Welcome back to Tiering Up the Competition! In this article, you’ll find players we want to call out for good/bad reasons at each of the different pricing levels, helping you build your very best lineups for DraftKings Main and Night slates! For Week 0, we’re looking at the 3-game slate that spans the entire day. Let’s take a look at our options….
Quarterbacks
High Priced
I’m not sure I’d want DJ Uiagalelei ($9,000) due to his cost, but he has to be considered a great tournament option. We’ve seen him be a great runner, at least around the goal line, and the load might be all on his shoulders with a weak receiver group and unproven running back room. Instead, Preston Stone ($8,900) is the guy I’m more likely to target in all formats. Yes, there is risk because the coach has come out and said Stone would start, but Jennings would play. Do we really think Jennings is that much of a threat, though?
Middle of the Pack
I’m all about this range of pricing on this slate. Haynes King ($7,100) has received all the hype in fall camp after a huge 2023 season. He’s similar to DJU in that if Georgia Tech wants to win this game, it’ll be all on him. The matchup is fierce, though, as FSU projects to have a very good defense in 2024. His floor is relatively high thanks to his usage (367 passing attempts, 120 rushing attempts in 2023), but his upside is likely capped due to the matchup.
Tommy Mellott ($7,000) is quite the option against New Mexico. This Montana State team likes to run the ball, run the ball, and then run the ball again. Mellott had double-digit carries in five of ten games last season and could see this again when playing against an FBS opponent, with the offense being down their best running back. This intrigues me for all formats.
His opponent, Devon Dampier ($6,100), is cheaper than his opponents and should bring equal rushing upside. He was really effective on the ground in 2023, rushing for 338 yards and four touchdowns on 59 carries. His passing may be suspect as a young player, but if New Mexico pushes him on the ground, then that won’t matter.
Bare Minimum
There are no options at the lower prices worth talking about as none of them project to start or see legitimate time under center.
Running Backs
High Priced
Lawrence Toafili ($7,700) and Roydell Williams ($7,000) are the only higher-priced options on the slate, and even then, that’s pushing it. I prefer Williams due to his likelihood of being a workhorse. Toafili has been a great role player for the Seminoles but needs to be priced around $5,000 to be considered a tournament option.
Middle of the Pack
It wouldn’t shock me for SMU to utilize 3-4 running backs, and most of them perform well. They’re 25-point favorites and have an implied team total of 41 in this matchup. Jaylan Knighton ($6,600) is the guy I’m most interested in from a pure production standpoint. He had double-digit carries in 8 of 12 games last season in a similar RBBC situation and ran for 5.5ypc and seven touchdowns. I’m not confident that Nevada will stop anything on the ground, which means there will be plenty of 12-15 carries. The L.J. Johnson Jr. ($5,500) price tag is rather aggressive, but if you believe the above, you should consider him in tournament formats.
Jamal Haynes ($6,300) was amidst a little bit of a two-man committee last year and faces the toughest defense on the slate, so I don’t love this play, other than in tournaments. He may see an increased workload, but I think this is a fade in cash games at this price and the other options.
The running back room for New Mexico is murky, so consider Andrew Henry ($5,700) and Eli Sanders ($4,700) tournament-only plays unless we hear someone is solidified as the guy. The Montana State matchup, in theory, should be solid even if they are one of the better FCS teams.
Bare Minimum
Scottre Humphrey ($4,600) has to be worth a sprinkle, at least in tournaments, thanks to his now-starting role. He takes over with their RB1 hurt, and last year, when he saw double-digit carries, he ran for 10/77/1, 10/80/1, and 14/114/3. This sample size is limited, but Montana State is around a 10-point favorite.
Wide Receivers
High Priced
Like running back, most players are in the middle-priced tier, but Malik Benson ($7,000) is close enough, so let’s count it! He’s the projected WR1 but did have an injury in the spring. All seems to be good here, so I’m looking at him to be a great tournament option against the Yellow Jackets. I don’t love the play, but the price should decrease ownership here.
Middle of the Pack
Jordan Hudson ($6,000) is battling for that WR1 spot in the Mustangs offense and has flashed potential in years past, so I really like him here. He’s the perfect pivot from his teammate, who is super cheap and will be highly owned (which I’ll get to shortly!). This offense likely uses three to five guys with targets spread out, but Hudson does feel like the kind of guy that can command true WR1 usage. His teammate, R.J. Maryland ($5,400) is not the guy I was alluding to above, but is a great option that should come with higher ownership. He had seven touchdowns on 34 receptions last season and is a mismatch at the tight end position.
If you’re rostering Haynes King, you’re probably going to want to target one of his top receiver options in Eric Singleton Jr. ($5,300) and Malik Rutherford ($5,200). Singleton led the team with 6.8 targets per game in 2023 and turned that into 714 yards and six touchdowns. Rutherford, meanwhile, saw five targets per game and caught passes at a higher clip. Singleton is definitely the guy here, but it wouldn’t shock me if Rutherford was lower-owned and had similar production.
If you must roster a New Mexico receiver, then Caleb Medford ($5,000) is the guy I like. The volume isn’t quite there for him, but he did average 18.4 yards per reception last season. Maybe his size poses as a mismatch against an FCS opponent?
Bare Minimum
Kyle Morlock ($4,300) saw the field plenty last season but took a backseat to Jaheim Bell, the now-NFL tight end. He’s received a ton of hype and could be a nice red-zone threat. Jalen Brown ($4,800) is listed as a starter out wide for FSU, and if Benson isn’t the guy, then maybe it’s Brown? At this price, it’s worth a shot in bigger tournaments. The SMU receiver that’ll be highly owned is Romello Brinson ($4,100). Even if he doesn’t win the WR1 role, this offense will likely spread it around so much it won’t matter. The matchup is juicy, and he’s seemingly impressed this offseason.
If you absolutely must roster a Nevada receiver, then it needs to be either Jaden Smith ($4,600) or Cortez Braham Jr. ($4,800). Both have popped in fall camp and are the starters. The problem here is that usage isn’t going to be insane (Nevada’s top two receivers last season averaged around five targets per game), and the quarterback play will be bad. The game script, though, will be great!
