This weekly article will focus on Fanduel.com cash games where being above-average is the phrase that pays. With tournaments and low-probability setups, a unique lineup and making bold decisions make for a quality entry. With cash games, the mantra shifts to ‘avoiding the suck’ as the annual David Dodds strategy article outlines. In a 100-player Double-Up game, finishing No.1 or No.45 pays the same. Cash games like this are the mutual funds of daily fantasy games: grind week by week and end the season with a hearty profit, minimizing the risk of losing a bankroll along the way. At a minimum, playing cash games round out a high-variance daily player’s portfolio.
Here are some general player selection guidelines:
High-Ownership Players
The beautiful thing about the regular slate of Thursday games is opportunity to see a sampling of the ownership rates for weekend players. In high-leverage tournaments, having a few common players is not a preferred strategy. Here in 50/50 and Double-Up land, it is a strong play. Players owned by at least 20% of the teams indicate they are universally-coveted and strong plays to finish with a positive value-to-cost ratio.
High-Volume Players
A rogue long touchdown or goal line carry can propel a tournament player to victory on Monday Night Football, going from a donated entry fee to a big pay day. In the cash games arena, an insulated floor of expected targets, carries, and passes keeps daily players in the hunt by Sunday and Monday night. While the top overall score in the group is unlikely, being above the cash out line is a positive expected value scenario.
Best Matchups
In addition to high-ownership and high-volume opportunities, the best cash game plays center around the best matchups of the week. That is a two-fold proposition as the Vegas lines (point spread and over/under) give an indication of likely game flow and fantasy points allowed can turn typical middling options into top value plays. When combining high-ownership, high-volume, and positive matchups, the optimal plays for the week reveal themselves.
Digging through a nearly 5,000 entries between two Double-Up contests that closed Thursday night, here are the most-owned FanDuel players at each position this week:
*Players on at least 10% of teams included, salary following player name, best matchup indicates top tier in positional points allowed by opponent*
Quarterbacks
- 19% - Kirk Cousins, 8100
- 18% - Philip Rivers, 8400 *Best Matchup*
- 18% - Drew Brees, 9200
Running Backs
- 37% - Donald Brown, 6300 *Best Matchup*
- 25% - LeVeon Bell, 8800
- 19% - Rashad Jennings, 7300
- 18% - Lamar Miller, 6900
- 16% - DeMarco Murray, 9000
- 12% - Alfred Morris, 7600
- 12% - Ahmad Bradshaw, 6100
- 12% - Matt Forte, 8600
Wide Receivers
- 30% - Antonio Brown, 8400 *Best Matchup*
- 23% - Pierre Garcon, 7300
- 20% - Julian Edelman, 7200
- 19% - Julio Jones, 9100
- 18% - Steve Smith, 6100
- 14% - Brandin Cooks, 6200
- 13% - Jordy Nelson, 8300
- 13% - Golden Tate, 5500 *Best Matchup*
- 12% - Michael Crabtree, 7000 *Best Matchup*
- 11% - Victor Cruz, 6900
Tight Ends
- 27% - Jimmy Graham, 8200 *Best Matchup*
- 19% - Niles Paul, 5100
- 12% - Antonio Gates, 5800 *Best Matchup*
- 10% - Martellus Bennett, 6000
Kickers
- 28% - Shayne Graham, 4500
- 17% - Robbie Gould, 4600
Defenses
- 23% - San Diego, 5300 *Best Matchup*
- 20% - Pittsburgh, 4900 *Best Matchup*
- 16% - Detroit, 4700
- 10% - Washington, 4500
Most Common Lineup
*Excluding Thursday Night Players*
- Philip Rivers
- Donald Brown
- Lamar Miller
- Antonio Brown
- Steve Smith
- Golden Tate
- Jimmy Graham
- Shayne Graham
- San Diego
