This article is part of our King for a Day series.
Week 10 should be a fun one over at DraftKings, with no shortage of affordable wide receivers in a PPR scoring format. It may take a few extra points to get into the money, but there's every opportunity to put together that monster lineup we're all looking for.
Here are my favorite players for Week 10 on DraftKings…
Quarterbacks
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (at NYJ), $7500 – Coming off the NFL's first ever occurrence of back-to-back six-touchdown games, Roethlisberger carries a reasonable price because of his modest early-season production. I expect Sunday to look more like the last two weeks than the preceding seven, as the New York secondary is bad beyond description. The only drawback is that Big Ben will surely be a popular choice, even in a week with tons of good quarterback options.
Mark Sanchez, PHI (vs. CAR), $5400 – As you might expect, this choice is more about Philadelphia's fast pace and Carolina's weak defense than Sanchez himself. Pre-injury, Nick Foles was on pace for the third-most pass attempts in a single season in NFL history, which made him a solid fantasy option in an inefficient season. Whether there's a drop-off from 2014 Foles to Sanchez remains to be seen, but even if there is, the former Jet makes for a strong play. He could easily record 40-plus pass attempts against a defense that has mostly been awful this season.
Other options:Aaron Rodgers, GB (vs. CHI), $9400; Colin Kaepernick, SF (at NO), $7300; Russell Wilson, SEA (vs. NYG), $7000; Cam Newton, CAR (at PHI), $6600; Matt Ryan, ATL (at TB), $6300; Josh McCown, TB (vs. ATL), $5000
Notes: I'm loving the options at quarterback this week, and none is safer than Rodgers, who also offers a ton of upside against the porous Chicago defense. Kaepernick is once again a risky play, but he's facing a soft defense in a matchup that may force the 49ers to abandon the run. Wilson still offers an odd combination of a very low floor and very high ceiling, so use him accordingly in GPPs. I'm not in any way a fan of the Carolina offense, but Newton and his receivers should benefit from volume against the Eagles. Ryan is now cheap enough to use in this absolute disaster of a season (sound familiar?) for the Falcons. McCown carries the minimum price into a favorable matchup, but man did he look awful earlier this year, and that's coming from someone who can't stand to watch Mike Glennon's style of play.
Running Backs
Ronnie Hillman, DEN (at OAK), $6100 – The potential return of Montee Ball isn't enough to steer me away from Hillman in a week with limited options at running back, as Ball himself said that he doesn't expect to be the starter when he returns. Hillman has been surprisingly consistent over the last four games, recording at least 17.6 DraftKings points in each contest, with two performances north of 25. While the Oakland run defense isn't as bad as you might think, Hillman should see plenty of work, and he figures to catch at least a couple of passes. And, with the Broncos a good bet to top 30 points, Hillman will likely find the end zone.
LeSean McCoy, PHI (vs. CAR), $5600 – I like McCoy best of all the running backs this week, and it isn't even close. He oddly hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 2, but with the Philadelphia running game rejuvenated the last few weeks, it won't be surprising if the streak comes to an end. Facing a porous Panthers defense, Shady is a good bet to pick up that 100-yard bonus. Just make sure to keep an eye on his health, as he missed Wednesday's practice because of an illness.
Other options:Le'Veon Bell, PIT (at NYJ), $7000; Marshawn Lynch, SEA (vs. NYG), $6700; Jamaal Charles, KC (at BUF) $6400; Bobby Rainey, TB (vs. ATL), $4400
Notes: Let's just say that I'm not expecting to get a good return on my dollar at running back this week. We still have to fill out the two spots, and Bell's excellent work as a receiver makes him dangerous in any matchup. Lynch is coming off a huge game, and he's a strong candidate to score a couple of short touchdowns again. While there's no sugarcoating Charles' matchup, the price tag leaves him as a more than viable play. The expected debut of Charles Sims has me worried that Rainey won't catch any passes, but 100 rushing yards and a touchdown would come as no surprise against Atlanta's horrid front seven.
Wide Receivers
A.J. Green, CIN (vs. CLE), $6000 – Green looked healthy in his return to action Sunday, and he wasn't listed on the Week 10 injury report. I probably don't need to convince you that he's likely to provide a strong return at this price, as he would typically cost more than $7000. Just remember that he'll be an incredibly popular choice in Thursday contests, as the TNF players are always overused, and the value here is obvious.
Jordy Nelson, GB (vs. CHI), $7600 – Nelson torched the Bears for a 10-108-2 receiving line last time around, and I won't be surprised if he turns in something similar come Sunday. The Chicago defense is quite obviously bad, and the Packers figure to rebound in a big way from an ugly Week 8 loss to the Saints, after enjoying a Week 9 bye. Though a bit less prolific in recent weeks, Nelson is on pace for a 100-1,474-12 receiving line. I think he'll actually beat that pace, as his targets have been rather plentiful this year.
