NFL Draftkings Picks For Week 10
We have just crossed the halfway point of the NFL regular season. This means there are still nine more main slates to cover, not including the playoffs. There are 11 games to choose from this week. Week 9 was one for the ages. The script was flipped upside down. Josh Allen and the Jacksonville defense outscored Josh Allen the Buffalo quarterback. The Denver Broncos held the Dallas Cowboys offense in check and the Cleveland Browns lit up the Bengals. Nick Chubb is out with COVID for now so there could be some value in the Cleveland backfield. There are also some injury situations to monitor as per usual and as always, be sure to check the inactive lists and follow the breaking injury news. It can often result in a “free square” for your lineup. Each week Fantasy Data will bring you 20 players that we like for the Draftkings Sunday main slate. Let us get right to it.
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Studs to Splurge For
Here we will highlight two players at each position that are in the top-five of their respective position and are deemed worthy of “paying up” for in your lineup. Please note these players will likely be highly owned so if you are looking to differentiate, you will want to pull more players from the next two sections.
Quarterbacks
Tom Brady | $7600 | TB @ WAS
We have a rematch of last year’s NFC Wild Card game. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers barely won this one, but this is a different Football Team defense. Tom Brady put up 26.04 DK points in that contest. This rendition of the Washington defense ranks 32nd against the quarterback position. Brady is averaging the most points per game on the slate despite having the third-highest salary so there is even a little value here. Chris Godwin popped up with an injury and Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski are likely to be out, but the GOAT has always been able to make the most out of what he has on the field. Play him with confidence in Week 10.
Aaron Rodgers | $7100 | SEA @ GB
Angry Aaron Rodgers is never any fun to play against. We all know he is going to come out and want to silence his critics. Up next is a home game versus the rival Seattle Seahawks and a returning Russell Wilson. Over his past five games against the Hawks, the much-maligned signal-caller is averaging just shy of 20 DK points against them. Seattle ranks 22nd against the position. Davante Adams is back as are the rest of the receiving corps. Before a disappointing Week 8 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, the veteran had put up 20+ in four straight games. Look for another 20 or more points in this one.
Running Backs
Jonathan Taylor | $8100 | JAX @ IND
Explain to us how Jonathan Taylor is not the highest-priced running back on the slate. Sure, Christian McCaffrey is worthy of being priced higher in theory, but with him just returning from injury in Week 9 and quarterback questions galore, it is hard to justify paying it when you can have JT for $300 less. All Taylor has done is put up 21.2 or more DK points in six straight, including 30+ in half of those six. The second-year back also put up 38.4 points on them in Week 17 last year. The Jacksonville Jaguars rank 15th against the position and are coming off a huge win against the Buffalo Bills. Look for them to come back down to earth in Week 10 and get shredded by Taylor and the entire Colts offense. More to come on that later.
Dalvin Cook | $8000 | MIN @ LAC
Dalvin Cook has found himself in the middle of a domestic violence scandal this week but every indication makes it look like the veteran running back will suit up for Week 10. A juicy matchup against the 30th ranked Los Angeles Chargers is on tap. Cook went for 18.2 DK points last week against the Baltimore Ravens and should easily match that output this week. It has been a bit of a down season for the Florida State grad, but this is a nice get right spot for him and the entire Vikings offense. The game has a total of 53, the second-highest on the slate. Points will be scored. In bunches. Get a piece of it.
Wide Receiver
Davante Adams | $7900 | SEA @ GB
When discussing Aaron Rodgers, we mentioned that the band will be back together for the first time in three weeks. Davante Adams struggled in Week 9 with Jordan Love at the helm but was still able to put up a respectable 10.2 DK points. The matchup with Seattle is not a difficult one as they rank just 15th against the position. This game has a total of 49 so there will be points aplenty. In his past two contests against the hated Seahawks, Adams has put up 25 or more points, including 36.0 in the 2019 Divisional Playoff game. Look for the veteran wideout to enjoy the return of his favorite quarterback and get back on track.
A.J. Brown | $7800 |NO @ TEN
After two straight 30+ performances, A.J. Brown let fantasy managers down with a 9.2 point performance against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9. Many thought the Titans would lead on Brown more with the absence of Derrick Henry. It turns out the Tennessee defense was the one that picked everyone up and allowed for a knock-em, sock-em type performance. The New Orleans Saints rank 28th against the position and are stout against the run. Ryan Tannehill is going to have to look to the air in this one and Brown should be a big part of that and get back on track in Week 10.
