Daily / DFS Articles 2023:

By Jen Ryan

(Lineup Tool: https://www.footballdiehards.com/fantasyfootball/dailygames/Lineup-Generator.cfm)



When I go through my process of building my various lineups each week I always have one or two where I have a little fun. By fun I mean I try something a little different. I throw caution to the wind and try to come up with my own out-of-the-box construction process. This week I wondered a lot about playing two running backs from the same team. Would Melvin Gordon and Danny Woodhead combine for a big day? How about Rashad Jennings and Shane Vereen? What are the chances both Joseph Randle and new flavor of the week Christine Michael can both produce solid fantasy numbers? Should I blow the dust off of Joique Bell and play his teammate Theo Riddick as well?

All of this pondering led me to Tampa Bay. Doug Martin is having a revival season and Charles Sims is quietly contributing in PPR formats. Draft Kings uses PPR scoring and the light bulb went off for me. My best chances at testing out a lineup with two running backs from the same team will be with the Buccaneer’s backfield, regardless of the tough run defense they will face. Below is a lineup I constructed with the Bucs backfield as my anchor.


The combined low cost of the Tampa Bay backfield allowed me to really pay up at other positions.

QB – Carson Palmer - $6,700
Palmer faces the 2nd worst defense against quarterbacks. Not only do I expect him to throw for over 300 yards and multiple touchdowns but I expect him to finish as the top scoring quarterback this week. Six other quarterbacks are priced higher than him so I feel as though I am getting a discount here. The only thing that could sabotage Palmer’s day would be an early blowout that would switch the game script into run mode.

WR – Julio Jones - $9,100
Jones is the most expensive receiver this week which makes sense considering he is one of the top wide outs in the game. He is a target machine and produces monster numbers when he scores. The Tennessee Titans secondary allowed huge games to the Browns, Colts, and Dolphins receivers. Jones is far superior to those groups and I could see him returning value even with his high cost.

WR – DeAndre Hopkins - $8,600
I am not sure if I have had a single daily fantasy entry this season that did not include Hopkins. It does not matter what he costs or who he is playing. He has proven to be both quarterback proof and matchup proof. He is averaging an insane 15 targets per game and has finished as the WR1 two weeks in a row. If Julio Jones does not wind up with the most fantasy points among receivers this week I am confident it will be Hopkins.

WR – Larry Fitzgerald - $7,400
If you have read any of my daily fantasy columns in the past then you already know it is customary for me to pair my quarterback with one of his receivers. This very well could be a John Brown or Michael Floyd game in terms of receptions and yards but Fitzgerald remains a touchdown machine. I am expecting high ownership of Brown this week which is why I went with Fitzgerald. Even if he has just a few catches for a handful of yards he will return value to me if he hits the end zone.

TE – Ladarius Green - $2,900
There are a few reasons I am going with Green here. Antonio Gates is much more expensive at $5,000. He has not practiced much this week but he is still likely to play. Gates should be highly owned due to the matchup against the Oakland Raiders who are the most generous team in football to tight ends. Even if Gates plays, which I believe he will, Green will still see his opportunities. There is room for both Chargers tight ends to thrive this week. I just chose to go with the cheaper, healthier one.

Flex – Ted Ginn Jr. - $3,300
Like most of my flex plays, Ginn Jr. is a boom or bust this week. He will boom if he catches a long score from Cam Newton and he will bust if he does not. I am banking on the Philadelphia defense directing all of their attention towards Greg Olsen and for Newton to take a couple of deep shots to Ginn Jr. He will probably have to beat Byron Maxwell deep to hit the end zone which is he is more than capable of doing. I left myself $200 so I have the ability to make changes if need be before the 8:30PM kick off.

D/ST – Atlanta Falcons - $3,300
When selecting a defense I don’t usually think “Well, the Falcons of course”! Then I looked at the matchup and saw that they were playing the Tennessee Titans, who have no credible run game to speak of and who will be without Marcus Mariota this weekend. A few sacks and a pick or two and this will be an excellent play.

I realize the risk that comes with playing two running backs from the same team but there is no reward without risk. The low budget Bucs backs let me build a dream team of receivers. Green and Ginn Jr. may not make it to my final lineup come Sunday but at this moment I like them both where they are. This lineup has been entered in a booster and I look forward to it adding $50.00 to my bankroll.