The lineup came in just 0.12 points from cash last week, which isn’t bad considering everything that went wrong.

The feast-or-famine rollercoaster that Josh Allen (14.64 DraftKings points) finds himself on saw another decline. Allen failed to score at least 15 points for the third time in the last four weeks. He has surpassed 30 in his other two games this season.

Allen’s performance prevented my plane Curtis Samuel (0.9 points) from taking off.

Lamar Jackson actually threw three touchdowns to tight ends in a high-scoring matchup with the Bengals, but none of them were named Mark Andrews (9.5 points), who actually had four receptions for 55 yards in his best game of the season.

My saving grace was the inclusion of Ja’Marr Chase (44.30 points), who rushed for 193 yards on 10 receptions and two TDs against the Ravens.

This week’s list includes two games with a total score greater than 50 points, and both stack infinitely. The Commanders-Ravens have the two best fantasy quarterbacks in the league. The Lions-Cowboys have two strong offenses, two mediocre defenses and the two best wide receivers on the roster.

I’m focusing my attention on the latter this week.

The preamble

Developing the perfect daily fantasy sports strategy for the NFL can be challenging, which is why I’m here weekly to help.

With DraftKings, it’s important to remember that you’re playing full-point PPR with bonuses if a player exceeds 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, or 100 receiving yards.

Here’s my optimal lineup for Sunday’s NFL $3 million Fantasy Football Millionaire contest, but it can also be used as a basis for other games and platforms.

All prices listed are from DraftKings with a budget of $50,000.

The Optimal Lineup earned $117.86 this season, so I’m in the black at $32.86 with an average score of 132.57 points over five weeks.

Results for the current year

Week 1: 90.16

Week 2: 144.38

Week 3: 100.38

Week 4: 180.78

Week 5: 147.14

Lineup for week 6

QB: Dak Prescott, Cowboys ($6,700)

The over/under is 52.5 points, the highest total on the list, with the Lions holding the advantage by 3 points. Dallas hasn’t consistently run the ball well and will likely struggle for points against Detroit’s pass funnel defense, which happens to be quite good against Detroit. the run. Prescott is second in pass attempts (191), third in passing yards per game (284.8) and fifth in touchdown passes (eight).

RB: Bucky Irving, Buccaneers ($5,400)

Rachaad White, who was limited Wednesday with a foot injury before missing practices on Thursday and Friday, is questionable to play in New Orleans. I spent the first month of this season writing in my Waiver Wire Targets column at sandiegouniontribune.com that Irving was the more explosive option for Tampa Bay and would likely replace White at some point this season. He had already run for 60 more yards on seven fewer carries while also scoring the Buccaneers’ only rushing TD by a running back. He’s an excellent salary saver this week.

RB: Tyler Allgeier, Falcons ($5,100)

Many assume Atlanta will finally be able to release Bijan Robinson against the Panthers, but my instincts tell me he played injured and a lingering hamstring problem could hold him back in a premium matchup. Carolina has allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs this season, including nine touchdowns in five games, so the Falcons will still run the ball. Allgeier provides leverage against Robinson, and if Atlanta jumps to a big lead or wastes the clock late, Allgeier would likely see those carries. So there is value here even if Robinson plays well.

WR: CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys ($8,600)

Lamb has yet to surpass 100 yards rushing in the last five weeks and the Lions have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season. They’ve already allowed over 100 yards to Cooper Kupp and Chris Godwin, and Lamb is a better version of both. He completely overwhelmed Detroit in Week 17 last year with 13 receptions on 17 targets for 227 yards and a touchdown.

WR: AJ Brown, Eagles ($7,800)

Brown has been on the squad since the opening game in Brazil, where he caught five balls on ten targets for 119 yards and a touchdown against the Packers. He missed three games with a hamstring injury, and Philadelphia received a bye last week. Many may leave the elite playmaker behind in his first game, but the Browns’ defense is hurting and they play an incredible amount of man coverage. They’ve played man on at least 50% of their opponents’ passing plays in three straight games, and that’s a game of fire against Brown.

WR: Xavier Hutchinson, Texans ($3,300)

Hutchinson has essentially acted as an understudy to Nico Collins since pre-season. Collins is on the IR and either Stefon Diggs or Tank Dell will be shadowed by the Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez. Hutchinson was extremely productive at Iowa State as Brock Purdy’s preferred receiver, producing 254 receptions for 2,929 yards and 15 touchdowns during his three seasons in Ames. It provides leverage against those who believe this is Dell’s “great” opportunity without Collins.

TE: Sam LaPorta, Lions ($5,500)

On the other side of my Cowboys double stack, I’m bringing back LaPorta. After having one of the best rookie seasons for tight ends in NFL history, he has yet to break double-digit fantasy points in a single game (he did it 10 times last season). Honestly, it’s not his fault. LaPorta was targeted just 14 times in four games. After a week off, I think offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is getting him involved early (and often) in Dallas.

FLEX: Jalen Tolbert, Cowboys ($5,000)

Tolbert has been the overall WR24 in PPR formats since Week 2 and had seven receptions on 10 targets for 87 yards and the game-winning TD against the Steelers on Sunday night with Brandin Cooks out (knee). Cooks was placed on injured reserve last week. Tolbert leads Dallas with five targets in the red zone, and the Lions have allowed the third-most receiving yards per game to perimeter wide receivers.

Daylight Saving Time: Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($2,600)

With Derek Carr out with an oblique injury, the Saints will start rookie Spencer Rattler in an important divisional game. It seemed like the fifth-rounder had a lot on his plate this preseason, so I’m not convinced he’ll be able to handle the pressure of the moment or the barrage of blitzes Todd Bowles is sending his way. This also correlates well with Irving having a big game.

Originally published: October 12, 2024 at 2:40 p.m