The Contrarian: DraftKings Wild Card Weekend 

It's always a good idea to employ some contrarian thinking when building your tournament lineups, but maybe even more so when we're looking at a short slate such as this weekend. With only four games on tap, we can expect the week's chalk plays to have an even larger ownership percentage than normal.

To separate our lineups from the pack, we'll need to pivot away from some of this weekends most popular plays and replace them with some lower owned players with comparable upside - and in a perfect world, perhaps our lower owned selections can outperform the chalk plays we pivot away from. Results like this can have a huge bearing on our standings on the leader boards and turn an already enjoyable weekend of playoff games into one to remember.

This week, The Contrarian walks you through each of this weekends games from a contrarian perspective to help you zero in on where the public's interest will lay for DFS purposes. We also provide you with our choices for the top contrarian plays at each position. Here's a sneak peek at our breakdown of the quarterback position from a contrarian perspective:

QUARTERBACKS

Alex Smith, $5,300

As we alluded to earlier, the veteran signal caller with the game manager reputation usually attracts very little interest and this week will be no different with a tough matchup with the Houston Texans on tap. While Smith rarely sets the world on fire, he offers consistent production at a reasonable price. He’s thrown for two touchdowns and rushed for 50+ yards in each of his past two games and is averaging a respectable 17.6 points per game this season. Flashing back to Week 1 against these same Houston Texans, Smith threw for three touchdowns en route to 23.22 fantasy points. A lot has changed since then of course for both teams, but a Chiefs squad that has cruised into the playoffs on a wave of ten consecutive victories just may surprise some folks with their productivity on Saturday.

Other Quarterbacks Deserving Contrarian Consideration

A.J. McCarron, $5,200: The Bengals could be forced into a shootout with a Steelers team that may be airing it out on the regular this Sunday, pointing us to some nice upside for McCarron.

Teddy Bridgewater, $5,100: This is definitely a boom-bust contrarian selection and not for the faint of heart as we discussed earlier, but it’s always nice to be the guy who takes down a GPP with an outside the box quarterback.   

You can check out the rest of this week's contrarian selections here. Best of luck this weekend and enjoy the games!

The Fade: DraftKings Wild Card Weekend 

With only four games on the docket, Wild Card weekend can seem like a breeze at first glance. While it's certainly much more manageable than a full slate of games, it can be anything but a breeze to put together a lineup capable of making some noise in a GPP. A limited player pool will lead to plenty of overlap among lineups as the 'must-plays' and 'can't miss' players are readily apparent to everyone, making it all the more difficult to create a lineup that stands out from the crowd.

Even on this limited slate, we'll have to take a pass on some of the week's chalk plays and replace them with some lower owned players with comparable upside to give our lineups a fighting chance. It can be pretty tough to fade some of the top plays of the week with such a limited player pool, but the good news is we don't have to fade them all. Players that you have your heart set on should certainly take up residence in your lineups while you seek out some uniqueness elsewhere.

This week's edition of The Fade walks through all four of this weekend's Wild Card games to point out the players who will be on the short list for lineup consideration of many DFSers. Here's a sneak peek at our breakdown of the week's projected most popular quarterbacks:

QUARTERBACKS

Ben Roethlisberger, $7,200

It’s neck-and-neck between the week’s two most expensive quarterbacks for the top fade candidate spot, but we’ll give the nod to Ben Roethlisberger over Russell Wilson by a nose. The high-powered Steelers offense is one of the most attractive targets for DFS purposes due to their ability to accumulate a plethora of yardage and points. As mentioned earlier, the absence of DeAngelo Williams may actually result in an increase in interest for Roethlisberger, who will be expected to be in full-on air it out mode to compensate for the uncertainty at running back. Roethlisberger looks tough to pass on at first glance, but if we dig into the two previous meetings with the Bengals we’ll find that he’s only thrown for one score versus four picks. He may very well deliver a much better return this Saturday Night, but if we’re looking for a spot to separate our lineups from the pack, quarterback is always a great place to start.

Other QB’s That Deserve Fade Consideration

Russell Wilson, $7,000: The allure of a repeat of Week 13’s 34.06-point outing against these same Vikings will be a little too much to pass on for many DFSers this weekend.

