FantasyDraft NFL: Week 14 Value Plays

FantasyDraft NFL: Week 14 Value Plays

This article is part of our FantasyDraft NFL series.

Welcome to our introduction of FantasyDraft, the newest daily fantasy website, which just launched out of beta this week. FantasyDraft has a sleek design, updated prices and all the information you could ask for, provided by RotoWire.

Users have a salary cap of $100,000 to select a lineup comprised of a quarterback, two running backs, two receivers, a tight end, one FLEX spot, a kicker and a defense. The scoring is standard point-per-reception.

Each week, RotoWire will provide picks and values for your FantasyDraft lineups.

Without further ado, here are our fantasy football values and picks for Week 14 on FantasyDraft. This will include a top-tier option at each position (star), a value play at each position (value), and a cheap play (punt) at each position.

Quarterback

Star: Aaron Rodgers $18,200

What more can be said about the Green Bay Packers' superstar quarterback? Rodgers is averaging 27.09 fantasy points per game at home this season, and he has thrown less than two touchdowns just once. The Packers will take on and Atlanta defense that has allowed the second-most passing yards in the league. Rodgers is the most expensive player on FantasyDraft, but he's well worth the price given his solid matchup at home.

Punt: Teddy Bridgewater $7,500

The minimum price at quarterback on FantasyDraft is $7,500, which means if you pick the rest of your lineup and punt at quarterback, Bridgewater is your guy. Taking a quarterback at the minimum gives you the opportunity to add more expensive players at other positions. The Vikings face a Jets defense that has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. It's not often that a player with a minimum price has a high floor, but with the Jets giving up two or more passing touchdowns in all but two games this season, Bridgewater is an excellent punt option with little risk.

Running Back

Star: Arian Foster $14,000

Among the top backs on FantasyDraft, Foster is the best bet. Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell is right up there with Foster, but Foster's matchup gives him the edge. The Jaguars are allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season. Jacksonville has allowed 72 catches to opposing backs, which is the most in the NFL. Remember, FantasyDraft is a PPR-scoring. Foster has two or more catches in each of his last nine games, and he has scored a touchdown in all but two of those contests.

Value: Carlos Hyde $7,000

While Hyde is listed as a backup on the 49ers' depth chart, he will still see his fair share of carries this weekend. Opposing teams have carried the ball 22 times or more in every game against the Raiders this season, and Hyde has earned 21 carries in the last five games. Starting running back Frank Gore has seen a decrease in carries over the last four games, and he will likely share the workload with the former Ohio State star against Oakland. The Raiders are last in the NFL in allowing fantasy points to running backs, and with Hyde's price at $7,000, he can reach target value with 40 yards and a touchdown. Hyde is more of a GPP play, but he is worth the value at $7,000.

Punt: Marion Grice $6,000

Keep a close eye on the Cardinals' inactive list this weekend, as Grice would become an excellent punt play if Andre Ellingtion (hip) is sidelined. Grice is priced at $6,000, which is the minimum for a running back on FantasyDraft. Aside from the discounted salary, his matchup against the Chiefs isn't as daunting as it appears on paper. The Chiefs rank in the top third in fantasy points allowed to running backs, but they have given up 54 fantasy points to opposing backs in the last two weeks. Keep in mind that Grice would receive a few catches as well, as he caught three passes in relief last week, which gives him value in FantasyDraft's PPR scoring.

Wide Receiver

Star: Dez Bryant $15,100

On FantasyDraft, there is enough cap room to add at least one top-tier receiver each week. sTthe tough part is deciding which elite receiver to use. This week, it's Bryant against the Bears. The Bears have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, including eight touchdowns in the last six games. Bryant will likely line up against Kyle Fuller, who has allowed 45 catches on 73 targets for 563 yards and five touchdowns in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus. Since Fuller broke his hand in Week 7, he has been struggling, not registering a single positive grade in coverage.

In addition, the Bears have allowed 55 catches to opposing wide receivers in the last four games, and Bryant has just over 27 percent of the Cowboys' receptions this season. That gives him a floor of at least four catches, which is a high floor in a PPR scoring system.

Value/Punt: Stedman Bailey $6,000

Bailey is priced at the minimum on FantasyDraft this weekend. As one of the emerging contributors of the Rams offense, he's a solid value pick with a price tag of a punt play. He has 12 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown over the past two games while playing the majority of the snaps. Bailey will face the Redskins this week, whose top three corners all allow a passer rating of over 108 in coverage. Washington has also allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers, including touchdowns in all but three games this season.

Tight End

Martellus Bennett $12,000

While the top three tight ends (Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, and Julius Thomas) will be the most owned at the position, Bennett has the best matchup. The Bears face a Cowboys defense that has allowed the fourth-most fantasy point to opposing tight ends, In PPR, the Cowboys have held opposing tight ends to single-digit fantasy points just four times, and that was against the Eagles, Jaguars, Seahawks, and Texans. None of the four aforementioned teams have a threat like Bennett at tight end.

Kicker

Connor Barth $7,500

Barth had an incredible first game in Denver, scoring 17 fantasy points and re-establishing the Broncos kicking game as a top option in daily fantasy football. On FantasyDraft, Barth is the lowest-priced starting kicker on the site. He faces the Bills who are one of the only teams to allow at least one field goal attempt in every game this season.

Defense

Minnesota Vikings $4,000

Not only are the Vikings are priced at the minimum this week, but they have one of the top matchups for a defense against the Jets. Opposing defenses have had five weeks of double-digit fantasy points against the Jets, and with Geno Smith starting at quarterback, the Vikings have an excellent chance at reaching value. Smith has 39 interceptions/fumbles in 26 career games.

In addition to turnover potential, the Jets are being sacked at the second-highest rate in the league, per TeamRankings.com. Meanwhile, the Vikings are pressuring the quarterback at an alarming rate with 126 total hurries this season, per ProFootballFocus.com. With the Vikings registering over 10 hurries a game, and the Jets being the second-most sacked team in the NFL, Minnesota is slated to be the top value at defense on the site at just $4,000.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josh Collacchi
Josh previously was a manager at Gambling.com Group and has spent over a decade in the fantasy sports, daily fantasy sports, and legal sports betting industry.
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