Mike’s Player Grid 17.23

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

• Christian McCaffrey – In this matchup, it honestly feels like it would be more surprising for CMC to score only one touchdown than it would be if he scores three.
• D’Andre Swift – Swift quietly has 20 touches in each of his last two games. While he has been frustrating to roster and watch Jalen Hurts steal all of the goal-line touchdowns, it must be noted how close he is to breaking through. He has been tackled at the 1-yard line in each of the last two games. Had he gotten in both times, he would have had Draftkings scores of 15.6 and 21.3 without reaching the 100-yard bonus and while catching only two passes. I could see the Eagles using Swift as a receiver more in this spot against a conservative Cardinals defense and this could be a spot where they preserve Jalen Hurts a bit and reward Swift for being a good sport about Hurts taking so many of the TDs.
• Zamir White – The Raiders are going to run the ball – a lot. This is a solid matchup and White is mispriced for his role and volume. 
• Kyren Williams – Since returning from injury, Williams has touched the ball at least 22 times and gone over 100 scrimmage yards in every game. The only game that he did not reach the end zone was against the Ravens and their top-ranked defense. This week he faces the Giants and their 27th-ranked run defense in a must-win game.

tier 2

• Clyde Edwards-Helaire (If Pacheco misses) – The Bengals are an elite matchup and CEH will have an elite role if Isiah Pacheco is not cleared from his concussion. Hard to pass that up at a modest salary.
• Travis Etienne – Has an elite matchup against the Panthers and their mediocre run defense. This is a must-win game for the Jaguars that Trevor Lawrence has been ruled out of, leaving Etienne to carry the offense.
• Austin Ekeler – A great matchup and the likely centerpiece of the offense. Ekeler has his lowest salary of the season.

Tight End ::