5 Daily Fantasy Football Tournament Dart Throws for Week 6
Every week in DFS, there is a player who comes out of nowhere to be the slate-breaker. These seemingly incognito players can be game-changers if you manage to roster them during the right week.
Tournament-only fliers have plenty of appeal, offering low ownership, below value pricing, cheap stacking options, roster flexibility and underrated ceilings. The purpose of this article is to identify dart throws to take your shots on during the main slate on FanDuel.
Gardner Minshew, Jacksonville Jaguars
FanDuel Salary: $6,900
It's time to buy a ticket to the Minshew Magic show. The mustachio signal caller is 9th in fantasy points per game and is projected for 19.8 points (9th highest), but he is just the 15th most expensive quarterback on the main slate. At an oh-so-nice price of $6,900, Gardner Minshew will get a crack at a New Orleans Saints secondary that opposing passers have thrived against, averaging a QB3 overall finish.
Although the fine folks in Las Vegas don't see this game as a shootout (44.0-point total), the Jacksonville Jaguars should see ample passing opportunities as a 4.0-point underdog. Albeit in a small sample, Minshew offers a safe floor, having finished 4 out of 5 games with at least 20 fantasy points and 2 passing touchdowns. There is still room for a blow-up game from the rookie passer, and this week's seemingly tough bout with the Saints may scare off ownership and interest.
DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins
FanDuel Salary: $5,400
That's right -- you heard it here first, I am actually touting DeVante Parker! The much-maligned Miami Dolphins' receiver surprisingly stands at 15th in air yards but only 54th in actual receiving yards. The yardage discrepancy speaks to a buy-low opportunity, and this week's matchup against hapless Washington is the perfect time to shoot your shot.
Acting as the Miami de facto deep threat, Parker ranks 7th in deep targets, 1st in average target distance, and will face off with a Washington secondary that sits at 28th in passing DVOA. The Washington D has been shredded by wideouts, giving up huge games to fellow burners DeSean Jackson, Devin Smith, and Taylor Gabriel. It's not hard to believe, but not many people will be touching this game in DFS, which means some light exposure to Parker is nice way to differentiate in tournaments.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons
FanDuel Salary: $5,500
At a measly $5,500, the price on Calvin Ridley is too good to be true. The second year play-maker, has drawn the 18th most air yards but only compiled the 32nd most receiving yards. NumberFire projects Ridley as the 4th best receiver value on the slate but he is the 32nd most expensive at his position.
As Jared Smola notes, the Atlanta Falcons-Arizona Cardinals matchup is ideal for pass catchers. The Falcons rank sixth in seconds per snap, second in situation-neutral pace, and fifth in situation neutral pass rate. The dirty birds are pass happy (first in pass plays) to say the least, as Atlanta has constantly trailed. Ridley's receiving situation is even more amplified by an opposing Cardinals' offense ranking second in seconds per snap, one that will force the Falcons to keep pace.
Tevin Coleman, RB, San Francisco 49ers
FanDuel Salary: $5,000
Whenever there is a Monday Night game with surprising results, there tends to be a few mispriced players on the following week's slate. Simply put, Tevin Coleman's $5,000 price is nothing sort of egregious. Better yet, recency bias will play in Tev Touts' favor, as many fantasy gamer's lasting impression of the game will be Matt Breida's breathtaking touchdown run.
With such a microscopic cost, Coleman enables extreme roster flexibility in tournaments while still building a unique lineup given his likely low ownership. The game situation is also enviable, as the matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers is slated for the third highest over/under (50.5).
It's dangerous to speculate in fantasy, but in a expected shootout with plenty of scoring opportunities, I expect Coleman to assume the goal-line role vacated by Jeff Wilson. Similarly built, Wilson, on a very limited snap share (22%), amassed 13 coveted red zone touches and converted them into 4 touchdowns in Coleman's absence.
Jordan Akins, TE, Houston Texans
FanDuel Salary: $4,600
This is a bleak slate for cheap tight ends. Jordan Akins is the epitome of a dart throw in DFS. The Houston Texans' tight end doesn't command a strong target share, but what he does offer is cheap exposure to the matchup of the week between the Kansas City Chiefs and Texans. With a over/under of 54.5 and Houston carrying a implied team total of 24.75 (fifth best), you are living on a prayer that Akins can snag a few red zone looks and convert.
Very little ownership is a no doubter for the Texans' tight end, and his price allows for some strong game stacks that few will be able to fit. He does offer efficiency as a pass catcher as well, ranking 1st in yards per target and 3rd in fantasy points per target. With so much attention on the KC tight end, looks for Akins to sneak into the end zone in a boat race.
Nathan Coleman is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nathan Coleman also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username nac89. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