Kirk Cousins, $5,900: Cousins is on a roll and comes in at a very reasonable price, which will inspire many to click the plus sign next to his name while finalizing lineups.      

You can check out the rest of this week's top fade candidates here. 

 

The Contrarian: DraftKings Week 17

If there's ever a great week to employ some contrarian thinking, Week 17 certainly fits the bill. Not only do we have all 32 teams in action, but we also have to decipher the varying levels of motivation for each of them. Some are clear cut: the Jets 'win and in' scenario against the Bills for one example, while several teams can lock down their playoff seeding with a win, including the Panthers, who guarantee themselves home field advantage with a win over the Buccaneers. Then there's Washington, who will move neither up or down with a win or loss and will be limiting snaps for starters, as well as a plethora of teams who have been eliminated from contention.

There are countless ways to approach a challenging week such as this for DFS purposes, but one thing is for certain - finding the week's diamonds in the rough can have a huge impact on our standings on the leaderboards. Each week, The Contrarian goes position by position to help you identify some of the week's hidden gems. Here's a sneak peek at one of Week 17's top contrarian selections:

Frank Gore, $4,000

A disappointing season for the Indianapolis Colts comes to a close this Sunday and will likely lead to several changes for the Colts. The Colts are incredibly banged up and have yet to decide on a starting quarterback for the regular season finale. When the options include Josh Freeman, Ryan Lindley and Stephen Morris, we can be fairly confident that we’ll see a heavy dose of the running game in Week 17, which leads us to Frank Gore as a top contrarian selection at running back. Gore delivered his finest performance of the season last week against the Dolphins and looks to be in line for another solid outing against the Titans, who he ran for two touchdowns against back in Week 3.

You can check out the rest of Week 17's contrarian selections here. 

The Fade: DraftKings Week 17 

The final week of the regular season is upon us and it shapes up to be a challenging one with plenty of question marks on playing time for starters and motivations for teams that have been eliminated from contention. Despite the week's challenges, we can still find some success by following the same principles we have used to guide us through Weeks 1 through 16, including which players we may want to take a pass on. Here's a sneak peek at one of Week 17's top fade candidates:

Devonta Freeman, $7,600

The highest-priced running back of the week may actually be in line to justify his price tag in the expected shootout between the Saints and Falcons. Although Freeman has cooled considerably from his blistering pace in Weeks 3 through 6, he still offers tremendous upside and brings an average of 22.4 points per game to the table. The Saints defense has resembled a sieve for much of the season, including Week 6 when Freeman contributed 156 combined yards and two scores for a cool 38.6 points. Despite the hefty price tag, Freeman will be highly owned and for good reason – there’s a solid chance that he comes in as Week 17’s most productive running back. Difficult as it may be, we’ll have to consider fading Freeman for a little differentiation for our lineups. 

You can check out the rest of Week 17's fade candidates here.  

The Contrarian: DraftKings Week 16 

As the season grows long in the tooth, finding the week's hidden gems can become that much more challenging. That's where The Contrarian comes in to help. Each week, we provide you with the top contrarian plays at each position and also dig into the games. matchups and situations that just may scare off the masses and provide the opportunity to snag a high upside player with a low ownership percentage. Here's one of Week 16's top contrarian selections:

Eli Manning, $5,600

The absence of Odell Beckham Jr. will keep Eli Manning well of the radar this week, but the underrated Manning just may surprise many and continue on his recent hot streak. Over his past two games, Manning has thrown for eight touchdowns versus only one pick, 582 yards - good enough for an average of 28.24 points per game. Granted, those numbers occurred with Beckham at his disposal, but Manning has some other weapons to lean on, namely Rueben Randle and Will Tye. Neither player will ever be confused with Beckham, but they have combined for four of Manning’s eight touchdown tosses over the past two and figure to see a healthy bump in targets against the Vikings. Both receiving options come in at a low price of $3,500, offering the opportunity for a low cost, under the radar stack that may be one of the top contrarian options of Week 16.      

You can check out the rest of this week's top contrarian selections here. 

