The best DFS players know that you can’t overlook the kicker and defense positions. If you played the Saints defense this weekend in a large tournament, it made up for almost any other lineup deficiency. If you had Harrison Butker last weekend, then his 21 points covered up for some disappointing performances or an injury.
Moral of the story is take these positions as seriously as you take any other. Let’s move right into the kicker and defense edition of week 7 DFS don’ts.
Matt Bryant: FanDuel Price $5,300
Matt Bryant is not the problem. There are a few factors that have placed him on the week 7 DFS don’ts list.
I almost never roster the most expensive kicker. I would much rather allocate the few extra hundred dollars to other positions. Even if I really love a kicker, I will almost never pay more than $5,000 for one.
Price aside, I don’t like the Falcons. They have an identity issue and failed to score a single point in the second half against the Miami Dolphins. It’s an absolute travesty that Devonta Freeman was averaging over seven yards per carry and only received nine carries in a game that they were leading by 17.
I don’t trust this offense to put Bryant in good situations on the road against the team that derailed their Super Bowl hopes last season. Matt Bryant’s price and offense has landed him on the week 7 DFS don’ts list.
Dallas Cowboys: FanDuel Price $5,000
On what planet are the Dallas Cowboys a $5,000 defense? To this point, Dallas is 16th in passing yards allowed per game and 22nd in rushing yards allowed per game. The Cowboys are tied for 27th in takeaways and are allowing teams to convert 44.6 percent of their third downs. So you tell me why they look like a good play against the 49ers.
San Francisco traveled across the country to play Washington as a double-digit underdog and came within an offensive pass interference penalty of winning the game. The Redskins are better than the Cowboys three of the four aforementioned defensive categories.
They are significantly better than the Cowboys in rushing yards allowed per game, and Carlos Hyde was able to score twice on the ground. Granted, he had an awful yards per carry on his 13 attempts. Hyde’s matchup will be in a much better situation this Sunday against the Cowboys. Despite the 49ers’ struggles, the Cowboys are not even close to being worth that price.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: FanDuel Price $4,500
What a disappointment the Buccaneers have been. At this point, I consider them to be in contention with the Raiders and Giants for most disappointing team. Their defensive problems stem from one major issue: they cannot apply pressure to the quarterback.
Tampa Bay is last in sacks with a grand total of six on the season. This lack of defensive pressure allows teams to move the ball methodically against the Buccaneers on a consistent basis. This defense has allowed opposing offenses to accumulate 114 first downs, that’s tied for 24th in the NFL. The worst part about their opposing teams’ success is that they convert on over 46 percent of their third down attempts.
Essentially, this team is unable to stop anyone. When teams are able to sustain drives, the opposing defense wears down and big plays start to occur as a result. There are other defenses in this $4,500 price range in better situations than Tampa Bay. Stay away this week, as the Bucs join Dallas on my week 7 DFS don’ts.
Featured Image by the Atlanta Falcons
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