Tight End
Kyle Pitts | $5800 | ATL @ DAL
A thin position is made even thinner with two of the top options playing in primetime games for Week 10. Despite the absence of Andrews and Kelce here, there are some options to consider higher up on the salary list. Kyle Pitts has struggled in consecutive weeks but the targets have been there. Over the past five games, the rookie is averaging eight targets per game. We also have to note the absence of Calvin Ridley the past two games that Pitts has struggled. That could still be an issue in Week 10, but the Dallas Cowboys defense does rank 22nd against the tight end position so the opportunity should be there for the star to get back on track in Week 10.
Dalton Schultz | $5000 | ATL @ DAL
Sticking with the same game and another tight end that has struggled the past two weeks, up next we have Dalton Schultz. The entire Cowboys offense was stymied in Week 9 by the Denver Broncos. Look for Schultz to bounce back here. Blake Jarwin has been placed on IR so it is his show at the tight end position. The Atlanta Falcons rank 17th against the position and Schultz is still seeing the targets, averaging just short of seven per game. The young tight end is priced up a bit compared to production. He is the third most expensive tight end on the board but averages the fifth-most points. If you are looking for value, this is not the play. This is strictly an upside play this week and you are hoping he returns to the 20+ performances Schultz had in Week 3.
Sleepers to Separate From the Pack
Up next we give you some players to help differentiate your lineup from the masses and give you the edge you need to compete in some of the bigger tournaments. Just like the section above, we highlight two players at each position except now instead of studs, you get players that are expected to be less than 10% owned on the main slate.
Quarterbacks
Justin Herbert | $7300 | MIN @ LAC
Justin Herbert bounced back in a big way in Week 9 putting up 34.64 DK points on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles. On deck for the Los Angeles Chargers is a home matchup against the Minnesota Vikings who rank 31st against the position in 2021. Despite two straight bad performances in Week 8 and Week 9, the Chargers signal-caller is still averaging 24.8 points per game, third-best on the slate behind just Tom Brady and Josh Allen. This game has a total of 53, the second-highest on the slate. Get the safest piece on the board with Herbert.
Trevor Siemian | $5200 | NO @ TEN
This is not a play for the faint at heart. Trevor Siemian is making his second straight start in place of the injured Jameis Winston. The journeyman backup has been good, not great, in relief. When forced into action in Week 8 versus Tampa Bay, he posted 10.56 points and another 16.96 points in his Week 9 start against the Saints. The matchup is much better here as the Titans rank 27th against the position. We do not need much from the Northwestern grad in Week 10 to hit value here and it frees us up to spend on other positions if that is the way we choose to build this week.
Running Backs
Devin Singletary | $4700 | BUF @ NYJ
Zach Moss still has not cleared concussion protocol, leaving Devin Singletary with the lead-back role against the worst defense in the league against the run. After solid performances in Weeks 1 and 2, Singletary took a back seat to Moss. The injury in Moss in Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars has led to this opportunity for the young back. He was heavily involved in the passing game last week and should add at least double-digit carries to that production this week with Moss out and a bad Jets run defense. The price is prime for the picking and many other managers will be on D’Ernest Johnson this week in that price range. It makes for a nice pivot.
Aaron Jones | $6900 | SEA @ GB
This is a nice price for Aaron Jones. Like everyone else on the Packers offense, Jones struggled last week with Jordan Love leading the way. Aaron Rodgers is back, and as we said, he will be angry. The Seattle Seahawks rank 30th against the rush. The total in this one is 49 and that is probably low. Jones has the potential to put up 40 points as we saw him do in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions. This is the lowest the salary has been since Week 1. Take advantage of the matchup and the value and get 20 points or more for under $7k. We are looking at value at its finest here.
Wide Receiver
Terry McLaurin |$7600 | TB @ WAS
If you are a DFS player that looks for value then Terry McLaurin is not the play for you this week. He has been far from consistent and is the fourth most expensive receiver despite having the fourth-highest salary. The wideout has been over 28.2 DK points in three games this season. The problem is the other five games have seen the Ohio State grad go for less than 10.2 points. The matchup is a good one, the Bucs are 22nd against the position and defend the run well so Taylor Heinicke will have to take to the air. This is the epitome of a tournament play.
