Mike’s Player Grid 19.24

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 ::

• Jayden Daniels – Daniels has been electric all season, is playing in the game with the weekend’s highest game total, and set his season high in rush attempts the first time these teams played. Almost everything the Commanders do offensively is likely to flow through Daniels and they have paths to putting up a lot of points and yards.
• Justin Herbert – The Chargers offense is humming, but their running game can’t be trusted right now especially against an elite Texans run defense. Herbert has clear stacking options, the ability to make plays with his legs, and an underrated ceiling in this spot.
• Sam Darnold – Darnold is fresh off a poor performance against the Lions, but the matchup here suits him much better as the Rams play zone coverage and get significantly less pressure than the Lions.

Running Back :: 

• Bucky Irving – The Bucs appear to have fully committed to Irving as the leader of their backfield and he is in a great matchup and explosive game environment.
• Saquon Barkley – Saquon had 30+ Draftkings points in seven of his 16 appearances this season, including against this Packers team. Well-rested and at home, he is the best bet for the highest raw score on the slate among all skill players.
• James Cook – The “matchup” doesn’t look great on paper for Cook against a good Broncos run defense, but the Bills have the highest implied total of the weekend and Cook should see his biggest workloads of the season now that the playoffs are around. His salary is manageable and his ownership will likely be in the single digits, making him a great GPP option.
• Derrick Henry – The Steelers are an imposing defense, but Henry is a unicorn. The Ravens could control this game and if they do, the Steelers will start to crowd the line to try to stop this train. Those situations generally end with Henry breaking free for one of his trademark long TD runs.
• Joe Mixon – Mixon ended the season in a bit of a slump as he scored 10 or fewer points in each of his last four games. However, the Chargers have been far more susceptible to the run than the pass this season and Mixon will be their clear focal point.
• Salary Savers:: Austin Ekeler, Jaylen Warren, Cam Akers

Wide Receiver :: 

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