DraftKings Reignmakers | Weekly News & Marketplace Inefficiencies (Week 8)
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.
Mark Andrews Misses Practice on Tuesday
Mark Andrews missed practice on Monday and Tuesday due to a knee injury, Jamison Hensley reported. Last week, he missed two practices before participating in Friday’s practice and ultimately playing against the Cleveland Browns. This week, he only has one practice left before the Baltimore Ravens’ game on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s possible Andrews ends up missing, especially after he put up 0 fantasy points against the Browns in Week 7. It is worth noting that following Thursday’s game, the Ravens head to New Orleans to face the Saints on Monday night in Week 9, giving him additional time to rest and recover.
Matt Ryan Replaced at Quarterback by Sam Ehlinger
Matt Ryan has been replaced as the Indianapolis Colts’ starting quarterback by Sam Ehlinger. Ehlinger is a mobile QB drafted in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. His mobility could help the Colts’ struggling offensive line, and it is unlikely that he loses the starting job back to Ryan due to Ryan’s contract. Ryan is owed millions of extra dollars if he suffers an injury that prevents him from passing a physical by the third day of the 2023 NFL league year in March, according to Yahoo Sports. If Ehlinger does struggle, expect to see Nick Foles replace him at some point this season.
Rhamondre Stevenson Out-Rushes Damien Harris Week 7
Damien Harris returned from injury this week, but it hardly impacted Rhamondre Stevenson’s production level on the field. Harris had three carries for eight total yards. Stevenson, on the other hand, had 11 carries for 39 yards and eight receptions, including one rushing touchdown. It seems like Bill Belichick is going to opt for Stevenson the remainder of the season, and he is a semi-safe bet to continue to be the workhorse running back for the New England Patriots.
DK Metcalf Avoids Serious Injury?
DK Metcalf left last week’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers after only one reception for 12 yards. It seemed like his season could be in jeopardy, but according to head coach Pete Carroll, the injury is less serious than previously anticipated. When asking about Metcalf playing this week, Carroll said, “"I'm going to leave it wide open...I can't call it." It is unlikely that Metcalf plays this week, but it is still a possibility. And even if he doesn’t, it seems like the injury will only keep him out one or two weeks, and not the remainder of the season.
Mike Williams to Miss ‘Weeks, Not Days’
Opposite of DK Metcalf, Mike Williams is going to miss a significant amount of time after spraining his ankle last week. When asked about Williams’ injury, head coach Brandon Staley said he would miss “weeks, not days.” This is likely a net gain for Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler, but a negative for the rest of the Los Angeles Chargers’ offense.
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 8 projections and prices. Don’t forget to sell your player cards after the week, if you’re not going to use them again.
Devin Duvernay - WR - Elite - $140
The Baltimore Ravens play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in two days, and with how poorly Tom Brady and company have been playing, stacking Lamar Jackson et al will be popular. But Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman are both questionable. Bateman missed Tuesday’s practice, as did Andrews. If one of them doesn’t play, Devin Duvernay sees a significant bump in offensive targets. If both of them don’t play, Duvernay becomes a top receiving target for Jackson. His Elite-tier player card is currently cheap enough to take a risk on, especially considering he has big-play upside even if both Andrews and Bateman do suit up.
DK Metcalf - WR - Elite - $266
DK Metcalf is unlikely to play, let’s get that out of the way. But if he does, his Elite-tier player card is currently too cheap. It is much cheaper than Tyler Lockett, and Metcalf is the lead wide receiver. Even if he doesn’t play this week, it is unlikely that he is out for two or more weeks based on how Pete Carroll is treating his injury. This is a risk, but the upside is there. Metcalf has massive big-play upside, and the Seahawks get a good matchup against the New York Giants this week.
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.
Miles Sanders - RB - Elite - $333
A couple of the top non-Superstar running backs are at risk of getting the Superstar designation soon (Nick Chubb, Alvin Kamara). That leaves Miles Sanders as one of the best non-Superstar running backs in the game, hypothetically. In his last three games, he has more than 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He is also present in the Philadelphia Eagles’ passing attack. The Eagles are coming off a bye week, where Sanders was able to rest and recover, and get a good matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the battle for Pennsylvania.
Keenan Allen - WR - Elite - $375
Mike Williams is out for “weeks,” according to the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach Brandon Staley. That opens up targets for Keenan Allen, assuming he is healthy enough to continue playing. Allen disappointed in his first game back from injury against the Seattle Seahawks, but he only saw two targets. He caught both passes for 11 yards. With Williams out of the lineup, he should see double-digit targets per game, again, assuming he is healthy. Right now, his Elite-tier player card is cheap enough to take that risk on.
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.
Lamar Jackson - QB - Legendary - $2,499
Lamar Jackson is a Superstar on DraftKings Reignmakers, which means his Legendary-tier player cards cannot be played up in the Reignmaker tier. That is a hindrance during normal weeks, but on Showdown (or prime time game) weeks, it is a bonus. Jackson has two prime time games in the next two weeks. He plays this Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and next Monday against the New Orleans Saints. He will likely be the high-scoring quarterback in both games, which means he will be required to win the Showdown contests. The top prize at the Legendary tier for both of those games is $5,000, more than double his current Legendary price.
