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Welcome to the Week 8 edition of RotoBaller's UFL DFS Bargain Bin, where the goal is to touch on some potentially mispriced players in DraftKings' Week 8 UFL contests. Each week during the UFL 2024 season and postseason, I’ll give you my thoughts on where there may be some value spots to exploit for DraftKings' wide array of tournaments and cash games. After you're done here, be sure also to read all our other weekly UFL fantasy football articles.
The XFL and USFL had both defied the odds over the last pair of springs to complete full seasons -- one in the case of the former and two in the case of the latter. They've now joined forces in the hopes of forming a stable and long-lasting pro football alternative for fans that also serves as a launchpad to the NFL for as many players as possible. There's a solid degree of carryover in terms of personnel from both leagues for the 2024 season, even though several teams from each league didn't make the cut for the UFL.
DraftKings' UFL DFS rosters largely mirror that of NFL contests, with a notable exception -- there is no TE-specific spot, but rather two WR/TE spots and two additional flex spots that can be filled with a running back, wide receiver, or tight end.
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UFL DFS Bargain Bin Intro
Before we go UFL DFS Bargain Bin hunting, a few particulars about format and content.
The nature of the beast with value plays is at least a modest amount (and sometimes substantially more) of risk. Therefore, the Bargain Bin may prove to be a bit more of a roller coaster ride on some slates than your typical “tout” article! Naturally, that doesn’t mean there isn’t an upside to be had. All of these selections are, therefore, suitable for GPPs and can also often serve as solid cash game plays while often helping you accommodate multiple higher-priced studs into your lineup.
This article is by no means intended to serve as an exhaustive list of all value options for the week. Rather, it is meant to take a deeper dive into those I feel offer some of the best combinations of savings and upside.
The goal is to recommend truly affordable players, as opposed to, say, a player priced just $300-$400 away from the highest-priced option at his position. I don’t have set-in-stone price limits in mind for each site, but I do consider legitimate affordability a very important criterion.
UFL Quarterback DFS Value Plays
Bryce Perkins, MICH vs. MEM | $8.6K (Friday, 5/17 UPDATE: Danny Etling, who has a $9.3K salary, has been removed from the inactive list, so if he's announced as the starter, I would pivot to him)
Perkins offered the Panthers a spark in Week 7 after taking over for an ineffective Brian Lewerke, completing 11 of 13 passes for 116 yards and adding another 13 yards on the ground. The one-time Rams spot starter looked very comfortable within Michigan's offense, and he should be in another very favorable spot at home against one of the most defensively vulnerable teams in the UFL.
The Showboats could make for excellent facilitators in terms of another successful outing, as Memphis is not only eliminated from postseason contention, but also sports one of the most generous pass defenses in the league. John DeFilippo's squad has given up a league-high 254.3 passing yards per game at a league-high 72.6 percent completion rate, brightening the outlook for Memphis' passing game as a whole.
Michigan Panthers QB Bryce Perkins (@TDN_Perk) in the 22-9 win over the Defenders:
■ 11/13 (85%)
■ 116 yds
■ 159.6 PRPanthers have a legit option at quarterback. pic.twitter.com/DS2iOZ12KU
— Michigan Panthers Dude (@MIPanthersDude) May 12, 2024
ALSO CONSIDER: Case Cookus, MEM at MICH | $8.1K
UFL Running Back DFS Value Plays
C.J. Marable, BHAM vs. HOU | $8.1K (Friday, 5/17 UPDATE: Marable has been declared inactive for Saturday's game, putting me on backfield mate Ricky Person, whose salary is $8.3K)
Marable came through nicely as a value suggestion in Week 7 despite not being in the lead-back role, recording a rushing TD and averaging 4.4 yards per carry on his seven rush attempts. That's led to a slight bump in salary that's less than ideal, but with back-to-back double-digit DK-point tallies and not much in the way of viable value at RB this week, he's firmly in play.
Marable has four double-digit DK-point efforts in his six games, and he and Ricky Person Jr. could be even closer in their workload split in Week 8. The Roughnecks have been very tough against the run on a per-carry basis, but Houston has also yielded eight rushing touchdowns, which could certainly benefit a back like Marable that plenty of red-zone work.
