We’ve had a couple of rough weeks in the SuperDraft Playbook. Kerryon Johnson , Will Dissly and Devonta Freeman delivered, but they were the only ones. Case Keenum finished with 0.77 fantasy points, and he wasn’t even the worst player in my lineup. Mecole Hardman had negative points, as well as the multiplier. I can’t say I had considered the possibility I might have to worry about the multiplier hurting my total.
One thing you don’t have to worry about if you want to give SuperDraft a try is losing money. They are offering a free contest with a $500 prize pool. If you want to dip your toes in the water before you put any money on the line, that option is available to you. For my lineup this week, I’m going to stick to cash contests in an effort to bounce back from last week.
Between byes and primetime games, a lot of really, really good players are missing from Sunday’s slate. That’s not a problem, but it does mean you might have to take a few more risks, and even the players with low multipliers can be risky.
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins X1.4
His wide receivers are upset, and at least one wants a trade. He went on the radio and apologized for not throwing the ball better or more often. He is facing the worst defense in the NFL. This is probably a game Mike Zimmer wants to run the ball 10 times and win 20-3, but I think the Vikings will take advantage of the matchup and throw at least a couple of touchdowns just to prove that they can. Of course, it could go the other way, so this is a GPP play only.
Matt Ryan X1.3
Like Kirk Cousins , Matt Ryan needs a get-right game, and he has a pretty good matchup Sunday. Houston’s secondary can be exploited, but only if Ryan throws to Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley . He should be pretty safe as well, having scored at least 24 fantasy points in three out of four games.
Tom Brady X1.25
Brady may be the safest quarterback in Week 5, but he has a lower multiplier than the other candidates. Brady is coming off a rough game at Buffalo, but he should take advantage of Washington's terrible secondary.
Running Backs
Mark Ingram X1.35
Ingram has at least 70 scrimmage yards in every game this season, and he has five rushing touchdowns. He’ll be disappointing if he doesn’t score, but I think he’ll get at least one touchdown. The multiplier doesn’t hurt, either.
David Johnson X1.3
Johnson hasn’t done much as a runner, but he has at least six catches in three of his four games this season. Now he gets to face the team that allowed Mason Rudolph to complete eight passes to two different running backs last week.
Phillip Lindsay X1.5
Lindsay is splitting the work pretty evenly with Royce Freeman these days, but there is enough work to go around. It also doesn’t hurt that Lindsay is really good. His fantasy production has suffered from facing Chicago and Jacksonville, but the Chargers don’t scare me.
Dalvin Cook X1.05
Cook has been so good this season, if he can just match his average, you won’t need a multiplier. There is a decent chance he comes down to Earth sometime, but probably not against the Giants.
Wide Receivers
Stefon Diggs X1.35
Let’s hope the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Unless he’s traded before the game, I think Minnesota will use this opportunity to pepper Diggs with targets in an effort to keep him happy, at least for one week. It doesn’t hurt that he’s facing an awful defense.
DeAndre Hopkins Hopkins will not get held down for long, and I think we’re probably going to get a breakout game like we got from Davante Adams and Robert Woods last week. If he tops 100 yards and has a touchdown or two, you won’t miss the multiplier.
Josh Gordon X1.45
Gordon has had an up-and-down season, but his two down games were against Buffalo and with Antonio Brown on the roster. Brown is gone, and Washington does not defend like Buffalo. Gordon cannot be trusted, but I love the upside.
Emmanuel Sanders X1.5
Sanders has scored at least 14.9 fantasy points in three of his four games, and I’m willing to give him a pass for his stinker against Green Bay. Courtland Sutton is playable too, but I think Sanders is a bit safer.
Auden Tate X2
Tate is a total dart throw, but he has a good chance at targets with John Ross and A.J. Green out. Tate is averaging 5.0 receptions and 8.0 targets over his last two games, and this should be a great matchup against Arizona.
Tight Ends
Jimmy Graham X1.25
I was hoping for a higher multiplier, but it wasn’t to be with so many of the top tight ends missing from the slate. Graham was finally healthy going into Week 4, and Aaron Rodgers targeted him nine times. Graham should be awfully safe for targets if Davante Adams is inactive or limited, but even if Adams is a full go, Graham has as much upside as anyone.
Tyler Eifert X1.7
Maybe if enough receivers go down with an injury, Eifert will become an important part of the passing game? He has five targets in three of four games, and a touchdown in one. He’s worth a shot.
Dawson Knox X1.8
I suspect Knox is at least a year away from being a meaningful fantasy contributor, but stranger things have happened. He’s had at least 50 receiving yards each of the last two weeks
Nick Vannett X2
If you really want to take a big swing at the position, Vannett will likely start if Vance McDonald cannot go. Vannett had a meager 28 receiving yards in Week 4, but if he gets in the end zone, the multiplier will come in handy.
Steve’s Week 4 Lineup: