4 Daily Fantasy Football Players to Avoid in Week 8
As you're filling out your DFS lineups, it's always tempting to simply target the biggest superstars. However, player salaries don't always align with their expected production in a given matchup.
In this preview, I'll highlight a few players who might ordinarily be on your radar but are probably best to avoid this week. These aren't going to be players you absolutely must avoid due to injuries or playing-time demotions but rather players who are in a bad spot due to a matchup or a salary that has risen too high to justify rostering.
Let's take a look at five players who may not live up to expectations this week. All references to betting totals and spreads are from the NCAAF odds. All stats are from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise noted.
Josh Allen, QB, Bills
FanDuel Salary: $8,200
DraftKings Salary: $7,000
Based on DraftKings' scoring, the New England Patriots' defense is holding opposing quarterbacks 7.3 fantasy points below their season average, the best rate in the league. With that in mind, it's difficult to justify targeting Josh Allen in this matchup, especially since he's carrying the fifth-most expensive cap hit on both platforms.
After a hot start, the Buffalo Bills' offense has been sputtering as of late, putting 18 or fewer points on the scoreboard in three straight weeks. Allen was an elite fantasy weapon early in the year, but after this recent string of games, it's probably best to make him prove his value again before trusting him against a solid defense.
Jared Goff, QB, Rams
FanDuel Salary: $7,300
DraftKings Salary: $6,500
Jared Goff has turned in some strong performances against weak defenses this year, but the Miami Dolphins probably won't be one of those teams. Although the Dolphins only rank in the middle of the pack in passing defense, their pass rush should match up well with the Los Angeles Rams.
According to Sports Info Solutions, 82.4 percent of the Rams pass attempts come from 11 personnel. When facing 11 personnel formations, the Dolphins are generating a pressure rate of 52 percent, the second-best mark in the league. With Goff averaging just 4.8 yards per attempt versus pressure, it's probably best to avoid him this week -- and it might cause a dropoff for his receivers as well.
Chris Carson, RB, Seahawks
FanDuel Salary: $7,600
DraftKings Salary: $6,200
Chris Carson is being referenced here as a placeholder for all Seattle Seahawks running backs because we still don't know who will be healthy in time for game day. Carson, Carlos Hyde, and Travis Homer are all questionable, potentially forcing rookie DeeJay Dallas into a starting role.
Homer and Dallas both carry the minimum $4,000 salary for running backs, so if either of them are named the starter, maybe you could justify inserting them into a lineup as a longshot dart throw. However, the San Francisco 49ers' defense has only allowed one running back to reach 15 fantasy points this season (Myles Gaskin). There just isn't enough of a ceiling in this matchup for any of these running backs to be appealing.
DeVante Parker, WR, Dolphins
FanDuel Salary: $6,100
DraftKings Salary: $5,700
When a new quarterback takes over, it can sometimes alter the target share breakdown for his receivers, depending on what types of throws he's comfortable with and who he's most comfortable targeting. So with Tua Tagovailoa making his first start this week, there's some added uncertainty for DeVante Parker.
Additionally, Parker will likely find himself matched up with Jalen Ramsey with some regularity. Ramsey is having a stellar year, allowing just 5.6 yards per target in coverage. In a tough matchup with some uncertainty due to his quarterback -- in addition to him being limited in practice so far this week -- Parker looks like a risky play.
Ryan McCrystal is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Ryan McCrystal also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username cfbfilmroom. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
