NFL DRAFT DFS: 2018 Week 7 Auction Analysis (DRAFT.com)

Why do you need another DFS site? Because DRAFT combines the excitement of a season-long draft into one set of games!  This article has some targets and pre-draft rankings all set for you to jump into some NFL DRAFT DFS action!

Welcome to the 2018 NFL week seven edition of NFL DRAFT DFS, now covering auction style drafts on DRAFT.com from FantasyCPR. Every week, the Auction Analysis will cover the main slate on DRAFT, omitting the Thursday game from this article. If you draft before Thursday night, there may be a few players not in the rankings to add to your rankings. If you are new to DRAFT or if you are wondering what I am even talking about, check it out here.

If you have read my DRAFT articles for PGA and MLB in the past, this set-up is nearly identical in terms of breaking it down. I will first go over my targets at each position, and follow that up with rankings. Each target will be followed with their current auction value, which I will refer to as CAV in the future. Auction values change over the course of the week, so I will make them a $5.00 window. For Instance, Last week in week six, Todd Gurley was going for around $65-70 per auction I did early in the week. As the week progressed, it became a more reasonable $60-$65.

Rosters on DRAFT are 1-QB, 2-RB’s, and 2 WR/TE’s, so just five spots. New to the article this week, will be the fact that we will be geared more towards auction style drafts. Therefore, each targets write-up may talk about how to approach that certain player in an auction. We will still have our normal rankings after the targets, but instead of DRAFT’s projections following the players name, the CAV will follow instead. Auctions are six man contests, but I will still rank my top 50 players for those that are still here for the 10-man drafts. These will consist of my top 10 QB’s, and my top 20 RB’s and WR/TE’s.

Many of you have dabbled in these auctions, and you know how fun they can be. For those that haven’t yet and are looking for that push let me tell you that I am hooked! The more you play and get a sense for what bids you will have to make to get the players you want, the better you will be, and the bigger the advantage you will have. I will have to do an article here in the near future discussing overall strategy for auctions, but for now, I will give a brief description of the general rules and what to expect.

Auctions: 

For starters, auctions use the same scoring system as the snake drafts do, so there is no difference there. What you want to do before you dive in, is have some sort of strategy depending on what the week presents to us. For instance, on some slates, there are certain top flight workhorse running backs who you should always target, and be prepared to know what you want to spend for whenever they come up. It can happen where you can have two of the best running backs in the game spending most of your salary cap, and still field a winning squad. If I have learned anything in these auctions, it is always be prepared and pay attention until your team is full.

Once you enter an auction from the lobby, you will be brought to a screen to load up your queue. At this point, you should already have your pre-draft rankings set. Load that up how you see fit, and get ready. Once it fills you will have one minute until the first name is brought up. This is a blind auction, so it is a one time bid in which you have 15 seconds to submit. After a player is brought up for bid, each competitor will have another 15 seconds to place their bids. You have a $100 salary cap to use for your five players, but a common strategy is to spend at least half of that on a top player. It goes fast, and there are plenty of advantages. My advice would be to get your feet wet in the $1.00 6-man’s to get a feel for the flow, then dive in and find your angle.

One last thing before we get to the targets. Do not get married or locked into these CAV’s. As I said above, they will change closer to Sunday, and you truly never really know what to expect. Also things change over the course of the auction, putting more or less value on certain players. This is why you must pay attention at all times.

Now that you have an idea of what to expect in an auction, remember to expect the unexpected. Maybe you will never spend more than $5 of your salary on a QB. I get that, and I likely will not either, but you will still see Patrick Mahomes go for $25 or so if he is brought up early enough. Also, get ready to see that $96 bid on one player. (Usually Gurley). I would never do that, and will personally say that is a horrible strategy. With all of this new information considered, let’s find out who I am personally targeting this week.

NFL DRAFT DFS: QB Targets:

Kirk Cousins – Minnesota Vikings – ($1)

I am pretty much not getting Mahomes this week, and while I think he is a great pick, my $9 max on him just isn’t getting it done. After Mahomes, another QB drawing an above minimum bid in auctions is Falcons veteran Matt Ryan. If you didn’t know, I am a #NeverJulio guy, therefore I am not giving in to Ryan either. Truthfully, I feel like I am missing out on more by repeatedly fading Ryan than I am by also fading Julio Jones. Anyways, after those two top QB’s, the match-up’s make the rest a bit muddled. Kirk Cousins is my top target, and here is why.

