The regular football season is almost halfway through. It’s hard to believe that just a few weeks ago we were just starting out the NFL season. By now it feels like daily fantasy football leagues are just a part of the weekend rhythm. Hopefully, you have seen some success in your leagues, but there’s always room for improvement. That’s why we’ve put together this start or sit advice for you. No matter how much experience you have drafting a roster, there’s always something that you could have improved upon. Here, we’ll look at the concept of value in two of the top players at a few positions, and let you know which one is the better pick for your team based upon that concept.
Quarterback
Tom Brady: Tom Brady is having a strong season by most measures, even if the Patriots have not been performing at the level expected of the returning Super Bowl Champions. He has averaged 23.0 fantasy points per game at DraftKings and is currently averaging over 315 yards passing per game. He has 15 touchdowns and just 2 interceptions. With a price tag of $7,600, he’s a strong pick in most cases. However, there are a couple things working against Brady this week. One, the Los Angeles Chargers are a decently ranked team against the pass, and that will likely give Brady an average performance here. Two, his cost per point is a bit higher than others at this position in better matchups at $330.43. He’s not a bad pick, but not the best here.
Dak Prescott: A stronger pick is Prescott. Prescott has averaged 23.7 fantasy points per game this season, which is slightly higher than Brady’s number. He’s also $300 cheaper than Brady at $7,300. Finally, he is going against the number 23 ranked Washington Redskins this weekend, giving him an edge over Brady in at least three different areas. His price per fantasy point stands at $301.02, which is quite a bit better than where Brady stands. Of the two, Prescott not only has performed at a higher level so far this season, but stands to gain more fantasy points in this coming game, too.
Start: Prescott
Sit: Brady
Tight End
Rob Gronkowski: There’s not much debate that Gronk is one of the best, if not the best, TE in the NFL. He has averaged 16.9 fantasy points per game, making him the best from both a statistical and fantasy perspective, as well. The downside of Gronkowski is that he’s expensive. DraftKings has him priced at $7,100. That’s a price per point of $420.12, which is very expensive. In an instance like this, spending this much can be worthwhile, but only if there is a promise of a greater reward. In this instance, there isn’t. The Patriots are taking on the Chargers. While they might have an average defense, they are currently ranked 2nd overall in the NFL when it comes to limiting fantasy points from TEs. Gronk is an innovator at the position, but drafting him this weekend will be a very risky move without much promise of a payoff.
Hunter Henry: Henry is not a well known name, but he’s currently a top five ranked TE. He has a price tag of $4,800, and is averaging 9.0 fantasy points per game, for a price per point average of $533.33. That’s even more expensive than Gronkowski. And with the Chargers playing the Patriots this weekend, drafting Henry might seem counterintuitive. But, you need to remember that two opposing teams can both have strong offensive fantasy numbers—it’s the opposing defense that will play a role in stopping the offense. And the New England defense is very weak against TEs, currently ranking #29 in the NFL. Henry has become a favorite target for QB Rivers, and has even recorded a couple touchdowns. We should expect him to be used heavily on Sunday.
Start: Henry
Sit: Gronkowski
