It was the first losing week for me in Week 6 after starting with five straight weeks of profit in NFL DFS in large part due to cash games. My cash lineup recorded only 133.06 DraftKings points last week with a lot of the chalk players not performing well.
Josh Allen, Rhamondre Stevenson, Stefon Diggs, and Kenneth Walker combined for 108.26 points in my cash lineup. The other five spots in my lineup combined for only 24.8 points as I had too many pieces from the matchup between theCardinals and Seahawks.
All we can do is put last week’s slate behind us and look forward to this weekend’s main slate. With four teams on a bye week, let’s take a look at my favorite cash plays for the Week 7 main slate on DraftKings.
Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow vs. ATL ($6,900)
Burrow returned to Louisiana to square off against the Saints in Week 6 and he proceeded to score a season-high 35.5 points. The confident quarterback will host the Falcons in Week 7 and he’ll be a popular play in cash games.
The Bengals boast the third-highest projected team total (27) on the main slate and the Falcons have the lowest pressure rate on defense, which should help a struggling offensive line in Cincinnati.
Dak Prescott vs. DET ($6,700)
All signs point toward Prescott returning to the field in Week 7 for the Cowboys after missing the previous five weeks of action due to a thumb ailment. The Pro Bowl signal-caller will be returning at a perfect time as he’ll get an opportunity to face the Lions in Week 7.
Detroit’s defense has surrendered the second-most fantasy points per game to QBs this season and Dallas has the second-highest projected team total (27.75) on the main slate. Make sure Prescott is confirmed to be starting before using him in cash lineups.
Derek Carr vs. HOU ($5,900)
The offense of the Raiders has failed to string together consistent performances through the air this season, but they’re coming off a bye week and have a meeting with the Texans on Sunday. Carr has scored more than 20 points just once this season, however, he’s at an affordable salary of $5,900 on the green site.
The former second-round pick is likely going to be the most popular play under $6,000, though, I’d try to get to Burrow or Prescott before going with Carr in cash games.
Running Backs
Leonard Fournette @ CAR ($7,700)
In a Tom Brady-led offense, the short passing game can operate as an extension of the running game, which leads to plenty of targets to RBs. Fournette has gotten six-plus targets in four consecutive games while seeing the sixth-highest opportunity share (78%) among all RBs this season.
The LSU product has posted 18+ points in three straight games and the Panthers have given up seven total touchdowns to RBs (tied for the fourth-most in the NFL).
Josh Jacobs vs. HOU ($6,500)
At the moment, it appears that Jacobs is going to be the most popular running back in cash games on DraftKings, and for good reason. After a slow start to the season, the Raiders have realized they can give the ball to the Alabama product more than 20 times and it can result in success on the offensive side of the ball.
In the last two games, Jacobs has combined for 70.8 points while getting 26+ touches in both games, resulting in him commanding an 82.8% opportunity share (third-highest among RBs). Besides his recent success, Jacobs is going up against the Texans in Week 7, who have surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points and yards per attempt to RBs this season.
Kenneth Walker @ LAC ($5,800)
We got a glimpse of what Walker looks like in an expanded role for the Seahawks in Week 6 and he contributed 19 points with 23 total touches. The rookie running back should continue to handle a massive workload in Week 7 against the Chargers and he’s still only $5,800 on DraftKings.
Los Angeles is allowing a league-worst 5.8 yards per attempt and the second-most total touchdowns (8) to RBs this season.
Wide Receivers
Deebo Samuel vs. KC ($7,600)
The offense of the 49ers is tough to trust every week, but they’ll likely be playing in a negative game script, meaning Jimmy Garoppolo will throw often to keep up with the Chiefs. That means that Samuel should expect to be busy on Sunday as he’s notching a modest 26.3% target share thus far, which is 13th among WRs.
The touchdown upside is always high for Samuel with how he’s used in San Francisco’s offense and Kansas City’s defense is tied for the most receiving touchdowns given up (9) to WRs in the first six weeks.
CeeDee Lamb vs. DET ($6,800)
It was a slow start to the season for Lamb, but he’s shown why there is so much hype surrounding him moving forward in recent weeks. The former first-round pick has not gotten fewer than eight targets in a game this season and he owns a league-high 32.4% target share to begin the season.
The return of Prescott certainly helps Lamb and the exciting wideout gets to face the Lions, who have surrendered the eighth-most receiving yards and the ninth-most yards per reception to WRs this season.
Tyler Lockett @ LAC ($5,800)
Lockett let us down last week with only 3.7 points, but his salary still makes him a viable option. The veteran wideout is dealing with a hamstring injury, so if he is unable to play this week, then I’d try to get up to D.K. Metcalf ($6,600) or Chris Godwin ($6,300).
If Lockett can play, the Chargers allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to slot WRs and Lockett is seeing the majority of his snaps out of the slot this season.
Tight Ends
Cade Otton @ CAR ($2,700)
Saving salary at the tight end position is a popular strategy in cash games and we’ll have a couple of viable cheap options in Week 7. The first is Otton, who could become a nice points-per-dollar play on DraftKings if Cameron Brate is unable to go for the Buccaneers this week.
The rookie tight end started in place of Brate in Week 5 against the Falcons and he produced 10.3 points while garnering seven targets from Brady. The Buccaneers love to throw the ball even when they are playing with a lead, so opportunities could be there for Otton if Brate is inactive.
Greg Dulcich vs. NYJ ($2,500)
Everyone was preaching that Albert Okwuegbunam was the tight end to get exposure to on the Broncos in the offseason, only for him to be a healthy scratch in Week 6 while Dulcich drew the start in his season debut.
In the rookie’s debut, he would catch two of his three targets for 46 yards and a touchdown to produce 12.4 points. With the lack of value currently on the main slate for cash games, many people could go to Otton or Dulcich at tight end.
D/ST
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ CAR ($3,900)
If you have enough salary to spend up for a defense in your cash lineup on DraftKings, the Buccaneers are in a premier spot against the Panthers. P.J. Walker is slated to start again for Carolina this week at quarterback and he attempted just one pass beyond 10 yards in Week 6.
New York Jets @ DEN ($2,600)
Meanwhile, saving salary at tight end and defense is popular in cash games and it’s hard to ignore the Jets in Week 7. The offense of the Broncos has mightily struggled with Russell Wilson under center and New York’s defense held Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to 10 points last week while also sacking him four times.