This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.
Here are my favorite DraftKings tournament plays for Week 10, picking from the main slate that only includes games on Sunday afternoon. The focus here is on value more so than projected ownership, but it's still a nice bonus if a player doesn't figure to be a popular choice.
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins, WAS (vs. MIN), $5,900 - This is the first time all season that no quarterback has truly stood out to me as an excellent play. Matthew Stafford is the obvious pick, but I'm no fan of selecting a player when his price and ownership spike at the same time. My other gut reaction was to roll with Dak Prescott for a third time in four weeks, but the more sensible part of my brain told me that it doesn't make sense to pay a premium at a position when you don't feel great about any of the options. While guys like Eli Manning and Ryan Fitzpatrick are reasonable choices in favorable matchups, I prefer to pay a little bit more for a superior talent like Cousins or Marcus Mariota in a sub-optimal matchup. Cousins was a disappointment the past two weeks, but he's been a solid QB1 in season-long leagues since the beginning of 2015, and he averaged 27.5 DK points over a four-game stretch in Weeks 3-7. There's also a decent chance Jamison Crowder (hamstring) and/or Jordan Reed (hamstring) will return this week against a Minnesota defense that hasn't faced a real challenge since Week 4.
Other options: Dak Prescott, DAL (at ATL), $7,300; Matthew Stafford, DET (vs. CLE), $6,800; Josh McCown, NYJ (at TB), $6,100; Marcus Mariota, TEN (vs. CIN), $5,800; Andy Dalton, CIN (at TEN), $5,300; Eli Manning, NYG (at SF), $5,100; Ryan Fitzpatrick, TB (vs. NYJ), $4,900
Running Back
Todd Gurley, LAR (vs. HOU), $8,700 - Gurley occupies this space for a second straight week, after topping 20 DK points for a sixth time in eight tries this year during last week's blowout win in New York. The Texans lead the league in limiting running back production on DraftKings, but it's only a matter of time before that changes, as they haven't faced a real rushing attack (only Cleveland, Seattle and Indy) since losing J.J. Watt (leg) and Whitney Mercilus (pectoral) to season-ending injuries. With the Rams favored by 11 points while boasting the highest implied total (28.25) of the week, Gurley should push for 20-25 touches and has a decent shot to notch his fourth multi-score game this season. Lance Dunbar (knee) could eventually threaten some of Gurley's receiving workload, but it's not a major concern just yet.
Carlos Hyde, SF (vs. NYG), $6,300 - Thanks to his newfound receiving prowess, Hyde is averaging 15.9 DK points per game despite finding himself on pace for modest totals of 878 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He caught at least three passes in eight of the 49ers' first nine games, culminating with last week's effort of nine receptions for 84 yards in a 20-10 loss to the Cardinals. While it wouldn't be wise to expect a repeat, Hyde should be good for another four or five catches, and he'll likely be more productive on the ground against an injury-riddled New York Giants front seven. There's little question the 49ers will feed him, as they don't have any other choice in the absence of top wideout Pierre Garcon (neck) and top tight end George Kittle (leg). My preferences at other positions make it easy enough to fit both Gurley and Hyde into lineups this week, but I do need to mention that Bilal Powell will replace Hyde as my preferred RB2 if Matt Forte (knee) is ruled out against the Bucs. Powell averaged 22.2 touches and 133.7 scrimmage yards in the three games Forte has missed since joining the Jets last offseason. It's a good week to use a running back in the flex spot.
