Fanduel is a daily fantasy game where you get an entirely new team each week. Here's the optimal team with a salary cap of $60,000.
Carson Palmer, ARI QB ($7,900)
The value here with Carson Palmer is a steal! He has an average QB rating of 98.2 in the 5 games he has played in. His TD:INT ratio is 11:2 and he is averaging about 37 passes per game. On top of his stellar stats is a dream match up for the veteran against the St. Louis Rams. The Rams pass defense is ranked 31st in the league. They may have trouble getting to the quarterback (due to the Cardinals O-line - Palmer has not been sacked yet!) and are not a huge threat for takeaways either. Carson Palmer has thrown 2 or more touchdowns in every game he has played and you can bet that trend will continue against this weak defense.
DeMarco Murray, DAL RB ($9,300)
Typically I like to go for the value over the high priced names, but this week with DeMarco Murray is a different story. The Cowboys play Jacksonville over in London. Jacksonville's run defense isn't the worst in the league but it's close. There are a couple big reasons why I am willing to spend the money on Murray this week. One, the Cowboys feed him the ball A LOT because they win when they let him have 20+ carries. Two, Tony Romo is projected to start and there is no doubt in my mind that they are going to limit the amount of contact he risks taking after fracturing his back. He is expensive, but there is plenty of places to find value this week and Murray is worth the price.
Justin Forsett, BAL RB ($6,500)
Don't let last weeks run totals keep you down on Justin Forsett. He carries amazing value at this price. Tennessee is a bottom 5 run defense this season and Forsett is still seeing a majority of the work for the Ravens. Taliaferro only saw 23% of the snaps last week compared to Forsett's 73%. Forsett also offers a double edged attack with his ability to produce out of the backfield. There is obvious concern about his lack of touchdowns, but when you play daily fantasy football you need to pick value when you can find it.
Julio Jones, WR ATL ($8,000)
A mix of injury and bad luck has plagued Julio Jones the last 3 weeks. Coming out of the week 9 bye the Falcons have a cupcake match up with the 30th ranked pass defense in Tampa Bay. Jones' ankle issue should be behind him and Atlanta undoubtedly knows they have to get Julio more involved. The Falcons injured O-line is a concern, but Tampa Bay has only recorded 13 sacks all season. The match up and upside are too good to pass up this week.
Anquan Boldin, WR SF ($6,500)
The 49ers have a tough match up this week as they travel to New Orleans. They are fighting for their lives and this match up is a favorable one for Anquan Boldin. Boldin has emerged as the Kaepernick's favored target with just under 5.8 catches for 74.2 yards in the last 5 games. The Saints defense isn't horrible but they aren't special either. Rob Ryan and his defense are going to have a lot to think about with a mobile quarterback. I like the value here with Boldin considering he is Kaepernick's first look in a game where the 49ers are likely going to have to pass often.
Martavis Bryant, WR ($6,100)
To not take Martavis Bryant this week at this value is crazy. The Steelers travel to take on the Jets in week 10. The Jets have the worst ranked pass defense in the league and have given up 24 passing TD's while only snagging 1 INT. It is going to be a blood bath as the Steelers and The Roethlisberger continue to put on their amazing aerial show. Seriously, Big Ben may have 3 straight games with 6 touchdowns. Martavis Bryant has been a huge benefactor of Big Ben's record setting run. He has 4 of the 12 TD's Roethlisberger has thrown in the last two weeks. Bryant is very comparable to Randall Cobb but without the hefty price tag.
Delanie Walker, TE TEN ($5,800)
Walker's first game with rookie QB Zach Mettenberger wasn't a total loss because he found the end zone. It was a shame to only see him post up 37 yards on 4 catches though. Tennessee is coming out of their bye week and will play Baltimore in week 10. This match up is not ideal, however Delanie Walker is too important to the Titans offense for this pick not to make sense. Two weeks ago Walker did see 10 targets which makes me confident that Mettenberger is comfortable with his tight end. I also believe that the rookie QB will lean heavily on Walker in this game as he searches for his first win.
Shayne Graham, K NO ($4,600)
The Saints offense has not been what we are used to seeing this season. It has hurt the overall value of Shayne Graham for the season but makes him a good value pick this week. This pick boiled down to 3 kickers; Graham, Zuerlein and Succop. Graham was the obvious choice here for a few reasons. One, New Orleans is at home and home happens to be in a dome. Two, the match up is good and New Orleans should move the well against the 49ers. Three, the other options don't have the upside.
Miami Defense ($5,300)
The Miami defense has been impressive as they have held opposing teams to only 18.9 points. This match up does carry its risks but what I like most about it is the battle in the trenches. Miami has had no issue getting to the QB this year and that isn't likely to change in Detroit. Stafford is already overrated in my opinion but when you apply pressure to him he is extremely mistake prone. I'm going to bet that the Miami defense keeps rolling in week 10.
