I didn't see any of you at the bar on Sunday night, so I'm thinking you were smart enough to avoid Darwin Thompson last week. Yours truly bought it pretty badly on that one.
I've had themes to my last two start articles and I'll shed that in favor of more standard fare next week and going forward. This week, I have one more area I want to get into and that is cash game play. We talked about how to craft a "Milly Maker" entry back in Week 2 and about how you need to aim really high with your lineup. In daily fantasy football, cash games are more about crafting a high floor. You do not generally need a really high score to cash out, but you do need a good one, or you'll lose your investment. So this week's recommendations are in that vein. The good news is that, in this case, if I am wrong, you can give me a hard time, because these players are expected to hit. They are not the calculated gambles we've discussed in prior weeks.
For my take on every relevant skill player for Week 4 fantasy purposes, check out my lineup rankings at rotobahn.com. It's completely free. No registration. No signing in. Just follow the link and enjoy.
Jim Hackett and I will get into all of our favorite Week 4 plays on the Fantasy Football Hour tomorrow, live on 93.7 at 8 a.m.
All pricing in this article was sourced from DraftKings.
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs at Lions, $7,500
Let's start at the top. As we speak, my cash game quarterback is Mahomes. While he costs me the most, he also provides one of the sturdiest QB scoring floors we've ever seen. Bad games are more than rarities. They're like unicorns or something. Matt Patricia's Lions are what we in the DFS world call a pass funnel defense. They stuff the run and are vulnerable to the pass. Add in the fact that their best corner, Darius Slay, has a hamstring that should limit his effectiveness (if he plays), and you can see why the Chiefs might be pass-heavy this week. Mahomes and pass-heavy is really all I need to hear.
Wayne Gallman, RB, Giants vs. Washington, $4,600
You saw with Mahomes that I am willing to spend, but when you spend, you also need to find ways to save, and Gallman helps a lot in that regard. He'll be playing most of the snaps left behind by the injured Saquon Barkley. And, while we expect far less from Saquon's backup, we still like his projected touch volume at a price this low. We also like the home matchup against the dumpster fire that is Washington's football team. This game tilts towards the home team and good game scripts favor running backs. We do not need a big game here. Just a decent one. Gallman should be the lead back, the passing down back and the goal line back. I like our chances. The other back I have locked into cash games is my RB1 for Week 4, Austin Ekeler. His matchup with the hapless Dolphins is top shelf and he'll be the lead back this week with Melvin Gordon taking charge in Week 5.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams vs. Bucs, $6,500
Kupp along with Tyler Lockett ($6,300, @Arizona) are my Week 4 cash locks at receiver. Both have great matchups as slot receivers versus teams who struggle defending the slot. Both are smoking hot and both are the lead options within their team's passing game. Both have the implicit trust of their quarterbacks. Both are bargains in the middle 6K range. Why do I like them in cash? Because of the floors they provide. Kupp has 31 targets over three games and Lockett has 28. Those numbers are huge when you consider that these are both receivers who can do a ton on a just a few targets. They are efficient. My last point is that, while both are strong cash plays, they are both strong tournament options as well.
Evan Engram, TE, Giants vs. Washington, $5,700
For my money, he is the best tight end value this week. The Giants have to target him frequently and Washington is having trouble stopping tight ends. The other good news is that Daniel Jones is willing to push the ball downfield and his mobility opens up some deeper routes. This is huge for Engram, whose route tree is much broader than a typical tight end's. You get volume. You get red zone usage. You get big play ability. And, you get it all for $1,500 less than Travis Kelce. I'm in for cash and I'm in for tournaments.
That's going to do it for the Week 4 recommendations. For what it's worth, the Patriots have a tough road matchup and were not given much of a discount on DraftKings' pricing this week. The two players who intrigue me most at cost are James White ($4,900) and Rex Burkhead ($4,400.) Some experts are suggesting that the Patriots will use less "21" personnel packages (due to James Develin's injury), which should help the Patriots pass-catching backs. If playing a Patriot was important to me this week, I would probably go with one of them, and I'm leaning towards Burkhead.
Good luck with all your teams this week!
