ATLANTA FALCONS VS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS SINGLE GAME OVERVIEW
This article is a new feature which will break down the single game slates on DraftKings and FanDuel guiding you which players to play and where to play them.
STRATEGY- CAPTAIN AND MVP POSITIONS
FanDuel-
On FanDuel the pricing of the MVP is the same as if they are not in the MVP position. This limits the strategy as you really want to take the player that you believe is going to score the most points which is often your most expensive player or a player who has the most upside on your roster.
DraftKings-
On DraftKings, the strategy is a little bit more complex as the players are priced at 1.5x their flex position if you play them in the captain position. This creates an intriguing strategy as while the top priced player may score the most points, it often limits you on the rest of your build. Often times, putting in a player who can have a big day but not in the captain spot will allow you to build the rest of your roster with a higher point potential.
PLAYER OVERVIEW-
Alvin Kamara- $16,500 DraftKings Captain, $11,000 DraftKings Flex, $16,500 FanDuel
Alvin Kamara is one of the most interesting plays on this slate this week as the Falcons run defense over the last two games has been abysmal. From a rushing standpoint, the Falcons allowed Nick Chubb to rush for 176 yards and Ezekiel Elliott to follow up with 122 yards last week. The most concerning thing for the Falcons is the number of receptions they are allowing to running backs. On average this season, the Falcons are allowing 9 receptions per game to opposing running backs which is by far the most in the NFL. This is a spot where Kamara who caught 15 passes in the first meeting between these two teams should see a significant workload in this game. The only question will be whether or not you can build a lineup with him in the DraftKings Captain spot that you like. It seems sub-optimal to put him in the DraftKings Captain spot this week as there are other guys that are cheaper.
Usable in: DraftKings Captain, DraftKings Flex, FanDuel MVP, FanDuel Flex
Mark Ingram-$12,000 DraftKings Captain, $8,000 DraftKings Flex, $13,000 FanDuel
Ingram is in a great spot this week for much of the same reasons as Kamara is and the running back has rushed for over 100 yards in each of his last two games. With this game projected to be another blowout, Ingram has been seeing most of the work after the games have gotten out of hand which bodes well for him in this game as the team tries to limit Kamara’s touches a little bit. Ingram is one of the top value options on the DraftKings Captain position.
Usable in: DraftKings Captain, DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex
Mohamed Sanu- $7,5005 DraftKings Captain, $5,000 DraftKings Flex, $7,500 FanDuel
In order to be able to afford some of the more expensive options, we are going to have to go down and go cheap with some more affordable options which brings Mohamed Sanu in play. Sanu is not the best receiver in the league, but he is a consistent one as in six of his last seven games he has caught 46 yards or more and is in an ideal matchup going up against P.J. Williams out of the slot who is one of the worst cornerbacks in football this season. By going with Sanu and if he can get in the end zone, he will vastly pay off his price and provide you the salary that you should be able to spread around to build the rest of your team.
Usable in: DraftKings Captain, DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex
Drew Brees- $15,000 DraftKings Captain, $10,000 DraftKings Flex, $17,500 FanDuel
While Brees is likely too expensive to be the DraftKings captain this week, he is at a nice salary this week at $10,000 as he provides a safety net and a floor for a guy who has thrown for 11 touchdowns in the last three weeks. The only issue with going with Brees especially at the Captain spot on DraftKings is the opportunity cost. If you are playing cash games, both Brees and Matt Ryan are in great spots due to the high floor. However, the problem with putting them in the captain spot on DraftKings is that someone will have the receiver that they are throwing to and therefore every touchdown that Brees were to throw, you would be losing ground to that receiver as they would get 1.5 for the reception, 9 points for the touchdown, and one point for every 6.7 yards. On FanDuel, it is more acceptable to take a quarterback since you have zero opportunity cost in doing so and ultimately since the quarterbacks typically are the highest scoring position especially in half point PPR, it is completely acceptable to play them in the MVP spot.
Usable in: DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex, FanDuel MVP
Matt Ryan- $12,900 DraftKings Captain, $8,600 DraftKings Flex, $16,000 FanDuel
The Saints secondary has been better over the last two weeks, but on the season it has been one of the worst in football. The real question this week is what Saints secondary shows up as with the addition of Eli Apple it has been playing better. The Falcons are going to have to move the ball through the air this week as it is unlikely that they will be able to have a consistent rushing attack against this strong Saints run defense, therefore if you believe it will be a close game and that Vegas has this game marked incorrectly it could be a situation where you play Matt Ryan at a very depressed price on DraftKings at just $8,600. Ryan will likely have low ownership on FanDuel due to being just $1,500 less than Brees and in a tougher matchup of the two.
Usable in: DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex, FanDuel MVP
Julio Jones- $15,600 DraftKings Captain, $10,400 DraftKings Flex, $16,000 FanDuel
Julio Jones is incredibly expensive this week in a game in which he will be drawing a lot of Marshon Lattimore. While Lattimore is not the corner that he was last season in which he was an absolute avoid at all cost type guy, he did hold Julio to 5 receptions for 96 yards in this game earlier this season. However, time and time again, Julio has shown that he is matchup proof as he is leading the NFL in receiving yards. The good news is that if you want to play him, his ownership is going to be lower than it should be largely due to the narrative that he does not score touchdowns. A big game is coming at some point for Julio and it seems that the team has been trying to get him the ball more in the end zone as of late. Putting Jones at the captain spot this week and stacking him with Matt Ryan could be a solid way to go this week.
Usable in: DraftKings Captain, DraftKings Flex, FanDuel Flex, FanDuel MVP
OTHER PLAYERS TO CONSIDER
Michael Thomas- $17,100 DraftKings Captain, $11,400 DraftKings Flex, $15,500 FanDuel
Tevin Coleman- $8,400 DraftKings Captain, $5,600 DraftKings Flex, $11,500 FanDuel
Keith Kirkwood (If Tre’Quan Smith is out)- $2,100 DraftKings Captain $1,400 DraftKings Flex, $7,000 FanDuel
Calvin Ridley- $10,500 DraftKings Captain, $7,000 DraftKings Flex, $9,500 FanDuel