I’m going to tweak my The Must Starts this week and change it to The DFS Must Starts.
We, at Blitz Sports Media, are preparing to introduce our DFS optimizer in the coming weeks, and it will be where you can find all of our value plays off my spreadsheet.
With this story, I will introduce players who can be good plays in GPP tourneys, while mentioning some cash plays based on rostered numbers. I play solely on DraftKings because I’m more comfortable with their PPR format, and I will be using their prices on players.
Onto this week’s The DFS Must Starts!
QB DFS Must Starts
Drake Maye, New England ($5,300)
Maye was the top my QB in my lineups that cashed last week, and I’m going right back to him in GPPs.
I know quarterbacks like Washington’s Marcus Mariotta ($4,000), Minnesota’s Carson Wentz ($4,000) and both quarterbacks from the Dallas–Chicago game are going to be highly rostered so we are going to need a lower rostered Maye.
Maye is coming around 5 percent rostered, and he has a nice matchup against an old, struggling Pittsburgh’s defense.
The Steelers are the fifth worst defense for fantasy points vs. QBs. They allow 23.7 fantasy points a game, according to our Blitz Sports Media fantasy points allowed by position.
Maye is coming off a 26.3 DraftKings points game in the Patriots‘ win against Miami and is averaging 8.76 yards per pass attempt and four total touchdowns. Plus, he has 42 rushing yards on 14 attempts.
You can play Maye naked this week or in a single stack with Kayshon Boutte ($4,600).
RB DFS Must Starts
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay ($7,100)
Minnesota’s Jordan Mason ($5,400) is expected to the highest rostered RB on the slate as he has the Vikings’ backfield to himself along with a back-up QB. Aaron Jones Sr. is on the IR with a hamstring injury, and Wentz is starting for the injured J.J. McCarthy (ankle).
But Irving is the RB I want to play in GPPs.
Irving is averaging 16.3 DK points through his first two games that includes only one TD (a receiving score) despite Rachaad White still having a role in the offense. But the Jets come into the game giving up just less than 26 DK points a game to RBs (8th worst in the NFL).
And what makes Irving valuable this week has been his work in the passing game. He has caught 10 passes on 10 targets for 58 yards.
Other top high-rostered plays are San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey ($8,200) and Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III ($5,800).
WR DFS Must Starts
Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis ($4,900)
Pittman Jr. is too cheap and is expected to be only rostered around 5 percent, making him a perfect play from the chalky plays in the WR group.
Dallas’ CeeDee Lamb ($8,000), Chicago’s Rome Odunze ($5,300) and LA Chargers’ Keenan Allen ($4,700) are expected to be three of the top rostered WRs for the Main Slate, allowing Pittman Jr. to go under the radar.
Pittman Jr. may not have had biggest stats against the Titans in recent matchups, but he has scored twice against them in the last three games.
Plus, the Titans’ pass defense has be atrocious vs. WRs this season. Tennessee gives up 45.1 DK points a game to WRs this season, ranking the 6th worst in the league. LA Rams’ Davante Adams and Puka Nacua both had 90-plus receiving yards game last week vs. the Titans.
Pittman Jr. is a great one-off play this week.
TE DFS Must Starts
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans ($3,900)
Johnson has been a man on fire from the tight end position the first two weeks of the season. He has seen 21 targets and hauled 13 receptions to go along with 125 receiving yards and a touchdown.
And now he gets to face the Seattle defense.
The Seahawks have been one of the best defenses in slowing down WRs this season, but they have been down right awful vs. TEs.
Seattle has given up 20.4 DK points a game to TEs this year, and if the Saints are playing in a negative game script (they are a 7.5-point road underdog), Johnson could have another big day.
DST DFS Must Starts
Jacksonville ($2,800)
Earlier in the week, I listed Jacksonville as one of my Defensive Streamers of the week, and I’m going to play them in DFS, as well.
The Jaguars enter their AFC South Division matchup against Houston as a Top 10 defense in yards allowed and has given up an impressive 4.76 yards per play. Houston has only managed 265.5 yards per game and is barely averaging more than 4 yards per play.
With issues along the Texans offensive line, the Jaguars could make Sunday a long day for QB C.J. Stroud.
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