Other options: Leonard Fournette, JAX (vs. LAC), $8,400; LeSean McCoy, BUF (vs. NO), $8,400; Melvin Gordon, LAC (at JAX), $7,200; Jordan Howard, CHI (vs. GB), $6,100; Lamar Miller, HOU (at LAR), $5,200; Bilal Powell, NYJ (at TB), $4,000; Duke Johnson, CLE (at DET), $4,100
Wide Receiver
Sterling Shepard, NYG (at SF), $5,500 - Making his first appearance since Odell Beckham (ankle) and Brandon Marshall (ankle) were lost for the season, Shepard accounted for a quarter of Eli Manning's pass attempts in a 51-17 loss to the Rams, catching five of nine targets for 70 yards. The second-year wideout figures to draw similar volume this weekend against a 49ers defense that starts arguably the worst group of cornerbacks in the NFL. The Niners have been more generous to running backs than to wideouts from a fantasy perspective, but that's largely a result of trailing for most of the season, which has caused them to be the only team in the league to face more rushes (314) than pass attempts (303). In terms of efficiency, the San Francisco defense actually ranks 14th in yards per carry (3.9) and 25th in yards per pass attempt (7.6), with opposing wideouts producing a solid mark of 8.1 yards per target. With the 49ers only listed as 2.5-point underdogs this week, the Giants likely will need to stay in attack mode deep into the second half.
Corey Davis, TEN (vs. CIN), $4,000 - The matchup suggests we may be a week or two early, but it's a risk worth taking in DFS tournaments, though perhaps not quite yet in starting lineups for season-long leagues. The No. 5 overall pick in this year's draft is primed for a late-season breakout, having already supplanted a struggling Eric Decker as the Titans' No. 2 receiver. Making his first appearance since Week 2, the rookie handled a 75 percent snap share in Sunday's 23-20 win over the Ravens, falling just behind Rishard Matthews (81 percent) and far ahead of Decker (44 percent). Head coach Mike Mularkey then said Wednesday that he expects Davis' snap count to increase moving forward. As an elite talent with the chance to claim the No. 1 wideout role in a solid offense, Davis could be a DK lineup staple for the next few weeks. He's also worth an add in season-long leagues wherever he's still available.
Other options: A.J. Green, CIN (at TEN), $7,700; Marvin Jones, DET (vs. CLE), $6,200; Robby Anderson, NYJ (at TB), $5,200; DeSean Jackson, TB (vs. NYJ), $4,900; Allen Hurns, JAX (vs. LAC), $3,900; Marquise Goodwin, SF (vs. NYG), $3,800; Adam Humphries, TB (vs. NYJ), $3,100
Tight End
Austin Hooper, ATL (vs. DAL), $3,000 - Tight end is the second position where I find myself grasping at straws this week, unwilling to pay all the way up for Evan Engram ($6,200) and wary of all the other options above $4,000. Vernon Davis will be the sensible stacking partner for Cousins if Jordan Reed (hamstring) doesn't play, but that's not something which can be assumed as of Friday morning. As is the case at quarterback, my lack of confidence leads me toward a talented player with an affordable price tag. Hooper's recent usage also is encouraging, as he started the season with only six targets in three games but has now drawn 29 looks in his past five contests, including six or more in four of those.
Other options: Vernon Davis, WAS (vs. MIN), $4,700; Kyle Rudolph, MIN (at WAS), $4,600; Jason Witten, DAL (at ATL), $4,400; Charles Clay, BUF (vs. NO), $4,200; Hunter Henry, LAC (at JAX), $3,900; Tyler Kroft, CIN (at TEN), $3,600; Garrett Celek, SF (vs. NYG), $2,500
D/ST
Los Angeles Rams (vs. HOU), $3,600 - Tom Savage was even worse than expected last week, completing 43.2 percent of his passes for 5.0 yards per attempt in a home game against one of the worst pass defenses (Indianapolis) in the league. He'll now head on the road as an 11-point underdog against a Rams defense that produced 11 or more DK points in each of its last three games. I'll happily pay a premium for the combined safety and upside of a Gurley-Rams stack, as it isn't too difficult to find savings elsewhere this week.
Other options: Detroit Lions (vs. CLE), $3,800; Chicago Bears (vs. GB), $3,000; New York Jets (at TB), $2,800
