Mike’s Player Grid 14.23

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

• Zack Moss – Ok, I’ll bite. This week I’m pretty sold on Moss in a better matchup and at a higher salary that is still low relative to his role. 
• James Cook – Over the last two games, Cook has 44 opportunities (22 per game) and is averaging just under 18 DK points. I expect his game environment to be the best one on the slate and the matchup is great for him on the ground and he could be very busy in the passing game as well. It also wouldn’t be surprising for the Bills to increase his role coming out of the bye week with their season on the line.
• Bijan Robinson – You’re going to keep seeing him here every week.
• Joe Mixon – This game has sneaky shootout potential and Mixon is involved in the passing game and at the goal line. The matchup is great and Mixon has 19+ opportunities in four of his last six games.

tier 2

• Jahmyr Gibbs – Explosive back at low ownership. Gibbs has had two consecutive disappointing games and faces a Bears defense that has been tough to run on. This could be a spot where he is used more as a pass catcher, however, and his explosive potential is something that I’ll be strongly considering – especially paired with Justin Fields and/or DJ Moore.
• Christian McCaffrey // Alvin Kamara – Both of these guys are in elite spots this week with great matchups and projected for solid workloads (assuming Taysom Hill is out or limited). I generally don’t like paying up at running back but this week has a unique feel to it so I’ll be considering both of these guys in various builds.
• Jerick McKinnon // CEH – The absence of Isiah Pacheco means that these two will be manning the backfield for the Chiefs in the most explosive game of the week. Andy Reid said that CEH will be the “next man up”, but I tend to think the Chiefs are just going to put the ball in the hands of Mahomes and throw it 45 times. Both backs are in play this week as low-priced ways to access this game.

Tight End ::