This article is part of our King for a Day series.
Week 8 should be a fun one on DraftKings, as the three primetime matchups involve the high-powered offenses of the Broncos, Chargers, Packers, Saints and Cowboys, with the Redskins tagging along.
Here are my favorite players for Week 8 on DraftKings…
Quarterbacks
Tom Brady, NE (vs. CHI), $7200 – Having thrown for 914 passing yards and nine touchdowns over his last three games, Brady has safely rejoined the second-tier quarterback conversation, following his dreadful start to the season. As we saw last Thursday against the Jets, the absence of Stevan Ridley (knee) will probably mean both more Shane Vereen and more passing. Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski is back to playing a full complement of snaps, and the New England offensive line has been far better the last few weeks. Best of all, the Patriots get to play a porous Chicago defense that has surrendered a 64.1 completion percentage and 8.0 yards per pass attempt this season.
Russell Wilson, SEA (at CAR), $8400 – With performances of 37.24 and 43.12 DraftKings points over the last three weeks, Wilson has shown that he has a weekly ceiling that's hard for the league's slower quarterbacks (even Peyton Manning) to match. Assuming no rushing statistics, a signal-caller would need 400 passing yards and six touchdowns (or 500 and five) to reach 43 DK points in a game. Of course, while his upside is tantalizing, Wilson has also been known to turn in some duds when Marshawn Lynch and the defense barely need his help. Sunday's game could play out that way against a Carolina team that's probably worse than its 3-3-1 record indicates, but Cam Newton should do just enough to keep the Panthers within striking distance for most of the afternoon. As is typically the case, Wilson's volatility makes him a better option for GPPs.
Other options:Aaron Rodgers, GB (at NO), $9000; Cam Newton, CAR (vs. SEA), $6600
Notes: Rodgers should have fun against a surprisingly terrible Saints defense, and with Drew Brees on the other side, Green Bay may need to keep throwing all game. Newton, while far from a safe play, has a high ceiling against even the Seahawks, now that he's back to running the ball.
Running Backs
Jamaal Charles, KC (vs. STL), $6700 – I'm riding with Charles for a second straight week, even though his 18.7-point performance against the Chargers was a bit underwhelming due to a lack of involvement in the passing game. That's actually been an issue all season, as Charles has just 11 catches for 55 yards in five games, albeit with a pair of scoring receptions. One year removed from catching 70 passes, Charles figures to eventually get more involved through the air, and he's already doing fine on the ground, with 80 or more rushing yards in three straight games. Sunday's opponent should allow Charles to contribute in both ways, as the St. Louis defense has been surprisingly awful this season. The Rams have been tough on running backs in terms of fantasy points, but they've been shredded by opposing quarterbacks, and should provide Charles with some scoring opportunities.
LeSean McCoy, PHI (at AZ), $5800 – McCoy and his injury-marred offensive line played much better the last two games, with the star running back notably piling up 149 rushing yards against the Giants in Week 6. Coming out of a bye week, McCoy still carries a very friendly price, as he didn't hit paydirt against the Giants, and only caught two passes for five yards. He should be one of the top performers at his position over the final 10 weeks of the season, now that the Eagles have proven to be capable of running the ball. Meanwhile, Sunday's opponent is not to be feared, as Arizona can only keep the magic going for so long. The Cardinals secondary may actually get better throughout the season, but the injury-marred front seven is no longer a bunch to be feared, despite a No. 1 ranking against the run. With their next two games against Philadelphia and Dallas, the Cardinals won't hold that top spot for long.
Other options:Marshawn Lynch, SEA (at CAR), $7100; Justin Forsett, BAL (at CIN) $5100; Ronnie Hillman, DEN (vs. SD), $4900; Bishop Sankey, TEN (vs. HOU), $3300
Notes: Lynch comes at a reasonable price (for him) against a defense that can't stop the run or pass. The Ravens may return two starters to an offensive line that has already been playing well, and Forsett gets to face a struggling Cincinnati front seven. Hillman is my favorite non-Charles/McCoy play of the week, as he's the clear lead back in a prolific offense, heading into a matchup with the fading San Diego defense. Sankey's last two matchups were more difficult than you might think, and he may finally find some room to run against a below-average Houston run defense.
Wide Receivers
Dez Bryant, DAL (vs. WAS), $6900 – Bryant does seem to pull a few disappearing acts each season, but he typically makes up for it with some team-carrying performances. While DeMarco Murray will surely get plenty of touches, this matchup should work heavily in Bryant's favor. The Redskins actually have a pretty respectable front seven, but their secondary is simply awful, lacking both high-end talent and depth. The Cowboys should put up 30-plus points, even if Murray doesn't have another huge day.
