Five Under the Radar Fantasy Plays
Looking for a view under-the-radar starts for Week 8 in the NFL? Here are five players that could wind up having big weeks.
1. Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals
Looking for a cheap play in DFS this week? Dalton is your guy. After the Bengals started off incredibly slow to start the season, they canned their offensive coordinator and have been much better of late. Bill Lazor at least has Dalton and Co. competent on a weekly basis. Dalton has been the No. 13 fantasy quarterback over the last five weeks, which isn’t great, but again we’re talking about under-the-radar plays. The Colts own the No. 29 defense against fantasy quarterbacks this season and have allowed the second-most passing yards per game this year. Dalton is a sneaky play at home, where according to oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv, the Bengals are 10.5-point favorites.
2. Alvin Kamara, RB, Saints
Kamara has seen consistent touches over the past three weeks and is entretched as the Saints’ No. 2 back now that Adrian Peterson is in Arizona. If you want specifics, Kamara has finished with 15, 14 and 14 touches over his past three games. Over that three-week span, he’s the No. 12 fantasy running back in standard formats and the No. 9 back in PPR leagues, which puts him in the low-end RB1 range. He has a good matchup with the Bears, who have surrendered 21 catches to running backs the last three weeks. (The Saints are a 9-point home favorite versus the Bears on Sunday.)
3. Josh Doctson, WR, Redskins
I like Doctson both from a talent standpoint (he was the team’s No. 1 pick a view years ago) and because of what his head coach seemingly has in store for him. Following the Redskins’ loss to the Eagles on Monday night, Jay Gruden noted that the team drafted Doctson “to be the No. 1 guy.” Given how unproductive free-agent acquisition Terrell Pryor has been, Doctson should see his opportunities grow. Dallas hasn’t been great defensively and Kirk Cousins has been red-hot this year, so the matchup is good this week, too. (The Redskins were a 1.5-point home favorite for this matchup versus the Cowboys but now they’re +2 at most sports books.)
4. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Falcons
On a regular basis, Sanu is nothing more than a WR4/5 because he’s touchdown dependent. But the Falcons are doing a weak job of getting Julio Jones the ball and Sanu has been consistent this season. He missed Week 4 due to a hamstring injury but other than that, he’s racked up 21 receptions for 225 yards and a touchdown in his four other games. Sanu was targeted a few times inside the New England red zone on Sunday night and Matt Ryan just missed him. If you’re looking for a cheap DFS play this week, Sanu fits the bill. (Despite the Falcons’ three-game losing skid, public bettors are still backing Atlanta at the betting window this Sunday.)
5. Jared Cook, TE, Raiders
Cook may have been picked up a few weeks ago by tight end-needy owners but if he’s still available and you’re in need this week, he’s coming off a six-catch, 107-yard performance versus Kansas City. In fact, Cook is averaging nearly six targets per game, which puts him in the low-end TE1 range in terms of targets. Buffalo has allowed plenty of looks to opposing tight ends this year so the matchup is right.