Mike’s Player Grid 5.25

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

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 vary slightly from my FanDuel Player Grid, which will be more direct in terms of which players I like. Enjoy!!

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 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 (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 ::

• Jahmyr Gibbs // David Montgomery – Detroit’s backfield is almost a “must” for me in every lineup. The matchup is incredibly solid, and the Lions have shown they will keep laying it on. I think you can even justify playing them together.
• Omarion Hampton – Absolute stud. The “matchup” isn’t great with Washington’s defense solid against the run, but Hampton can get there in a variety of ways and his talent and role are too much to ignore.
• Breece Hall – In a week with value all over the place, ceiling means something. We know Breece has the talent to post 35-point games and this matchup is too ripe to ignore. The absence of Braelon Allen raises his touchdown equity.
• De’Von Achane – Achane’s role is going to be huge and he is still one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL. Carolina’s run defense is better this year than it was in 2024, but it is still not one to avoid.
• Rico Dowdle – Dowdle is incredibly cheap for the likely massive role he is stepping into in an above-average matchup. Dowdle is trusted as a receiver and pass protector and head coach Dave Canales’ offenses have been churning out backfield production for the last couple of years.

For The MME Crowd ::

• Rachaad White – White’s role and history as a pass catcher make him relatively appealing. Only $4,700 with paths to racking up a few catches and falling into the end zone, an 18-to-22-point game isn’t hard to imagine.
• Jonathan Taylor – Early in the week, JT wasn’t someone I was thinking I would use this week. As value has continued to open up, however, his ability to drop a 30-point game is too much to leave out of my MME builds.
• Michael Carter – At only $4,000 and in a great matchup, Carter deserves consideration as the potential lead back for Arizona. I really like playing him with Kyler Murray, as the Cardinals could score four or five TDs this week and Carter appears set for the James Conner early-down role.

Tight End ::