NFL Week 8 Yahoo! $250K Baller Analysis (FREE)

Greetings, Gamers! We have an excellent opportunity on Yahoo! for Week 8 as they are running a $250,000 contest with a $10 entry fee and 27,800 entries. This flagship tournament has not filled in any of the first six weeks which has provided “extra value” for gamers. Let’s get into some NFL DFS Picks for Week 8 including Jared Goff and Chris Carson.

Don’t forget to check out the Yahoo Fantasy Show with Chris Randone and Nolan Kelly Friday at 1pm on the Awesemo YouTube Channel

For Adam Pfeifer’s Week 8 game by game breakdown click here

 


If you haven’t signed up for Yahoo Fantasy DFS, click this link and use the promo code Awesemo when making your first deposit and you will be eligible for $30 of “free play” which Yahoo! will match through the first $30 of your deposit (this bonus will be received in Yahoo Sports Rewards Points aka YSRP which can be used to enter any paid contest immediately).

Yahoo! DFS Football General Strategy

As with most sites, there are many viable strategies that can be successful in large field tournaments and of course, we do need the same amount of favor from Lady Luck as we do elsewhere.

Key thing to remember is that this is a “half-PPR” site, meaning receptions are worth 0.5 points and the minimum salary is $10 with an average salary per player of $22. This week, Saquon Barkley is at the top of the pricing list at $41. The full scoring parameters can be found here.

If you are using an optimizer, it is important to remember that you will still need to input the lineups by hand (this lack of automation also helps keep away some of the “mega shark” players). You will also want to closely look at the lineups because the automation will look to use the cheaper quarterbacks. It will also home in on players that may not be “good plays” on other sites and they will not be highlighted in the mainstream analysis that is available to the masses each week.

Awesemo NFL Rankings

One of the most useful features of the Awesemo.com premium content is the personal player rankings from Alex Baker, aka Awesemo, for all of the main sports. The players grade out separately for each DFS site with ratings for both “projected points” and “value” receiving an A through E report card-style grade.

As a sneak preview, for this article I will be sharing the grades Full Rankings (Premium Content)

Quarterback

If you have played football this season on Yahoo, or if you played daily fantasy baseball, you know that the strategy is to look for the cheapest quarterback or pitcher that is tolerable so you can look for more secure points and upside elsewhere. In the recommendations below, I will be highlighting several discount options at the other positions so you can build a framework that will allow lineup construction for a top-shelf quarterback along with his favorite target and still have enough salary cap to “run it back” with the top option on the opposing team.

Jared Goff – LAR vs. CIN (in UK)- $29 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value A

My sincere condolences to any Bengals fans who may be reading this. It has been a rocky season from an injury perspective as key defenders, offensive linemen and A.J. Green have contributed to a winless record for Cincinnati. They have allowed the fifth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and have been equally awful in Football Outsiders DVOA checking at 28th against the rush, 29th against the pass and 31st overall. Goff is a fringe top five quarterback in most projection systems and this is a phenomenal price point for his services on Sunday.

Matt Schaub – ATL vs. SEA – $20 Awesemo Grade: Points INC, Value INC

There is a very good chance that Matt Ryan misses this game with his sprained ankle and a Week 9 bye coming up for Atlanta. If he does, we get fifteen year veteran Matt Schaub for the minimum price. Though he has attempted only 16 passes over the last three years, Schaub has starting experience. We just need him to be competent against a Seattle defense who will be far from home and is no longer the Legion of Boom. We should know by Saturday if Matt Ryan – $35 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value A will be under center and he is a fine option if he is, but not at the same dramatic savings that Schaub would be providing.

Deshaun Watson – HOU vs. OAK – $39 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value A

If you are looking for a deluxe option, then Watson against Oakland fits the bill. They have ceded the third most fantasy points to opposing signal-callers this season. Additionally, they have the #30 passing and overall DVOA ranking from Football Outsiders. With Will Fuller sidelined, the targets should be abundant for DeAndre Hopkins – $32 Awesemo Grade: Points B, Valueand Kenny Stills Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value A. Keke Coutee – $11 Awesemo Grade: Points E, Value D comes in a distant third.

Running Back

We want to keep in mind that while running backs are very important, Yahoo! is a “half-PPR” site, which will not penalize running backs that are not as active in the passing game.

Chris Carson – SEA at ATL – $27 Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value B

As a Chris Carson apologist, I have an obligation to recommend him as many times as it is even remotely reasonable. With this price tag, I am confident that he will be quite popular on Yahoo this weekend. We know that Atlanta does not have the most stout defense and there should be points put up by both sides in this game. The Seattle offense is consolidated with Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett and of course Carson, so there is a decent baseline level of volume security.

Ty Johnson – DET vs. NYG – $13 Awesemo Grade: Points C, Value B

The price is right for Ty Johnson who will be tasked with filling part of the void left by the absence of Kerryon JohnsonFrom an efficiency standpoint, the Giants have been solid with the #14 rushing DVOA. However, on the other hand they have allowed the seventh most fantasy points to opposing ball carriers this season. For additional perspective, Johnson checks in as the RB20-25 for half-PPR in most projection systems.

