DraftKings NFL Early October 28 Slate: Pay For Running Backs

The early DraftKings NFL slate for Week 8 features some elite running backs. If you want to score a lot of points, you have to spend on the top options.

With bye weeks in full effect, the pool of players is a bit shallow. The early slate on DraftKings NFL for Week 8 features just seven games, making finding those sleeper picks harder than usual. In order to score enough points to win, you will have to spend at one position and I believe running back is that position.

The seven games in the early slate are DEN/KC, CLE/PIT, WAS/NYG, SEA/DET, TB/CIN, NYJ/CHI and CAR/BAL. There are some good matchups on paper that could lead to a lot of scoring. But, with some bad defenses, the opposing offenses should be able to feast.

DraftKings priced six running backs at $7,000 or more with Saquon Barkley the most expensive at $8,800. That is a lot to spend on just one player. However, with few options that could produce the same, it may be worth it.

The other running backs in that rich tier are Christian McCaffrey ($7,000), Kareem Hunt ($7,100), Joe Mixon ($7,300), James Conner ($7,500) and Le’Veon Bell ($8,100). It’s interesting that Bell is listed because he did not report on Wednesday, making him unable to play in Week 8. This boosts Conner’s value even more.

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The Washington Redskins have the 11th-best running defense, so many Barkley isn’t worth the high price. Conner and the Pittsburgh Steelers face the 22nd ranked rush defense of the Cleveland Browns. McCaffrey faces the Baltimore Ravens, taking him out of the picture for many. Though, his effectiveness in the passing game will help his final line.

Mixon will have the 24th ranked rush defense of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I think the whole Bengals offense will put up a lot of points in this game. Hunt and the one-loss Kansas City Chiefs face the 25th ranked running defense of the Denver Broncos.

The last time Hunt faced Denver, he rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for another 54 yards, giving him 29.5 total points. Not much has changed between these games, so Hunt should put up another 25-plus point game.

The next tier of running backs could put up points, but they could also leave you with single digits. Phillip Lindsay and Chris Carson are two that stand out to me. If you go cheap at tight end or quarterback, you can pair them with one of the top options.

With the New York Giants offense the way it is, Barkley is the only consistent player. I would look elsewhere. I was able to build a lineup with Hunt, Conner and Carson as my main scorers.

I used Jameis Winston at quarterback, JuJu Smith-Schuster, John Brown and Sterling Shepard at wide receiver, C.J. Uzomah at tight end and the Redskins defense along with the three running backs I mentioned and was still able to have $400 left over.

Next. DFS NFL Week 8 Game by Game Breakdown. dark

Whether that lineup places is another story, but in the right game, you could win something. It’s possible to build a competitive DraftKIngs lineup by finding bargains at other positions. This is the week to spend on running backs.