The Vikings offense has been kind of quiet the last couple of games, mostly due finding a running game last week with Latavius Murray against the Cardinals. Cousins hasn’t had a big game for a couple of weeks since his 422 yard, three TD performance in L.A. But he is still among the best in the league, with 1921 yards in the air, 12 TD’s and 3 INT’s for his 3-2-1 Vikings. This week, they travel to New York to face the Jets, whose defense currently ranks 22nd against the pass. I think the Vikes will have their way with this defense, and I love pairing Cousins with top threat Adam Thielen or of course Stefon Diggs as well.

Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers – ($1)

My second QB target this week, who is also another last round target, is Panthers signal caller Cam Newton. Carolina will head into Philadelphia to face the Eagles, who destroyed the Giants in New York last weekend. This game might be off of the radar of most due to it’s “lower” 45.5 Vegas total, but there are still some very viable fantasy cogs here, especially for those 10-man drafts.

Newton struggled last week on the road a bit in a losing effort against the Redskins, but as always, his rushing yards helped his bottom line. In a game like this where the defenses match-up well against the offenses, I look for Newton to call his own number more often than normal in this one. The best thing about rostering Newton in DFS and on DRAFT is the rushing yards and TD’s he generates. If you look at a week like last week against Washington. Newton only threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, but his 43 rushing yards helped him post 24.3 DP’s. Super Cam is being virtually ignored this week, and I love the upside in a game where his Panthers very well could be playing from behind.

NFL DRAFT DFS: RB Targets:

Todd Gurley – Los Angeles Rams – ($60-65)

Gurley has clearly planted himself as the top back in the league and the consensus #1 pick in drafts, while also being the player going for the most salary in my auctions. Saquon Barkley and Melvin Gordon are a close second, possibly one A and one B, but what Gurley is doing is remarkable. Gurley has already amassed 870 yards combined on the ground and through the air, and has already found the end zone eleven times.

Early in the week, I was able to nab plenty of Gurley at reasonable price in the $60 range. However, the tables have turned a bit as the week progresses, and it now taking upwards of $70 of your $100 cap to secure him on your squad this week. Barkley and Gordon are also getting a bump, So you may have to pay over $60 to get either of those two as well.

Ezekiel Elliott – Dallas Cowboys – ($40-45)

After the top three backs, we have an elite back in Zeke slipping through the cracks a bit in my opinion. Elliott has a tough match-up this weekend against the Redskins, but the volume he receives week in and week out still makes him my fourth overall player on the board this week. Depending on the flow of the auctions, it seems other backs such as Kareem Hunt and Joe Mixon are getting the same amount of attention as Elliott, and that doesn’t seem right to me. While Mixon and Hunt are in better match-up’s facing each other, I will take Zeke over them two 10 out of 10 times every week, regardless of match-up.

Alex Collins – Baltimore Ravens – ($1)

This is more for the deep drafts, as Collins is not quite in the picture for the 6-man auctions, but with really only six sure thing type backs this week, Collins looks to be in a situation to take advantage of. First off, he finally got the volume I thought he would get in the backfield, as he grinded out 54 yards on 19 carries against the Titans stingy run defense. He was able to score two touchdowns, and he posted a very respectable 17.4 DP. That is just what you look for in the deeper drafts, when you are forced to fill your other roster spots first. Collins gets New Orleans at home this week, and if he gets that same volume he did last week, I expect a huge week.

NFL DRAFT DFS: WR/TE Targets:

A.J. Green – Cincinnati Bengals – ($15-20)

Green has been really consistent this year, but he is not playing up to the level he has in the past. With just 33 catches and 494 yards on the season, Green is double covered every week, and is still able to put up solid numbers. He is also still the most targeted receiver in this passing attack, despite the emergence of Tyler Boyd. Green has seen 30 targets the last three weeks, and he has scored five touchdowns to this point in the season. While everyone else is paying up for Julio Jones, Adam Thielen, and running backs, I like throwing out somewhere around $23 if he comes up early in an auction, and I am happy with that. Otherwise, the later he goes, usually the cheaper the goes.

Michael Thomas – New Orleans Saints – ($5-10)

After two bad weeks, you would think Thomas is hurt or something is wrong. In reality, game plan just did not involve Thomas much those two weeks with the return of Mark Ingram to the mix. It doesn’t get any easier this week, as Thomas should be shadowed by one of the better corners in the NFL in Jimmy Smith. In fact, this vaunted Ravens defense pretty much has people completely off of Thomas this week, and I don’t mind taking a shot at top talent in less than stellar spots. Considering the first six weeks of the season he was a $25-30 receiver every week and he is now basically free and allows me to spend up on my running backs? Sign me up!

