DraftKings Reignmakers: Weekly News and Marketplace Inefficiencies
In this article, we’ll look at the most impactful NFL news of the week, the best week-long and season-long additions to your DraftKings Reignmakers’ squad, and which Superstars are the best value adds to fill out the rest of your team.
What Happened This Week in the NFL?
Staying on top of NFL news is difficult. This section highlights the most important announcements of the week and shows how they’ve impacted DraftKings Reignmakers player card prices.
Brian Robinson Moves to Non-Football Injury List
About two weeks ago, Brian Robinson was sadly shot twice during an attempted robbery. This week, the Washington Commanders placed him on the reserve/non-football injury list, which means he will be out for at least four weeks. He could potentially return in week five, but his timeline for recovery is not definitive. Antonio Gibson, who was losing playing time to Robinson in preseason, will step up as the Commanders featured running back in Robinson’s absence.
Despite this news, Antonio Gibson's player card values are down across the board. Since Aug. 31, Gibson's Elite Genesis dropped $51, and his Legendary Genesis dropped $900. His Core and Rare Genesis did not change in value.
Michael Gallup’s Rehab Has Been Encouraging
Michael Gallup is recovering from a torn ACL last season, and he is doubtful to play in the first week of the 2022 NFL season, but his rehab has been encouraging. “He looks excellent,” Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said. “He’s getting close. He’s hit every target. His rehab is going very smooth, just staying on the plan.” Gallup has not been placed on the PUP list, which means the Cowboys are hopeful he will play prior to Week 6.
Michael Gallup's player card values were a mixed bag this week. His Core Genesis added $0.42, his Rare Genesis added $3.01, his Elite Genesis dropped $25, and his Legendary Genesis did not change in value.
Matthew Stafford’s Elbow Injury Could Be More Serious Than Anticipated
Matthew Stafford has been dealing with an elbow injury since throwing drills started during spring practices, and the injury is on his throwing arm. Stafford and Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay are publicly unconcerned, but this could impact his ability on the field all season if the injury nags the 34-year-old quarterback. Recently, however, McVay said there is “no hesitation” to allow Stafford to throw 50 or more passes to win a single game.
Matthew Stafford's player card values were a mixed bag this week. His Core Genesis added $10, his Rare Genesis dropped $19, his Elite Genesis dropped $14, and his Legendary Genesis dropped $350.
Nyheim Hines Could Be Heavily Featured in Indianapolis Colts’ Passing Attack
The Indianapolis Colts moved on from Carson Wentz in favor of Matt Ryan, and their offense should look more similar to the Philip Rivers-run offense of old than the Wentz show this season. Ryan is more likely to check down to his running backs, which bodes well for Nyheim Hines, and Dan Graziano recently reported that he wouldn’t be surprised to see Hines break his single-season catches record.
Nyheim Hines' player card values were a mixed bag this week. His Core Genesis dropped $0.50, his Rare Genesis dropped $3, his Elite Genesis added $79, and his Legendary Genesis added $180.
Rhamondre Stevenson Receives Praise From Coach Bill Belichick
Rhamondre Stevenson has had an excellent preseason, and he recently received praise from New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. Speaking of his contribution in the Patriots’ passing attack, Belichick said, “It’s something that he now has shown that he can do. Or it might even become a strength. His attention to the details of his route running have certainly shown up in practice, and hopefully they’ll show up in the games now.” It seems like Belichick is willing to work Stevenson into the pass game, which is good news for the 24-year-old running back and bad news for now-early-downstarter Damien Harris.
Rhamondre Stevenson's player card values were a mixed bag this week. His Core Genesis dropped $0.50, his Rare Genesis added $8.50, his Elite Genesis dropped $1, and his Legendary Genesis did not change in value.
Weekly Welcomes
Looking to have some fun this week, but don’t really care about the rest of the NFL season? This section highlights the best value adds at each position based on Week 1 projections and prices. Don’t forget to sell your player cards after the week, if you’re not going to use them again.