Julio Jones, ATL (at TB), $6600 – Julio Jones at $6600 against the team that's allowing the most DraftKings points to wide receivers this season? Sign me up. Sure, Jones and the entire Atlanta offense are slumping in a dreadful season, but the combination of matchup, talent and price is just too good to resist. Though it seems like years ago, Jones pillaged the Bucs for a 9-161-2 receiving line in Week 3.
Kelvin Benjamin, CAR (at PHI), $4200 – Benjamin's star has undoubtedly faded amidst a flurry of dropped passes, poorly run routes and overthrown balls. It probably would have been best to ease him into the NFL as a No. 2 wide receiver, but with the Panthers having no such luxury, the rookie will continue to see an onslaught of targets. That should be the case to an even greater extent this week, as the Eagles sport a fast-paced offense and leaky secondary. With the Panthers likely to be playing from behind in a game with plenty of snaps, Benjamin is a decent bet for double-digit targets.
Other options:Antonio Brown, PIT (at NYJ), $8700; Randall Cobb, GB (vs. CHI), $7400; Dez Bryant, DAL (at JAX), $6400; Brandon Marshall, CHI (at GB), $5600; Odell Beckham, NYG (at SEA), $4800; Brandin Cooks, NO (vs. SF), $4300; Michael Floyd, AZ (vs. STL), $4100; Torrey Smith, BAL (vs. TEN), $3500; Jerricho Cotchery CAR (at PHI), $3000
Notes: Brown may be hard to stomach at that price with so many stud receivers available for less than $8000, but he'll almost surely have yet another big game in a matchup with the leaky New York secondary. The Green Bay passing attack is in for a big game against the hapless Bears defense, with Cobb and his buddy Nelson still gobbling up most of the targets. Brandon Weeden is beyond awful, but Bryant makes for a strong play in London, if Tony Romo (back) can suit up. Though Marshall has been shockingly unproductive this season, he should see plenty of looks in a game that will require much of the Chicago passing game. Beckham is a somewhat risky play in this matchup, but he's fast becoming the centerpiece of New York's passing game, which should be plenty busy come Sunday. Cooks is another risky rookie, though I actually like the matchup against San Francisco for his skill set. Floyd is eventually going to do something, and when that happens, he'll provide a massive pay-off at his bargain-bin price. Smith has cost himself a lot of money in a contract season, but the Ravens at least continue to feed him deep balls. With Cotchery, you can't expect too much, but he's the clear No. 3 option in a Carolina passing attack that should be busy.
Tight End
Jimmy Graham, NO (vs. SF), $6300 – I'm kind of getting sick of writing about Graham, but at this price in a Gronk-less week, the Saints' superstar tight end will be in plenty of my lineups. I expect New Orleans' massive home-field advantage to make up for a tough matchup, and Graham proved his health the last two weeks by averaging a 6-71-1 receiving line. This time around, I'm looking for him to go north of 100 yards, and he's always a good bet to find the end zone.
Other options:Greg Olsen, CAR (at PHI), $5000; Julius Thomas, DEN (at OAK), $4900; Owen Daniels, BAL (vs. TEN), $3300
Notes: Olsen carries the right combination of price and role, as he's a key part of what should be a very busy Carolina passing game. Thomas is producing insane fantasy numbers on a per-target basis for the second straight season, and while getting those targets is an issue, he offers ridiculous upside at this price. Daniels remains undervalued, as his big role in the Baltimore offense surprisingly hasn't resulted in many touchdowns.
Team D/ST
Seattle Seahawks vs. NYG, $3000 – Another holdover from last week's article, the Seahawks were one of my few plays that actually came through in an ugly Week 9. I'm not including them as a measure of thanks, but rather because they're an elite (yes, still) defensive team carrying a reasonable price into a plus matchup at home. I'm not really sure why they don't cost more, but I do know that Big Blue's offense is in for a long day at CenturyLink.
Other options:Denver Broncos (at OAK), $3300; Baltimore Ravens (vs. TEN), $3200; Miami Dolphins (at DET), $3100; Green Bay Packers (vs. CHI), $3000; Detroit Lions (vs. MIA), $2900
Notes: The Broncos may have struggled last week, but there's really nothing wrong with this defense, and the Raiders are among the league's friendliest matchups. The Ravens are also coming off a rancid performance, but they should get by fine with a weak secondary, in a home game against the feeble Tennessee offense. The Dolphins are arguably the best defensive team in the league, and Detroit doesn't sport a great offense, even with a healthy Calvin Johnson. While the Packers will surely give up some points and yards, they have Jay Cutler's number when it comes to piling up turnovers. The Lions also have an argument to be viewed as the best defensive team in the league, and while Miami's offensive improvement can't be ignored, the Phins probably aren't the juggernaut that we've seen in recent weeks.
