With just two weeks left in the USFL season, some teams have nothing left to play for. That explains the massive spreads on three of the four games this week. Only one (Tampa vs. New Orleans) is expected to be decided by less than a touchdown.
That obviously makes DFS lineups tricky, even with the inherent inefficiencies of the USFL betting market. There should still be productive scores in some of the blowout games, but whether they come from the usual suspects or not is a legitimate question. Either way, there’s value to be found in changing situations, rosters, and the like. Hopefully we’ve uncovered some of it this week.
Lineup construction is different with the USFL than for NFL DFS. Only six offensive players make the roster, with one quarterback, one running back, two WR/TE spots, and two flexes. That means we don’t have to roster a tight end and can load up on high-upside wide receivers. It also means tight ends will be much lower owned, which could be an edge.
The scoring system is carried over from the NFL, with the lone exception being three-point conversions counting for…three fantasy points. Yes, the USFL has three-point PATs, which are attempted from the 10-yard line.
Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 150 lineups, or use our Lineup Builder if you like to hand-build your lineups.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at who our models like at each position.
USFL DFS Quarterbacks
Top Pick
Jordan Ta’amu ($11,600): Tampa Bay Bandits (+3.5) vs. New Orleans Breakers
Ta’Amu continues his run as the best quarterback in the USFL, averaging more points than any active quarterback outside of the Stars Case Cookus. Ta’amu is a classic check-down quarterback, averaging just 6.5 YPA with solid accuracy.
That makes him a difficult GPP play as the most expensive quarterback on the slate since he’s topped 20 points just twice in eight games this season. Those scores were the result of a four-touchdown performance once, and the other game included his lone rushing touchdown of the season.
It’s hard to project Ta’Amu to repeat either of those feats this week, though with an average of roughly six carries per game, he does bring some rushing upside. What we can project Ta’Amu for is another solid performance. With the Bandits as slight underdogs, his passing volume should be on the higher side, so it’s hard to see a total dud from Ta’Amu here.
His median projection leads our models for Week 9.
Tournament Pick
Case Cookus ($9,800) Philadelphia Stars (-8.5) vs. Pittsburgh Maulers
Cookus has been the Stars starting quarterback since Week 3 but broke out in a big way in Week 8. He threw four touchdowns in the Stars 46-24 route of the Panthers while adding 102 yards on the ground on just three carries. Michigan (at least prior to that game) seemed to be one of the USFL’s tougher defenses, making that performance all the more impressive.
His 34 yards per carry is obviously unsustainable, as is his four touchdowns. However, he has another matchup in Week 9 against a team with nothing to play for. Philadelphia has the highest total on the slate, and Pittsburgh has allowed 65 points over the past two games.
Cookus should be one of the more popular options on the Week 9 slate, but for a good reason. His upside is arguably higher than Ta’Amu’s, a nearly $2,000 less in salary. He ranks third in median projection but with a better Pts/Sal than either of the top options.
Roland Rivers ($8,100) Pittsburgh Maulers (+8.5) vs. Philadelphia Stars
Pittsburgh has rotated quarterbacks throughout the season, with four different passers seeing action at various points. Rivers was the most recent of the bunch, getting the Week 8 starting nod. He performed well, though, with a 22.5 score on DraftKings.
Rivers completed just 47% of his passes but pushed the ball downfield for 218 yards and a score. He added another touchdown on the ground, picking up 28 yards on five carries. That came against New Jersey, the second-toughest scoring defense in the league.
This week, he draws a Stars team that has allowed more points than any other USFL unit. Philadelphia has also scored the most points, giving this game shootout potential if Pittsburgh can keep up. There are serious questions about whether Rivers gets the start (or plays the whole game), but he’s a great contrarian GPP option if he’s under center.
USFL DFS Running Backs