The Fade: DraftKings Week 16 

Each week, The Fade walks through the games, matchups and situations that will capture a ton of interest from a DFS perspective, in addition to the week's top fade candidates. Here's an example of one of Week 16's top candidates to consider taking a pass on:

Blake Bortles, $6,500

The forecast in the Superdome calls for points and Blake Bortles should have a big hand in helping that come to fruition. Sunday’s matchup between the Saints and Jaguars comes in with the highest projected total of the week at 52 points. Add in the fact that the Saints have been one of the most defensively-challenged squads in the NFL and interest will be sky-high from a DFS perspective. As a result, we have to consider Bortles as a fade candidate for Week 16. Matchup aside, Bortles would make for an interesting play as he’s been playing at an extremely high-level and is averaging 28.8 points per game over his past four. Bortles is one of those players that will be pretty tough to fade, but to capture a little uniqueness, we’ll have to consider going with a lower-owned signal caller. 

You can check out the rest of Week 16's selections here.       

First Look at Week 16 Motivation

In the final two weeks of the season, figuring out which teams will be most motivated to win and which will consider resting players can be key to fantasy success. Here's an early look at what is at stake in each game on the Week 16 Slate:

San Diego at Oakland: Both teams are eliminated from the playoffs and just playing out the string. Oakland's ascending young team should be more motivated than the beat-up Chargers.

Washington at Philadelphia: This game should have a playoff atmosphere and both teams have everything to play for. Washington will clinch the NFC East with a win. Philadelphia needs to beat Washington and then the Giants in Week 17 to clinch the division.

New England at NY Jets: The Jets are fighting for their playoff lives and would face an uphill battle should they lose to the Patriots. The Patriots can clinch the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs with a win in either of their final two games.

Houston at Tennessee: Tennessee has long been eliminated and could end up with the first overall pick. Houston will be highly motivated however as a win would clinch the AFC South title. A loss and Houston would potentially face a win-or-go-home matchup with Jacksonville in Week 17.

Cleveland at Kansas City: Cleveland has nothing to play for but Mike Pettine is coaching for his job and Johnny Manziel may be playing for his as well. Kansas City badly needs to keep winning to stay ahead of the Jets and Steelers in the Wild Card race. The Chiefs also could steal the division away from the Broncos should Denver slip up once more and the Chiefs win out.

Indianapolis at Miami: Indianapolis needs to win out and get plenty of help to make the playoffs (Houston losses to Tennessee and Jacksonville). Miami has already been eliminated.

San Francisco at Detroit: Both teams are playing for pride at this point.

Dallas at Buffalo: Both teams are eliminated from playoff contention and motivation could be hard to muster.

Chicago at Tampa Bay: Neither team has anything to play for.

Carolina at Atlanta: Carolina still needs one more win (or an Arizona loss) to clinch the top seed in the NFC. A win at Atlanta would allow the Panthers to rest their stars in Week 17. Atlanta maintains very slim playoff hopes. In addition to winning out, the Falcons would need a number of other games to go their way (including a Rams upset of the Seahawks and a Giants upset of the Vikings).

Pittsburgh at Baltimore: The Steelers are well-positioned to make the playoffs with only trips to Baltimore and Cleveland standing between them and a top-five seed in the AFC. Baltimore would love nothing more than to play spoiler against their hated rival and should be up for this game (at least to start).

Jacksonville at New Orleans: The Saints are eliminated and Jacksonville is hanging on by a thread. A win by either Houston or Indianapolis in the early games would officially eliminate the Jaguars from the AFC South race.

Saint Louis at Seattle: The Seahawks will be motivated to keep winning to stay ahead of the Vikings for the 5th seed in the NFC. A trip to take on the NFC East champ is much more appealing than a likely trip to Lambeau to face the Packers in the first round. Saint Louis is eliminated from contention.

Green Bay at Arizona: Arizona needs to beat either Green Bay or Seattle in the final two weeks to to lock up a first round bye. A win would allow Arizona to rest players in Week 17. The NFC North will likely come down to the Week 17 matchup between the Vikings and Packers regardless of the outcome of this game (assuming Minnesota handles the Giants). However, Green Bay could keep their hopes of a bye alive with an upset in Week 16. If Green Bay falls behind by multiple scores, it's possible they'd rest some injured players in the second half to prepare for the big Week 17 matchup.

