Contrarian means opposing or rejecting popular opinion, going against the current practice. Being a contrarian in fantasy football is difficult because it's not chalk as the DFS kids would call it today. Your gut may not be agreeing with the decision, but it's necessary because a wide range of outcomes is possible during a single football game. The comparison for being contrarian this year in a startup draft would be drafting Jameson Williams or Jonathan Taylor. Risk is involved, but it could be a league-winning selection. Contrarian is where the big money is made within DFS, especially in large tournaments, because you'll submit more unique lineups than your competitors.
- Do mix in one or two of these players within a lineup to maximize individuality.
- Do not create your entire lineup based on the contrarian picks below.
Key for charts:
- Player = recommended contrarian play
- Opponent = Home or away and the opponent
- FD Roster % = This week's FanDuel roster percentages
- FD Salary = FanDuel salary to roster the player
- DK Roster % = This week's DraftKings roster percentages
- DK Salary = DraftKings salary to roster the player
Contrarian Quarterbacks
The Jets are one of the most talented defenses in the NFL, but things changed since the Aaron Rodgers injury. Dak Prescott produced a 112.2 QB passer rating on 38 passing attempts against the Jets last week. Mac Jones leads the entire NFL in pass attempts, and he's 11th in completion percentage. The Patriots focus on a short passing game to create manageable down-and-distance situations to avoid negative plays. If Jones continues his high passing volume, he could produce a sneaky DFS play.
The Chicago Bears have been the focus of social media this week for many reasons. One of which centered around Justin Fields describing that he's thinking too much on the field and this week he's going to play more freely. Fields averaged 95 rushing yards per game over his last 10 games of the 2022 season. He also produced a 98 QB passer rating from week 7-16 in 2022. If that version of Fields is playing on Sunday, it would be a huge DFS boost to your lineup.
The 2022 season wasn't a mirage for Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions because they've continued their success in 2023 with a 109 QB passer rating despite playing two playoff teams from last year. Goff was dealing last week with 323 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. This week, he faces his easiest defensive opponent of the season and plays at home.
The Dallas Cowboys have leaned heavily on their defense thus far, but they unfortunately just lost Trevon Diggs to an injury. This week, Dak Prescott faces a vulnerable Arizona defense, which has been more susceptible to the pass than the run this season while they've faced mediocre offenses in the Giants and the Commanders. The Cowboys are on a different tier of a passing game, which will receive a boost this week with Brandin Cooks recovered from his injury. The stars are aligning for a good Prescott week.
Continue reading this content with a HALL OF FAME subscription.
"Footballguys is the best premium
fantasy football
only site on the planet."
Matthew Berry, NBC Sports EDGE