This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.
These are my favorite DraftKings tournament plays for Week 4, picking strictly from the main Sunday slate that starts with the 1 PM ET games and concludes with the late-afternoon games. The slate typically includes the SNF game, but that isn't the case this week. 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
Trevor Siemian, DEN (vs. OAK), $5,200 - While not exactly consistent, Siemian has at least proven capable of exploiting favorable matchups, accounting for three or more touchdowns (and topping 23 DK points) in four of his 17 NFL starts. Two of those outings occurred in Weeks 1 and 2 this season, but he then took a major step back last weekend in Buffalo in his first road game of the year. Headed back to Denver to face an Oakland defense that's managed just six sacks while surrendering 8.3 yards per pass attempt, Siemian is the best bet of the week among quarterbacks to match the production (15-16 DK points) that's expected at his price. Given that he was competent while playing behind a terrible offensive line last season, Siemian could establish himself as a league-average starter (or better) now that he actually has protection.
Other options: Tom Brady, NE (vs. CAR), $8,000; Dak Prescott, DAL (vs. LAR), $6,200; Carson Palmer, ARI (vs. SF), $6,100; Jameis Winston, TB (vs. NYG), $5,900; Eli Manning, NYG (at TB), $5,700; Tyrod Taylor, BUF (at ATL), $5,300; Deshaun Watson, HOU (vs. TEN), $5,100
Running Back
Ezekiel Elliott, DAL (vs. LAR), $8,200 - Elliott's dud Week 2 in Denver drew a lot of negative attention, and yet he didn't get much credit for surviving tough matchups Week 1 against the Giants and Week 3 against the Cardinals. He finally draws his first favorable opponent of the season, facing a Rams defense that's given up 4.3 yards per carry and six rushing touchdowns. Elliott played at least 81 percent of offensive snaps in each of the Cowboys' first three games, topping out at 92 percent (25 touches) in Monday's 28-17 win over the Cardinals. With the Cowboys favored by six in a game projected for 48 points, Elliott has a clear path to 20-plus touches and at least one touchdown.
Dalvin Cook, MIN (vs. DET), $6,500 - The pricing on DraftKings this season has encouraged me to pay up at running back while looking for savings at other positions, and that once again seems to be the plan this week. Cook actually isn't prohibitively expensive by this year's pricing standards, ranking just 10th among the 24 lead backs on the main slate. Running behind a vastly improved Minnesota offensive line, Cook sits second in the NFL in rushing yards (288) and third in attempts (61), with his four runs of 20-plus yards trailing only Kareem Hunt's five. His snap share (70 percent) isn't at the Zeke Elliott-Le'Veon Bell level, but the rookie has nonetheless drawn 13 targets and handled two of his team's three carries from inside the 5-yard line (fullback C.J. Ham got the other). Cook figures to pick up right where Atlanta's Devonta Freeman left off last week, facing a Detroit front seven that was badly exposed in its first matchup with a competent rushing attack.
Other options: Todd Gurley, LAR (at DAL), $7,800; Joe Mixon, CIN (at CLE), $5,700; C.J. Anderson, DEN (vs. OAK), $5,600; Duke Johnson, CLE (vs. CIN), $4,500; Lamar Miller, HOU (vs. TEN), $4,500; Jacquizz Rodgers, TB (vs. NYG), $4,400; Wendell Smallwood, PHI (at LAC), $4,100
Wide Receiver
Demaryius Thomas, DEN (vs. OAK), $6,300 - I've almost always favored Emmanuel Sanders ($6,100) over Thomas, but the current price gap is small enough that I'd be happy to make a case for either Denver wideout. Following three straight games with at least five catches, eight targets and 67 receiving yards, Thomas finally draws the kind of premium matchup that should allow him to score his first touchdown of the season while also pushing for triple-digit yards. The Raiders haven't surrendered big numbers to wide receivers, but they have allowed a whopping 8.3 yards per pass attempt and a 112.0 opponent passer rating. Now facing a passing game that's highly dependent on its top two wideouts, Oakland's mediocre cornerback group figures to be truly exposed for the first time this season.