New York Giants at Minnesota: The Giants may be eliminated before kickoff if Washington wins. Or they could be very much alive in the NFC East race should Philadelphia win. For Minnesota, this matchup could be almost meaningless should the afternoon games go as expected. The Vikings should clinch a playoff spot before kickoff. Regardless, they should be motivated with the game at home and the possibility of favorable seeding slightly increased with a win.

Cincinnati at Denver: Another game that should have a playoff atmosphere, both teams will have a lot at stake. Cincinnati can clinch the AFC North and a first-round bye with a victory. Denver would put itself in the driver's seat for a first round bye with the win. The Broncos still have work to do just to make the playoffs and have a lot at stake in the final two weeks.

The Contrarian: DraftKings Week 15 

Still searching for some hidden gems to round out your Week 15 lineups? Then check out The Contrarian where we dig into each position to identify some potential diamonds in the rough. We also take a look at the games and matchups that just may be flying a bit too much under the radar in Week 15 and offer up some of the week's best contrarian opportunities. Here's a sneak peek at one of the players that made the cut for this week:

Ben Roethlisberger, $6,400

We touched on the Broncos pass defense allowing its fair share of touchdowns of late earlier. The high-powered Steelers offense could be a sneaky good play this week, especially when factoring in the possibility of a healthy amount of three and outs from Brock Osweiler and Co. The plethora of weapons at Roethlisberger’s disposal should be able to take full advantage of some tired legs on defense. As one of last week’s disappointments and with an imposing defense up next on the docket, many will bypass Roethlisberger this week, leading us to an intriguing contrarian candidate with plenty of upside. 

You can check out the rest of Week 15's top contrarian candidates here.

The Fade: DraftKings Week 15

Still trying to decide which of this week's chalk plays you should take a pass on? Then check out The Fade for Week 15 where we go through each position to help you zero in on the players who will be among the highest owned at their positions. We also take a look at several of the key factors that will have a huge impact on this week's ownership percentages. Here's a sneak peek at one of Week 15's top fade candidates:

Devonta Freeman, $7,500

Remember when Devonta Freeman was lighting up the league and scoring 35+ points at a clip? I do too. We can fondly reminisce about Weeks 3 through 6 of the 2015 fantasy season, but the reality is that we are in Week 15 and Freeman has only reached 20+ points twice since then. We’re still being charged a premium for employing Freeman’s services on a weekly basis as he comes in as the most expensive running back for Week 15. Many will swing for the fences and hope that Freeman can capture a little lightning in a bottle against the Jaguars, but we’ll take a pass and save some much-needed salary cap space by pivoting to a back that’s been more consistent of late.

You can check out the rest of this week's fade candidates here. 

The Contrarian: DraftKings Week 14 

Looking for a couple of hidden gems to help set your lineups apart? Then check out The Contrarian for Week 14 where we dig into each position to identify some potential diamonds in the rough and take a look at the games and situations that may be flying under the radar for Week 14. Here's a sneak peek at one of this week's top contrarian selections:

Tyrod Taylor, $5,400

While plenty of attention will be given to the much-anticipated return of LeSean McCoy to Philadelphia, Tyrod Taylor may fly under the radar – but perhaps he shouldn’t. He’s thrown for three touchdowns in each of his past two games and provided a greater than 5x return in both contests. Even though they pulled off an impressive win against the Patriots last week, the Eagles still allowed three passing touchdowns to bring their past three game total to 13. While many went into 2015 expecting a dominant defense out of the Bills (that has yet to materialize}, the offense has been a pleasant surprise. Taylor deserves plenty of credit for that fact and could be in line for another three touchdown outing against the Eagles.  

You can check out the rest of this week's contrarian selections here. 

