LOS ANGELES RAMS VS NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS SINGLE GAME SLATE
This article is a new feature which will break down the single-game slates on DraftKings and FanDuel guiding you which players to play and where to play them.
STRATEGY- CAPTAIN AND MVP POSITIONS
FanDuel-
On FanDuel the pricing of the MVP is the same as if they are not in the MVP position. This limits the strategy as you really want to take the player that you believe is going to score the most points which is often your most expensive player or a player who has the most upside on your roster.
DraftKings-
On DraftKings, the strategy is a little bit more complex as the players are priced at 1.5x their flex position if you play them in the captain position. This creates an intriguing strategy as while the top priced player may score the most points, it often limits you on the rest of your build. Often times, putting in a player who can have a big day but not in the captain spot will allow you to build the rest of your roster with a higher point potential.
PLAYER OVERVIEW-
Tom Brady-$15,900 DraftKings Captain, $10,600 DraftKings Flex, $15,500 FanDuel
Considering Tom Brady in this game is a no brainer as he will be one of the most popular plays of this slate. This postseason he has been fantastic, throwing for 340 yards or more in both of his games and Brady in his last three Super Bowls has been the best player on the field. Over his last three Super Bowls, Brady has averaged 433 yards passing and three touchdowns. Throughout this postseason the Rams front seven has stepped up in a big way shutting down both the Saints and the Cowboys rushing attacks and should have the advantage against the Patriots this week. One thing that has held true for most of the season is that the quarterback is better used at the Flex position on DraftKings, so while it is not a bad play to play Brady at the Captain position on DraftKings, we have often seen the receiver payoff from a big tournament standpoint as each reception is 1.5 plus the yardage that the player sees.
Usable in: DraftKings Captain, DraftKings Flex, FanDuel MVP, FanDuel Flex
Todd Gurley- $13,500 DraftKings Captain, $9,000 DraftKings Flex, $14,000 FanDuel
Playing Gurley is a bit speculative, but people will be off of him simply because of the fear of the split snaps between Gurley and C.J. Anderson. However, with two weeks of rest, it is reasonable to think that Gurley’s health continues to improve and he plays a big role in this game. If you get the Todd Gurley that we saw earlier this season, you’re getting one of the top players in the NFL at a severe discount especially on FanDuel where he is $500 cheaper than Sony Michel.
Usable in: DraftKings Captain, DraftKings Flex, FanDuel MVP, FanDuel Flex
James White- $10,800 DraftKings Captain, $7,200 DraftKings Flex, $12,500 FanDuel
If the Patriots are unable to run the ball, they could look to the same game plan that the Saints used with Alvin Kamara. Kamara caught 11 passes against the Rams who are woeful at the linebacker position but have been dominant over the last two weeks on the defensive line. The Rams held the Cowboys and Saints to just 2.5 yards per carry. If that trend holds, the Patriots may look for quick passes to White as they did against the Chargers where White had 15 receptions as the Chargers defensive ends were continuously focused on just pass rushing and getting to Tom Brady which made for easy check downs into the flat. On FanDuel, White is a bit harder to roster especially at the MVP position where he will just get 0.75 points per catch and there are players with more touchdown upside which is what you are looking for at the FanDuel MVP position.
Usable in: DraftKings Captain, DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex
Rob Gronkowski- $9,000 DraftKings Captain, $6,000 DraftKings Flex, $9,500 FanDuel
There is a lot of speculation that this will be Rob Gronkowski’s last game in the NFL and the matchup may be one of the best that he has had all season. As previously mentioned, the Rams struggle immensely at the linebacker position which has led them to being extremely susceptible to tight ends this season. On the season, seven tight ends have caught more than 50 yards, and five tight ends have gone for 90 or more yards. This is a unit that may shift their focus away from Gronkowski who is not the player that he once was in order to stop the other weapons that the Patriots have. If that happens, we could see Gronkowski with a big game this week.
Usable in: DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex
Tyler Higbee- $3,300 DraftKings Captain, $2,200 DraftKings Flex, $6,500 FanDuel
We all know that Bill Belichick’s game plan typically is to limit your best player. With that, it is reasonable to expect one of the Rams to step up who is under the radar as we saw last year with Corey Clement and Nelson Agholor having big games. Higbee could be that player as the tight end has seen four targets in each of his last two playoff games. Higbee saw 57% of the snaps against the Saints and allows you to spend up at the other positions especially on DraftKings where at just $3,300 or $2,200 he is cheap enough that if he scores a touchdown he will be one of the top values on the board.
Usable in: DraftKings Captain, DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex
Josh Reynolds- $8,100 DraftKings Captain, $5,400 DraftKings Flex, $8,500 FanDuel
Josh Reynolds is another player who is cheap enough especially on FanDuel to potentially have big upside in this game for the Rams. With Belichick’s focus going to be primarily on Gurley, Woods, and Cooks, this should leave Reynolds in plenty of one-on-one matchups that he has shown from time to time can be exploited. Over his last five games, Reynolds has 55 yards or more in three of those games and has had multiple touchdown games twice this season. Reynolds should see a lot of undrafted rookie J.C. Jackson on the outside and if he can get one-on-one coverage with Jackson, this is a matchup that he will be able to exploit in this game. He is one of the best plays on FanDuel at just $8,500 and is cheap enough on DraftKings to put him in play this week.
Usable in: DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex
OTHER PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Jared Goff- $15,000 DraftKings Captain, $10,000 DraftKings Flex, $15,500 FanDuel (too high on FanDuel)
Robert Woods- $11,700 DraftKings Captain, $7,800 DraftKings Flex, $10,500 FanDuel (Better play on FanDuel due to price)
Stephen Gostkowski- $4,800 DraftKings Captain, $3,200 DraftKings Flex, $9,500 FanDuel
Phillip Dorsett- $6,300 DraftKings Captain, $4,200 DraftKings Flex, $8,500 FanDuel
Sony Michel- $10,200 DraftKings Captain, $6,800 DraftKings Flex, $14,500 FanDuel
Gerald Everett- $3,000 DraftKings Captain, $2,000 DraftKings Flex, $6,000 FanDuel