The hype and drama surrounding Week 10 Monday Night Football is intense in fantasy football circles. Can Odell Beckham Jr. have an immediate impact, particularly with Robert Woods now out for the year? Is Brandon Aiyuk officially a WR3/flex play in fantasy football? Can we trust Jimmy Garoppolo after two consecutive QB1 weeks? These and other questions have to be addressed when we make our Monday Night Football picks. With a focus on high upside, here’s our favorite Week 10 Monday Night Football DFS lineup, plus a couple of special bargains.
Monday Night NFL DFS Picks | 49ers
At 3-5, San Francisco is approaching must-win mode. I’m expecting their offense to effectively challenge the Rams’ vaunted defense. These are 49ers we’d start in our DFS lineup. Combined with our Rams picks, they fall within the single-game tournament and 50/50 salary cap, with a focus on expensive high-upside players and inexpensive players with decent TD potential.
Deebo Samuel, WR, 49ers ($13,000)
This lineup could accommodate a Matthew Stafford/Van Jefferson tandem or a Darrell Henderson/Deebo Samuel duo. The latter presents more upside, so that’s what we recommend. While Jalen Ramsey is a lockdown cornerback, it’s quite possible he won’t be assigned to just one player. Samuel should be fine.
George Kittle, TE, 49ers ($10,500)
In George Kittle’s breakout 2018 campaign (88-1,377-5 receiving line), his primary competition at wideout consisted of Kendrick Bourne, Dante Pettis, Marquise Goodwin, and Trent Taylor. The following season’s contingent wasn’t much better. In other words, the mystique of Kittle as an elite TE1 is tied partly to talent (no doubt about it) but also to being a huge fish in a small pond.
This year, he’s competing for targets with two excellent receivers. That helps explain his relatively slow start to the season before he got hurt in early October. That said, Kittle remains a key cog in San Francisco’s offense, and I like that he’s averaging 9 targets in his last three contests. His DFS price is also appealing, as he can comfortably outperform price-based expectations with a very doable 12+ point outing.
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers ($7,500)
His price looks like an oversight. How could San Francisco’s No. 2 wideout be valued so low? Brandon Aiyuk spent weeks toiling in obscurity as Samuel soaked up monster WR1 numbers. Last week, Aiyuk finally outperformed him. This price is too good to pass up.
Monday Night NFL DFS Picks | Rams
The following are Rams players we’d start in our DFS MNF lineup. Combined with the 49ers players listed above, this lineup would fit within the single-game DFS MNF salary cap.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Rams ($16,000)
If you have an MVP slot, we’d recommend Cooper Kupp. What he’s done this year is extraordinary, and with Woods out and Beckham Jr. still getting acclimated, Kupp undoubtedly should be a co-focus of this offense.
Darrell Henderson, RB, Rams ($12,000)
And the other offensive focus? Darrell Henderson, whose exceptional running and pass catching have made him a back-end RB1 with room to pop.
San Francisco’s defense has struggled against the run. Henderson could get 20+ touches and is an automatic DFS start given his massive yardage and TD upside.
Monday Night NFL DFS Picks | Other Bargains
The following are a couple of cheap bargains we would recommend if you’re trying to round out your lineup within the salary cap. These players have low floors and solid ceilings.
Van Jefferson, WR, Rams ($8,000)
What role will Van Jefferson play? That’s the big question. If we knew for certain that Beckham Jr. would be largely irrelevant, Jefferson would presumably take on a bigger role, at least for tonight. He has a nice WR3 ceiling, but he also has a WR5 floor.
Ben Skowronek, WR, Rams ($6,000)
There are reports that Ben Skowronek will start in place of the injured Woods. It’s hard to imagine the 2021 seventh-rounder thriving. However, if you assemble a lineup loaded with stars and have $6,000 leftover for the final roster spot, Skowronek is your guy.
Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, 49ers ($5,000)
Jeff Wilson Jr. is finally healthy, but he hasn’t seen action. That could change tonight. I’m not buying Elijah Mitchell against the Rams’ run defense. It’s not hard to imagine head coach Kyle Shanahan getting Wilson some touches. After all, Wilson enjoyed four dominant performances last season and is a threat to Mitchell’s fantasy production atop San Francisco’s depth chart. Wilson’s floor is zero points, but his ceiling is around an RB4 — not bad at this price.