Tyler Lockett | $6500 | SEA @ GB
It is hard to say who is happier to see Russell Wilson back. It is a tight race between the fake huddles every pregame since he went down with injury or Tyler Lockett. In the three games without Wilson at the helm, Lockett failed to find the end zone. The PPR points dipped from 16.4 to 11.6 as well. That is almost a full five points per game. The targets and receptions remained close throughout, but the biggest difference was in the yards and touchdowns. The deep ball connection that Wilson and Lockett have is hard to compete with. It is amongst the best in the league. Look for a big bounce-back game here and at low ownership, it could be a slate-breaking play this week.
Tight End
T.J. Hockenson | $5500 | DET @ PIT
Week 9 presented a much-needed week off for T.J. Hockenson and the winless Lions. Hockenson has been battling injuries of all sorts since Week 1 this season. The young tight end has certainly seen his share of targets, getting 31 looks over the past three games from Jared Goff. The Iowa alum has been able to turn that into double-digit points each time and averages a healthy 13.4 DK points per contest. Pittsburgh ranks 14th against the position and just gave up a bunch of chunk plays downfield to the Chicago Bears and Cole Kmet this past Monday night. We have to play a tight end in our lineup and Hock is one of the better options week in and week out.
Dan Arnold | $3500 | JAX @ IND
Spending down on the thin tight-end position opens up a lot of options for you at other positions. We present to you, Dan Arnold. Yes, that Dan Arnold. In the past two weeks, he has scored double-digit points on 10 and seven targets respectively. The only thing missing is a touchdown. The former Carolina Panther has put up over 60 yards in those two contests as well. The Indianapolis Colts are up next and rank 27th against the tight end position. The Jags will likely be down in this one as we have mentioned throughout. This scenario would lead to a third straight game of Arnold being targeted heavily. This is a nice, cheap dart throw at what is projected to be a low ownership number.
Fantasy Data Favorites
In this section, we will give you one play from each position for the week that we like the most. This will be a player that likely will give you a high upside at a lower cost than their counterparts and also come with a low ownership projection. Here you go!
Quarterback
Carson Wentz | $5900 | JAX @ IND
We mentioned JT in the open as a stud to pay up for. We love a Colts stack this week spearheaded by Carson Wentz. The Jaguars will remember who they are in Week 10 and get torched by Indianapolis. Josh Allen was a popular play last week and with good reason. Jacksonville ranks 26th against the position. Wentz has quietly been solid, putting up 20 or more in four of five, including 26.58 versus the Ravens in Week 5. A stack of Wentz/Taylor/Pittman is a nice build to start with this week.
Running Back
Najee Harris | $7900 | DET @ PIT
Much like Jonathan Taylor, it is mind-boggling that Najee Harris is priced below Christian McCaffrey. The ownership will be through the roof here but we cannot afford to fade the rookie. The matchup is as dreamy as it gets. The Philadelphia Eagles, yes, those Eagles, scored four rushing touchdowns against this Lions defense. All the rookie has done is 16.8 DK points every week save Week 1, including a 31.2 points effort against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3. Fade Harris at your own risk this week.
Wide Receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. | $6300 | JAX @ IND
The final piece of the Colts stack we like this week is Michael Pittman. The second-year wideout has put up five touchdowns in his last five contests and faces a Jaguars team that ranks 29th against the receiver position. In Week 8 against the Tennessee Titans Pittman saw a ridiculous 15 targets and turned that into 30.6 DK points. While that number likely will not be duplicated in Week 10, the youngster should thrive in a game that Indianapolis is projected to score 29.00 points in. The trio of Colts covered here would cost you just $20,300, leaving you $29,700 for your other six players.
Tight End
Pat Freirmuth | $3900 | DET @ PIT
Another Pittsburgh Steeler likely to be high-owned but could cost us if we fade him is Pat Freiermuth. The price is simply too good to ignore considering the red zone usage the rookie has seen the past couple of games. The Penn State alum has put up double-digit points in three straight (16.67/game average) and scored three touchdowns in those contests. For just $3,900, we do not need much from him. We will likely have a lot of correlation this week between the Colts and Steelers. Adding Harris and “Muth” to our Colts stack leaves us just short of $18k for three more skill position players and a defense. Not a bad start. Find three lower-owned players and you have yourself a solid shot at cashing this week.
Summing It All Up
As we all know, football is unpredictable, we make these picks using the data available to us at fantasydata.com and try to help our readers make educated, thoughtful decisions when creating their DK lineup. If you find this helpful or have any comments, be sure to notate them below. Thank you for reading.
