Mike’s Player Grid 14.24

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. I am changing up the format of my Player Grid this year to be more direct about the players I like at each position and keep myself from casting too wide of a net. We have plenty of strategy talk and full game write-ups on every game here at OWS, this year I’m going to use this article to give direct answers on who I think the best tournament plays are each week. Also, note that just because a player isn’t on here doesn’t mean they are a bad play, I’m just intentionally trying to limit the players I list to about 3 QBs, 5 to 7 RBs, 6 to 8 WRs, and 2 or 3 TEs and that means that some plays don’t make the cut – we can’t play everyone. Feel free to drop me feedback in Discord or on Twitter about the new format and if you like this better or last year’s. Enjoy!!

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 with the mindset being to find the best plays with big ceilings. Low ownership is a bonus, but not a must. 

(Side note:: You’ll notice at the bottom of this article that Fanduel will have its own Player Grid this year)

Draftkings Player Grid

Quarterback ::

• Jameis Winston – Jameis continues to throw the ball at an incredible rate and acts as kerosene for game environments. His receiving corps is relatively cheap which makes stacking pretty straightforward.
• Brock Purdy – Everyone is down on the 49ers, but the matchup this week is pretty solid and their four main skill players are all priced under $6k, making this a perfect time to run those “Purdy Doubles”.
• Aidan O’Connell – Sub-$5k and with multiple clear stacking partners. Tampa Bay opponents average the 2nd highest number of pass attempts in the league and the Raiders struggle to run the ball. 
• Salary Savers: Will Levis, Kirk Cousins, Caleb Williams

Running Back :: 

Tier 1

• Isaac Guerendo – Guerendo is not just a backup running back stepping into a Shanahan offense. He is an elite physical specimen who has thrived every time he has been given an opportunity and is in close to the best possible matchup. Any lineup you play without him is just hoping for an injury.
• Saquon Barkley – The matchup is absolutely pristine against a Panthers run defense that is near the worst in the league. Guerendo being available on the slate and cheap will cause Barkley’s ownership to be much higher than usual for a $9k player, but we live with that. The question is really do the Eagles use this spot to let Saquon run wild again in the chase for history?
• Alvin Kamara – The Saints are technically still alive in the NFC South and Taysom Hill’s vulturing ways are gone for the season. The matchup is elite and Kamara’s workload should be huge.

TIER 2 – (There is a clear drop off for me from the top-3 RB options this week)

• Bucky Irving – After an injury scare at halftime, Irving was a workhorse and took control of the backfield like we expected in Week 13. A career high 28 touches led him to the best RB score of the week. This week he gets another above-average matchup as the Bucs try to take the lead in the NFC South.
• Bijan Robinson – The matchup is tough against the Vikings, but Bijan will likely see a lot of work as a receiver. He has 20+ points in six of his last seven games and his salary at only $7.5k is low for that kind of production. 
• Najee Harris – Huge game last week against the Bengals and Harris is the lead RB on an offense that seems to be hitting a groove. At only $6,000 Harris is a solid cheap option against a defense playing on a short week that has given up a lot of points recently.
• Salary Savers: Braelon Allen, Zach Charbonnet

Wide Receiver :: 

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