Russell Wilson and the Top Week 10 Daily Fantasy Football Value Picks at DraftKings

Week nine isn’t even over in daily fantasy football, but most of us probably wish it were.

That was truly a ridiculous week of NFL DFS action, as we saw value plays like Charcandrick West and Darren Sproles fall flat, while the likes of Latavius Murray went nuts on an elite Broncos defense.

There was also the case of stud receivers Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. being bested by lesser talents and quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger and Andrew Luck losing out to Colin Kaepernick and Marcus Mariota.

It was a bit of a backwards week, but we fortunately did note some of the top value plays in last week’s DFS NFL value picks, where week 9 studs like Dak Prescott, Jay Ajayi, the aforementioned Latavius Murray and others resided.

Hopefully you caught wind of our week nine value picks and made out with some fat cash. If you’re looking to do the same at DraftKings in week 10, perhaps consider using some of our value plays for this week’s main slate:

Quarterback

• Cam Newton – Panthers ($6.8k)
• Carson Palmer – Cardinals ($6.5k)
• Russell Wilson – Seahawks ($6.2k)
• Marcus Mariota – Titans ($5.7k)
• Jay Cutler – Bears ($5.3k)

Cam Newton has been a shell of his former MVP self this year, but a lot of his struggles are thanks to a brutal schedule. That might open up a tad this week (by the numbers), as he gets a home date with a Chiefs defense that is just middle of the pack (16th) against fantasy quarterbacks.

It’s not a cakewalk matchup by any means, but Newton and his dual threat ability represent $7k+ value and you’re getting his upside at a discount in week 10.

I know Carson Palmer is tough to trust during a pretty shaky 2016 campaign, but this week he draws a really bad Niners defense in a must-win game for the Cards.

Drew Brees just torched San Francisco last week and even Drew Stanton dropped two touchdowns on this sorry sack defense a few weeks back. If Palmy can’t get it going here, when can he?

In that same “is this guy ever going to light it up again” vain, we have to expect Russell Wilson to get things going eventually, right? It is worth noting that Wilson and the Seahawks were in a similar funk in 2015, before the former Badger went on a crazy tear.

If another run like that is coming, it’s possible it begins in a huge road date with the New England Patriots. New England isn’t a cakewalk matchup, but they rank just 21st against fantasy passers on the year. If Wilson has a shot at his low price, we probably need to act on that value.

Mariota needs to be considered here, too, as he’s at home against a reeling Packers defense. Green Bay is actually 12th against quarterbacks, but they are severely banged up and appear to be wilting under the pressure. With Mariota producing 28+ fantasy points three times in his last five outings, this is a good spot to roll the dice.

Are you for sure using Jay Cutler this week? No, but at this almost minimum-price against a Bucs defense that ranks 28th against fantasy passers in 2016, we need to consider it. Cutler looked far better in a recent date with a good Vikings defense and so far in just three starts has had to deal with the Texans and Eagles, as well.

Cutler’s fourth start of the year comes against his tastiest matchup yet, and if he’s ever going to blow up this year, week 10 figures to be the place to target him.

Running Back

• Jordan Howard – Bears ($6k)
• Mark Ingram – Saints ($5.4k)
• Todd Gurley – Rams ($5.3k)
• Darren Sproles – Eagles ($4.3k)

While Jay Cutler might be a tad appealing in GPPs this week, Bears running back Jordan Howard might be the real Chicago player to target. Fresh off of a massive week 8 outing (33 fantasy points), Howard could be roaring to go again when he faces a Tampa Bay defense that is just bleeding against the run (27th vs. RBs).

You have to admire the resilience of Saints rusher Mark Ingram, too, as he bounced back from being benched two weeks ago to absolutely thrash the 49ers in week 9 (34 fantasy points). There is no guarantee he does that again this week versus the Broncos, but he’s cheap, at home and Denver just got dominated on the ground in week nine.

While Howard and Ingram can lean on recent performance to get you to buy into them, the same can’t be said for Todd Gurley, who really hasn’t had a monster game yet in 2016. Star status, price and upside remain, however, as Gurley has at least proven to be very safe with six consecutive 10+ fantasy outings.

