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Let's discuss the top options for the Sunday-Monday slate of games on DraftKings and take an in-depth look at the best options for each position...
Quarterback
All signs point to J.T. Barrett ($9,300) as Ohio State’s starting quarterback against Virginia Tech. Barrett carries a high price tag, but is as close to a “must-play” as there is on this slate. He is the top quarterback option despite his price tag. Barrett puts up big points both as a runner and a passer and with Virginia Tech likely to crowd the line, he will be asked to take a lot of deep shots in the passing game. Michael Birdsong ($6,600) of Marshall is the other quarterback who should be on most rosters and makes for a strong option. He is only slightly more expensive than Austin Appleby and Michael Brewer (the only two remaining options on the slate) but should out-produce both by a decent margin. Birdsong is a transfer who had to sit out last season after starting 12 games for FCS program James Madison in 2013. He’s a monster at 6’5” 242 pounds but he rushed for 310 yards and 3 touchdowns in his final year at James Madison, so he’s not a statue in the pocket despite his size.
Running Back
Assuming you’ve rostered Barrett, it’s difficult to fit both of the top rushing options onto your roster, so you’ll likely have to pick just one between Devon Johnson ($9,500) of Marshall and Ezekiel Elliott ($7,900) of Ohio State. You can go with both, but it forces you to go almost exclusively with minimum salary options at WR and Flex. It’s definitely doable with a lot of inexpensive options at wide receiver, but it’s easier to pick just one and have some money left over to roster some top receivers and one or more of the other starting runners. If deciding between the two, Johnson is likely to be less owned which may make him a slightly better play in GPPs. With most of a talented offensive line returning, Marshall should have success on the ground against Purdue. Elliott’s lower price and receiving ability makes him the best cash game option just slightly over Johnson. He’s also a scary guy to fade in GPPs because we know he’s capable of huge performances and the Buckeyes also return nearly their entire offensive line from last season.
Beyond the top two, D.J. Knox ($5,000) of Purdue is the next best option. He should average around four catches per game over the course of the season, which is a nice boost to his value on DraftKings. J.C. Coleman ($4,000) of Virginia Tech is also a decent option on the small slate. He averaged just less than 100 yards per game down the stretch for the Hokies and he’s priced right. But he also faces a stingy Buckeye run defense and may cede goal line carries to Trey Edmunds. Curtis Samuel ($4,000) is a sneaky option at RB and should provide good value. He was the Buckeyes backup runner last season as a true freshman but has transitioned to more of a hybrid RB/WR role this season and should see plenty of touches as he splits time with Braxton Miller.
Wide Receiver/Flex
While most will have similar lineups at QB and RB on the small slate, the Wide Receiver position is wide-open with plenty of interchangeable options that should add a lot of roster diversity. It makes the most sense to break down the many options by team, so let’s take a close look at each of the four rosters:
Ohio State
The one must-play option is Michael Thomas ($4,900) for Ohio State. He will see plenty of stud corner Kendall Fuller but the Buckeyes have to give Thomas plenty of opportunities. Ohio State was set to return five experienced wide receivers for 2015, but three are suspended (Jalin Marshall, Diontre Wilson and Corey Smith) and one was lost recently to a season-ending injury (Noah Brown). Aside from Thomas, all of the Buckeyes’ wideouts are either seeing their first collegiate action or are new to the position of wide receiver.
Braxton Miller ($4,400) will likely be heavily owned and is a solid option. He should receive some snaps as a “Wildcat QB” in addition to getting touches on plays designed to get him in space, so he has real upside. But remember he is making the tough transition to wide receiver and is far from a finished product, so he may not have the immediate impact most are expecting. Freshman Parris Campbell ($3,000) is an interesting option because the Buckeyes have to throw it to somebody and with most of their top options behind Thomas suspended, the team is looking for one of the inexperienced candidates to step up. Campbell is one of the most likely and is blazing fast (big-play ability that is key for GPPs) but it’s pretty wide open and it’s tough to trust Campbell at this point. The other youngster (and lonshot GPP option) with a real chance to make an impact for OSU is Johnnie Dixon ($3,000) as he should get a couple opportunities to run deep routes against single coverage and might be able to haul in a couple long grabs. TE Nick Vannett ($3,000) is a talented pass catcher and could also be a beneficiary of the WR suspensions. At a minimum-price, his decent odds of finding the end zone make him a decent play given the limited option.
Purdue
Next to Thomas, the second safest bet at the position is Danny Anthrop ($4,600). Anthrop was the top wide receiver for the Boilermakers in 2014 and should have an even better 2015 season. He averaged 9.9 yards per target and was a big-play threat putting up 616 yards on only 38 receptions. DeAngelo Yancey ($3,100) has had a strong camp and should have a bounce-back season as a starter for the Boilermakers outside. Domonique Young ($3,000) is a JUCO transfer who has created buzz in camp and is an interesting (but very risky) long shot GPP play.
Marshall
Senior WR Davonte Allen ($5,800) is the top returning pass-catcher. He averaged just under 25 yards per reception in 2014 on only 22 receptions (in 6 games) and with top 2014 WR Tommy Shuler (and his 92 receptions) having graduated, Allen should see more targets in 2015. Allen should be the top option for Marshall and his price tag is not prohibitive. Shuler grabbed his 92 catches from the slot and the Thundering Herd and Hyleck Foster ($3,200) is the favorite to take over that role. Foster is a former running back who could put up big run after the catch numbers and is a decent GPP option at his price. Deontay McManus ($3,600) is the second outside starter across from Davonte Allen and is a relatively safe play for cash games.
Virginia Tech
The Hokies’ top option in the passing game should be sophomore WR/TE Bucky Hodges ($3,300). He is a 6’5” freak-of-nature who the Hokies list as a tight end, but he will move around to try to create favorable matchups and serves as the de facto 3rd Wide Receiver. The Hokies also have a more traditional TE in Ryan Malleck ($3,200) who had 6 catches against the Buckeyes last season. The Hokies’ top two outside options are Isaiah Ford ($4,000) and Cam Phillips ($3,500). The Hokies have a real lack of depth behind their top four pass catchers, which makes each of the top four attractive options in both GPP and cash game formats. Hodges and Phillips would rank as my top two (in order), but any of the four are nice values at their low prices.
Sample Lineup
Barrett, Birdsong, Elliott, Knox, Thomas, Hodges, Ford, Samuel, Anthrop
