Mike's Week 8 Player Grid

OWS Fam –

If you’re in a state that allows betting, this is a prime opportunity to build your bankroll with a proven team.

Our NBA Props team has delivered for three straight seasons!

✅ 2022/23: +55U, +4% ROI

✅ 2023/24: +82U, +10% ROI

✅ 2024/25: +15U, +2% ROI (and counting)

✅ 2024/25 Playoffs: +12U, +16% ROI

Join NBA Props for $30/week or $79/month!

Join NBA Props Now

And now let’s get to today’s featured from the Daily Dose …

Welcome back to my (Mjohnson86) Player Grid. The format will vary slightly from JM’s Player Grid, as we each see things slightly differently and play in slightly different contests, but should complement his thoughts and content very well for those looking to build their lineups for the week. The format of this article will vary slightly from my FanDuel Player Grid, which will be more direct in terms of which players I like. Enjoy!!

The Core

This is a list of players that stand out to me at each position from using my “Checking the Boxes” criteria outlined in my course you can find in our Marketplace. This list is a starting point, from which I build out lineups using game theory and roster construction concepts (which we will also touch on) with the mindset being to find the best plays with big ceilings. Low ownership is a bonus, but not a must. This section will focus primarily on three positions – running back, tight end, and defense – as the other two positions (quarterback and wide receiver) tend to have more dependent tendencies which I try to attack from other angles (which we will get into in the other sections). I like all of these plays on all sites unless otherwise noted:

Running Back ::

• Bijan Robinson – The biggest concern for Bijan is the game environment might keep his usual high pass-game involvement in check, while also putting him at risk of losing playing time in the second half. The matchup can’t be any better, though.

• Jonathan Taylor – He’s got a fever, and the only prescription is more touchdowns.

• Christian McCaffrey – CMC has 22+ DK points in all seven games this season, with 42.1 last week against a good Falcons defense. The matchup doesn’t matter.

• Derrick Henry – Henry is laughably priced for a strong matchup in a game where Lamar Jackson is likely back on the field (Update: Lamar is now ruled out) but may hold back on how often he runs the ball.

• Saquon Barkley – An elite tournament option, Barkley’s salary is significantly lower than the top options but his ceiling is the same.

• Alvin Kamara – The Saints are likely going to be passing at a very high rate against a pass-funnel Bucs defense and Kendre Miller’s injury likely leaves Kamara on the field in a workhorse role. He should be heavily involved as a receiver with touchdown upside in a sneaky good game environment.

Tight End :: 

• George Kittle – Kittle scored 18+ PPR points in eight of 14 healthy games last season. His $4,500 salary this week is laughable for the ceiling he possesses.

• Cade Otton – This is a very similar situation to his big game last year against the Falcons (forced into primary pass-catching role while facing a weak pass defense). We also recently saw the Giants tight ends light up the Saints.

• Colston Loveland – This is a bet on talent and opportunity in a potentially high-scoring game environment. Loveland was a top-10 pick for a reason; this week, he gets to show it.

Defense :: 

• Falcons – Atlanta ranks No. 1 in pass defense DVOA and has a ferocious pass rush, while also performing well against the run. They face a Dolphins team that has a shaky offensive line and seems to be falling apart, having already lost Tyreek Hill and Darren Waller, plus Jaylen Waddle popping up with hamstring issues on Thursday.

• 49ers – Houston has arguably the worst offensive line in the league, a non-existent running game, and will be down their top two receivers here. 

• Colts – 19, 16, 8, 14, 15, 8, 14. Those are the fantasy scores of defenses that have faced the Titans so far this season. The Colts have blown out three teams this season and their defense scored 13, 15, and 17 fantasy points in those games. The Colts are favored by over two touchdowns this week.

• Eagles – “Now you’re all in big, big trouble.” - Jalen Carter to the Giants offense (probably).

Premium Passing Game Stacks

Cincinnati Bengals (NYJ)

The Bengals get to face a Jets team that will be without their top player on both offense (Garrett Wilson) and defense (Sauce Gardner). Wilson’s absence and the overall state of the Jets offense are likely to lead to New York struggling to sustain drives, which should drive play volume and scoring chances for the Bengals. We also have the fact that we have seen the Bengals willing to run up the score in these spots before and Cincinnati is playing at home, where head coach Zac Taylor has taken a lot of heat from fans over the last year or so. Don’t be shocked if he takes one of the few chances he gets to put on a show for the Bengals faithful.

Philadelphia Eagles (NYG)

I am not one to chase narratives, but the ones I do buy into usually involve the people who make decisions. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is competitive, proud, and holds grudges. This team had an embarrassing loss to the Giants on national TV just two weeks ago, while they were beat up on both sides of the ball on a short week. Coming off their best offensive performance of the season and facing a Giants defense that will be without four starters, I believe the Eagles could make a statement here.

GPP Game Stack Of The Week

Dallas Cowboys // Denver Broncos

Dallas games continue to be high scoring, as they have allowed all seven of their opponents to score 22 or more points. The Dallas offense ranks second in the NFL in yards per play and their defense ranks 31st in yards per play allowed, as their offensive efficiency, along with their defensive scheme and relatively modest talent level, continuously create fruitful game environments. Denver’s offense should continue the success it found in the fourth quarter last week, while the Cowboys have the scheme and playmakers to move the ball against this Broncos defense.

UNIQUE COMBOS

Colston Loveland + Cade Otton

We are going back to the well here with a double TE lineup using both cheap tight ends. This is an especially appealing pairing because the underlying ceiling for these players is much higher than we usually see for cheap tight ends, thanks to Loveland’s talent profile and the situation Otton finds himself in, along with the fact that he smashed in a similar spot last year. The expensive options on this slate are all in SUCH good spots that this profiles as a slate very similar to Week 2, when finding a way to load up on a bunch of those guys has a huge edge.

Jaylin Noel + Dalton Schultz

The Texans simply can’t run the ball and the 49ers defense is structurally sound enough that this isn’t a spot where we should expect that to change. Houston will also be without Nico Collins and Christian Kirk, which should leave Noel and Schultz in position to combine for 15-18 targets at a combined salary of only $6.8k. Similar to the Loveland + Otton pairing above, the key to this slate is probably finding optimal ways to open up salary for the studs. 

Chase Brown + Tee Higgins

The Bengals have an implied team total of 25.5 this week against a Jets team that seems to be falling apart. If the Bengals control this game, it would be the first time they have done so this season. And if they do, Brown is likely to have his best game of the season with a strong chance of eclipsing 20 points (he had 19+ PPR points seven times last season, with Cincinnati scoring 27+ points in each of those games). If that happens, there is a really good chance that one of Cincinnati’s wide receivers is also posting a very strong score, and that could just as easily be Higgins at his low salary and ownership. The pair’s combined salary is only $11k (down from $13k to start the season) and they combined for 45+ points in four of the eleven games they played together last season.