NFL DFS Strategy: Don't Be Afraid To Go With Chalk

Repeat after me, “There’s nothing wrong with chalk in cash games.” I think what’s happening is there’s a preponderance of chatter about contrarian tournament plays that seem like safe cash plays. The flip-side to that is some are shying away from chalk to differentiate.

YOU DON’T NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE IN CASH!

The area where there’s some murkiness is the emergence of cheap running backs – which has been a theme lately. The DFS sites are slow to increase the salary of some starting running backs, rendering them perceived no-brainer plays. I’ll sign off on using them in GPP but even at their bargain prices, I still prefer to submit a cash lineup where I’ve seen some success from my choices. I don’t think it’s necessary to cash using a super-cheap running back recently handed the job when there are usually some reasonable options with a track record.

An example alluded to in the ensuing comments is Shaun Draughn and David Johnson. Truth be told I prefer not to use either in cash but given my choice, I’ll take Draughn since I’ve seen him and am confident in his floor. Johnson is now the lead back in the desert with Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson out but Carson Palmer has ample weapons that he could use the short passing game as a running game. On his side is Johnson should see the goal-line carries and could serve as closer if the Cardinals are ahead – I’m just stubborn and want to see it first. If he comes through I’ll be more comfortable using Johnson in cash going forward. But for now, I’ll make do elsewhere.

Here’s this week’s starting point for your cash game lineups. If you’re like me, you’ll use the tools in the Fantasy Alarm DFS Playbook Pro to distill these names into a profitable weekend.

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PLAYERS TO CONSIDER FOR FANDUEL CASH GAMES

PLAYERS TO CONSIDER FOR DRAFTKINGS CASH GAMES