Sproles is in the conversation as a sweet RB value pick this week, too, as the Eagles officially named him their top running back and he’s now chipped in two straight games of 10+ fantasy points. He’s still a great price and in week 10 could be in for a solid day against a Falcons defense that ranks just 21st against running backs over the last four weeks.

Wide Receiver

• Alshon Jeffery – Bears ($6.6k)
• Jordan Matthews – Eagles ($5.9k)
• Doug Baldwin – Seahawks ($5.8k)
• John Brown – Cardinals ($4.9k)
• Rishard Matthews – Titans ($4.2k)

If you’re considering Cutler (and even if you’re not), then dial up Jeffery, too. The talented #1 wide receiver has been fairly safe for most of 2016, but saw a nice spike with 16 fantasy points in Cutler’s week eight return.

Jeffery has loads of upside and with Cutler sending targets his way, could be one of the best WR value picks for week 10. A date with a Buccaneers pass defense that ranks dead last against WRs on the year certainly doesn’t hurt, either.

Jordan Matthews can be tough to trust due to raw rookie Carson Wentz’s struggles, but we can probably buy into the nice combination of talent, role and price. Matthews has seen 24 total targets the last two weeks and has been fairly safe on the year with 10+ fantasy points in six of eight contests. He lacks elite upside, but that’s nothing a date with Atlanta’s 31st ranked WR defense can’t help.

Seattle needs to get things going eventually, so if Russell Wilson can pick his game up, it’d only make sense that Doug Baldwin would soon start seeing his numbers take a positive turn, as well. A date with the Pats isn’t necessarily saliva inducing, but Baldwin is arguably too cheap for the upside he can provide.

Brown and Matthews are throw-ins at first glance, but both provide interesting value with good roles and even better matchups. Brown’s speed could be on the loose in a very favorable matchup with the Niners this week, while Matthews gets the Packers on the heels of a huge 20+ fantasy point outing.

Tight End

• Delanie Walker – Titans ($4.6k)
• Antonio Gates – Chargers ($3.9k)
• Zach Ertz – Eagles ($3.7k)

It’s probably Rob Gronkowski or bust this week, but if you want to save at tight end and still feel good about it, why not drop down and get the reliable Delanie Walker?

The price is very nice for Walker, who has piled on 11+ fantasy points in three straight games and in week 10 draws a Green Bay defense that ranks just 21st against tight ends. Walker isn’t a slam dunk, but he’s typically reliable and the matchup is passable.

The matchup isn’t quite as good for Antonio Gates in week 10, but he’s now put up two straight 10+ fantasy point outings and remains under $4k going into the new week. Miami does well against tight ends, but Gates will continue to be needed and has proven to be matchup defiant in the past.

We have to mention Ertz one last time before his price balloons, as he finally got back on track last week by hauling in 8 balls for 97 yards (17 fantasy points). He’s still not easy to trust, but the talent and price are fantastic as he heads into a favorable matchup with a Falcons defense that ranks 28th against TEs.

Team Defense

• Broncos ($3.1k)
• Seahawks ($3k)
• Rams ($2.9k)
• Jets ($2.8k)
• Jaguars ($2.3k)

It usually makes sense to pay up for a reliable defense, but perhaps this week we could take advantage of some sweet value. Denver and Seattle have both been rock solid defenses in 2016, with both units pouring in at least three 10+ fantasy point outings on the season.

Both have tough tasks on the road (Saints and Patriots, respectively), but have the ability to hit 10 points fairly easily. They’re risky, but that could also make them rather contrarian in big GPP tournaments.

If you want to dive a little deeper, perhaps consider targeting the Rams/Jets game. Both of these teams struggle offensively, which could lead to one defense running away with a sea of turnovers and possibly even some defensive scores. The Rams probably hold the slight edge due to boasting the more talented defense, but you could make an argument for either side.

Lastly, let’s not ignore the Jags, who get a woeful Brock Osweiler and a very pedestrian Texans offense. Jacksonville is loaded with talent on defense, and while they haven’t produced in the NFL DFS scene, they might be worth a look with such a nice matchup this week.