DraftKings fantasy football picks: week 8

High Value Running Backs

Doug Martin (5,500):  Martin has been on a roll the last three weeks scoring a total of four touchdowns while rushing for 106, 123, and 136 yards.  Martin had been sharing time with Charles Sims, but he’s clearly emerged as the top back in Tampa.  This week, Martin has a great matchup against the Falcons who allow the second-most fantasy points to opposing running backs.  There is a risk that the Bucs fall too far behind the Falcons to stick with Martin and the running game, but at 5,500 Martin has definitely shown he has the upside to be worth that risk.

Chris Johnson (4,600): Johnson and the Cardinals travel to Cleveland in week 8, and I think he makes a good play even with Andre Ellington back from injury and David Johnson still taking a few carries. Last week, Johnson ripped off 122 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against the Ravens giving him at least 12 DraftKings points in four of his last five games.  The Browns haven’t been able to stop anyone on the ground this year, so CJ?K is definitely an option to consider.

Duke Johnson Jr. (4,200): With Josh McCown ready to roll on Sunday, Duke Johnson is worth considering on DraftKings since its a PPR format.  Johnson has been a big weapon as a receiver out of the backfield since McCown came back for his week 1 concussion.  He has hauled in six passes or more in four of his last five games including last week against the Rams when he caught seven passes for 73 yards. He’s still sharing time in the Cleveland backfield, so there is risk in playing Johnson.  He’s also not in the best matchup against the Cardinals, but since I think the Browns will be playing from behind he should get plenty of catches once again on Sunday.

Darren McFadden (3,800): McFadden was on my list last week as a value play as the Cowboys receiving back, but he did way more than that seizing the job after Joseph Randle was sidelined with a back injury.  With Randle on the outs with the coaches and now facing league discipline, McFadden looks to be set up to be the starter for the foreseeable future (or until he gets injured).  McFadden is sure to be a widely-owned play this week after rushing for 152 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries last week.  His value is unarguable, but he is in a tough matchup this week against Seattle.  The long-term question is whether “Run DMc” can take this heavy of a workload, but for one-week fantasy where that question doesn’t matter as much, he’s the best cheap option on the board.

Orleans Darkwa-New York Giants (3,600): Darkwa got more work than usual and more work than any other Giants RB on Sunday. He finished with an impressive 48 yards on eight carries with a touchdown, and he’s in a good matchup this week against the Saints.  On the down side though, Darkwa is part of a unpredictable four-way timeshare right now in New York making it hard to count on any Giants’ RB to produce anything.  Monitor the situation to be sure, but Darkwa doesn’t have a clear path to carries like McFadden does.

Khiry Robinson (3,000): If you feel like rolling the dice on a ultra-cheap running back, Robinson is my favorite option at the DraftKings minimum.  He had as many carries last week (14) as starting running back Mark Ingram.  Robinson was mostly used as a goal line bruiser, so the fact that he only had 28 yards on those 14 carries isn’t a huge concern.  He did get into the end zone twice and is developing into New Orleans go-to option inside the ten.  His fantasy value is extremely touchdown-dependent, but he’s a solid roll of the dice if you’re forced to go cheap.

Week 7 Picks: Todd Gurley, Doug Martin, Danny Woodhead, Theo Riddick, Antonio Andrews, Darren McFadden (if only I put him in all my lineups!)

Next: High Priced Wide Receivers