The Fade: DraftKings Week 14 

Trying to decide which players' ownership percentages will be through the roof in Week 14? Then check out The Fade where we help you answer that question for each position and take a look at several of the key factors and situations that will have a huge bearing on ownership percentages. Here's a sneak peek at one of this week's top fade candidates:

Jameis Winston, $5,500

Winston and the Buccaneers have a date with the Saints, the darlings of the DFS world on a weekly basis for the opportunity provided to opposing offenses. The Saints have been absolutely torched by opposing quarterbacks in 2015 to the tune of 35 passing touchdowns allowed and an average of 301.4 yards per game surrendered. An improving Winston could have a field day on Sunday and will be a popular choice, leading us to consider him as one the week’s top fade candidates. The affordable price is extremely tempting, but there is a ton of value available this week (and every week) that allows you to zero in on your quarterback of choice. We’ll look for a lesser-owned quarterback in a solid spot to help separate our lineups from the pack.

You can check out the rest of Week 14's fade candidates here.

The Contrarian: DraftKings Week 13

Still searching for some under the radar plays to set your lineups apart from the pack? Then check out The Contrarian for Week 13 where we go through each position to identify some of this week's hidden gems and take a look at several games and situations that may have a few diamonds in the rough that will be lowly owned. Here's a sneak peek at one of this week's top contrarian selections:

LeSean McCoy, $5,700

Some early season injury issues and the resulting struggles have given way to a return to productivity for McCoy, who is averaging 22.3 points per game over his last four. He’ll face a stiff test this week against an improving Texans team that has returned to their run-stuffing ways after some early season issues. The Bills offense has been a pleasant surprise for a team that was expected to mainly rely on the defensive side of the ball for success in 2015. The recent emergence of Sammy Watkins should continue to open things up for McCoy and afford him the opportunity to hover around his recent average output.

You can check out the rest of this week's top contrarian selections here.

The Fade: DraftKings Week 13

Trying to figure out which players will be among the week's highest-owned? Then check out The Fade for Week 13 where we go through each position and analyze some of the most popular selections of the week. We also walk through several of the key factors and situations that will have a huge impact on ownership percentages for this week and how you can apply it to your lineup building process. Here's a sneak peek at one of this week's top fade candidates:

DeAngelo Williams, $5,600

Williams remains affordably priced and will be a popular target along with the rest of the Steelers offense for a potentially high-scoring game against the Colts, who have actually held opposing running backs in check over the course of their three-game winning streak. Against the Seahawks last week, Williams contributed 117 combined yards and a touchdown, good enough for 24.7 points. Similar production this week would provide a solid return of 4.4x value – certainly nothing to sneeze at, but you’ll need to look elsewhere to capture a little differentiation for your lineups.  

You can check out the rest of this week's fade candidates here. 

Footballguys RoundTable on DraftKings Sunday Games Week 13

The staff at Footballguys.com got together this week to talk about the Sunday NFL games on DraftKings.com. Here are some of the topics that they discussed and a couple snips of the conversation.

We've reached the part of the season where Divisional rematches are occurring? Do you have concerns using players against familiar divisional foes (especially those that they've already seen earlier this season)?

In your opinion, are certain positions more impacted (positively or negatively) in rematches than others?

John Lee: I will be honest here and say that I have never done an exhaustive analysis of fantasy scoring with divisional rematches; however, my good friend and FantasyLabs co-founder, Jonathan Bales, has done this type of study, and the data are compelling. A couple caveats before we dive in: 1) These data are not my own and belong to FantasyLabs, 2) These data are only for quarterback scoring; I do not know if the following trends are consistent across all skill positions, 3) These data are correlative, rather than causative, meaning that other interpretations are possible.

.....

At just $3,400, is there any reason to fade Arizona's David Johnson if Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington are out for this week at St. Louis?

Phil Alexander: The only merit to fading Johnson as Arizona's starter would be the leverage you gain on about 50% of the field in GPPs if he somehow has a bad (or even average) game. While fading the chalk in large field tournaments is typically my standard operating procedure, Johnson is just too great a value to pass up at only $3,400.

......

Tell us which game on the slate you feel most confident will go OVER the projected Vegas point total. Which player(s) in that game will contribute the most to their owners' lineups?