Larry Fitzgerald, ARI (vs. SF), $6,100 - Coming off a huge MNF performance that isn't baked into his price, Fitzgerald ranks third in the NFL in targets (34) and receptions (22) and 11th in receiving yards (244). He's a legitimate candidate to lead the league in the first two categories, as the Cardinals don't have a rushing game without David Johnson (wrist) and also don't have any reliable outside receivers. The lack of offensive diversity figures to be a major issue in tougher matchups, but Fitzgerald and Palmer should get by just fine in a home game against the 49ers. Stuck with subpar corners and playing without starting safety Eric Reid (knee), the Niners don't have an obvious means to correct the issues that allowed Jared Goff to put up 10.4 yards per attempt and three touchdowns in Week 3.
Rishard Matthews, TEN (at HOU), $4,900 - With Corey Davis (knee) absent and Eric Decker struggling, the Tennessee offense is right back where we found it last season, relying on Matthews, Delanie Walker and a strong rushing attack. That actually isn't such a bad thing, considering the Titans ranked 11th in yards and 14th in points last year. Matthews took advantage of Decker's absence last week with six catches for 87 yards and a touchdown, marking the fourth time in the past 11 games he's topped 20 DK points. He'll have a decent chance to hit the mark again this weekend against a Houston defense with mediocre cornerbacks. Matthews is my favorite play of the week — he's unlikely to disappoint and nobody will be shocked if he returns 5x (24.5 DK points) on his price.
Other options: Odell Beckham, NYG (at TB), $8,900; Julio Jones, ATL (vs. BUF), $8,800; A.J. Green, CIN (at CLE), $8,600; Brandin Cooks, NE (vs. CAR), $7,600; Keenan Allen, LAC (vs. PHI), $7,200; Dez Bryant, DAL (vs. LAR), $6,500; DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (vs. TEN), $6,400; Golden Tate, DET (at MIN), $6,300; Emmanuel Sanders, DEN (vs. OAK), $6,100; Sammy Watkins, LAR (at DAL), $5,900; Jeremy Maclin, BAL (vs. PIT), $4,500; Marqise Lee, JAC (at NYJ), $4,500; Tyrell Williams, LAC (vs. PHI), $4,400; Jordan Matthews, BUF (at ATL), $3,900; Torrey Smith, PHI (at LAC), $3,700; Marquise Goodwin, SF (at ARI), $3,500
Tight End
Evan Engram, NYG (at TB), $3,000 - Engram met or outperformed this price tag in his first three NFL games, catching either four or five passes for 44-to-49 yards. He played at least 76.8 percent of offensive snaps in each of those games and is coming off back-to-back weeks with seven targets. Engram now gets to face a Tampa Bay defense that likely will be missing top linebackers Lavonte David (ankle) and Kwon Alexander (hamstring) as well as safety T.J. Ward (hip). With stud defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (ankle) also banged up, the Tampa defense appears to be in trouble again after getting picked apart by Case Keenum last week. Don't be fooled by the Bucs' No. 1 rating against tight ends on DraftKings — they've only played two games and faced the punch-less Chicago passing attack in one of those.
Other options: Rob Gronkowski, NE (vs. CAR), $6,600; Delanie Walker, TEN (at HOU), $4,900; Charles Clay, BUF (at ATL), $3,700; Jared Cook, OAK (at DEN), $3,400; Austin Seferian-Jenkins, NYJ (vs. JAC), $3,000
D/ST
Cowboys (vs. LAR), $2,500 - The Cardinals ($3,200) are also a excellent option, but I prefer to go even cheaper with my D/ST unit when possible. Nobody will mistake the Dallas defense for a powerhouse, but I'm also not quite ready to buy the Rams offense as being anything better than league-average. The Vegas bookmakers seem to agree, listing the Cowboys as six-point favorites in a game with an over/under of 48. That gives the Rams an implied total of 21 points, which falls a bit below the middle of the pack for this week. I'll be stacking the Dallas defense with Ezekiel Elliott in many of my lineups, targeting a scenario in which the Cowboys jump out to a lead and force Jared Goff to take some chances. Goff has been effective throwing downfield so far, but his success came against the Indianapolis and San Francisco defenses.
Other options: Jaguars (at NYJ), $3,600; Bengals (at CLE), $3,500; Ravens (vs. PIT), $3,000; Jets (vs. JAC), $2,600; Chargers (vs. PHI), $2,500
