NFL Week 8 DraftKings Main Slate Breakdown

Welcome to week eight of the Add More Funds DraftKings Main Slate Rundown. Remember, this is a weekly column. We are very excited to bring you high-level content using tools from our website. At AMF, we want to help both the experienced-player and beginners alike. To do this, every week we will release our favorite weekend classic slate plays. We will go position by position highlighting different price points. We will try to find the plays that provide value, whether they are underpriced or possibly, projected to be under-owned. Plays will be denoted as cash game or tournament specific.

Last week we recommended plays such as Aaron Rodgers (24.66 fifth on the main slate), Jalen Hurts (24.54 sixth on the main slate), Mike Gesicki (21.5 third on the main slate), and Robert Tonyan (16.3 fifth on the main slate). 

Here is our week eight NFL DraftKings main slate rundown.

Quarterback:

Tom Brady ($7,400) Prefer in tournaments but is still strong in cash

I would start this by saying having Brady in tournament lineups is always smart. He has reached the 30-point mark in four of his seven games this season with a 40-burger in there as well. The best part about this is that Brady has done without any rushing work (one rushing TD in week three) which means he always has great receiver options to stack with. I also think since he’s been in Tampa there’s been a little extra “run it up.” His New England teams had no problem running it at a high rate inside the 10-yard line. But in Tampa, they just keep chucking it and stacking those numbers. Play Brady every week, this is just a reminder. 

Jalen Hurts ($7,200) Cash-specific play.

Another week, another Jalen Hurts writeup. Hurts still has not had a sub 20-DK point week as a starter in his career. Now he travels to lowly Detroit. Miles Sanders will be out and although we never want our QB’s weapons to be missing, I do think it will make the QB run game a bit more prevalent. Using our team trends section on AMF we can see that Hurts has never had fewer than seven rush attempts in a game and has accounted for a whopping 50% of the Eagles team red zone rushing attempts. With the added bonus that he is attempting thirty-five passes per game, the volume and opportunity are here in bounds. Fire him off with confidence. 

Matt Ryan ($5,900) Play in all formats.

Super cheap and with access to a high ceiling. Ryan is a stud at getting to the 300-yard bonus routinely doing that not only this year but very consistently the last few seasons as well. He also gets to face a Panthers defense who is starting to show quite a few cracks while struggling to rush the passer as their schedule has become more difficult. I will be playing Ryan in both formats but in tournaments, I think a Kyle Pitts ($6,300) or Calvin Ridley ($6,600) stack is pretty smart. 

Other QB thoughts:

Josh Allen ($8,100) is the most expensive QB on the slate but for good reason. I will have tourney exposure there. Both QB’s in the slogfest between Indy and Tennessee are intriguing in tournaments due to their likely low ownership and subtle potential for a shootout. Most of the QB’s in the 5-5.5k range have a low ceiling, low floor combination that has me wanting to spend up to at least Ryan this week. 

Running Back: 

D’andre Swift ($7,100) Prefer in tournaments but is still strong in cash

He hasn’t popped off for the massive slate-breaking week yet (28.4 last week is high for the season and was great but I would not consider that “slate breaking”) but his role suggests it is coming. On pace for a 100-catch season and playing a massive snap load (337 third-most in the league for running backs) Swift has the opportunity. Against an Eagles defense who historically under this regime has devalued the linebacker position, I could see Swift breaking off some big gains both on the ground and in the air. 

Joe Mixon ($6,900) Play in all formats.

Facing the Jets who have really struggled to contain opposing running backs (32nd in PPG allowed) I think Mixon is a top play this weekend. The Jets will be starting Mike White at quarterback which in football terms means the Bengals will either be forcing turnovers and getting short fields or the Jets will be punting early and often. Mixon is also second in the league in rush attempts (123) and has received a whopping 75% of his team's rush attempts inside the opponent's ten-yard line. Combine that with his receiving skill set and price, I love Mixon this week. 