Aaron Jones – GB at KC – $30 Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value C

Clearly we are not getting a discount and it certainly seems like the Green Bay philosophy is to keep Jamaal Williams – $16 Awesemo Grade: Points D, Valueinvolved no matter what. On the other hand it now seems that the key to beating Kansas City is a punishing ground game.

Yahoo Fantasy includes the Sunday Night Football game in their “main” contests. That often times keeps the popularity of those players suppressed. Kansas City has the #29 rushing DVOA and with Patrick Mahomes already ruled out, the Packers are 3.5 point road favorites.

Wide Receiver

Keep in mind that Yahoo scoring is half-PPR . More often than not, we should be able to find several nice options in the mid-tier. The top-shelf options are typically priced in the mid-$30 range. Often they are best paired with their quarterbacks for tournament upside, rather than risking downside as “solo” plays.

Tyler Lockett – SEA at ATL – $27 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value B

This is a fine matchup for Lockett with or without Russell Wilson – $40 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value A who carries a hefty price tag on Yahoo. Over their last four games, Atlanta has allowed the second most fantasy points to wide receivers and the most to quarterbacks. They have the second worst passing DVOA and are a dream matchup for Seattle.

Michael Thomas – NO vs. ARZ – $36 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value B

There is no discount here, however, TE Jared Cook has been ruled out and regardless of whomever is under center, Thomas will be the first, second and third option in the passing game. This is a very winnable game and the Saints have a bye next week so it would seem that they could easily give Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara another week off to heal up.

Cooper Kupp – LAR vs. CIN (in UK) – $27 Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value B

Two disappointing weeks in a row have dropped Kupp’s price to a more reasonable level. He is an excellent option to pair with his quarterback listed above for a synergistic gambit in all formats. As previously mentioned, the Bungles have the #29 passing DVOA and are down to backups at most key positions.

Tyler Boyd – $17 and Alex Erickson – $13 – CIN at LAR (in UK) – Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value A

Price and opportunity will often trump matchup and this is the case for the Cincinnati receivers. The Rams have ceded the ninth most fantasy points to opposing passing games over their last four outings, but they still have the #13 passing DVOA and #4 overall defensive rating. If we are looking for relatively secure “floor” performances, then this duo is in play.

Tight Ends

There are no bargain options at tight end this week. However the recommended options below would be fairly valued if they were wide receivers with the same projected production.

Darren Waller – OAK at HOU – $24 Awesemo Grade: Points B, Value B

Last week saw Waller with a career game which will be hard to replicate any time soon. Houston has been in the bottom third of the league against the pass and we know that Waller is the top option in the Raiders passing game. While there is no wiggle room in his price, he should flirt with 100 yards.

George Kittle – SF vs. CAR – $25 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value B

While Carolina has been reasonably stout against opposing tight ends, they are middle of the pack against the pass. Kittle is another tight end who is his team’s top receiving option. He is a “safe” play and should approach 100 yards and a score.

Defense/Special Teams

Once again, there are options up and down the pricing sheet. We should have no trouble finding a unit within our budget.

Jacksonville Jaguars vs NYJ – $14 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value A 

While I prefer not to call any particular play a “lock” this is a tremendous price point for the Jaguars. Sam Darnold has only been sacked three times in the last two games since returning from his illness. He has been intercepted five times in those games. All told, New York is allowing an average of 6.5 combined sacks and turnovers per game. We need to strike now!

Los Angeles Rams vs. CIN – $13 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value C 

This is another excellent price/matchup combination as we saw the Jaguars stick it to Cincinnati last week. The Rams defense typically plays better at home, just keep in mind that this gam is in the UK.

New England Patriots vs. CLE – $20 Awesemo Grade: Points A, Value D 

Cleveland has allowed at least four combined sacks and turnovers in every game except for Week 4 against the Ravens. The Pats are in a phenomenal spot. They will likely be less popular in tournaments as compared to the two defenses listed above.

Hopefully these DFS Picks and recommendations get your lineup construction process jump started and on your way to a big showing in the Yahoo! $250k Dollar Baller contest!

As always, you can reach out to me in Awesemo.com Premium Slack or Twitter @EMacDFS if you have any questions.

Good Luck Gamers! ~ EMac

 

Eric "EMac" MacPherson won the 2007 Fantasy Baseball grand prize (trip for two to the MLB All-Star game) in the Roto format on ESPN. He won again in 2008, this time in the H2H format. As one of the early adopters of daily fantasy sports, EMac has been providing content for baseball and basketball as well as both professional and college football since 2012 for a variety of websites including DraftKings Playbook, FanVice, RotoWorld, Daily Fantasy Bootcamp, and RotoGrinders. He is well into his third decade of fantasy sports and has a wealth of knowledge and experience. Follow him on Twitter @EMacDFS or contact EMac by emailing [email protected].

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