T.Y. Hilton, IND (at PIT), $6800 – Hilton is getting a surprising amount of looks in Indy's supposed spread-the-wealth offense, with 68 targets and 47 receptions through seven games. On pace for 107 catches and 1,625 receiving yards, Hilton not only gets a deep shot or three every week, but also gets peppered by Andrew Luck with shorter passes. While Hilton may have a hard time reaching the end zone as a 5-9 receiver on a team with plenty of other weapons, it's fluky that he only has one this season. As we saw in both Week 6 and last year's Wild Card game, Hilton can produce some gargantuan outings if he turns one or two of those deep shots into long touchdowns.
Wes Welker, DEN (vs. SD), $3500 – The argument for Demaryius Thomas is an easy one to make, but with the superstar wideout playing on Thursday and coming off three consecutive huge games, he'll be such a popular choice in Thursday GPPs that I'd rather go in another direction. Seeing as I don't have any confidence in the Chargers' ability to slow down the Broncos, it makes sense to back another Denver receiver. Emmanuel Sanders' target drop-off has me a bit too worried to justify a $5700 price tag, and while he should have a nice game, tight end Julius Thomas ($6200) is another expensive player that may get a ton of run on DraftKings. Of course, Welker will likely also be a popular option, given his friendly price tag and significant role in the Denver offense. I'm interested to see how much use these guys get, as the Thursday night players are always popular choices, even when the game isn't between Denver and San Diego.
Other options:Demaryius Thomas, DEN (vs. SD), $7900; Jordy Nelson, GB (at NO), $7800; Randall Cobb, GB (at NO), $7500; Alshon Jeffery, CHI (at NE), $6000; Pierre Garcon, WAS (at DAL), $5200; Michael Floyd, ARI (vs. PHI), $4900; Keenan Allen, SD (at DEN), $4400; DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (at TEN), $4200
Notes: I'm going to avoid Thomas in most GPPs, but I'll probably regret it by the third or fourth play of Thursday's game. I think I tout Nelson and Cobb every week, as they're so far ahead of everyone else in an excellent Green Bay passing game. Jeffery and teammate Brandon Marshall ($6100) offer interesting upside at those prices against an admittedly tough New England secondary. Garcon should see plenty of looks in a game that the Redskins are unlikely to win. Floyd gets a bigger boost than you might think from the return of Carson Palmer, who somehow seems to have become vastly underrated at this stage of his career. Allen didn't forget how to play football, and he's still the most-targeted receiver in a prolific offense – it will happen eventually. Hopkins is quietly on pace for a 71-1,083-7 receiving line.
Tight End
Rob Gronkowski, NE (vs. CHI), $5900 – No longer limited in any way, Gronkowski played 55-of-60 offensive snaps in last Thursday's game against the Jets, just four days after logging 59-of-75 snaps against the Bills. He's quietly averaging six receptions and 87.3 receiving yards over the last three games, but he hasn't gotten a lot of attention due to consecutive outings without a touchdown. That mini-streak should end against a lousy Chicago defense this week, and I suspect that Gronkowski is in for a huge final nine games of the season. To the naked eye, he looks more or less the same as in past years, despite dealing with so many injuries since late 2012.
Other options:Zach Ertz, PHI (at AZ), $3200
Notes: I'm not a fan of many tight ends this week, but it's worth keeping an eye on the Jimmy Graham (shoulder) injury reports, as his price is down to just $5600. Julius Thomas ($6200) is also always an option, but I prefer either Gronkowski or Ertz, who may finally get the targets he deserves against a team that's struggled to contain tight ends.
Team D/ST
New York Jets vs. BUF, $2800 – The Bills are 2-1 since Kyle Orton took over at quarterback, but there's really nothing to like about the team's offense. The receiving corps is non-threatening outside of rookie Sammy Watkins, and the offensive line has been unexpectedly bad. Adding to the problem, the Bills lost running backs C.J. Spiller (collarbone) and Fred Jackson (groin) to injuries last week, leaving little hope for the team's already-mediocre running game. The Jets may have a soft secondary, but the Bills are unlikely to exploit that weakness, as they'll be too busy getting dominated by Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson up front.
Other options:Miami Dolphins (at JAX), $3300; Kansas City Chiefs (vs. STL), $2800; Cleveland Browns (vs. OAK), $2700
Notes: The Dolphins boast an underrated defense that's among the best in the NFL, while the Jacksonville offense has shown only incremental improvement under Blake Bortles. The Chiefs' dangerous pass rush should make things tough for a St. Louis offense that is quickly swinging from underrated to overrated. The Browns finally played competent defense the last two weeks, and they now get to face the Raiders.
