is the same Bengals team that have mauled the 49ers and Bills in recent weeks, hope for the best and prepare for the worst with this pick.
Arizona Cardinals v ATL ($2,500)
There’s a change on the horizon in Arizona, the Cardinals will finally welcome back franchise quarterback Kyler Murray to the field this weekend as well as seeing lead running back James Conner rejoin the team after a stint on the Injured Reserve. Cardinals fans, and their defense, will be hoping the return of Kyler and Conner will allow the offense to stay on the field longer, making the team more competitive, and more importantly – letting their defensive players catch a breather. It was tough sledding for the Cardinals in their 27-0 shutout to the Brown last time out, but I expect this to be an entirely different Arizona team from here on in. At $2500, the DST are a very interesting play.
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Image Credit: Jeffrey Becker – USA TODAY Sports
