If you've never played daily fantasy football on FanDuel before, it's time to start. Unlike traditional leagues, you're able to select the players you want on that specific day only, giving you a different squad to root for each and every week.
Here at numberFire we offer great tools for premium members. The analysis below is meant to help you understand why some of these players are top picks in our tools and projections because we don't want you going into the weekend completely blind. We want to help you. Keep in mind, however, that things can change drastically if an injury is announced, so make sure you're double checking the tools and projections as close as possible to kickoff.
Let's break down the main slate on FanDuel for this week.
Running Backs
Todd Gurley ($9,600) - It's a week to spend up at running back with so many strong options, and that starts with Gurley against the Houston Texans, as the Los Angeles Rams are 11.5-point favorites. Houston ranks 10th in Rushing Success Rate against running backs, but the script here is just too good for Gurley, who owns a 40.8% market share over the past five games, third-highest among all running backs in action this weekend. Both teams here are top-five in situation-neutral pace, as well, so the Rams should put up points, giving Gurley a high floor and ceiling.
Le'Veon Bell ($9,400) - Squeezing Gurley and Bell into the same lineup isn't easy, with just $5,857 left to spend per position, but you can make it work. Either way, both options deserve your attention this week, as Bell's Pittsburgh Steelers are 10-point road favorites over the Indianapolis Colts. Bell has accounted for 46.8% of the Steelers' touches over the past five games, the highest rate of any running back in the NFL in that span.
LeSean McCoy ($8,300) - Yes, Ezekiel Elliott ($8,900) and Leonard Fournette ($8,700) are in play, but I can't detail everyone. And McCoy needs some examination, as he had an anomalistic Week 9, with just 1 target and 12 rushes. He still played 73% of snaps, same as in Week 8, and it was a short week. His ownership should be significantly depressed, even against a New Orleans Saints defense that is just 22nd against running backs in terms of Rushing Success Rate allowed.
Melvin Gordon ($7,600) - Gordon gets a matchup against the worst rush defense in football if we look solely at running back carries, and he had a week to rest up with his myriad injuries. Against the NFL's best pass defense in the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Los Angeles Chargers will have to rely on Gordon, who has the sixth-highest overall market share among running backs over the past five games.
Jerick McKinnon ($6,600) - So you want to spend down a bit at running back? Consider McKinnon against Washington. They are 14th in adjusted rushing defense by our metrics but just 27th in Rushing Success Rate allowed to running backs, and McKinnon has played more than half of Minnesota's snaps in four straight games.
Orleans Darkwa ($5,300) - So you want to spend down even more at running back? Consider Darkwa, who draws the San Francisco 49ers on the road. Darkwa has 61.3% of the team's carries over the past three games, which is 10th among all running backs in action this week.