Stefon Diggs – Minnesota Vikings – ($1-5)

Well here we are again. Another week, another Vikings WR target. Just because the article changes a little bit it doesn’t mean the picks have to. In all seriousness, of course I like Thielen much better this week, but finally everybody else does too. Yup that is correct, No more Thielen late and cheap anymore. He is a late first round pick in the 10-man’s, and usually over $30 in the auctions depending on when he is brought up.

Thankfully, when the talent pool dips in the auctions, Diggs is still usually sitting there, and can often be had when filling out your team for $1. While Thielen gets better and better each week and garners more and more attention from defenses as the season progresses, Diggs will continuously get looks down the field in the process. I am looking for him to get loose at least once in this one, and put up a respectable 8-95-1 or so line.

For those still here for the rankings, click one more link below!!

NFL DRAFT DFS: Week 7 Rankings: Top 50

My rankings are pretty easy to follow. I have ranked the top 50 overall. Following each player is their DRAFT CAV, which is generated by me, in parenthesis. Again, we will have the top ten QB’s, 20 RB’s and 20 WR/TE’s, and here they are!

***The CAV is the Current Auction Value. These are not my projections or what I am spending on these players. This dollar amount is to be used as a guide to get a feel for what these players are currently going for in my auctions. When the CAV’s are absent that means I have not (or maybe once) seen them drafted in a 6-man auction***

1. RB – Todd Gurley – Los Angeles Rams – ($60-65)

2. RB – Saquon Barkley – New York Giants – ($55-60)

3. RB – Melvin Gordon – Los Angeles Chargers – ($55-60)

4. RB – Ezekiel Elliott – Dallas Cowboys – ($40-45)

5. RB – Kareem Hunt – Kansas City Chiefs – ($30-35)

6. RB – Joe Mixon – Cincinnati Bengals – ($30-35)

7. WR – Adam Thielen – Minnesota Vikings – ($25-30)

8. WR – Tyreek Hill – Kansas City Chiefs – ($25-30)

9. RB – Alvin Kamara – New Orleans Saints – ($15-20)

10. WR – Julio Jones – Atlanta Falcons – ($30-35)

11. QB – Patrick Mahomes – Kansas City Chiefs – ($15-20)

12. RB – Christian McCaffrey – Carolina Panthers – ($25-30)

13. WR – Odell Beckham – New York Giants – ($20-25)

14. WR – AJ Green – Cincinnati Bengals – ($15-20)

15. WR – DeAndre Hopkins – Houston Texans – ($15-20)

16. WR – Michael Thomas – New Orleans Saints – ($5-10)

17. TE – Travis Kelce – Kansas City Chiefs – ($1-5)

18. WR – Stefon Diggs – Minnesota Vikings – ($1-5)

19. WR – Robert Woods – Los Angeles Rams – ($1-5)

20. WR – Mike Evans – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – ($10-15)

21. WR – Keenan Allen – Los Angeles Chargers – ($1-5)

22. QB – Matt Ryan – Atlanta Falcons – ($5-10)

23. RB – Sony Michel – New England Patriots – ($5-10)

24. RB – Alex Collins – Baltimore Ravens – ($1)

25. RB – Carlos Hyde – Cleveland Browns – ($1)

26. RB – James White – New England Patriots – ($1)

27. QB – Kirk Cousins – Minnesota Vikings – ($1)

28. QB – Cam Newton – Carolina Panthers – ($1)

29. QB – Jared Goff – Los Angeles Rams – ($1-5)

30. RB – LeSean McCoy – Buffalo Bills – ($1-5)

31. RB – Matt Breida – San Francisco 49ers 

32. QB – Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts

33. WR – Tyler Boyd – Cincinnati Bengals 

34. WR – Brandin Cooks – Los Angeles Rams 

35. WR – Allen Robinson – Chicago Bears

36. WR – Michael Crabtree – Baltimore Ravens

37. QB – Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints

38. QB – Tom Brady – New England Patriots

39. QB – Deshaun Watson – Houston Texans 

40. RB – Tarik Cohen – Chicago Bears

41. RB – Kerryon Johnson – Detroit Lions

42. RB – Ito Smith – Atlanta Falcons

43. TE – Zach Ertz – Philadelphia Eagles – ($1)

44. RB – Dalvin Cook – Minnesota Vikings

45. WR – Golden Tate – Detroit Lions

46. QB – Jameis Winston – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – ($1-5)

47. WR – Alshon Jeffery – Philadelphia Eagles 

48. WR – Josh Gordon – New England Patriots 

49. RB – TJ Yeldon – Jacksonville Jaguars

50. RB – Corey Clement – Philadelphia Eagles

Thanks for giving this a read. My plan is to go hard at this article, week in and week out. Any questions for me you can always find me on Twitter. My handle is at the top of the article. Good luck drafting this weekend and happy football Sunday when it finally arrives!