Mike’s DK Player Grid 2.25

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::

• Christian McCaffrey – In the “don’t overthink it” role for this week is CMC, who had the league’s best role in Week 1 and has a matchup with a middling (at best) defense. The Saints offense plays at light speed as well, meaning more volume for the 49ers. He should be about $9k in this spot. 
• Breece Hall – The Jets may have had the heist of all heists, getting Tanner Engstrand as their offensive coordinator from the Lions despite Detroit having the same opening. Hall plays the Bills who just got lit up by a physical running game and are down their best defensive lineman. This should be a vintage Breece game.
• Travis Etienne Jr. – When a player has a huge game and then his team trades away his main competition, I pay attention. When that player is in the highest total game of the week and facing a defense we spent all of last year targeting, I don’t need much more convincing.
• Chase Brown – Brown had a “fine” game in Week 1, but where he really shines is in those high-scoring Bengals games. This week they are sporting the highest total game on the slate.
• Saquon Barkley – This is a huge matchup and the team is going to ride Barkley. This Chiefs defense is not what it used to be and Saquon could put the slate out of reach quickly with his game-breaking ability.
• De’Von Achane – The lone bright spot for Miami was Achane in Week 1. He had a 70% rushing share and 18% target share before they emptied the bench. This week, the offense should fare much better and his usage is elite.

Tight End ::