Mike’s Player Grid 14.25

Mike Johnson (MJohnson86) has racked up over $500,000 in DFS profit as an NFL tournament player with success in all styles of contests.

Welcome back to my (Mjohnson86) Player Grid. The format will vary slightly from JM’s Player Grid, as we each see things slightly differently and play in slightly different contests, but should complement his thoughts and content very well for those looking to build their lineups for the week. The format of this article will vary slightly from my Fanduel Player Grid, which will be more direct in terms of which players I like. Enjoy!!

The Core ::

This is a list of players that stand out to me at each position from using my “Checking the Boxes” criteria outlined in my course you can find in our Marketplace. This list is a starting point, from which I build out lineups using game theory and roster construction concepts (which we will also touch on) with the mindset being to find the best plays with big ceilings. Low ownership is a bonus, but not a must. This section will focus primarily on three positions – running back, tight end, and defense – as the other two positions (quarterback and wide receiver) tend to have more dependent tendencies which I try to attack from other angles (which we will get into in the other sections). I like all of these plays on all sites unless otherwise noted:

Running Back ::

• James Cook – Cook is coming off a 35-touch performance against a solid Steelers defense and now has one of the best possible matchups for a running back in a critical matchup. Elite talent, volume, matchup, and game environment.
• Josh Jacobs – Jacobs had a full practice on Friday and handled 18 touches last week against Detroit. The engine of Green Bay’s offense should be busy in an elite matchup and high leverage game. Salary down $1,000 from its peak.
• Breece Hall – Let’s not forget that Miami was a defense we were targeting not that long ago. A recent improvement in performance doesn’t make them a team to avoid and Hall has elite talent and volume on his side at a reasonable salary.
• Kenneth Walker – A week after being extremely popular, Walker has an even better matchup at lower ownership in a game Seattle’s offense is highly likely to be successful in. 
• RJ Harvey – The Broncos are going to use multiple RBs, but Harvey is the primary guy and this spot is elite for the entire team. He catches some passes and is the goal-line back. Denver might roll in this one and Harvey’s ceiling is enormous with 20-touch potential.
• De’Von Achane – His salary is really starting to get up there, but the Jets just gave up a massive game to Bijan and in this spot I would expect Achane to be targeted often in the passing game. 
• Quinshon Judkins – I don’t expect the Titans offense to have much success, which means elevated play volume for the Browns who are focused on getting Judkins the ball at a high rate. The overall game environment is low, but he has a high probability of being involved in any touchdowns Cleveland scores.