John Mamula: The game that I feel the most confident going over the projected Vegas total is Carolina-New Orleans, which has the highest game total of the week at 50 points. The Saints have surrendered a league leading 30 points per game at home this season. The Panthers offense should have no problem moving the ball on Sunday. The last time these teams met was during Week 3 when the Panthers won 27-22. (49 total points)

The Saints offense has been better at home both this season and in past years under Drew Brees and Sean Payton. Here are Brees split stats this season:

• Home (5 games): 74.4% completion percentage, 343.6 passing yards per game, 14 touchdowns, four interceptions
• Away (6 games): 65.0% completion percentage, 272.0 passing yards per game, 6 touchdowns, seven interceptions

Brees seems to be more comfortable playing at home in the Superdome. The Saints will have extra motivation this week as they will be trying to hand their division rival their first loss of the season. This game has the potential to turn into a shoot-out similar to the last two Saints home games (Week 8 Saints 52-49 Giants and Week 9 Titans 34-28 Saints), which comfortably both went over the Vegas total.

....

HOUSTON AND HOPKINS

DeAndre Hopkins let many owners down last week. Part of what is hurting Hopkins is that Houston has only been trailing for 22.2% of their snaps and is running 10.8 fewer plays per game since they were crushed in Miami (hat tip Rich Hribar). Hopkins averaging 2.5 fewer catches and 34.7 fewer yards per game.

Considering the difference in game flow recently, is Hopkins ($8,800) still a strong cash game receiver this week at Buffalo?

Jeff Haseley: We have seen a small downward trend in Hopkins production lately that really showed against an exploitable Saints defense. I wouldn't write off Hopkins at all, because I don't see his lull as a performance-based ordeal. He'll bounce back soon enough, but I don't like his matchup this week at Buffalo. He's been labeled as a match-up proof receiver, but I'd rather spend big on other positions this week. I don't trust Brown against Vontae Davis, but I'd take Brown over Hopkins in a cash game. Like Phil said, Hopkins would be an excellent low owned target for tournament play. One receiver I will be targeting this week is Brandon Marshall against the struggling Giants secondary. He's coming off a two-touchdown game and looks to have put his ankle woes behind him.

There's plenty of great commentary and additional DraftKings insight on Sunday's games. Check out the rest of the discussion at Footballguys.com.

Follow @FBGWILL

The Contrarian: Week 12 

Looking for a hidden gem or two to help round out your lineups? Then check out The Contrarian for Week 12 where we go through each position to help identify some of this week's top under the radar plays. We also take a look at several situations that may have a few diamonds in the rough that will be lowly owned for Week 12. Here's a sneak peek at one of this week's top contrarian selections:

DeAngelo Williams, $5,700

We touched on the strength of the Seahawks rushing defense earlier and how that will lead many to shy away from opposing running backs. While the Seahawks remain strong against the run, stronger teams have had some success – the Panthers in Week 6 and the Cardinals in Week 10. The Steelers may not be quite at that level, but they remain in control of the top Wild Card spot in the AFC. Williams has filled in admirably since assuming the lead back role and he could be in line for a sneaky good performance on Sunday. The Steelers have too many weapons for a slipping Seahawks defense to completely hold them in check.  

You can check out the full article here. 

The Fade: DraftKings Week 12 

Trying to decide which chalk plays to take a pass on for Week 12? Then check out The Fade where we go through each position and analyze some of the most popular selections of the week. We also walk through several of the key factors and situations that will have a huge impact on ownership percentages for this week and how you can apply it to your lineup building process. Here's a sneak peek at one of this week's top fade candidates:

Brian Hoyer, $5,000

The highest-projected scoring game of the week coupled with the Saints struggles on defense will bring a lot of attention to Hoyer and the Texans passing game. A note of caution: we’ve seen several examples this season of struggling teams that come back off of their bye week and put forth an inspired performance. While I’m not expecting any miracles with the Saints defense, we can’t completely rule it out – especially with the Texans seeming to be such a chalk play for Week 12.

You can check out the full article here.