Matt Colburn, MICH vs. MEM | $7.5K
Speaking of Week 7 recommendations that delivered handsomely, Colburn is at the top of the list after compiling 18.1 DK points by gaining 137 rushing yards on 16 carries. Colburn was far more effective than backfield mate Wes Hills, who logged six fewer rush attempts and averaged just 3.7 yards per tote.
Colburn could therefore handle lead-back duties again in a favorable Week 8 matchup against the Showboats, which have been about as bad against the run as the pass. Memphis is surrendering the third-most rushing yards per game (96.4) at 4.7 yards per carry, and they've also given up a league-high 12 rushing touchdowns.
Matt Colburn been like that, FYI.
Always has been one of the most underrated RB's in spring football. Massive impact on this scoring drive for the @USFLPanthers to start this game.
Also, shoutout the O-Line for some excellent blocking. #UFLpic.twitter.com/MPMu4Gppqa
— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) May 12, 2024
ALSO CONSIDER: De'Veon Smith, ARL at SAN ($7,300)
UFL Wide Receiver DFS Value Plays
JaVonta Payton, ARL at SAN | $7.7K
Payton was yet another part of our Week 7 column that paid off nicely, producing 24.2 DK points on a 4-82-2 line via seven targets. It was the speedy Payton's third straight double-digit DK-point effort, and it pushed his target total over that span to an impressive 22. Given Payton's explosiveness, he remains a high-upside option even at his rising salary.
The Brahmas have allowed the second-highest completion percentage (63.6), along with a robust 9.0 yards per completion. San Antonio has also picked off only two passes, and Payton and quarterback Luis Perez clearly have plenty of chemistry to exploit any potential vulnerabilities.
Luis Perez LAUNCHED this ball to Javonta Payton 💪🎯pic.twitter.com/41n1TNyTLw
— Arlington Renegades (@XFLRenegades) April 28, 2024
Marlon Williams, BHAM vs. HOU | $7.1K
Williams is at an interesting price point for his upside, as the Central Florida product has scored 11.1 to 23.1 DK points in three of his past four games. Williams, who came into this season with 35 career USFL catches while with the Stallions over the previous two seasons, has an encouraging 11 targets in the last two games, flashing some solid chemistry with highly impressive quarterback Adrian Martinez.
The Roughnecks are tied for the second-highest yards per completion allowed (10.9) and are also tied for the third-most passing touchdowns surrendered (nine), and Martinez has essentially dominated any opponent put in front of him. Therefore, Williams, who's posted a double-digit YPC figure in every game, could be set for another solid return.
Samson Nacua, MICH vs. MEM | $4.7K
Puka's older brother took a big step forward in Week 7 after a 2-27 line in his Week 6 debut, as the BYU product generated a 6-45 line on seven targets despite playing part of the game with Lewerke. Nacua should some solid chemistry with Perkins, who should get the call this week under center and who could well rely on the sure-handed wideout again.
The Showboats' issues with pass defense were already discussed in Perkins' entry, and Nacua, who flashed some big-play ability in college by averaging over 15 yards per grab in a couple of college seasons, is very capable of capitalizing.
ALSO CONSIDER: Steven Mitchell Jr., STL vs. D.C. | $4.5K
UFL Flex DFS Value Plays
Sal Cannella, TE - ARL vs. SAN | $6.4K
Cannella continued to serve as one of Luis Perez's favorite targets in Week 7, posting a 9-72-2 line to net a season-high 30.2 DK points. It was Cannella's third straight game with at least eight targets, and his fourth in the last five hitting that mark.
Cannella produced a 6-40 line on eight targets versus the Brahmas in Week 5, and given his recent body of work, he could certainly deliver on his modest salary again.
Kevin Austin Jr., WR - BHAM vs. HOU | $5K
The speedy Austin was another Stallions wideout that did damage in Week 7, generating a 3-59-1 line that netted 14.9 DK points. That followed a tally of 23.8 DK points on the strength of a 4-108-1 line (five targets) in Week 6, making Austin quite the potential value option in Week 8 at an extremely reasonable salary.
Kevin Austin Jr. outran everyone except the drone cam 🔥⚡️
Peep how he looks right at the camera at the end 👀 pic.twitter.com/6k2q44FABz
— United Football League (@TheUFL) May 11, 2024
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