Mike’s Player Grid 12.23

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

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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 likely evolve as the season progresses but should provide a lot of value. Enjoy!!

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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 Checking The Boxes course. 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 ::

Tier 1

• D’Andre Swift – A talented back on an elite offense in the week’s top game environment. Swift has gained the trust of the coaching staff and I think he could see a huge workload in a competitive game.
• Isiah Pacheco – Pacheco is the guy in Kansas City and the absence of Jerick McKinnon should land him as a near every-down back. The Raiders are without Maxx Crosby and this is a potential “get right” spot for the Chiefs offense.
• Jaylen Warren – One of the most efficient backs in the league is due for a bump in workload after the Steelers changed their offensive coordinator. This is not a bad matchup.
• Kyren Williams – Williams checks a lot of boxes this week as a talented back who is now healthy and should have a big workload in a great matchup. The fear of playing a guy off an injury might keep his ownership levels down, which is a bonus.

tier 2

• Bijan Robinson – While the name of our site is “One Week Season”, sometimes decisions must be made with the full scope of the season in mind. Bijan falls in that category for me as an elite talent whose coach is starting to see the light and expand his usage. Coming out of the bye week and needing a win against a division rival, Bijan pops for me. His salary reflects his to-date usage and production, but I am a believer and think he will have a couple of monster games down the stretch. Whenever that happens – I’ll be there for it.
• Derrick Henry – Henry has largely been awful in Titans losses and very good in Titans wins, with DK point totals of 19.2, 27.4, and 18.5 in the three Tennessee victories this year. Favored this week against the worst run defense in the league, Henry has a reduced salary relative to his slate-breaking ceiling.
• Jonathan Taylor // Rachaad White – Both of these guys have elite roles in a game that has the potential to be a shootout. While both will carry ownership and the game seems to set up better for the passing games than the run, both of these guys will be heavily involved in their offenses and if the touchdowns break their way could post some really nice scores.

Salary Savers