The theme of last week was death to hamstrings. A number of key players -- including Christian McCaffrey, Sterling Shepard, and Darius Slayton -- were forced from action with hamstring injuries. It truly is "next man up," and we're going to employ that approach in a couple of our DraftKings tournament lineup spots this week. We're able to conserve some scratch leaning on inexpensive replacements and will invest those savings into a few studs who can carry an NFL DFS lineup.
Before we break down our picks, here are the most notable scoring rules for DraftKings contests: Full-point PPR, four-point passing TDs, three-point bonuses for 100 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and 300 passing yards.
MORE WEEK 4 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
DraftKings Picks Week 4: NFL DFS lineup for GPP tournaments
Sunday main slate, $50,000 budget
QB Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs @ Eagles ($8,100). We’re going to bet on Mahomes and the Chiefs getting back into the win column this week. With Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce at his disposal, Mahomes is practically immune to mediocre performances, and the Eagles couldn't stop anything on Monday night.
RB Jonathan Taylor, Colts @ Dolphins ($6,300). There’s no denying that it’s been a lackluster start to the season for Taylor, but his volume will continue to increase, and he’s eventually going to find the end zone, too. The early struggles mean he'll remain affordable until he enjoys a breakout game. The loss of guard Quenton Nelson hurts, but the Dolphins have not been particularly stingy against the run through three games.
WEEK 4 DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | Yahoo
RB Antonio Gibson, Washington @ Atlanta ($6,100). Gibson has shown us his ceiling bit by bit. He saw 25 opportunities (carries plus targets) in Week 1 and demonstrated his home run ability in Week 3 when he took a screen pass 73 yards to the house. When it all comes together, he’s going to deliver big-time performances. After Saquon Barkley got going against the Falcons, there's no reason to think Gibson won't take advantage, too.
WR Corey Davis, Titans @ Jets ($5,000). It’s been a rough stretch for Davis, who had to contend with the stout defenses of the Patriots and Broncos. The Titans are not as well equipped defensively, so if Davis earns another 10-plus targets, he’ll do more than he did in Week 3 given the matchup. Let's hope he's motivated by facing his former team, too.
WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
WR Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers vs. Seahawks ($5,000). It's been a vexing start to the season for Aiyuk owners, but he finally snapped out of his funk in Week 3. If your still gun-shy, Aiyuk will not only come at a discount but also with low ownership. He should've had two touchdowns last week and is talented and dynamic enough to flirt with multiple scores in any given game.
WR Kadarius Toney, Giants @ Saints ($3,300). This isn’t just a cost-saving Hail Mary. The Giants lost two receivers to hamstring injuries last week and Kenny Golladay is managing his own ailments. Toney was quiet in Week 3 again, but he handled the heaviest snap load of his young career. He could very well be forced into a heavier target workload this week.
WEEK 4 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
TE Travis Kelce, Chiefs @ Eagles ($8,100). Kelce is as close to a lock as you can get in terms of expected production. Sure, it could certainly be a Hill explosion game, but Kelce offers a ceiling of his own — he’s gone beyond 20 DraftKings points in all three games this season.
Flex (WR) Chuba Hubbard, Panthers @ Cowboys ($5,900). We expect the Panthers to lean on Hubbard in place of Christian McCaffrey (hamstring), much like they did with Mike Davis last year. Provided Hubbard is up for the challenge, he’ll be used on the ground and through the air. This will be a popular play, but we're okay with that in this case.
DEF Detroit Lions @ Bears ($2,200). This is all about salary savings and picking on a struggling offense. We’re just asking the Lions to tread water while the rest of the lineup does the heavy lifting.