Elijah Mitchell ($5,400) Prefer in cash but will sprinkle in tournaments

The 49ers' offense right now is pretty brutal. But a starting running back who when sorted using our AMF tools for weeks he’s been healthy is getting all the work. Combine that with a matchup against a Bears offense somehow doing even worse than their own, I think the 49ers will ground and pound the Bears all game long. At this price, Mitchell is a discount off other backs with similar projections in the 6-7k range (Hubbard, Robinson, Fournette, Patterson, Harris). 

Other RB thoughts:

Henry ($8,900) is always in play in both formats. I just didn’t think the week's spot was a particularly good matchup. Henderson ($6,500) I love again but he has made the column the previous two weeks so I figured we would give him a break from the write-up but the matchup is great. I am off most of those 6k backs I mentioned in the Mitchell section simply due to the fact that I would rather roster Mitchell, Henderson, or Mixon in that range. 

Wide Receivers:

Aj Brown ($6,900) Tournament specific play

This game doesn’t project to be a shootout but as I wrote up in the QB thoughts section I like the passing offenses to have sneaky big days here. Since week five Brown has also commanded a 32+% target share which is good for third in the league. Brown is capable of massive days which makes him always viable in tournaments. Brown also is a great pivot off of teammate Derrick Henry for those looking to jam him into their tournament lineups. 

Chris Godwin ($6,400) Play in all formats.

With Antonio Brown looking like he’ll be missing another week this is a smash spot for Godwin. Especially considering everyone will be looking to chase Evans ($7,000) big week. Godwin dominates the slot and the Saints don’t have anyone to defend him in there. Also, Evans will likely see a ton of Marshon Lattimore, a matchup he has historically struggled in forcing extra targets Godwin’s way. Finally, the price is simply too good here. Look at the other receivers priced around him and see if you can find a better play.

Tee Higgins ($5,200) Prefer in tournaments but is still strong in cash

Quick! Name the Bengals receiver with the most targets this year. On the Tee Higgins write up you are probably thinking it is Higgins (43 targets), but it is actually Jamar Chase (51). So what's my point? Higgins has missed two full games and parts of another, leading him to actually have a higher target % than his likely rookie of the year teammate. Everyone will be Chasing Chase’s ($7,500) big week. I strongly prefer to go with the player who is $2,300 cheaper, with the same role, who is due for positive TD regression, not the other way around. 

Other WR thoughts:

Cooper Kupp should be in some of your lineups this week per usual ($9,000). You may even be spending up to be contrarian there. Pittman ($5,300) is still too cheap for his role. Brandin Cook's ($5,700) role is also too strong to be ignored at this price. A lot of the receivers in the 7k range (Samuel, Evans, Moore) are tournament-specific guys for me as I like the 6k priced guys in cash more.

Tight Ends:

Dallas Goedert ($4,700) Prefer in tournaments but is still strong in cash

Most of the big-name tight ends are off the slate or injured. That leaves Goedert as my second-highest projected tight end (behind Pitts) at a very reasonable price. Plus I think he makes for a great stack with those looking to play Hurts in tournaments. 

Dan Arnold ($2,800) Cash-specific play.

Someone has to catch passes on this team and it might as well be Arnold. In their last two games, Arnold has commanded thirteen targets including an end-zone target. Jacksonville has also had their bye week and (hopefully) has had some time now to scheme up more plays for Arnold who they acquired during this season. Plus tight end is gross this week and Arnold is simply underpriced. 

Other TE thoughts: 

Most of the guys this week are really TD or bust plays. In tournaments playing your QB with a cheap TE, play is a great way to increase exposure to that game and save up for higher-priced players at other positions. 

Defense: 

Bengals ($3,600) Play in all formats.

They are facing Mike White and the rest of the Jet's offense. Need I say more? 

Seahawks ($2,800) Prefer in tournaments but is still strong in cash

It’s not a smash play, but I do think it’s a bit under the radar. This offense is bad, and turnover-prone. Isn’t that what we are looking to target for our defenses?