The Contrarian: DraftKings Week 11

Last week was one of the most contrarian weeks in recent memory as we saw several big upsets and numerous games that went totally off course from their anticipated game scripts. Going forward, how can we identify games that just might play out a little differently? This week's article has the answer. We also go through each position to help you identify some of this week's potential hidden gems. Here's a sneak peek at one our selections for Week 11:

Travis Kelce, $4,700

The Chiefs have turned things around and are in the midst of a three game winning streak as they enter the stretch run. Kelce is averaging 13.8 points per game and has been pretty quiet this year, especially in relation to the proverbial leap forward he was expected to take. Look for Kelce to join in on the fun this week as the Chargers have struggled against opposing tight ends. The emerging Charcandrick West should also open things up for the passing game, for which Kelce is a solid No.2 target behind Jeremy Maclin.

You can check out the rest of this week's selections here. 

The Fade: DraftKings Week 11

Each week, The Fade goes position by position to identify some of the players who are expected to be among the highest-owned players at their respective positions. Taking a pass on a chalk play and instead rostering a less popular selection with similar upside can provide some nice returns if everything pans out correctly. Of course, fading a chalk play carries some risk. If that chalk play delivers a high-level performance and is nowhere to be found on your rosters, you'll come down with a serious case of Monday Morning second-guessing.

So how do we decide which chalk plays to fade and which ones really are must-plays? You can check out this week's article for the answer and a full list of players that deserve consideration for your fade list for Week 11. Here's a sneak peek at one of this week's candidates:

Charcandrick West, $4,500

Speaking of value, West looks to be criminally underpriced on DraftKings for this week. For $4,500, you can purchase a back that will carry the ball 20+ times, receive a few targets and produce solid numbers. Yes, please! Unfortunately, West is no longer flying under the radar and should be one of the more popular selections at running back. He has seized control of the Chiefs backfield and is averaging 25.73 points per game since taking over the lead back role. The misprice will not go unnoticed by many as West is being widely touted as a must-play for Week 11. At $4,500, it’s pretty hard to argue against that moniker and West looks like a tough player to fade.

This screams out as being one of the selections that will cause a ton of reflection when all is said and done. Perhaps let the rest of your lineup for this week be your guide. If you have several high-priced players that you just have to have, West may be a no-brainer as he’ll produce and provide you with a ton of flexibility. On the other hand, if you have some under the radar low-cost gems that you’re all about for Week 11, take a pass on West and be prepared to explain your decision when it comes time to reflect on your lineups for the week.

You can check out the rest of this week's selections here.

The Contrarian: DraftKings Week 10

Looking for some hidden gems to round out your lineups? Then check out The Contrarian for Week 10 where we go through each position to help you find some players that just might be flying under the radar this week - but shouldn't be. Here's a sneak peek at one of this week's candidates:

DeMarco Murray, $6,200

Don’t look now but Murray may finally be fitting into the Eagles offense. He has scored 24+ points in three of his last four games and even found the end zone three times over that span. After a stellar start to the Dan Campbell experience down in Miami, the Dolphins have come back to earth. Just last week, they allowed 222 rushing yards and three scores to the Bills. DFSers that were burned several times in the early part of the season may have a hard time coming back, but Murray makes for a great investment this week at a reasonable price.

Hitting on a few selections that are less than 10% owned can really separate your lineups from the pack. You can check out this week's article here. 

The Fade: DraftKings Week 10

The Fade returns for Week 10 to help you zero in on some players you may want to consider taking a pass on. Here's a sneak peek at one of this week's candidates for the fade list:

Drew Brees, $7,400

With the way Brees has been rolling for the past few weeks, he’s pretty tough to take a pass on. Over the past two weeks, he has thrown for 892 yards and 10 touchdowns. Washington also offers up a favorable matchup as they have allowed two touchdown passes in each of their last three games. Add in a projected total of 50 points and we find ourselves staring at one of the most popular plays of the week.

For the case against Brees as a top producer, we can look to the fact that the game is away from the comforts of the Superdome and that he is one of the most expensive signal callers of the week. Can we save some salary and find similar upside? A little south on the salary charts we have Eli Manning at $6,700 in a potentially high-scoring game against the Patriots and MVP candidate Andy Dalton at $6,500 as he prepares for a Monday Night affair against the Texans. We could even gain some exposure to this game and go contrarian by selecting Kirk Cousins at $5,200. Brees is a great candidate for this week’s fade list as we can find similar upside at cheaper price points.  

You can check out the full article here.