DraftKings GPP Domination Week 14

Slate Overview- Week 14 Thoughts

This is a unique week. Many people are going to have a very similar roster build, given that we have six teams on bye and only a 10-game slate. The build is largely going to be to spend down at quarterback, have one high-priced running back and one low-end running back, take mid-priced wide receivers, and then spend up at tight end. The high-end running backs and tight ends provide a significant advantage this week compared to the cheaper options, given the upside.

So, how should you approach this week? You certainly can find enough unique builds by following this lineup approach by taking some of the less popular mid-priced receivers or pivoting off of Brock Bowers for a Trey McBride-type player. However, you can also take a different approach. Instead of going with Will Levis, Caleb Williams, or Aidan O’Connell, you could take a higher-end quarterback, stack them with their receivers, and take two cheap running backs. If you went with Isaac Guerendo and Braelon Allen, for example, you would then have the flexibility to spend up at quarterback, up at tight end, and even have a higher priced wide receiver than you would if you took a Saquon Barkley. It is a riskier strategy, as Barkley and Alvin Kamara are in premier matchups, but we see it multiple times per year where a running back in a spot that should crush it just has an okay game.

The other option is to stack the running backs and go cheap at the tight end position. There are builds that allow you to have both Saquon Barkley and Alvin Kamara in the same lineup. The upside here is that if these two players have their ceiling game, you legitimately could have 70 points between the two players for $17,000 in salary. At that point, you’re in a fantastic spot compared to everyone else who didn’t take both players and just need good games from the remainder of your lineups instead of ceiling games.

Key Injuries for Week 14

• Breece Hall is doubtful this week with a knee injury. Braelon Allen will get the start for the Jets. Allen is going to be popular at just $5,000, and while he’s shown flashes, he is averaging just 3.6 yards per carry on the season for a team that struggled to move the ball with Breece Hall. There’s certainly risk with Allen this week, but he should see the majority of the workload.
• Taysom Hill is out for the Saints. They also had hoped to get Bub Means back at wide receiver, but he will also miss another week. The Saints are now without Hill, Means, Chris Olave, and Rashid Shaheed.  This should open up Alvin Kamara to have about as many touches as he can handle, but it also could open the door for Kevin Austin Jr or Marquez Valdes-Scantling, both as punt plays in a favorable matchup against the Giants this week.
• Malik Nabers is questionable with a hip injury. If he were to miss this week, Theo Johnson would get a nice bump, as would Darius Slaton and Wan’Dale Robinson, but neither receiver is cheap enough to be a core building block, given the lack of upside with Drew Lock at quarterback.
• Cedric Tillman will once again miss for Cleveland with a concussion. This should greatly benefit Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore who did not see their price increase due to the breakout performance happening on Monday Night after pricing had been released.
• Bucky Irving is questionable with a hip injury. While it seems like he’s going to play, if he were to miss, Rachaad White would be a near must-start.
• Ken Walker III is questionable with an ankle injury. If he were to miss, Zach Charbonnet would get the start. While Charbonnet has not been overly inspiring this season, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, he has shown ability as a receiving back early on in the year and does have the game against Miami in which he had 91 rushing yards and two touchdowns. At $4,800, he would at least be GPP viable this week because of the value and touchdown equity.
• D’Andre Swift is questionable, while Roschon Johnson is out for the Bears. Swift did get a limited practice in on Friday after missing Wednesday and Thursday. The team did sign Demetric Felton in case Swift is unable to go, but Travis Homer is the only running back on the active roster. Homer is more of a special teams player, so it could be Darrynton Evans who would get the bulk of the carries this week, although a committee approach would be the most likely scenario.
• Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason are both out for the season. This will put Isaac Guerendo as the starting running back for the 49ers. Guerendo has all the tools here to be a starting running back, as his physical attributes are 220 pounds and running a 4.33 40-yard dash. However, this will be the first time as a multi-game starter since high school, as he was a backup to Braelon Allen at Wisconsin and Jawhar Jordan at Louisville.

Stacks

Aidan O’Connell, Brock Bowers, Mike Evans

Aidan O’Connell is coming off of a career day against one of the league’s best defenses as he threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns against Kansas City last week. This week, O’Connell gets to face Tampa Bay, which is allowing the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks and 276 passing yards per game, which is third in the NFL this season. Tampa Bay allowed a career day to Bryce Young in Week 13 as the Panthers quarterback had 23.6 DraftKings points. At just $4,800, O’Connell allows you to do so much with the rest of your roster with legitimate 300-yard and multi-touchdown upside.