Mitchell Trubisky - QB - Core - $6.75
The Pittsburgh Steelers recently named Mitchell Trubisky a team captain and the official Week 1 starting quarterback. This is his chance to redeem himself after a solid start to his career, followed by an exhausting few seasons in Chicago and a backup role in Buffalo. He is loaded with offensive weapons in Pittsburgh: Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Pat Freiermuth, and Najee Harris. His price is low compared to other starting quarterbacks in his fantasy point projection range (17.1 FPs). Separate your lineup Week 1 with a low-cost, high-upside quarterback who could shock the fantasy football world this season. And if he doesn’t, at least you didn’t spend too much money.
James Conner - RB - Rare - $45
There are only about 700 possible James Conner player cards at the Rare tier currently (this number can increase in the future). He is one of the best non-Superstar running backs available, and his Week 1 projection (15.6 FPs) is currently higher than Saquon Barkley, D’Andre Swift, and Javonte Williams. He is going to see plenty of carries and catches in Arizona, and playing Conner in an Elite tier contest is a sharp option.
Amari Cooper - WR - Elite - $224
Amari Cooper is underpriced across the board. His cheapest Elite-tier player card is currently $224, which is significantly lower than similarly-projected wide receivers like A.J. Brown ($650), Mike Evans ($720), and Brandin Cooks ($489). Cooper’s main issue is at quarterback; Jacoby Brissett isn’t that good. But with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the backfield, opposing defenses can’t single him out completely. Cooper is going to see a massive amount of targets this season, and he should be bought up to around $400-500 at Elite tier.
Season-Long Stashes
Looking to add to your DraftKings Reignmakers’ squad for the rest of the year? This section highlights the best long-term value adds for the remainder of the season.
Diontae Johnson - WR - Core - $6.99
Diontae Johnson is dealing with a nagging shoulder injury after connecting with Mitchell Trubisky for a 40-yard play during preseason. He sat out of practice on Monday, but he is still expected to play in Week 1. Johnson should continue to get better throughout the season as he and Trubisky develop a better bond, and pairing him with Trubisky makes sense as a high-upside, low-owned stack every week this season.
Aaron Rodgers - QB - Elite - $485
In the last Superstar Steals article, I recommended Aaron Rodgers’ Reignmakers Genesis Set player card for under $10,000. It has since been bought and relisted for $18,000. His Elite tier player cards are much more affordable at $485 for the cheapest. Rodgers is a Superstar, which means his Elite tier player cards can’t be played in Legendary tier, but with only 80 of them currently available, it gives plenty of upside in Elite tier contests each week. Plus, he has quite a few prime time games, which means he is eligible in Showdown contests.
Josh Jacobs - RB - Rare - $29.99
Josh Jacobs is a bit boring in the passing attack, but he is going to see so many carries it doesn’t matter. Last season, Jacobs had 4.0 yards per carry and 6.4 yards per reception. He scored nine total touchdowns. The year prior, he scored 12 touchdowns. He should see around double-digit touchdowns again this season, and for his price, he is undervalued on DraftKings Reignmakers at the moment. He has plenty of week-to-week upside, and in the last year of his contract, it is likely the Las Vegas Raiders are willing to ride him into the ground.
Superstar Steals
Looking for the last piece of the puzzle to your perfect DraftKings Reignmakers lineup? This section highlights the best Superstar value adds at each rarity tier.
Austin Ekeler - RB - Elite - $550
Austin Ekeler continues to go underappreciated in DraftKings Reignmakers. He is one of the best receiving running backs in the league, and he plays for the most explosive offense in the league. He is one play away from a 50-yard receiving touchdown on every snap. And his upside is as great as any other running back in the league. In the Elite tier, he is significantly cheaper than both Jonathan Taylor ($875) and Christian McCaffrey ($820). He is a good contrarian play, and his value should be closer to $700.
Devante Adams - WR - Elite - $525
Devante Adams, much like Austin Ekeler, continues to go underappreciated in DraftKings Reignmakers, too. He was one of the best performing player cards this week in value gained at the Common and Rare tiers, but his Elite value is still too low. He is significantly cheaper than Cooper Kupp ($888), Justin Jefferson ($750), and Ja’Marr Chase ($649). Adams relies heavily on touchdowns for his fantasy production, which gives him huge upside week-to-week.
