NFL DFS Lineup Optimizer Rules and My Favorite Angle for Week 8’s Main Slate

Our Lineup Optimizer is an incredibly powerful tool inside our Player Models, particularly when creating a large number of lineups. However, it’s just that — a tool. We still have to make decisions. Otherwise, everyone would have the same 150 lineups in each contest.

This is intended more as a teaching piece than a step-by-step guide. These rules are suggestions that can show you how to translate your read on these games into lineups.

Each week I’ll go over my favorite DFS angle for the given week and go over some of our Lineup Optimizer settings that are worth considering.

Now, let’s get to it!

My Favorite Week 8 NFL DFS Angle

The week of the cheap quarterback!

For tournaments this week, how we handle Malik Willis and Sam Ehlinger is going to be very important. The pricing this week looks to be the tightest it has been this season, which makes this massive amount of value at the quarterback position so important. With both guys known more for their willingness to scramble than their passing acumen, I will be making some deviations from my usual rules this week.

With less interest in QB-pass catcher stacks, I want to intentionally create correlation in other ways in lineups that include these two. I plan on building these lineups separately so that I can use additional rules that I don’t necessarily want to force with conventional builds.

I would try to stack running backs above $6,000  and wide receivers priced above $7,000 with a skill player from the opposing team.

For example, pairing Kenneth Walker with one of Wan’dale Robinson and Darius Slayton or pairing Justin Jefferson with Deandre Hopkins. These mini-stacks help us still build in correlation on this unconventional slate.

Lineup Optimizer Rules to Consider

Below are the rules to consider for Sunday. For more context on optimizer rules or the Showdown format in general, check out my NFL Showdown Primer.

General

Minimum salary cap: 99.6%. Leaving more than this causes you to lose significant win equity.

Flex positions: WR, RB.

Player Correlations

Optimal tournament construction includes stacking your quarterback with at least one, but usually two, pass-catcher(s) from the same team and at least one pass-catcher from the opposing team.

A mobile quarterback with a big rushing game is more likely to only need one teammate paired. These settings can be accomplished through rules in the “Position” tab or through the Player Correlations tab for more control.

In lineups with Willis, I have no interest in stacking him with pass catchers. I also wouldn’t include him in lineups with Derrick Henry since both are going to be relying on rushing production to reach a ceiling.

In lineups with Ehlinger, I will use a rule to increase the projection of Michael Pittman, Parris Campbell, and Alec Pierce with a maximum of 1 player from the group.

Player Groups

You want to avoid pairings like Dalvin Cook with Justin Jefferson in GPPs to assure your ceiling isn’t capped. The Player Groups tab gives you more control over the process, but the Position tab can be used to completely group out running back paired with a wide receiver from the same team.

Custom

Winning GPP lineups typically use 2-3 players that are less than 10% owned. The Lineup Optimizer allows you to accomplish this quickly.