Weekly salary cap games are a great addition to the NFL season. For those of you who have never tried it, the rules are fairly simple. Every player is assigned a monetary amount based on personal statistics and national hype. The trick is to combine the best lineup of players to score the highest total of the entry pool. This game is legal in the U.S. because it is considered a game of skill.
During the season, you will not see very many quarterback values. The NFL is a quarterback-driven league where quarterbacks are the stars and the most consistent producers. Pick the elite quarterback with the matchup you like the best. If in doubt, pick Drew Brees since I believe the Saints will keep scoring even after the game is out of hand. The Saints are unhappy about the bounty scandal, so use that to your advantage. Tight ends are in a similar boat — it isn't easy to replace Jimmy Graham's production with a “value” pick considering the volatility at the position.
Defenses are easy to pick. Find the best defense playing a rookie or backup quarterback. You need turnovers and going against Joe Flacco or Jay Cutler might produce a couple points, but there is no need to leave points on the table. The same goes for kickers. Find a decent team against a tough matchup. Defenses and kickers are not the 2 spots you want to roll the dice on.
All that to say that, for now, the values are best found at running back and wide receiver. It is important to note that most salary cap games score receptions as 0.5 (1/2PPR). Here are some players that could be a great value for salary cap games to start the season:
Running Back
Doug Martin
Due to Martin being a rookie, we have no NFL data to go on other than his preseason stats: 27 rushes for 97 yards which averages out to 3.6 yards per carry. Also, Martin had four receptions on five targets. Tampa Bay is moving to more of a rushing attack under new head coach Greg Schiano. Something to keep in mind: Carolina gave up the 2nd most points to running backs last year.
At $6,500 on FanDuel and $10,828 on DraftStreet, Martin is a good partner for an elite running back such as Ray Rice, Arian Foster, or LeSean McCoy.
Steven Ridley
Did you know the Patriots have a good offense? This question is definitely too basic for the avid readers of PFF, but it is worth noting. Benjarvus Green-Ellis had the lion's share of carries last year, but now plays for the Bengals.
During training camp and the preseason, Ridley has far outpaced Shane Vareen in starter carries. In 2011 Ridley had a 37.2 elusive rating, which measures the ability of a runner to break tackles beyond the help of blockers. He ranked 21st among running backs, ahead of Darren McFadden, Rashard Mendenhall, Reggie Bush, and Willis McGahee.
Ridley notched 5.1 yards per carry last year, which was 1.4 yards more than Green-Ellis. Vareen did not practice on Monday, who is clearly Ridley’s competition for carries. Ridley could easily be a top-15 running back for Week 1, and at $5,500 on FanDuel and $10,052 on DraftStreet, the Patriots starter is one of the best values available.
Wide Receiver
Antonio Brown
First of all, I can’t believe Antonio Brown is this much of a value. Mike Wallace just reported and needs some time to get into swing of things. Even if Wallace had reported earlier, Brown would still be a top wide receiver candidate.
Last year, Pittsburgh had their bye during week 11 with 6 games remaining. Brown had 65.4 points over that span while Wallace had 40.9 points. Six of those 40.9 points came on a touchdown pass that was intended for Brown. Brown totaled a +7.9 PFF passing grade over those 6 games compared with a -1.8 PFF passing grade for Wallace.
Going with Brown over Wallace will save you $900 on FanDuel and $935 on DraftStreet.
Julio Jones
Once again, it is awesome to put Jones on this list as well. When it comes to weekly salary-cap games, boom players are needed to set you above the rest. Julio Jones can single handedly carry your team in any given week.
Last year, Jones had three games of 20-plus fantasy points. By contrast, Roddy White had only one. Jones’ wide receiver rating was 115.6, which was a whopping 36.5 points higher than White at 79.1. The evidence for Jones over White doesn’t end there. Jones had a better fantasy points per snap at 0.219, good for 11th while White came in at 30th. Even the points per target showed a glaring difference Matt Ryan is certain to reflect: Jones at 9th and White at 69th. I’ll let that sink in.
When looking at the values, it shows Draftstreet is on board while FanDuel will be shortly. On Draftstreet Jones costs $838 more than White, but on FanDuel Jones saves you $400. Either way you slice it, Jones is a solid top wide receiver you should get in your lineup.
Titus Young
Reports out of Lions camp said, “Titus Young was unstoppable.” While we hear this subjective description in every camp, this is one to pay attention to. The Lions led the league in quarterback dropbacks, which can only influence the receiving corps.
As a rookie, Young recorded 1.24 points per target (PPT) which ranked at 35th. His 103.5 WR rating came in at 22nd with an average depth of target (aDOT) of 13.76 yards. Young is fast and has decent size. Opposing defenses will have to scheme against Calvin Johnson, leaving single coverage on Young on the other side of the field.
Young posted positive grades in four of his last five games. When looking at the previous season, there are two things I look at the most: trends over the season and playoff games. Knowing if the player got better (especially a rookie) and how the team used that player when it mattered most is the most telling. Looking back at the playoff game versus New Orleans, Young was targeted a whopping 10 times. Sure, they were down early in the game, but the targets still mean something. By contrast, Calvin Johnson had 15 targets, Burleson had five, and Pettigrew had five. During the season Young played 64% of team snaps, but played 76% of snaps during the playoff game, which was the 4th-highest percentage all year.
FanDuel has him at an absolute bargain at $5,500 while DraftStreet prices him at $8,437. Given the step the Lions offense took last season, he may not be a steal for long.
Lance Moore
During his injury-filled season, a decent amount of fantasy owners forgot about Lance Moore. The high flying offense with standout Tight End Jimmy Graham commands a lot of attention from one sideline all the way to the other sideline. Drew Brees can beat any team in any way. Anyone on the field who dons the gold and white stands a good chance to help fantasy owners out.
When looking at Saints receivers, you have to start with Marques Colston. You might be surprised when comparing certain statistics between Colston and Moore. Moore registered .274 points per snap which was 5th among wide receivers. Colston ranked 8th. Moore had 1.59 points per target, 12th among wide receivers. Colston was 16th. Colston actually posted a stellar 132.4 WR rating which was 4th Moore beat that with a WR rating of 135.6 which was second only to Jordy Nelson.
By choosing Moore instead of Nelson, you save $1,100 on FanDuel and a ridiculous $2,593 on DraftStreet. And as a side note, both of Washington’s starting safeties are already out for this game due to suspension and a knee injury. This week is a great week to start Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, and 1 wide receiver.
Others I like, but only if you are in a gambling mood:
DeAngelo Williams (if Stewart is out): FanDuel – $5,700, DraftStreet – $8,046
Toby Gerhart: FanDuel – $5,400, DraftStreet – $7,893
Mark Ingram: FanDuel – $5,400, DraftStreet – $7,906
Nate Washington: FanDuel – $5,300, DraftStreet – $8,011
Alshon Jeffery: FanDuel: $5,000, DraftStreet – $6,066
Rod Streater (if Denarius Moore out): FanDuel – $4,500, DraftStreet – N/A
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