At FantasyLabs, Bargain Rating is a metric we use to compare the relative costs of players on DraftKings and FanDuel using percentile rankings. It features prominently in our large suite of analytical DFS Tools, most specifically our industry-leading FantasyLabs Models.
This week, I will be applying Bargain Rating concepts to the Week 3 XFL slate in order to identify the top values.
Be sure to check out our Week 3 XFL fantasy projections, which will be updated based on injury reports and depth chart news as we head into the weekend.
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XFL Quarterbacks
DraftKings: BattleHawks QB Jordan Ta’amu (FanDuel: $21, 100% Bargain Rating. DraftKings: $10,100, 0% Bargain Rating)
Ta’amu has the the highest overall Bargain Rating on either site. The second-most expensive quarterback on FanDuel behind only P.J. Walker, Ta’amu is only the fourth-most expensive option on DraftKings behind Walker, Cardale Jones and Landry Jones.
Ta’amu has lived in the short passing game this year, attempting only three of 64 attempts beyond 20 yards (per Pro Football Focus), but he has made it work. He leads all starters with his 78.1% completion rate, and his top receivers — De’Mornay Pierson-El and L’Damian Washington — have been yard-after-the-catch monsters, both ranking inside the top three.
While it is somewhat unsettling to pay $10,100 for a quarterback unwilling to go downfield, Ta’amu’s rushing ability more than makes up for it. With 109 rushing yards, he ranks fourth behind running backs Matt Jones, De’Veon Smith and Cameron Artis-Payne. Ta’amu also gets carries near the goal line, rushing the ball twice in Week 2 inside the five-yard line, once for a touchdown.
In the BattleHawks’ home opener, Ta’amu looks like an excellent buy on DraftKings.
FanDuel: Renegades QB Landry Jones (FanDuel: $19, 87% Bargain Rating. DraftKings: $10,600, 7% Bargain Rating)
Jones was far from perfect in his season debut last week against Los Angeles, but he still managed a respectable 15.5 FanDuel points on 305 passing yards. One of the rare XFL quarterbacks with 300-yard potential, Jones is hurt by FanDuel’s scoring format, which does not award a bonus for 300 passing yards, but his cheap salary keeps him in play.
Through two weeks, the Renegades have been the pass-heaviest team in the league, despite starting check-down artist backup quarterback Philip Nelson in Week 1. With a 24.25-point implied Vegas total, Jones should have plenty of chances to rack up fantasy points against Seattle. Possibly the least mobile starting quarterback in the XFL, Jones will be best deployed as a stacking partner with his receivers.
XFL Running Backs
DraftKings: Vipers RBs De’Veon Smith (FanDuel: $16, 12% Bargain Rating. DraftKings: $6,300, 83% Bargain Rating) and Jacques Patrick (FanDuel: $14, 12% Bargain Rating. DraftKings: $4,400, 82% Bargain Rating)
It’s only fitting that Tampa Bay backfield mates Smith and Patrick are tied with matching 83% Bargain Ratings on DraftKings. While Smith dominated Patrick in both snaps (47-28) and carries (16-8) in Week 1, the two backs played to a near 50/50 timeshare in Week 2, splitting snaps down the middle (37-37) with Patrick out-carrying Smith 14-11.
Despite regularly finding themselves in neutral and negative game scripts, the Vipers are second in the league with 31 carries per game. As quarterback Aaron Murray (foot) once again looks unlikely to play this weekend, the Vipers will likely platoon Taylor Cornelius and Quinton Flowers at the position and lean on the run game. While Smith and Patrick should not be rostered together, they both individually make for solid plays in guaranteed prize pools plays on DraftKings in Tampa Bay’s home opener.
FanDuel: Vipers RB Quinton Flowers (FanDuel: $12, 100% Bargain Rating. DraftKings: $7,100, 0% Bargain Rating)
Flowers, who is listed as a quarterback on DraftKings, presents a unique opportunity due to his running back designation on FanDuel. Backup Taylor Cornelius took the majority of snaps at quarterback in Week 2, but Flowers was on the field for 21-of-73 snaps, finishing with seven passes and five rushes.
In a Tampa Bay offense that should be looking to reinvent itself after scoring 12 points through two games and failing to score a touchdown on seven red zone trips, Flowers could be in line for a heavier workload in Week 3 due to his jack-of-all-trades skill set. While Flowers is unlikely to play 100% of the Vipers’ snaps, the prospect of playing a rushing quarterback in the running back slot on FanDuel is intriguing.
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XFL Wide Receivers
DraftKings: Defenders WR DeAndre Thompkins (FanDuel: $19, 19% Bargain rating. DraftKings: $5,700, 81% Bargain Rating)
Both sites were aggressive in bumping up Thompkins’ salary after he posted a 6-92-1 receiving line last week in his season debut, but FanDuel was far more aggressive, pricing Thompkins as the third-most expensive receiver, behind only Roughnecks WR Cam Phillips and Wildcats WR Nelson Spruce. That price point feels too steep for a receiver who played only 64% of snaps in Week 2, but Thompkins is more playable on DraftKings, where his $5,700 salary slots him in as WR18.
The Defenders have arguably the most talented offense in the league, as Thompkins and wide receivers Rashad Ross and Eli Rogers are all capable of leading the position in scoring in any week. If you are playing on both DFS sites, it makes sense to leverage the salary differences by playing Thompkins (DraftKings Bargain Rating: 81%) on DraftKings and Rogers (FanDuel Bargain Rating: 81%) and Ross (FanDuel Bargain Rating: 67%) on FanDuel.
FanDuel: Guardians WR Mekale McKay (FanDuel: $14, 89% Bargain Rating. DraftKings: $8,800, 11% Bargain Rating)
It would be easy to write off the Guardians after their Week 2 implosion, in which they were held scoreless on 166 yards of offense, but it’s hard to ignore McKay while he’s priced as the WR17 on FanDuel.
On the surface, McKay’s 6-88-0 receiving line through two games is easy to look past, but there are reasons to remain optimistic. McKay’s target share increased from 13% in Week 1 to 24% in Week 2, and his Week 2 advanced metrics — a 22.6-yard average depth of target, 158 air yards — suggest a big game may be on the horizon.
With McKay’s ownership likely trending down after consecutive duds, Week 3 may be an ideal time to buy.
Week 3 XFL Bargain Ratings
Credit: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images
Pictured: Jordan Ta’amu
